After the Reading, Then What?

[lindsay]

Hi, everybody!

Here is a question I've wanted to ask Clarity for a long time. Reading HilaryÕs very interesting remarks about R. L. WingÕs I Ching Workbook in this monthÕs newsletter gave me a nudge to ask all of you for your thoughts and advice.

Most I Ching manuals guide us through the whole divination process from forming the question to interpreting the results, and IÕll bet 95% of the postings on Clarity are devoted to dealing with the same sequence of topics, especially interpretation. Of course, this makes good sense Ð but there is one phase of divination almost no one talks about. What should you do with the answer after the reading is over?

Does the result of a reading have continuing value? Should you record it with the question, and keep it for later reference? What can you learn by looking over old readings? Do readings have an expiration date, after which they no longer apply? Is it possible to see long-term trends or messages that emerge out of looking at oneÕs readings over a period of time?

These are some of my questions, but other people may have different ones on the same general topic. My practice has been to write down the question (to avoid ambiguity), then sketch out the hexagram(s) with the changing lines as they emerge from the coin tosses. I still use a hexagram chart, so I also scribble down the hexagram numbers. Then I dive into the books. When I have my answer, then the readingÕs over, right? I throw away my slip of paper.

The problem with this technique is (1) my memory is not as good as it used to be, so I forget my readings fairly quickly, and (2) IÕm starting to get the feeling that some kind of long-term message may be trying to emerge over time and several readings. This has become especially true since I started trusting the Yi enough to ask intensely personal and important questions.

One last thing Ð record-keeping is very time-consuming, and records are worthless if you canÕt find them later.

IÕd really appreciate hearing what (if anything) other people do with their completed readings. Thanks for listening.

Lindsay

[jillc]

Hi Lindsay

I'll leave the more technical parts of your question to those with more expertise, but in regard to recordkeeping, it is time-consuming but I have found it's worth while if you want to follow the progress of a situation, examine relationships between same hexagrams received at different times, look at current developments from an earlier perspective, or re-evaluate a hexagram in light of subsequent events.

At first, I just noted the question, but found that sometimes my reason for asking it wasn't always clear in looking back some weeks or months later, so now I also jot down a brief desription of the event or circumstance that prompted it. I wish I'd started doing that long ago!

Also, there have been remarkably many instances when I've received the same hexagram multiple times over a period of months, and each instance brings forth not only commonalities but also different nuances of meaning to me, which I find very helpful.

[heylise]

There is a marvelously good I Ching program by Mark Griggs-Smith. It makes record-keeping very easy, one can look up sessions, single oracles, keywords, dates. Many ways to keep track of your readings.
It is not expensive. A demo can be downloaded at www.sundialler.com
I never believed in digital ?throwing coins?, but my experience is that the answers one gets with this program are much more accurate than with the coins.
His translation is very good, his other texts also a pleasure to read. In the translation it is possible to choose transliteration, annotated translation, expounded transliteration, lexical Chinese. Every Chinese character can be clicked for its meaning! And one can add personal editions ? one?s own, or for example copy Wilhelm into it.

At the moment I am making an additional book for it with the old pictures and meanings of the hexagram-names. Real fun to make! No money involved, but Mark?s work is so valuable that I am proud I can add something to it. In the future there will more books like the one I am making, probably also for free.

The opening window is a picture of a bookshelf, and there are now 11 books. One is tiny, with only the information about the program, the ?notes?is an empty one, to be filled by the user, but there are also very fat ones.

His translation of 37.2: ?Having no outer direction and getting free. At the center within there is food. Steadfastness brings about good fortune?. His notes on it: ?sometimes you do not need to prove yourself by undertaking a task which promises liberation. Sometimes it is enough just to attend to the simple daily tasks. It is better not to simply follow every caprice. Being constantly aware of this will bring good fortune?.
I took this one because it is often a difficult one, not especially for its beauty, but on the whole his translation is beautiful.

One of the few translations which can be used on its own, without a second-opinion one next to it.

LiSe

[candid]

I like the phrasing of this question. It isn?t: What is the correct way to record ones readings, but how do you personally track them, if at all. People are as unique as snowflakes and they have proprietary rights to that uniqueness. That is their tao. (small case emphasized)

So, my personal way?

