There were "old" features in your gua (hexagram). It means that you have two hexagrams. The first one — is something that the Book tells you at the moment, the second is something it warns you about. |
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  9. Small Accumulating (xiǎo chù). Small TamingAdvise
Remember the origin, but do not cling to the past. Do not try to comprehend all at once - knowledge comes slowly.
Inital text of I ChingThe Judgement
The Taming Power of the Small has success. Dense clouds, no rain from our western region.
The Image
The wind drives across heaven: The image of the Taming Power of the Small. Thus the superior man refines the outward aspect of his nature.
- Return to the way. How could there be blame in this? Good fortune.
- He allows himself to be drawn into returning. Good fortune.
- The spokes burst out of the wagon wheels. Man and wife roll their eyes.
- If you are sincere, blood vanishes and fear gives way. No blame.
- If you are sincere and loyally attached, you are rich in your neighbor.
- The rain comes, there is rest. This is due to the lasting effect of character. Perseverance brings the woman into danger. The moon is nearly full. If the superior man persists, misfortune comes.
Prediction
"Clouds are dense but there is no rain." The problems are perceived and resolved with difficulty. You need to rethink or to overcome past - there is a source of problems, there is a hint how to overcome them. The behavior should be based on a gradual and methodical approach. Remember the basics. Now it is time for savings: gather knowledge step by step and accumulate experience, learn from mistakes. Time of global changes and great events has come yet.
This hexagram means the force of the small--the power of the shadowy--that
restrains, tames, impedes. A weak line in the fourth place, that of the
minister, holds the five strong lines in check. In the Image it is the wind
blowing across the sky. The wind restrains the clouds, the rising breath of the
Creative, and makes them grow dense, but as yet is not strong enough to turn
them to rain. The hexagram presents a configuration of circumstances in
which a strong element is temporarily held in leash by a weak element. It is
only through gentleness that this can have a successful outcome.
THE JUDGMENT
This image refers to the state of affairs in China at the time when King Wên,
who came originally from the west, was in the east at the court of the reigning
tyrant Chou Hsin. The moment for action on a large scale had not yet
arrived. King Wên could only keep the tyrant somewhat in check by friendly
persuasion. Hence the image of many clouds, promising moisture and
blessing to the land, although as yet no rain falls. The situation is not
unfavorable; there is a prospect of ultimate success, but there are still obstacles
in the way, and we can merely take preparatory measures. Only through the
small means of friendly persuasion can we exert any influence. The time has
not yet come for sweeping measures. However, we may be able, to a limited
extent, to act as a restraining and subduing influence. To carry out our
purpose we need firm determination within and gentleness and adaptability
in external relations.
THE IMAGE
The wind can indeed drive the clouds together in the sky; yet, being nothing
but air, without solid body, it does not produce great or lasting effects. So also
an individual, in times when he can produce no great effect in the outer
world, can do nothing except refine the expression of his nature in small
ways.
1
It lies in the nature of a strong man to press forward. In so doing he
encounters obstructions. Therefore he returns to the way suited to his
situation, where he is free to advance or to retreat. In the nature of things
this will bring good fortune, for it is wise and reasonable not to try to obtain
anything by force.
2
One would like to press forward, but before going farther one sees from the
example of others like oneself that this way is blocked. In such a case, if the
effort to push forward is not in harmony with the time, a reasonable and
resolute man will not expose himself to a personal rebuff, but will retreat
with others of like mind. This brings good fortune, because he does not
needlessly jeopardize himself.
3
Here an attempt is made to press forward forcibly, in the consciousness that
the obstructing power is slight. But since, under the circumstances, power
actually lies with the weak, this sudden offensive is doomed to failure.
External conditions hinder the advance, just as loss of the wheel spokes stops
the progress of a wagon. We do not yet heed this hint form fate, hence there
are annoying arguments like those of a married couple. Naturally this is not
a favorable state of thing, for though the situation may enable the weaker side
to hold its ground, the difficulties are too numerous to permit of a happy
result. In consequence even the strong man cannot so use his power as to
exert the right influence on those around him. He experiences a rebuff where
he expected an easy victory, and he thus compromises his dignity.
