Clarity,
Office 17622,
PO Box 6945,
London.
W1A 6US
United Kingdom
Phone/ Voicemail:
+44 (0)20 3287 3053 (UK)
+1 (561) 459-4758 (US).
Hello everyone.
I have posted here once in the past (December 2011) and after the post was up for a short time I deleted it because of no response. Well, it was that and I didn't really need any help understanding. I knew how I *should* respond to a situation and the reading just reinforced it and I wasn't really ready to accept it.
After I deleted the reply pocossin posted a kind reply. I tried to repost the original text but did not have a copy. So, I would like to apologize for my rashness.
I am in a real cross roads situation now (the last post just felt like a cross roads because of the emotion attached to it) and have done another reading to help me make some good choices on how to approach it.
I posed 3 questions and the third one I'm having a bit of difficulty understanding it. Perhaps my questions weren't very good. I would love to hear any comments people here may have.
A little background... I grew up as a ward of the court (foster care) and it was a really crappy time. Due to negligence and apathy in the system I was forced onto the street - I'm not judging anyone here but it's typically believed that foster kids are bad kids and troublemakers and assume I deserved it. I, and most other kids I knew, caused no trouble and were great kids. We were just in a crappy situation. Anyway, I was not able to finish high school because of actions of the system and took a student loan a couple years later to finish with an academic diploma to gain entrance to university.
I've had a lot of baggage to cope with because of my childhood experiences and I have spent much of the past 20 years homeless, un/underemployed, etc... These years wee not terrible though. It was a lot of a spiritual journey and though I didn't have much, I did a lot. Lots of volunteering, working for arts organizations and not for profits, read many wonderful books, explored deep into the woods, etc. I was poor but rich.
Through this time I have fought the government to cover the loan and we were always at a stalemate.
Fast forward to a few years ago. I moved to the city and got a good job so I could pay off debts I accumulated over the past 20 years and correct my credit worthiness so I can buy a small piece of land. I've paid my debts and was just getting ready to leave the city and all of a sudden a massive debt was dumped on my shoulders just a couple weeks ago.
It turns out to be this student loan. Even though I was actively resolving the loan through a number of channels in government, one of the bureaucracies quietly got a court order for the debt. What was just a few grand is now after 20 years of about 10% or so interest is now massive. I can fight the order and have it overturned because it was obtained by misleading the court but it will take time. In the meantime I am being forced to pay a huge sum every month.
I'm not without options though and the reading I did was to help me plan / choose my approach to this situation.
First, I can continue to work at my job full time and try to fight this. My job is challenging I'm not left with a lot of energy at the end of the day to fight this order.
The system is complex and full of rules and procedures that would lose the case for me if I don't follow correctly. Worst case is I fail in my fight because my case is not prepared or thought out but the debt is paid in a year. There is zero gain for me during this year – just toil and no joy.
Second, I can leave my job and move to the area I was planning and where my heart is. It's not illegal and I am still free to find another job and a new order would have to be obtained before any of my earnings could be taken. And they would have to find me first. They would surely freeze my bank account, try to take my vehicle, and anything else I have though. I can make a modest living there but would have to remain under the financial radar. If things became really bad I could just go bankrupt and the debt, because it's about 20 years old, would disappear immediately. Because I've never been bankrupt before I would likely be discharged in 9 months. Not a bad plan but it would destroy the work I've done over the past few years to build credit worthiness and I would have to put off buying land for a number of years unless I could somehow pay cash for it (not very likely).
Third, I can switch my current job to part time if my employer would allow it. At half time I would bring home just enough money to cover my monthly bills and the court would still be receiving large payments every month. This plan would leave my credit intact and with the 4 free days a week I would have ample time to both fight the order and find contract work that would earn money the court couldn't take. I don't know how realistic contract work is though as I would likely spend most of the free time reading, exploring the woods or fishing. This isn’t a bad plan but I would still lose a lot of money ( I don’t care about money, it’s the time wasted that gets me).
I have been working on a couple projects over the past few years that would hopefully allow me to be self-sufficient without a regular job. Progress is slow because my current job gets the lion’s share of my time and energy. The two latter options would give me time to pursue these.
Sorry for the life story, I just think since the IChing is such a personal thing some context is needed. I have never been able to be concise and I apologize for that. I hope it all makes for interesting reading though.
And onto the reading…
I use both Wilhelm / Baynes and I like the interpretations on a particular website, http://www.yijing.nl/i_ching/ , so I use it also. I phrased an initial statement and then posed three questions….
“I am suddenly forced to pay a debt I don’t believe is mine.”
1. “What is the essence of this situation?”
Hexagram: 28; changes – 6 at he beginning.
I glean from this the situation is serious and if quick, well thought out action is not taken misfortune will follow. LiSe’s interpretation (the web site noted) includes that life is a cycle and that challenging circumstances should be taken as an important and good part of life. “not a decline but an indispensable phase”. Every action should be taken with the upmost care as they are irreversible.