I?ve gone through a phase of keeping a recorded journal with the idea that I can see and track the changes and patterns. This was quite early on though. I?m one who easily feels weighted down or uncomfortably anchored by and to the past. I?m most comfortable when unfettered by possessions and ownership ? very much a minimalist by nature. My way is to write down the gist of my question on a note pad and record the reading under it. I leave it on my desk, clearly in front of me as a reminder. Once the shorter term changes have occurred or the long term value has been ingested, I throw it in the trash. What remains of it is now a part of me. Its like food, in that it provides the energy to continue the journey. Its become a cell in my structure. Its light and easy to carry..

This is also why I don?t associate definitions to whatever it is that I am. If I define myself as a ?spiritual person?, I become bound to that definition. If I?m ?ambitious?, I?m then obligated to strive. And, (God forbid) if I?m ?lazy?, how will I accomplish anything?

We are a culture of definitions. Especially when it comes to defining ourselves. This can sometimes be a useful tool, as in a positive affirmation. It can also limit our potential. How great or small are we? And, how separated do we wish to feel?

But that's just my personal view - one single snowflake.

[lindsay]

Dear Jillc, LiSe, and Candid,

Thank you very much for answering my posting. I?d like to answer each briefly in turn:

Jillc ?
What you write about your own experience confirms my feeling that it?s probably a good idea to keep some kind of I Ching journal, especially for those more important questions addressing a long-term problem or relationship or interest over a stretch of time. Your suggestion of recording the context of a reading as well as the question, answer, and brief interpretation sounds very good to me for all the reasons you mentioned. Questions can be a little formulaic (?What about X??) even when there is a lot of background complexity. Also a journal might be a good idea for a beginning reader ? as Candid suggests ? who has not yet developed a personal ?feeling? for the Yi. I fall pretty much into the tyro category myself, so I think I?ll go out and buy a notebook.

LiSe ?
Thank you very much for recommending Mark Griggs-Smith?s I Ching software. I used your link to go out to Sundial Systems Ltd, and browsed an outline of the software?s contents and some other material. Very impressive! Unfortunately, I do not work on a Windows platform, so I don?t think Mark?s software would function properly on my device. Still, all you Windows users should check this site out. The amount of work encapsulated in this I Ching software is amazing.

LiSe, I was a little perplexed by your comment that ?my experience is that the answers one gets with this program are much more accurate than with the coins.? It is true that Mark?s program uses the standard 7-5-3-1 algorithm associated with traditional I Ching sortilege ? but is this method ?much more accurate? than using coins? Clarity has had a number of discussions about the importance of probability theory (i.e. ?the odds?) in using various divination methods with the Yi, and my impression is that most people think you get the answer you are supposed to get regardless of the method used. Hilary had a very good posting on this question recently, but I can?t remember where it is (maybe I need two journals!).

Probably I misunderstood your remark. Maybe you just were saying that Mark?s material is much more accurate and reliable than the stuff offered on some of the digital coin sites. You are certainly qualified to make that kind of judgment, and your endorsement should be taken very seriously. In any case, no one interested in using the I Ching imaginatively should miss visiting your own wonderful site, www.anton-heyboer.org.

Candid ?
You are so right about our cultural obsession with labels and definitions. And they really are needlessly restrictive. I hope you don?t think I was trying to pigeon-hole you in something I wrote. At least not in any serious way. Anyone who visits Clarity regularly knows how independent and individual you are in your ideas, opinions, and judgments! Can?t imagine Clarity without your strong voice.

Probably the only characteristic I can see that distinguishes Clarity friends and participants is an interest in the Yi. Whoops ? that?s a limiting classification, isn?t it?

I think I?ll start a journal. Maybe when (and if) I become a really good reader, I?ll go back to the practice of discarding my readings. Getting too caught up in finding common meaning and trends in past readings must be (as you point out) a self-limiting habit that ultimately robs the present of its immediacy and importance.

Thanks all,
Lindsay

[candid]

Hi Lindsay,

No, I didn't in any way interpret your points as being directed toward me.

I know that in some ways, I don't fit into this environment - too gruff and all that. So I 'm always greatly pleased to hear that someone benefits by my presence.

I guess the community is like a cloth or garment, woven from a variety of textures. Some, fine as silk and others, a coarse lama wool. Maybe even a thread of gold sewn in for good measure.