4
If one is in the difficult and responsible position of counselor to a powerful
man, on should restrain him in such a way that the threat of actual bloodshed
may arise. Nonetheless, the power of disinterested truth is greater than all
theses obstacles. It carries such weight that the end is achieved, and all danger
of bloodshed and all fear disappear.
5
Loyalty leads to firm ties because it means that each partner complements the
other. In the weaker person loyalty consists in devotion, in the stronger it
consists in trustworthiness. This relation of mutual reinforcement leads to a
true wealth that is all the more apparent because it is not selfishly hoarded
but is shared with friends. Pleasure shared is pleasure doubled.
6
Success is at hand. The wind has driven up the rain. A fixed standpoint has
been reach. This has come about through the cumulation of small effects
produced by reverence for a superior character. But a success thus secured bit
by bit calls for great caution. It would be a dangerous illusion for anyone to
think he could presume upon it. The female principle, the weak element
that has won the victory, should never persist in vaunting it--that would lead
to danger. The dark power in the moon is strongest when the moon is
almost full. When it is full and directly opposite the sun, its waning is
inevitable. Under such circumstances one must be content with what has
been achieved. To advance any further, before the appropriate time has
come, would lead to misfortune.
Barbara Hejslip interpretationYes, now to you do not accompany neither luck, nor success. But remember: night is the most dark before a dawn. You in confusion, you now do not own conditions, but it soon will pass. Events which everyone will change to the best are already close. Now you need to have patience and wait simply. Yes, you have got used to consider as the minion of fortune. You do not need to spend now itself for petty quarrels, try to not overtire on work. In three months the success in monetary affairs expects you.
  54. Converting The Maiden (guī mèi). The Marrying MaidenAdvise
Becoming a victim of circumstances, try to save yourself from inside. Everyone has something that nobody else can infringe, regardless of power they possess.
Inital text of I ChingThe Judgement
The Marrying Maiden. Undertakings bring misfortune. Nothing that would further.
The Image
Thunder over the lake: The image of the Marrying Maiden. Thus the superior man understands the transitory in the light of the eternity of the end.
- The marrying maiden as a concubine. A lame man who is able to tread. Undertakings bring good fortune.
- A one-eyed man who is able to see. The perseverance of a solitary man furthers.
- The marrying maiden as a slave. She marries as a concubine.
- The marrying maiden draws out the allotted time. A late marriage comes in due course.
- The sovereign I gave his daughter in marriage. The embroidered garments of the princess were not as gorgeous as those of the servingmaid. The moon that is nearly full brings good fortune.
- The woman holds the basket, but there are no fruits in it. The man stabs the sheep, but no blood flows. Nothing that acts to further. A late marriage comes in due course.
Prediction
It is not the happiest period of your life. Circumstances dictate the terms. There is no freedom of action - no joy and satisfaction. You'll have to sacrifice your desires for the sake of duty, or simply follow someone else's will. To a large extent, the situation is determined by social status. Perhaps the turning point of the situation comes to a full moon. Anyway, do not let trample your soul, otherwise you get in captivity for a long time.
Above we have Chên, the eldest son, and below, Tui, the youngest daughter.
The man leads and the girl follows him in gladness. The picture is that of the
entrance of the girl into her husband's house. In all, there are four
hexagrams depicting the relationship between husband and wife. Hsien,
INFLUENCE, (31), describes the attraction that a young couple have for each
other; Hêng, DURATION (32), portrays the permanent relationships of
marriage; Chien, DEVELOPMENT (53), reflects the protracted, ceremonious
procedures attending THE MARRYING MAIDEN, shows a young girl under
the guidance of an older man who marries her.
THE JUDGMENT
A girl who is taken into the family, but not as the chief wife, must behave
with special caution and reserve. She must not take it upon herself to
supplant the mistress of the house, for that would mean disorder and lead to
untenable relationships.
