val
May 25th, 2003, 11:30 PM
Well how interesting this should follow very closely behind LiSe's discovery of the glowing fumes and spider in the Yi.
I've discovered an earthquake in the Yi. While re-reading my brand new copy of the Wilhelm/Baynes version of the Yi in conjunction with S J Marshall's "The Mandate of Heaven", I re-read Hexagram 51 and discovered I was reliving the Northridge earthquake ...the epicenter from which I was living a short 13 miles when it hit. For those of you who don't know, it is considered to be one of the ten worst earthquakes in the last century.
After re-reading 51, I immediately did some research and corresponded with Mr. Marshall and then Hilary about my conclusions. Hilary encouraged me to post to the forum for possible additional input from any of you who might have researched the possibility.
Below is an edited conpendium of excerpts from my correspondence with both.
I have no doubt now that, IF Wilhelm's translation in the judgment is true to the Chinese sources he referenced, Hex 51 is actually the account of an earthquake. Having lived my whole life in Southern California and been there, done that far too many times, I only too well recognize the description of an earthquake and the terror it produces.
Earthquakes are, without a doubt, the worst natural disaster a person can endure and create the greatest 'outside' terror a person can know. There have been many arguments among people across this country as to whether a tornado or an earthquake is the worst. I recently spoke with a man who believed that tornadoes were the worst until he experienced an earthquake in Oakland, California. He is now unshakeable in his belief that earthquakes are, by far, the worst. There is warning with tornadoes. There is a weather pattern that develops before a tornado develops and touches down. You can see a tornado coming, and either move out of its path or find a safe shelter. There is no way for a person to anticipate an earthquake. It hits you where you're standing...or sitting...or lying. During the Northridge quake in 1994, the thundering of the ground ("It is symbolized by thunder, which bursts forth from the earth...") woke me just a scant few seconds before the shaking started, and I was still struggling to get out of my bedroom when the shaking peaked (both peaks - there were two peaks in the Northridge quake.)
"...and by its shock causes fear and trembling." I truly thought I was going to die. I've never been so frightened in my life.
Further, I wonder about the understanding of the mechanics of earthquakes in this statement, "A yang line develops below two yin lines and presses upward forcibly. This movement is so violent that it arouses terror." That's a simple and perfect description of how a thrust fault works. Did they intuit it? Or were they digging at fault lines back then, like geophysicists today, to observe how earthquakes work?
I'm certain the thunder mentioned in 51 is not the thunder of a thunder storm. Besides the fact the words say "...thunder which bursts forth from the earth..." (not the sky), you can't hear thunder in a thunderstorm from 30-33 miles away (or 50-70 as Hilary suggested in her correspondence), but you can hear the thunder of an earthquake from 30-70 miles away ("Let the thunder roll and spread terror a hundred [li] around..." You can hear it (and feel it) from 300 miles away if the magnitude of the quake is great enough -- earthquakes along the coast of California are often felt as far away as Las Vegas, Nevada.
Thunder is not shocking. You always see the clouds building, then lightening, so you expect it. In fact, usually the lightening appears well in advance of the thunder, where the thunder of an earthquake just barely precedes the quake and then accompanies it. Earthquakes are ALWAYS shocking.
Additionally, there's no real threat of death with thunder. The chances of getting struck by lightening are remote. There is a very real threat of death with earthquakes. The second it starts the threat starts because you don't know if it's going to get stronger and how much stronger or if it's going to stay weak or how long it's going to last...the element of the unknown is much much higher with an earthquake than with thunder.
There are many strong quakes in China. China is one big fracture zone squeezed between three different plates, the Pacific plate, the Indian plate and the Philippine plate, accounting for about 53 - 54% of the world's earthquakes. The quakes there are strong because they're relatively shallow. And the Shang and Zhou dynasties just happened to have been situated on a very active seismic belt...talk about \newurl(http://kepu.jsinfo.gov.cn/english/quake/outline/otl02.html,"living on the fault line."}
I think, because of the frequency of the quakes there, it would be near impossible to pinpoint the date or the quake referenced in 51, but I'd be interested to learn whether anyone has tried...and if they've succeeded.
There may be a clue as to when the judgment of this hexagram was written using the information in the following links. Having not done the extensive research so many others have and being at a loss for a wealth of reliable resources here, living in a small town in the South with very limited resources outside of those that support Christianity, I have no idea how reliable the information I've found on the net is.