In street vernacular - its all good. http://www.onlineclarity.co.uk/i_ching_discussion/clipart/happy.gif

[heylise]

Hi Lindsay and everybody,
My remark about the digital way of casting (and I refer only to Mark?s, I don?t know enough about others) is very simple. Nothing like odds and such - but coins have a way of tumbling, which is not completely free. E.g. after throwing an old yang, chances to get another old yang are much bigger than after throwing a young yang or whatever else. I used to shake them in my hands, and later in a stiff leather pouch, but the problem remained.
Then I turned them individually around in all directions before shaking them, and that helped, but it also distracted me from my question. Flipping them up in the air, like professional gamblers do, would be perfect, but then I would have to search all over the floor for them. I know how difficult it is to find a coin back, one of my beautiful ancient Chinese coins disappeared that way.

I had no problem with the odds of coins versus yarrow. If Mark?s program had the odds of coins, it would be fine with me. What makes it special is: here is nothing, which makes a coin fall in a certain way, it is really completely random. I cannot remember one answer which made no sense, and with the coins it happened every once in a while. I used to blame myself, I thought I could not find the meaning which had to be there, but now I rather think some answers really made no sense.

Candid gruff? Every day I am eager to read the mails on this list, and Candid?s are among those I appreciate most.

LiSe

[willow]

I often spin my coins, which adds a little bit of the yarrow-stalk drawing out of time to the process, and also seems to reduce the need for shaking/shuffling the coins. Sometimes I'll start a spin, and somehow the tension between my fingers, coin and surface isn't right, and the coin will just fall over. I suppose that could introduce an element of JillC's psychokinesis concern, but it doesn't really bother me.

I keep a moderately organized but very incomplete written record of readings. Some readings I absolutely find to be of continuing value, and others, not much at all.

What I find most useful about the written record is that, when I receive the same Hexagram as I did before in another situation, I can refer back and see what that situation/question was. When the subject area is similar, there is the benefit of contemplating the repetition, and where it is different, there is the benefit of seeing a link between the two issues that I might not have noticed otherwise.

Another thing I find very interesting is that there are some Hexagrams that immediately bring to mind either a particular reading that greatly deepened my understanding, or (participating on Clarity), bring up an association with someone else's reading. So there is an accretion of personal images/associations, found in no book, of unknown validity or usefulness, but there nonetheless.

[lindsay]

Dear LiSe,

Thank you very much for your response. I know exactly what you mean about the problems of using coins. I have had coins bounce off the table, roll across the floor and lodge under the sofa, causing me to get down on my hands and knees and fumble around trying to recovery them. This sort of thing does not enhance the solemn dignity of an ancient divination ritual! I have also heard of cases where tossed coins have landed upright on their edges. This is very unlikely with thin Chinese coins, but more substantial Western coins can be quite thick. How would you resolve such a situation?

But then I have also had trouble using yarrow stalks. It takes quite a long time to sort through all six lines. On occasion, when my mind wanders or I?m interrupted in the middle, I have become hopelessly lost.

So a computerized method, with no moving parts, has a lot to recommend it. Lacking that, I use the bag-of-marbles method, since there is nothing to toss around or count ? but once I also dropped the bag to the floor, and marbles rolled away clattering in every direction. It isn?t easy to find exactly sixteen marbles in a room full of furniture!

The most fool-proof method I?ve ever heard of appeared in Clarity a couple of months ago. A very resourceful diviner strung colored beads of the same size in the familiar ratio of 7/5/3/1 to create a loop about the size of a bracelet or small necklace. To divine, one closed one?s eyes and fingered the beads something like a rosary, finally choosing one at random. The color determines the line. When done, the string of beads is easily stored in a pocket or purse.

But you are right. It is much better to let a microprocessor do the work!

Lindsay

[willow]

Hi Lindsay,

One thing I did for a while when my mind was wandering during the yarrow-stalk ritual was to just incorporate a handy notebook where I just noted my own spontaneous personal image for each line.

As far as my attitude when my fingers get confused with counting stalks, or the coin rolls under the couch, it helps me to think of Coyote, Trickster, the Court Jester, just acknowledge that that kind of energy is present. In my sincerity, I can be taking the letter of the ritual too seriously, so seriously that I'm losing the spirit. Once I started doing that, then having something burst the bubble of my solemnity became less upsetting and more a gentle refocus into a lighter, more playful attention.