The same is true of all voluntary relationships between human beings.
While legally regulated relationships based on personal inclination depend in
the long run entirely on tactful reserve.
Affection as the essential principle of relatedness is of the greatest
importance in all relationships in the world. For the union of heaven and
earth is the origin of the whole of nature. Among human beings likewise,
spontaneous affection is the all-inclusive principle of union.
THE IMAGE
Thunder stirs the water of the lake, which follows it in shimmering waves.
This symbolizes the girl who follows the man of her choice. But every
relationship between individuals bears within it the danger that wrong turns
may be taken, leading to endless misunderstandings and disagreements.
Therefore it is necessary constantly to remain mindful of the end. If we
permit ourselves to drift along, we come together and are parted again as the
day may determine. If on the other hand a man fixes his mind on an end that
endures, he will succeed in avoiding the reefs that confront the closer
relationships of people.
1
The princess of ancient China maintained a fixed order of rank among the
court ladies, who were subordinated to the queen as are younger sisters to the
eldest. Frequently they came from the family of the queen, who herself led
them to her husband.
The meaning is that a girl entering a family with the consent of the wife
will not rank outwardly as the equal of the latter but will withdraw modestly
into the background. However, if she understands how to fit herself into the
pattern of things, her position will be entirely satisfactory, and she will feel
sheltered in the love of the husband to whom she bears children.
The same meaning is brought out in the relationships between officials. A
man may enjoy the personal friendship of a prince and be taken into his
confidence. Outwardly this man must keep tactfully in the background
behind the official ministers of state, but, although he is hampered by this
status, as if he were lame, he can nevertheless accomplish something through
the kindliness of his nature.
2
Here the situation is that of a girl married to a man who has disappointed
her. Man and wife ought to work together like a pair of eyes. Here the girl is
left behind in loneliness; the man of her choice either has become unfaithful
or has died. But she does not lost the inner light of loyalty. Thought the
other eye is gone, she maintains her loyalty even in loneliness.
3
A girl who is in a lowly position and finds no husband may, in some
circumstances, still win shelter as a concubine.
This pictures the situation of a person who longs too much for joys that
cannot be obtained in the usual way. He enters upon a situation not
altogether compatible with self-esteem. Neither judgment nor warning is
added to this line; it merely lays bare the actual situation, so that everyone
may draw a lesson from it.
4
The girl is virtuous. She does not wish to throw herself away, and allows the
customary time for marriage to slip by. However, there is no harm in this;
she is rewarded for her purity and, even though belatedly, finds the husband
intended for her.
5
The sovereign I is T'ang the Completer. This ruler decreed that the imperial
princesses should be subordinated to their husbands in the same manner as
other women (cf. Hexagram 11, six in the fifth place). The emperor does not
wait for a suitor to woo his daughter but gives her in marriage when he sees
fit. Therefore it is in accord with custom for the girl's family to take the
initiative here.
We see here a girl of aristocratic birth who marries a man of modest
circumstances and understands how to adapt herself with grace to the new
situation. She is free of all vanity of outer adornment, and forgetting her rank
in her marriage, takes a place below that of her husband, just as the moon,
before it is quite full, does not directly face the sun.
6
At the sacrifice to the ancestors, the woman had to present harvest offerings
in a basket, while the man slaughtered the sacrificial animal with his own
hand. Here the ritual is only superficially fulfilled; the woman takes an
empty basket and the man stabs a sheep slaughtered beforehand-solely to
preserve the forms. This impious, irreverent attitude bodes no good for a
marriage.
Barbara Hejslip interpretationIt is necessary for you always and in all to be cautious, especially in affairs love. Try to perceive all event easy and coolly, differently you can get in very unpleasant position. Execution of desires is delayed. It is not necessary vanities. Now for you such time when it is better to wait and think. And at the same time it is the period when incomes exceed charges. Any more behind mountains more positive stage, and the nearest weeks it is necessary to devote itself to its preparation.
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Richard Wilhelm's commentary