Clarity,
Office 17622,
PO Box 6945,
London.
W1A 6US
United Kingdom
Phone/ Voicemail:
+44 (0)20 3287 3053 (UK)
+1 (561) 459-4758 (US).
Does the Yi have a philosophy? Does it have assumptions or standards or perceptions or 'understandings' that it operates on? Maybe. I'll start.
I think the Yi counsels non-action a lot more than it counsels doing something about a situation. I don't know if this is based on an understanding that non-action is superior to doing, or whether it's just the wisdom that knows that when we do something, we often screw up. Or something else? Thoughts?
it could be true we screw up more by interfering with the flow of things maybe, not tuning in to right timing, trying to get things how we want them, get results etc
it is also possible to align with the changes in such as way as to improve one's own chances for success or at least to lessen the possibilities for misfortune.
- I think what the Yi is saying comes down to the fact that if one has clarity about a situation, very little needs actually be done at any given moment to properly nudge things to the next plateau.
It speaks about change and processes, and philosophies are very time-bound.
Jilt said:I have the feeling that the yi "adapts" to any creed, way of philosophy that is emergent at that time. The wisdom from the yi lies in rocognizing underlying patters in the flow of events.
Some examples of beliefs/standards/ethics which are permeating the whole of the I Ching:
-- Prefer good over evil (as to what is evil, very numerous lines describe it in great detail)
-- Good will always triumph over evil in the end
-- Keep your dignity
-- Avoid anger, agitation, restlessness, conflict
-- Study and learn and think
-- Be nice to yourself first, and be nice to others too
-- Stay away from inferior people as much as possible
-- Make sure you have nice people around you
-- There is a time for everything, recognise which one it is, and enjoy/endure/do/be
-- When it is time to act and work, do it with all your energy
-- We can influence many outcomes, but not all
-- Everything changes, nothing remains static
-- Modesty is one of the highest virtues
-- Mistakes should be corrected and not repeated
The other side of the coin, line 2.7, (advantage in everlasting perseverance/uprightness) illustrates virtue as a choice (instead of saying "act this way," it states that acting a certain way is beneficial). This is underscored in 17.6 by the bad end met by an unquestioning follower, and in 32.1 where deepened [ingrained] adherence to constancy--or routine for its own sake--causes misfortune.....
Another way of putting this is that the principle of the universe is non manipulation. When we manipulate, we get manipulated. It is foolhearty to believe we can control anything. We can only do what it is our duty to do. When we manipulate, we are coming from fear. We fear we cannot control things. (Sometimes our manipulation works, but only for the time being, and eventually will boomerang on us. If not in this lifetime, then another. As Yoda said, in, I think, revenge of the Sith," train your mind to let go of all that you fear to lose...It is only when we let go of our fear that we can count on the universe to do our bidding, not because we contrived it, but because we simply did our duty, while not counting on the harvest.
....
Hmmm... Surprised that, 20 messages into a thread about whether there is philosophy or not in the Zhouyi that nobody has mentioned the ethics of Junzi, Daren and Xiaoren. The metaphors are certainly there and they seem to predate the Confucian school (and others) by a long time.
Diamanda mentioned ethics. Which I'm fine with, as the ethics are conditional, as always, upon context. What I'm not in agreement with is that these "things" stand on their own, the way a banner waves or a church steeple stands. When the mores change, the ethics change with them; and that, to my thinking, does not a philosophy make.
So I guess I am speaking of the oracle, because there's nothing static in my view of the Yijing. There is no fixed set of rules other than alagories we draw from natural and cyclical phenomenon.
I'm not saying this is how it is, but I do not perceive this fixed-in-stone ethical standard anywhere in the Yi, other than the way we may apply what is already evident in nature.
Clarity,
Office 17622,
PO Box 6945,
London.
W1A 6US
United Kingdom
Phone/ Voicemail:
+44 (0)20 3287 3053 (UK)
+1 (561) 459-4758 (US).