[candid]

LiSe ? I've downloaded the trial software which you had referred to. It is an interesting program indeed. The translation is an obvious Wilhelm derivative, which will receive no complaints from me! I?m looking forward to exploring program thoroughly.

Many thanks.

~Candid

[candid]

LiSe ? I am genuinely impressed with Mark Griggs-Smith?s rendition. I?ve studied a number of hexagrams including a couple of personal readings. The translation seems to capture the essence of Wilhelm but in a less stoic manner. There?s just one improvement I?d like to see: That of being able to reference the entire text of images, judgments and change lines. This, it seems, can only be done when drawing an actual reading and not for general study applications. Perhaps the paid edition allows for this. Not so with the free version. I still see the value of other translations as a cross reference; your own being one.

Thank you for your recommendation.

~Candid

[heylise]

Lindsay,
I made a string of beads, like you suggested, and it works great!
I also have a bag of marbles, colored glass for aquariums, but it is a big lump in my pocket, too big to carry around. This string I can fasten in my I Ching (a document file with my own Yi printed out) around the clips that hold the sheets.

I had 4 bracelets of semi-precious stones, each with 21 beads, and all almost the same size. Now old yang is Mountain crystal, young yang is smoke crystal (I am afraid this one is colored glass, but it looks good enough). Old yin is Tiger-iron (a very dark Australian kind of stone, it consists of layers of black hematite, red Jasper and brown-gold tiger-eye, marvelous), young yin is sand-colored Jasper with landscape-like patterns.

Thanks for your idea!

I will try to send an example of a SanShan reading, so Candid can see how it will be.

LiSe

[candid]

Thanks LiSe; I look forward to seeing it. http://www.onlineclarity.co.uk/i_ching_discussion/clipart/happy.gif

[heylise]

A long mail!
I send first a divination made and printed out with the SanShan YiJing, and then one hexagram in two different versions.

Yi Jing Diary of Oracles

Oracle received on Thursday 15 August 02 "All our efforts failed suddenly. Confused, what should I do?" (About achieving something for another person. When it was suddenly impossible, I felt physical sick, with trembling knees)
ZHEN, Quaking, [KW51] changing to LI, Radiating, [KW30]

ZHEN, Quaking, [KW51)

The Judgement;
Quaking brings about success.
Quaking comes, fear and trembling.
He laughs, and talks, and howls.
The quaking terrifies for a hundred miles.
Yet he does not drop the sacrificial ladle.

Notes on the Tuan of the cast hexagram...
The overall situation is seen in terms of Quaking; this is the image of the terrfying and rousing power of thunder, the quickening of nature in the Spring, the explosive manifestation of Gad into the world of men. Once this holy fear has entered into your heart, you are protected against any fear coming to you &am mere external events. So composed are you, that as the shockwaves spread out to a distance of a hundred miles away, bringing abject terror to everyone, you do not even blink in the middle of your task. This is success indeed.

Six in the third place
Quaking revitalises and reinvigorates.
Quaking promotes movement.
There is no error.

On the third line..
You suffer a blow from Fate, and this is a great shock to you. At such times it is very easy to lose your inner composure, and to miss the opportunities which the shock brings in its train. Blows like this can serve the purpose of revitalising stagnant situations and they can reinvigorate the heart and mind. Any such movements as these will not be a mistake.

Six at the top
Quaking brings ruin upon ruin.
He looks around amazed and terrified.
Disciplinary expeditions bring about misfortune.
The quaking does not touch his body, but his neighbour.
There is no error.
His relatives have something to say.

On the top line...
You suffer a great shock to the heart, as disasters bring ruin upon ruin to everything around you. What you see strikes terror into you. Any attempt to bring order into the situation is doomed to failure and is impossible until you have regained your composure. It is best to retreat now, before the disasters which have befallen those around you, are visited upon your own person. Although those close to you might not be pleased with your conduct, this is not a mistake on your part.

Changing to LI, Radiating, [KW30]
(Forgot to print 30. The window shows the judgement and the Image. No image with the first gua)

-------------------------------------------------


Oracle received on Thursday 15 August 2002
"And now going on after the blow. Any advice?"
DA GUO, Great Preponderating, [KW28] changing to JIAN, Faltering, [KW39]

DA GUO, Great Preponderating, [KW28]

The Judgement:
The preponderance of what is great.
A ridgepole sags.
It is beneficial to have a direction in which to go.
This brings about success.