HOWEVER, I think I've found evidence of a connection between the vessel mentioned in Hex 50 and the sacrificial spoon and chalice mentioned in Hex 51, in the first KNOWN seismograph (http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/lessons/indiv/davis/hs/QuakesEng3.html). Further description of the seismograph and its inventor, Zhang Heng, and his time, the Latter Han dynasty are mentioned in this article - http://www2.vuw.ac.nz/asianstudies/publications/quarterly/98aprila.html.
Look at the shape of the dragons? They look rather like spoons don't they? In fact, if the person who recreated the vessel based on Zhang Heng's written description had designed the dragon wings so that they are opened in flight, extending out from the body and curling upwards at the outside edges, then the dragon could indeed by used as a spoon or ladle. Is it possible Heng got his idea watching and hearing the spoons hanging from the cooking vessel rattle during a quake?
Could it be that domes, much like the dome in this seismograph, covered cooking vessels just as lids cover pots and pans today? And could it be that the dome is the chalice referenced in the Wilhelm translation? Those of you who know Chinese might know if it's possible. In a strong enough quake, certainly spoons hanging and domes covering would shake and fall from the cooking vessels. The vessel may even overturn (50/1) in a strong enough earthquake. Is the Chinese character for ball close enough in appearance to that for spoon for this misinterpretation to have resulted?
Further indication that Hex 51 is about an earthquake is the fact it's paired with its opposite, Hex 52 "Keeping Still" What could be more opposite of being shaken as if in a martini blender than keeping still?
Earthquake and terror references in the changing lines of Hex 51:
Line 1 -- Fear and trembling, then laughing words. "Fear and trembling engendered by the shock" is replaced by "laughing words when the ordeal is over and he experiences relief." So true. When the shaking starts, one goes straight to intense fear because one does not know whether it's going to get stronger or subside in strength. Once the shaking stops, there's a huge sense of relief...sort of. If one has experienced a number of earthquakes, then one becomes very alert to the possibility it was merely a foreshock and a bigger one could be close on its heels.
Line 2 - "Shock comes bringing danger a hundred thousand times." You lose your treasures and must climb the nine hills. Do not go in pursuit of them. After seven days you will get them back again."
A large quake is always followed by aftershocks. They are initially very strong and frequent and gradually decrease in size. It was about a week after the Northridge quake before people dared venture back into their yellow-tagged homes (green tag on your home meant safe to re-enter, yellow tag - proceed at your risk, red tag - do not enter!). I suspect there was a place nine hills (nine was a lucky number in ancient China) from the town or city this particular quake hit where the inhabitants stayed until the aftershocks subsided enough they felt safe to return for their belongings. The Red Cross shelters in Los Angeles stayed in operation for about a week after the Northridge Quake.
Line 3 - "Shock comes and makes one distraught. If shock spurs to action, One remains free of misfortune."
This and the next line are about the adrenalin response to sudden shock known as "fight or flight" -- the tendency to either react in a problem solving mode...or become paralyzed with fear. This is the former response -- take action and solve problems, save lives, etc.
Line 4 - " Shock is mired." This is the latter response -- "paralyzed with fear" mode. Movement is crippled.
Line 5 - "Shock goes hither and dither. Danger. However, nothing at all is lost. Yet there are things to be done." Wilhelm says, "This is not a case of a single shock but of repeated shocks with no breathing space between. Nonetheless, the shock causes no loss, because one takes care to stay in the center of movement and in this way to be spared the fate of being helplessly tossed hither and thither."
And there you have it. Earthquake safety advice for riding out the aftershocks. Earthquakes toss one, helplessly, hither and thither unless one can hold onto something stable for support.
Line 6 - "Shock brings ruin and terrified gazing around."
Earthquakes bring ruin and terrified gazing around. Their power and the destruction they can do is absolutely awesome and terrifying.
"Going ahead brings misfortune if it has not yet touched one's own body but has reached one's neighbor first. There is no blame, (but) One's comrades have something to talk about." If one regains his presence of mind before his neighbors and has the good sense to run for the (nine) hills while his neighbors have lost their composure and are running around like chickens with their heads cut off, then, unfortunately, they'll talk about him, but he's not to blame for his sensible actions.
This, I suspect, is just an observation of human behavior in this particular situation. Maybe the author of this judgement, himself, ran for the nine hills and is explaining his position.
Hexagram 51 is about a sudden catastrophe...something that hits us suddenly and shockingly...an earthquake, a car accident, 9/11...not about something we see coming...like a thunderstorm. And I'm certain now the historical event recounted in 51 is an earthquake.
