Clarity,
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London.
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It is possible to tell an equally coherent story from any sequence of hexagrams. The coherence of any particular story really says nothing about the meaningfulness or validity of the sequence. Anybody who reads Tarot cards already understands this.
No, I don't mean the Fool's journey, or anything structural.
Any individual Tarot reading juxtaposes a "random" series of numerous cards, out of which the reader spins a coherent story by connecting the dots. But it doesn't mean that those cards "belong" in that order. It's simply what the human brain does for a living. It's what the brain does in the most common forms of dreaming as well.
The random half of the King Wen sequence is just that - random.
a "random" series of numerous cards, out of which the reader spins a coherent story by connecting the dots. But it doesn't mean that those cards "belong" in that order. It's simply what the human brain does for a living. It's what the brain does in the most common forms of dreaming as well.
Which half is the random half?
The meaningful half is 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 ... 61-62, 63-64
The random half is 2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 ... 60-61, 62-63.
Here's the recipe:
1) Take the 24 pairs that represent the Inverse of each other and the 8 pairs of Opposites where the hexagrams are symmetrical and so have no inverse.
2) Scramble these meaningful pairs into a random sequence.
3) Take the two most interesting pairs and have these begin and end your new sequence.
4) As with any true random number sequence, where splashes of accidental order appear, you will have a few cases where this suggests a deeper order. Leave these where they lie.
You now have something that looks a bit like life itself, half order, half chaos, but with several big hints of a great mystery to be solved, one that might explain it all if you could only become a master. It's like an X-Prize - people will work on the puzzle for thousands of years, and who knows what they might discover along the way. Your part is now done, as long as you don't tell folks what you done.
Who may have created this order and if they did on purpose -- why? I always thought it reflected the mathematics of the 64 bit computer code which was somehow inherent in the universal order -- except it was discovered intially for some other purpose.
Well, there IS one of those. There is a perfect order reflecting the pure binary mathematics. It's the other common arrangement, known as the Xian Tian, Early Heaven or Primal Arrangement. In the eight by-eight grid form all of the Yijing's structures and dimensions make sense. It almost certainly wasn't discovered by the authors of the Yi though. It wasn't discovered until about a thousand years ago. It doesn't really tell much more of a story than any other arrangement, however, any more than reading a DNA sequence gives you a picture of the creature it belongs to.
So, if the original was all jumbled up maybe it was reflective of more than four dimensions and in actuality it is in order, but an order we simply can't follow with the numbers of coordinates we have on hand.
People have been trying for over two thousand years, and lately with big computers.
No joy. I personally think they are wasting their time. And mine.
So, what's the alternative? It is what you think it is? Structure du jour? Becomes what you imagine; serves the purpose of the moment? Or maybe, matches the vibration of the being who approaches?
The inventors of the Tarot cards had the right idea. You keep shuffling the sequence.
But if you want to study the meanings apart from divination, look to the orderly alternative, not the random one.
Similarly in Tarot, if you want to know what the ten numbers meant you would look for a common denominator in all four of the aces, two's, etc.
I like this subject a lot and liking hearing views on it. I'm grateful to Tuck and the structures or sequences he presents.
As I see it, it’s not that there isn’t an order, but that the elements are not all predictable, as though carved in stone. While some are difficult to shake, others are bendy or have no form whatsoever (i.e. air/wind and water). Yet they’re made of well organized molecular structures. It need not always be a comparison of two, but to know the total structure is to also know it’s immutable properties as an organic and living thing. I can’t predict which vine will grow the biggest tomato but I can be pretty sure it won’t grow apples.
Now, I’m no one qualified to be using algebra for an analogy, but in searching for ways to explain a point of view, this made sense to me.
Abstract Algebra
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you redefined some of the basic rules of algebra so that concepts you took for granted, like AB = BA, no longer apply? Abstract algebra does just that through the study of the properties that define algebraic structures. Post all questions about fields, rings, group theory, vector spaces, and the axioms that define them into this category.
Linear Algebra
Linear algebra is the detailed study of vector spaces. With applications in such disparate fields as sociology, economics, computer programming, chemistry, and physics, including its essential role in mathematically describing quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity, linear algebra has become one of the most essential mathematical disciplines for the modern world. Please direct all questions regarding matrices, determinants, eigenvalues, eigenvectors, and linear transformations into this category.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/FAQ/3418-813
I would like to share my understanding of the sequence as follows and for your reference.
The sequence 1 - 5
Qian, the sky and the first hexagram, acts like a founder and leader, who exerts himself strongly and untiringly in order to establish his world. While all the six lines of the hexagram Qian (1) are changing to the feminine, those founders and leaders won’t fight one another for the leadership, since the hexagram is appearing in the form of Kun (2), which is the earth and designated to be submissive, like the earth sustaining the sky.
The hexagram Kun (2), the earth and the 2nd hexagram, acts like an assistance and adherent, who accommodates all things with a breadth of virtue, and by virtue of which it can be submissive in following the founder and leader, Qian. While it reaches the top, it fights with the dragon of Qian; however eventually the masculine Qian will still be the desired end of the feminine Kun while all the lines of Kun are changing to the masculine. The mate of the masculine Qian and the feminine Kun creates life; therefore Zhun (3) is given birth.
However the hexagram Zhun (3) is signified as difficulty in initiating, because Kun (2) moved to the northeast, the direction of the trigram Gen, a masculine trigram but with only one masculine line, instead of the northwest, the direction of Qian; therefore Zhun lacks the momentum of masculinity (which tends to move) and must accrue it to be given birth. Line 2 of Zhun in correlation with the masculine line 5 commits to its mission and after ten years (ten steps forward from position 2 of Zhun) the ignorance child of the hexagram Meng (4) is borne and ready for education.
Upbringing is first important thing to the newborn life. The hexagram Meng (4) offers education, while the hexagram Xu (5) provides food as signified by Xu Gua Zhuan (i.e. the commentary on the sequence). In the era of various schools of thoughts existing and differing from one another, the education offered by Meng is exclusive, which will create conflict. Therefore the hexagram Xu is also signified to wait (as peril lies in front). Only after line 6 of Xu learns to share food and drinks with others at position 5; then it can move forth to the next hexagram Sung (6): litigation due to conflict, wherein it can avoid litigation and seek harmony. The food of Xun can enhance life to cross the peril, while drinking with others will smoothen the relation.
(to be continued)
Regards
Tuck :bows:
www.iching123.om
Clarity,
Office 17622,
PO Box 6945,
London.
W1A 6US
United Kingdom
Phone/ Voicemail:
+44 (0)20 3287 3053 (UK)
+1 (561) 459-4758 (US).