Notes on the Tuan of the cast hexagram...
The overall situation is seen in terms of a Preponderance of what is Great: such a time is like the ridgepole in the roof of a house sagging beneath an excessive weight. These are exceptional times and it is necessary and beneficial for you to have something to undertake. This promises success.

Nine in the second place
A withered poplar puts forth buds.
An old man takes a younger wife.
There is nothing which is not beneficial.

On the second line...
You are in an extraordinary vital situation, just as when an old and withered tree suddenly starts to flower again, or when an older man marries a younger wife. This might be somewhat unusual, but in the circumstances dictated by the time, everything works out well in the end. Sometimes, it is only through the exceptional that renewal can take place.

Nine in the fourth place
The ridgepole is strengthened.
This brings good fortune.
If other help is sought, this brings shame.

On the fourth line...
You, or someone else within the situation, are able to bring the help and support necessary to strengthen the structures around you. This leads to good results. However, it is vital that there are no other motives involved, other than the rescue of the general situation. To attempt to use the situation to one's own ends invites nothing but humiliation.

changing to JIAN, Faltering, [KW39]

Faltering. It is beneficial in the southwest.
It is not beneficial in the northeast.
It is beneficial to see the great man.
Steadfastness brings about good fortune.

On the Tuan of the second hexagram...
The overall situation is depicted as one of Faltering: faced with obstructions, the most profitable course of action is to pause and take stock. The southwest represents those friends you will need if you are to overcome the obstacles and advance. The northeast is the direction of your advance, but the time is not yet ready for this. You should seek out someone whose advice you trust. You should also be constantly aware of what is right and good.


(Part of my own interpretation: 28 is about crossing a pass. So go ahead, go across. At this side you are at the end, at the other side something new can start. 39: re-imagine the situation)

----------------------------------------------

?ANNOTATED TRANSLATION? of hex.28

28 DA GUO Great Preponderating

The Judgement
The preponderance of what is great.
A ridgepole sags.
It is beneficial to have a direction in which to go.
This brings about success.

The overall situation is seen in terms of a Preponderance of what is Great: such a time is like the ridgepole in the roof of a house sagging beneath an excessive weight. These are exceptional times and it is necessary and beneficial for you to have something to undertake. This promises success.

In the first place a six
He makes an offering using mats of white grass. There is no error.

Because you are dealing with a situation which is delicately poised, you must exercise extraordinary care, especially at the beginning. This caution might seem excessive, but it will ensure that you make no mistakes. Placing matting beneath a valuable object will cushion it against the stress involved in moving it.

In the second place a nine
A withered poplar puts forth buds.
An old man takes a younger wife.
There is nothing which is not beneficial.

You are in an extraordinary vital situation, just as when an old and withered tree suddenly starts to flower again, or when an older man marries a younger wife. This might be somewhat unusual, but in the circumstances dictated by the time, everything works out well in the end. Sometimes, it is only through the exceptional that renewal can take place.

In the third place a nine
The ridgepole collapses. This brings misfortune.

You have pushed on alone or perhaps you have presumed too much upon your own strength or refused any offers of help. Whatever the case, the burden has become too great for you to bear. Everything collapses and misfortune ensues.

In the fourth place a nine
The ridgepole is strengthened.
This brings good fortune.
If other help is sought, this brings shame.

You, or someone else within the situation, are able to bring the help and support necessary to strengthen the structures around you. This leads to good results. However, it is vital that there are no other motives involved, other than the rescue of the general situation. To attempt to use the situation to one's own ends invites nothing but humiliation.

In the fifth place a nine
A withered poplar puts forth buds.
An older woman takes a younger husband.
There is no error, but neither is there praise.

It is indeed an exceptional time of renewal, much as when an old tree bursts into bud again after long dormancy. However, by doing this, the tree may simply waste its remaining energy. Even though an older woman may marry a younger husband, she will still not be able to bear children. Such conduct is not a mistake, but neither is there anything to be praised.
At the top a six
The preponderance wades through the water
Until the head is submerged.
This brings misfortune.
There is no error.

The exceptional nature of the situation has peaked, and you plunge into events, eager to set about your work. This is dangerous and in the end leads to the misfortune of the head becoming submerged. It is not, however, a mistake, because sometimes it is right to sacrifice ourselves, in order that the good and the just and the great succeed.

