Divining or creating reality?

[hilary]

I wrote an article (http://onlineclarity.co.uk/answers/2005/10/23/role-of-divination/) on the blog and John Burke wrote a very interesting comment:
<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1>quote:</font>

Recently I made this inquiry:

?How should one balance divining reality with creating reality??

I received 22 changing to 24. Any thoughts?<!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>
I thought this would be the best place to come in search of thoughts. http://www.onlineclarity.co.uk/I_Ching_community/clipart/happy.gif

Perhaps the distinction John has in mind, between divining and creating, is not so clear-cut. Asking about what's really there (or what would really happen if...) can be a creative act.

21 bites through to the essence, like a diviner does; 22 gives it expression. Perhaps it's a creative act, but on the basis of an objectively real essence? And the creative results come from 'having a direction to go', like 'I'm a teacher' for example: creating oneself (and waves of reality rippling out from there) in response to a need. Or at all events, having some small idea of what the creation is for.

22 with 24 - 24 also has its direction to go, based more on the resurgent inner sense of direction (having Stripped Away any excessive investment in image-building). Beauty of Returning? Beauty with an inner sense of Returning?

Hm... Beauty Returning, bringing the created-reality back on track because of what you get in touch with through divination?

Line 3, maybe suggesting the need for total immersion, that it's not enough to plan from the outside about the reality you'll create... but on the other hand, I think there's also a risk in this line of believing too implicitly in one's own imaginative projections. Or so I've found.

Line 6... enigmatic, at least to me. Perhaps you 'create reality' in the sense of creating a mantle to express the essence, guided by the moving awareness of 24 - and maybe you just don't need to dye the silk.

Stopping here, as John didn't actually ask for 'Any nebulous rambles?'
Anyone got any thoughts?

[rosada]

How should one balance divining reality with creating reality?

22.3 Divining is lovely if you just wanna talk the talk..

22.6 But ultimately ya gotta walk the walk.

24 . In this way potential is nurtured.

[bruce]

Excellent blog entry, Hilary.

I view Yi readings as assisting in the co-creation of reality, just as any meaningful influence is a co-creation. Inspiration manifesting is 22. As Rosada points out, it's the walk or outward result or manifestation of the reading that is 22. This in turn enables an individual to play their own creative part in life; and through that showing, returning it to the Tao.

Interesting, 22-24 for this question. Creation as a wheel, or a continuous breathing out and in. Or if 24 as relating gua is placed first as background, breathing in and out. This accords with most all old world religions and myths.

[val]

I've been pondering this question and answer for at least half a day now, and I really believe it's not a one-size-fits-all answer. I believe it's directly addressed to the querent. So I'd be curious to know his own position on divining. Does he believe that one can divine the future? I know he used the word reality in his post, but how was he defining reality (such a nebulous word anyway) when he posed his question?

I opened The Portable Dragon for this one...

22.3 - The man is enjoying a charmed life and is given many honors. He should guard against convivial indolence and be aware of its consequences.

22.6 - The man reaches the peak of his development and displays perfect grace through the true expression of his character without pretensions. He understands the patterns of human frailties.

24 is returning from a mistake... recovering.

Avoid sitting back on your divan eating pre-peeled grapes while watching reality/the future TV on your widescreen Yi TV, get real... be true to yourself, not to some pretentious ideal that's as fake as Tammy Faye's eyelashes and get back on your path.

Another way to look at it... the next reality show...

<blockquote>A group of New Agers trying to make some quick and easy money all live together in a big house on the edge of a cliff in Big Sur overlooking the Pacific Ocean and consult the YiJing. The one who figures out first (from the Yi's answers) that he's being narcissistic, lazy and self-centered and not focusing his energies on the greater good and consequently leaves the house to volunteer for Green Peace is the winner. As the winner, he gets the quick and easy money which he donates to Green Peace and Amnesty International and all his questions from here on out are about how to make the planet a better place to live.

<center><font size="+2"><font face="Monotype Corsiva">The End</font></font></center></blockquote>Next season, we will follow him around witnessing as he ends world hunger and disease, enacts radical educational reform worldwide, heals the hole in the ozone layer and frees the whales and dolphins from Sea World... all by following the Yi's advice.

Love,

Val

[jte]

"Balancing divining reality with creating reality..."

I think I'm along the same lines as Rosada on this one, although I'd give more credence to the worth of the benefits noted in 22.3.

Divining can be wonderful and (sometimes) have amazing results. With the right combination of person/interest/attitude and Yi's help you can "shine with the light of wisdom" and "lead your life in enduring harmony with your Tao." Precisely what this means will vary from person to person but I think these kinds of benefits are portrayed metaphorically in 22.3. Sort of like helping you to become "perfectly you" and especially accenting the positive side of your nature.

Ultimately, though, life is still life - you have to live it with all it's ups and downs - there's a certain core simplicity to it that does not change. As a very wealthy CEO who once pointed out "you can only drive one car and eat one fine meal at a time." So, the human condition ultimately does not change. (And I think for many of us, returning to this core is part of what the Yi does. It's why 23, for instance, is not such a scary Hexagram when the issue is spirituality rather than physical danger. Sometimes the superfluous needs to be pruned for new growth to occur...) Anyhow, I think this side of the "balance" mentioned in the original question is shown in 22.6.

