Month: September 2018

#16, line 5, #8

The time of ENTHUSIASM derives from the fact that there is at hand an eminent man who is in sympathy with the spirit of the people and acts in accord with it. Hence he finds universal and willing obedience. To arouse enthusiasm it is necessary for a man to adjust himself and his ordinances to the character of those whom he has to lead. The inviolability of natural laws rests on this principle of movement along the line of least resistance. These laws are not forces external to things but represent the harmony of movement immanent in them. That is why the celestial bodies do not deviate from their orbits and why all events in nature occur with fixed regularity. It is the same with human society: only such laws as are rooted in popular sentiment can be enforced, while laws violating this sentiment merely arouse resentment.
Again, it is enthusiasm that enables us to install helpers for the completion of an undertaking without fear of secret opposition. It is enthusiasm too that can unify mass movements, as in war, so that they achieve victory.
Thorough self-diagnosis of his own affliction keeps him safely from the brink of fatal error.
The Superior Person recognizes the situation calls for joining together.
Thus he cultivates friendly relations with all.
This is a time of connection with another or others — not just an alliance, but a melding of parts into a new whole.

#7, line 3, #5

The Superior Person nourishes and instructs the people, building a loyal, disciplined following.  Good fortune.  No mistakes if you follow a course led by experience.
You must gain support from others.  Find a way to make others want to see your objectives met as badly as you want it.
Here we have a choice of two explanations. One points to defeat because someone other than the chosen leader interferes with the command; the other is similar in its general meaning, but the expression, “carries corpses in the wagon,” is interpreted differently. At burials and at sacrifices to the dead it was customary in China for the deceased to whom the sacrifice was made to be represented by a boy of the family, who sat in the dead man’s place and was honored as his representative. On the basis of this custom the text is interpreted as meaning that a “corpse boy” is sitting in the wagon, or, in other words, that authority is not being exercised by the proper leaders but has been usurped by others. Perhaps the whole difficulty clears up if it is inferred that there has been an error in copying. The character fan, meaning “all,” may have been misread as shih, which means “corpse.” Allowing for this error, the meaning would be that if the multitude assumes leadership of the army (rides in the wagon), misfortune will ensue.
Thunderclouds approaching from the West, but no rain yet.
The Superior Person nourishes himself and remains of good cheer to condition himself for the moment of truth.  Great Success if you sincerely keep to your course.  You may cross to the far shore.
You must now endure this Dangling — either a carrot before your nose, or a sword above your head.  This strange mix of apprehension and anticipation is a Purgatory.  There is nothing more you can do to affect the outcome.  You must now submit to the Fates.

#52, line 2, #18

True quiet means keeping still when the time has come to keep still, and going forward when the time has come to go forward. In this way rest and movement are in agreement with the demands of the time, and thus there is light in life.
The hexagram signifies the end and the beginning of all movement. The back is named because in the back are located all the nerve fibres that mediate movement. If the movement of these spinal nerves is brought to a standstill, the ego, with its restlessness, disappears as it were. When a man has thus become calm, he may turn to the outside world. He no longer sees in it the struggle and tumult of individual beings, and therefore he has that true peace of mind which is needed for understanding the great laws of the universe and for acting in harmony with them. Whoever acts from these deep levels makes no mistakes.
Relaxing his legs.  He sees he cannot rescue the one he follows. He resigns himself to sorrow.  You are blessed with an opportunity to resuscitate that which others have abandoned as beyond repair.  This ruin wasn’t caused by evil intention, but by indifference to decay.  Just by addressing yourself to the problem, you exhibit a new awareness, a fresh perspective.  This is a time of recovery, renewal, regeneration.

#1, line 3, #6

With the strength of the dragon, the Superior Person steels himself for ceaseless activity.  Productive Activity.  Potent Influence.  Sublime Success if you keep to your course.
The time for action has come.  You now have the focus and the stamina necessary for accomplishing great tasks.  The path before you is being cleared and reward lies ahead.
A sphere of influence opens up for the great man. His fame begins to spread. The masses flock to him. His inner power is adequate to the increased outer activity.¹There are all sorts of things to be done, and when others are at rest in the evening, plans and anxieties press in upon him. But danger lurks here at the place of transition from lowliness to the heights. Many a great man has been ruined because the masses flocked to him and swept him into their course. Ambition has destroyed his integrity. However, true greatness is not impaired by temptations. He who remains in touch with the time that is dawning, and with its demands, is prudent enough to avoid all pitfalls, and remains blameless.
Conflict is a necessary part of life.  Tension upon the strings of a violin can make majestic music.  The critical mass of two hydrogen atoms trying to occupy the same space fuel the sun that nourishes our solar system.  Most conflicts you face in life are the result of your Path converging with another’s.
Your Path is not his, and one Path is not necessarily more right than the other.

#46

The pushing upward of the good elements encounters no obstruction and is therefore accompanied by great success. The pushing upward is made possible not by violence but by modesty and adaptability. Since the individual is borne along by the propitiousness of the time, he advances. He must go to see authoritative people. He need not be afraid to do this, because success is assured. But he must set to work, for activity (this is the meaning of “the south”) brings good fortune.
Adapting itself to obstacles and bending around them, wood in the earth grows upward without haste and without rest. Thus too the superior man is devoted in character and never pauses in his progress.

#39, line 4, # 62

The Obstacle lies in obstinance.  An insistence on only one way of proceeding has brought things to an impasse.  You may either continue banging your head with irresistible force against this immovable object, or you might step back and survey this situation from a fresh perspective.
Advance alone against insurmountable odds, or remain in place, gathering strength and allies.
There is no profit to striving here.  To be content with oneself is the greatest success imaginable.  The enlightened person has nothing to prove to himself or others, and thus may always operate from a position of sincerity, with no pretense or posturing.  His humility is guileless simplicity.
His mourning is selfless compassion.  His frugality is an unshakeable faith that he is but a conduit, letting what is needed flow through him to others, with no loss to himself.

#58, line 5, # 40

The joyous mood is infectious and therefore brings success. But joy must be based on steadfastness if it is not to degenerate into uncontrolled mirth. Truth and strength must dwell in the heart, while gentleness reveals itself in social intercourse. In this way one assumes the right attitude toward God and man and achieves something. Under certain conditions, intimidation without gentleness may achieve something momentarily, but not for all time. When, on the other hand, the hearts of men are won by friendliness, they are led to take all hardships upon themselves willingly, and if need be will not shun death itself, so great is the power of joy over men.
Dangerous elements approach even the best of men. If a man permits himself to have anything to do with them, their disintegrating influence acts slowly but surely, and inevitably brings dangers in its train. But if he recognizes the situation and can comprehend the danger, he knows how to protect himself and remains unharmed.
The relief you experience here is not your own personal pardon, but the release of others from your rigid expectations.  Like a hot air balloon, you will rise to new heights as you cast the heavy sandbags of resentments and restrictions away from you. Feel the lightness of being that results from forgiving others and accepting them as they are. Free yourself of the endless vigil of policing the behavior of others.  See them for who they are, not what they can or can’t do for you.