Sincerely,
Val
I've discovered an earthquake in the Yi. While re-reading my brand new copy of the Wilhelm/Baynes version of the Yi in conjunction with S J Marshall's "The Mandate of Heaven", I re-read Hexagram 51 and discovered I was reliving the Northridge earthquake ...the epicenter from which I was living a short 13 miles when it hit. For those of you who don't know, it is considered to be one of the ten worst earthquakes in the last century.
After re-reading 51, I immediately did some research and corresponded with Mr. Marshall and then Hilary about my conclusions. Hilary encouraged me to post to the forum for possible additional input from any of you who might have researched the possibility.
Below is an edited conpendium of excerpts from my correspondence with both.
I have no doubt now that, IF Wilhelm's translation in the judgment is true to the Chinese sources he referenced, Hex 51 is actually the account of an earthquake. Having lived my whole life in Southern California and been there, done that far too many times, I only too well recognize the description of an earthquake and the terror it produces.
Earthquakes are, without a doubt, the worst natural disaster a person can endure and create the greatest 'outside' terror a person can know. There have been many arguments among people across this country as to whether a tornado or an earthquake is the worst. I recently spoke with a man who believed that tornadoes were the worst until he experienced an earthquake in Oakland, California. He is now unshakeable in his belief that earthquakes are, by far, the worst. There is warning with tornadoes. There is a weather pattern that develops before a tornado develops and touches down. You can see a tornado coming, and either move out of its path or find a safe shelter. There is no way for a person to anticipate an earthquake. It hits you where you're standing...or sitting...or lying. During the Northridge quake in 1994, the thundering of the ground ("It is symbolized by thunder, which bursts forth from the earth...") woke me just a scant few seconds before the shaking started, and I was still struggling to get out of my bedroom when the shaking peaked (both peaks - there were two peaks in the Northridge quake.)
"...and by its shock causes fear and trembling." I truly thought I was going to die. I've never been so frightened in my life.
Further, I wonder about the understanding of the mechanics of earthquakes in this statement, "A yang line develops below two yin lines and presses upward forcibly. This movement is so violent that it arouses terror." That's a simple and perfect description of how a thrust fault works. Did they intuit it? Or were they digging at fault lines back then, like geophysicists today, to observe how earthquakes work?
I'm certain the thunder mentioned in 51 is not the thunder of a thunder storm. Besides the fact the words say "...thunder which bursts forth from the earth..." (not the sky), you can't hear thunder in a thunderstorm from 30-33 miles away (or 50-70 as Hilary suggested in her correspondence), but you can hear the thunder of an earthquake from 30-70 miles away ("Let the thunder roll and spread terror a hundred [li] around..." You can hear it (and feel it) from 300 miles away if the magnitude of the quake is great enough -- earthquakes along the coast of California are often felt as far away as Las Vegas, Nevada.
Thunder is not shocking. You always see the clouds building, then lightening, so you expect it. In fact, usually the lightening appears well in advance of the thunder, where the thunder of an earthquake just barely precedes the quake and then accompanies it. Earthquakes are ALWAYS shocking.
Additionally, there's no real threat of death with thunder. The chances of getting struck by lightening are remote. There is a very real threat of death with earthquakes. The second it starts the threat starts because you don't know if it's going to get stronger and how much stronger or if it's going to stay weak or how long it's going to last...the element of the unknown is much much higher with an earthquake than with thunder.
There are many strong quakes in China. China is one big fracture zone squeezed between three different plates, the Pacific plate, the Indian plate and the Philippine plate, accounting for about 53 - 54% of the world's earthquakes. The quakes there are strong because they're relatively shallow. And the Shang and Zhou dynasties just happened to have been situated on a very active seismic belt...talk about \newurl(http://kepu.jsinfo.gov.cn/english/quake/outline/otl02.html,"living on the fault line."}
I think, because of the frequency of the quakes there, it would be near impossible to pinpoint the date or the quake referenced in 51, but I'd be interested to learn whether anyone has tried...and if they've succeeded.
There may be a clue as to when the judgment of this hexagram was written using the information in the following links. Having not done the extensive research so many others have and being at a loss for a wealth of reliable resources here, living in a small town in the South with very limited resources outside of those that support Christianity, I have no idea how reliable the information I've found on the net is.