-------------------------------------------------


?EXPOUNDED TRANSLITERATION? of hex.28

28 DA GUO Great Preponderating

This hexagram has a strong graphic force, in that the middle four lines, that is to say its centre, is occupied by four YANG lines. In this way there is a preponderance of strength or weight within the figure, where by rights this preponderance should be on the outside. If the strong were on the outside and the weak within then all would be well and in a state of balance. As the beginning and end points of hexagram are weak, they are occupied by YIN lines, there is the idea of an over-preponderance. This signifies a situation which, if it were to remain as it is, would result in misfortune. The image is of a beam that is thick and strong in the middle section, but weak at the ends.

The rulers of this hexagram are the second YANG, a beam which is not too heavy, and the fourth YANG, a beam which does not sag.

As with the hexagrams ZHONG FU, Inner Truth, [KW61] and XIAO GUO, the Small Preponderates, [KW 62], the normal rules of correspondence do not apply in this hexagram. Here the first and the sixth are reckoned together (cautious and lucky against stubborn and unlucky), as are the second and the fifth (both are old poplars), and the third and the fourth (both are the ridge-pole). Those lines which would normally be correct are unlucky, for they cause over-preponderance; those lines which would normally be not correct are lucky, due to the complimenting of place and character.

If the hexagram is inverted, it remains hexagram DA GUO, Great Preponderating, [KW28].
The exchanged hexagram is ZHONG FU, Centring Sincerity, [KW61].
The opposite hexagram is YI, Jaws, [KW27].
The nuclear hexagram is Qian, Creativity, [KW01].

great preponderating ridgepole sagging. beneficial having undertaking going. success.

The hexagram signifies an exceptional time, because the supporting points are too weak for the "great" load which is "preponderating" at this point of time. The excess of the whole rests upon supports whose foundations are too weak, and there is danger of the whole structure falling to the ground. The whole situation is in danger of collapsing, and this is why the text speaks of the "ridge-pole" "sagging". The ridge-pole of the roof is the one strong beam which supports the main load-bearing trusses of the roof. It might be said therefore that it represents the key element or basis of our beliefs, our arguments, or our life purpose. By using the image of the dwelling, the hexagram signifies one's environment or beliefs, that which one has erected to state one's individuality. If one does not change or adapt, misfortune will result.

It is necessary to take some sort of action in order to retrieve the situation and extricate oneself, and this is why the text states that "undertakings" will be "beneficial". These measures need to be extraordinary if a transition is to be achieved as quickly as possible. It is important not to use force, but to penetrate to the root of the situation (the lower trigram is XUN, penetration), with gentleness (the upper trigram is DUI, the Gentle). This promises "success", because although the strong lines preponderate they are in the centre, and therefore there is nothing to be feared from change.
first six.
offering employing white couch-grass. without error.

This YIN is weak in a firm place and is therefore not correct. However, it is the relationship of holding together with the second YANG, one of the rulers.

If one wishes to pursue an undertaking in extraordinary times, such as are indicated by the hexagram as a whole, then one needs to be exceptionally cautious. Furthermore, at the beginning of such an enterprise, here indicated because we are at the first line, this caution is of the utmost importance. The laying of the foundations and the groundwork must be thoroughly undertaken. Although one should move in order to rescue the situation, one should not move too hastily, because this would merely precipitate the misfortune. This is why the text states "without" "error". What is meant is that even in exceptional times as these, when something really needs to be done, one should still observe the necessary caution, and not succumb to the pressure of the situation. The text uses the image of spreading rushes ( a preparatory cushioning) beneath a heavy load before setting it down, in order that nothing will break.

The load referred to is literally an "offering? to the gods, and the mats used are "white". The colour white represents purity and simplicity suggests that one's measures at this time should be easy for others to understand and not overly complicated for ourselves. If we at the outset begin with what is difficult, we will not get very far. The offering is what we bring to the situation and also the attitude with which we bring it. It is important also that our attitude is pure and focussed.

Another consideration is that although a strand of "couch-grass" is thin and weak in itself (the YIN line), it is able to bend in a pliable manner with deference and so does not break when faced with a superior force (the second YANG).

nine two .
withered poplar begetting bud .
venerable husband acquiring (one)'s woman wife. without not beneficial.