Definitely a good reading, glad you shared it here Hilary...

My 2 cents,

- Jeff

[void]

Thats quite funny Val and the way things are going here not even that improbable. There was a reality TV show here recently showing ordinary men living amongst monks for a while. During that time I think one of them was filmed having a 'nirvana moment' - imagine it, gaining enlightenment on reality TV !!

[val]

Void...

I am trying so hard not to laugh at the thought of reaching Godhead in front of three cameras under a bank of klieg lights after spending who knows how long in the wardrobe and makeup trailers.

Thanks for the visual.

Love,

Val

[rosada]

Any interest on creating a Musical I Ching with a different pop tune for every line?

Wilhelm says this about 22.4:

Graceful and moist.
Constant perseverance brings good fortune.

After focusing on 22.4 I started humming this song about visiting a diviner, sharing a drink and NOT maintaining "Constant perseverance"

22.4 Love Potion Number 9

"She jumped down and turned around,
"And gave me a wink.
"She said, 'I'm going to mix it up right here in the sink.'
"It smelled like turpinetine,
" It looked like India Ink.
"I held my nose, I closed my eyes,
"I took a drink."

"I didn't know if it was day or night,
"I started kissing everything in sight.
"But when I kissed the cop on 34th and Vine,
"He broke my little bottle of Love Potion Number 9!"

[rosada]

Oops, I meant 22.3.

[manofpo]

Amelioration is not essential to learning the I.I reckon quite a number of postings talk on bettering oneself and the world.Perhaps this is why nowhere in the tao is the i mentioned.Do nothing and nothing will be left undone sez tao.Creating a fake ego that helps the world is a bandaid i'm affraid(in my opinion).

[micheline]

Agreed, Manofpo.

I think you just defined SOism, so to speak

[jte]

A bit more about this, I think I see it boiling down to saying something like this:

"You can do some wonderful stuff..." - 22.3

"...but ultimately there's still only so much you can do." - 22.6

- Jeff

[void]

I think this was a time Yi was pointing at the question, not addressing the actual question but the state of mind that formed it.

[void]

Actually I suppose here they are kind of the same thing, in which case I more or less agree with what others have written, ie 'Its a pretty question to think about but you'll find the answer through living your life.

Scrolling back up to Rosadas first post I don't think anyone could put it any better.

[val]

Void...

<blockquote><hr size=0><!-quote-!><font size=1>quote:</font>

I think this was a time Yi was pointing at the question, not addressing the actual question but the state of mind that formed it.<!-/quote-!><hr size=0></blockquote>I agree... I felt like it was all about the attitude behind the question. That's why I said it wasn't a one-size-fits-all answer... that it was directly addressing the querent.

Love,

Val

[rosada]

Thanks, Void :-)

Rosada

[yly2pg1]

<font size="-2">quote:</font>

Recently I made this inquiry:

?How should one balance divining reality with creating reality??

I received 22 changing to 24. Any thoughts?
----------------------------------------------------

101001 (22)
001001 (52)
-------- Xor
100000 (24)

=> 52 (http://www.onlineclarity.co.uk/I_Ching_community/messages/48/4863.html?1121960180) as filter.

[sinsonte]

Hello,
here is a simple minded perspective:

Wether using cowries or herbs*, wether an elaborated approach (22.3) or done plainly (22.6), divination is about Returning to Tao. Sometimes we try hard and finally succeed (24.3), sometimes we lose the way beyond return and head for disaster (24.6).

Conclusion (?):
Divination may be about impeccability and beauty, but life surely isn't.
Divining and yet losing one's path is part of human Tao.
Allow for failure.
And :
fail gracefully !!

;-)
Ella

* coins and yarrow. Hex 22 also adresses the problem of symbolic representation. Divination is doing just that.

[soshin]

@ Ella

http://www.onlineclarity.co.uk/I_Ching_community/clipart/zen2.gif

Soshin

[jerryd]

devining reality,and balancing reality, and creating reality......


If we acknowledge we exist, and have another verify it we have created a reality.

The balance is in how we precieve our reality.(buffered reality)

If I am to devine a reality I must be aware there is a power greater than (my reality) which may disallow my reality all together.

If I accept this devine other(reality) then to ask properly for its help is essential, opening ones self to be a medium for an answer, My reality will not make a devination but the power of the devine may use me to direct another, rarely; will it lead the medium/ (buffer) to false conclusions.

[bruce]

Ella, wonderfully said!

We see our modern gods, presented in all their earthly glory; and some who have weathered years of awful personal failures can't show their losses to their adoring fans. But there is no-one who has ever achieved true greatness without a trainload of failure in their life. Those who do reach greatness return to the values which are strongest in them. What they return to the Dao could not have become pure without their failures and losses along the way.

[omshante]

hindsight is 20 - 20 vision