HOWEVER, I think I've found evidence of a connection between the vessel mentioned in Hex 50 and the sacrificial spoon and chalice mentioned in Hex 51, in the first KNOWN seismograph (http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/lessons/indiv/davis/hs/QuakesEng3.html). Further description of the seismograph and its inventor, Zhang Heng, and his time, the Latter Han dynasty are mentioned in this article - http://www2.vuw.ac.nz/asianstudies/publications/quarterly/98aprila.html.
Look at the shape of the dragons? They look rather like spoons don't they? In fact, if the person who recreated the vessel based on Zhang Heng's written description had designed the dragon wings so that they are opened in flight, extending out from the body and curling upwards at the outside edges, then the dragon could indeed by used as a spoon or ladle. Is it possible Heng got his idea watching and hearing the spoons hanging from the cooking vessel rattle during a quake?
Could it be that domes, much like the dome in this seismograph, covered cooking vessels just as lids cover pots and pans today? And could it be that the dome is the chalice referenced in the Wilhelm translation? Those of you who know Chinese might know if it's possible. In a strong enough quake, certainly spoons hanging and domes covering would shake and fall from the cooking vessels. The vessel may even overturn (50/1) in a strong enough earthquake. Is the Chinese character for ball close enough in appearance to that for spoon for this misinterpretation to have resulted?
Further indication that Hex 51 is about an earthquake is the fact it's paired with its opposite, Hex 52 "Keeping Still" What could be more opposite of being shaken as if in a martini blender than keeping still?
Earthquake and terror references in the changing lines of Hex 51:
Line 1 -- Fear and trembling, then laughing words. "Fear and trembling engendered by the shock" is replaced by "laughing words when the ordeal is over and he experiences relief." So true. When the shaking starts, one goes straight to intense fear because one does not know whether it's going to get stronger or subside in strength. Once the shaking stops, there's a huge sense of relief...sort of. If one has experienced a number of earthquakes, then one becomes very alert to the possibility it was merely a foreshock and a bigger one could be close on its heels.
Line 2 - "Shock comes bringing danger a hundred thousand times." You lose your treasures and must climb the nine hills. Do not go in pursuit of them. After seven days you will get them back again."
A large quake is always followed by aftershocks. They are initially very strong and frequent and gradually decrease in size. It was about a week after the Northridge quake before people dared venture back into their yellow-tagged homes (green tag on your home meant safe to re-enter, yellow tag - proceed at your risk, red tag - do not enter!). I suspect there was a place nine hills (nine was a lucky number in ancient China) from the town or city this particular quake hit where the inhabitants stayed until the aftershocks subsided enough they felt safe to return for their belongings. The Red Cross shelters in Los Angeles stayed in operation for about a week after the Northridge Quake.
Line 3 - "Shock comes and makes one distraught. If shock spurs to action, One remains free of misfortune."
This and the next line are about the adrenalin response to sudden shock known as "fight or flight" -- the tendency to either react in a problem solving mode...or become paralyzed with fear. This is the former response -- take action and solve problems, save lives, etc.
Line 4 - " Shock is mired." This is the latter response -- "paralyzed with fear" mode. Movement is crippled.
Line 5 - "Shock goes hither and dither. Danger. However, nothing at all is lost. Yet there are things to be done." Wilhelm says, "This is not a case of a single shock but of repeated shocks with no breathing space between. Nonetheless, the shock causes no loss, because one takes care to stay in the center of movement and in this way to be spared the fate of being helplessly tossed hither and thither."
And there you have it. Earthquake safety advice for riding out the aftershocks. Earthquakes toss one, helplessly, hither and thither unless one can hold onto something stable for support.
Line 6 - "Shock brings ruin and terrified gazing around."
Earthquakes bring ruin and terrified gazing around. Their power and the destruction they can do is absolutely awesome and terrifying.
"Going ahead brings misfortune if it has not yet touched one's own body but has reached one's neighbor first. There is no blame, (but) One's comrades have something to talk about." If one regains his presence of mind before his neighbors and has the good sense to run for the (nine) hills while his neighbors have lost their composure and are running around like chickens with their heads cut off, then, unfortunately, they'll talk about him, but he's not to blame for his sensible actions.
This, I suspect, is just an observation of human behavior in this particular situation. Maybe the author of this judgement, himself, ran for the nine hills and is explaining his position.
Hexagram 51 is about a sudden catastrophe...something that hits us suddenly and shockingly...an earthquake, a car accident, 9/11...not about something we see coming...like a thunderstorm. And I'm certain now the historical event recounted in 51 is an earthquake.
Sincerely,
Val