This YANG is strong in a yielding place and so is not correct. However, it is in the relationship of holding together with the first YIN, and is also central. Ordinarily this would not be favourable, but these are exceptional times.

The subject of this line is centred and strong, yet it possesses the flexibility of its weak place. This is the way to accomplish what needs to be done at this time, because one can complement firmness and strength with softness and flexibility. If one employs this in one's approach to the situation, then there is nothing which is not ("without" "not") "beneficial". In order to illustrate its point. the texts employs two images.

Firstly, there is that of the old "poplar" or willow tree, which has "withered", which is to say, has passed through its natural life. This is like the house which needs renovating to prevent collapse. If the central core is good, then the tree will sprout again ("begetting" "bud") from the root and thereby attain a new lease of life. Secondly, it is as though an older man (this YANG) takes a younger woman (the first YIN) as a wife (they hold together), thereby rejuvenating his life powers. This may be something out of the ordinary, but everything is favourable. This is nothing short of a rebirth.

Compare this with the fifth YANG, where an oker woman takes a younger husband, and with the second YANG, whose position lends him flexibility.
nine three.
ridgepole collapsing. misfortune.

This YANG is strong in a firm place and is therefore correct. However, in the circumstances of preponderating strength as presaged by the hexagram as a whole, this is excessive.

Here in the centre of the hexagram we are at the "ridge-pole" itself, and being strong in a strong place, there is too much firmness and strength. Thus the breaking point is reached and the situation "collapses". If one were to employ flexibility then one could rescue the situation. However, one is inflexible, adamant and stubborn, one insists on forging ahead, one heeds no advice, and this alienates those who could help. In the end one does not achieve balance and this invites "misfortune".

Compare this with the second YANG, whose position lends him flexibility

nine four.
ridgepole placing-above. good-fortune. having another shame.

This YANG is strong in a weak place and is therefore not correct. However, owing to the overall preponderating strength of the situation presaged in the hexagram, this is beneficial, the weak place lends flexibility to the YANG line. Although this YANG corresponds with the first YIN, its relationship with the fifth YANG is more important.

The subject of this line employs flexibility and therefore accepts help from the fifth YANG, thereby attaining mastery of the whole situation. "Placing-above" carries both these connotations, in that one willingly places another above one, one who is more able and adept, and the idea of one's eventual mastery. This is like strengthening the supports of the ?ridge-pole" and thereby rescuing the whole house. As long as one does not employ one's connections for selfish reasons ("having" "another") to achieve power and success (as represented by the first YIN), one will not encounter humiliation and "shame".

nine five.
withered poplar begetting flower.
venerable spouse acquiring (one)'s scholar husband.
without error without praising.

This YANG is strong in a firm place and therefore correct. However, the overall picture of the hexagram means that this is not as beneficial as would otherwise be expected.

Whereas the second YANG renews its energies by consorting with the first YIN (and sprouting from the root), here the situation is quite the reverse. The situation is depicted in same two images as the second line. Here in an attempt to renew its energies, the line consorts with the top YIN, which is like a old "withered" "poplar" sprouting "flowers". This will not ensure survival, indeed it may exhaust what energy remains and thereby hasten the end. A further image is that of an older woman taking a younger husband. In the China contemporary with the writing of these texts, such a situation was abnormal in the extreme, in that no young man would marry a woman much older than himself. Even if their union were happy, no children will issue for the woman is barren. This is why the text states that the situation is "without" "error" and "without" "praise". Something may be produced, but it will not help the withering.

In human affairs this means that if, at times like this, we relinquish our relationships with those below and hold only to those above us, then an imbalance will be created.

above six.
preponderating wading-through extinguishing crest. misfortune. without error.
This YIN is weak in a weak place and is therefore correct. However, the normal rules do not apply in this hexagram.

Here. at the top of the hexagram, the exceptional and unusual time has reached its climax. The subject of this line, wishing to rescue the situation. but not possessing enough inner strength, has "waded-through" too far and the water has covered ("extinguishing" him over his head ("crest?). The upper trigram is DUI, the Lake, the nuclear trigram is Qian, the head, therefore the image is of water over one's head. This is misfortune indeed, to end one's endeavours in such a way. The reason the text states that one is "without" "error" is because one's intentions were good and failure came about only because of the exigencies of the time.

LiSe