Changed to 43. I glean from this that speaking out and remaining true to myself is important for a good resolution but it needs to be approached very cautiously and always on the high road. I have to deal with a lot of lawyers, bureaucrats and elected officials. The high road is not easy.
2. “What is the most honorable approach to this situation?”
Hexagram: 55.
Both interpretations sound quite relevant to my question but I have not yet drawn any clear meaning from either. Perhaps it’s just as simple as to act in the most natural way, in the way the Creator made you if you know what that is. Approach the situation with honesty and with well thought out arguments to both find success and remain humble.
However, Wilhelm includes this hexagram is where laws that have been created are applied and enforced. Is this talking about the law of the land or natural laws? If it’s the law of the land and the court has ordered payment does it mean the most honorable approach is to pay in full the ordered amount? What if the litigation was misleading and successful only because a skillful lawyer was able to manipulate the court? The interest is usurious?
3. “How would retreating from my job and normal financial participation in life affect the honorable approach?”
Hexagram: 22; changes – 9 at 3, 6 at 5.
I really liked LiSe’s name for this hexagram “Flower Power”. I’m not a hippy but the self employment projects I mentioned earlier are on the granola side and the land I want to purchase is so I can spend my days enjoying growing food and building a little self sufficient homestead. Also very granola but I smile just thinking about it
My immediate reaction is this hexagram is saying stepping back from the complex and demanding job but only partially is a good path to success. If I were to retreat completely, which is an option, would also be retreating from the issue of this debt and it will never be resolved and perhaps worsen. I get this particularly from the 9 at line 3 which emphasizes balance, from Wilhelm “…not to sink into convivial indolence but to remain constant in perseverance”, from LiSe “Only if both sides of life are present, one will live”.
pocossin had said long and personal posts are favoured. I hope this is a good read for you all. He had also said writing things out can be therapeutic and writing this out has made things more clear in my mind.
I still invite any and all comments as there is a lot I don’t know. I will also not be deleting this post.
Have a great day everyone!
Jay
I have posted here once in the past (December 2011) and after the post was up for a short time I deleted it because of no response. Well, it was that and I didn't really need any help understanding. I knew how I *should* respond to a situation and the reading just reinforced it and I wasn't really ready to accept it.
After I deleted the reply pocossin posted a kind reply. I tried to repost the original text but did not have a copy. So, I would like to apologize for my rashness.
I am in a real cross roads situation now (the last post just felt like a cross roads because of the emotion attached to it) and have done another reading to help me make some good choices on how to approach it.
I posed 3 questions and the third one I'm having a bit of difficulty understanding it. Perhaps my questions weren't very good. I would love to hear any comments people here may have.
A little background... I grew up as a ward of the court (foster care) and it was a really crappy time. Due to negligence and apathy in the system I was forced onto the street - I'm not judging anyone here but it's typically believed that foster kids are bad kids and troublemakers and assume I deserved it. I, and most other kids I knew, caused no trouble and were great kids. We were just in a crappy situation. Anyway, I was not able to finish high school because of actions of the system and took a student loan a couple years later to finish with an academic diploma to gain entrance to university.
I've had a lot of baggage to cope with because of my childhood experiences and I have spent much of the past 20 years homeless, un/underemployed, etc... These years wee not terrible though. It was a lot of a spiritual journey and though I didn't have much, I did a lot. Lots of volunteering, working for arts organizations and not for profits, read many wonderful books, explored deep into the woods, etc. I was poor but rich.
Through this time I have fought the government to cover the loan and we were always at a stalemate.
Fast forward to a few years ago. I moved to the city and got a good job so I could pay off debts I accumulated over the past 20 years and correct my credit worthiness so I can buy a small piece of land. I've paid my debts and was just getting ready to leave the city and all of a sudden a massive debt was dumped on my shoulders just a couple weeks ago.
It turns out to be this student loan. Even though I was actively resolving the loan through a number of channels in government, one of the bureaucracies quietly got a court order for the debt. What was just a few grand is now after 20 years of about 10% or so interest is now massive. I can fight the order and have it overturned because it was obtained by misleading the court but it will take time. In the meantime I am being forced to pay a huge sum every month.
I'm not without options though and the reading I did was to help me plan / choose my approach to this situation.
First, I can continue to work at my job full time and try to fight this. My job is challenging I'm not left with a lot of energy at the end of the day to fight this order.
The system is complex and full of rules and procedures that would lose the case for me if I don't follow correctly. Worst case is I fail in my fight because my case is not prepared or thought out but the debt is paid in a year. There is zero gain for me during this year – just toil and no joy.
Second, I can leave my job and move to the area I was planning and where my heart is. It's not illegal and I am still free to find another job and a new order would have to be obtained before any of my earnings could be taken. And they would have to find me first. They would surely freeze my bank account, try to take my vehicle, and anything else I have though. I can make a modest living there but would have to remain under the financial radar. If things became really bad I could just go bankrupt and the debt, because it's about 20 years old, would disappear immediately. Because I've never been bankrupt before I would likely be discharged in 9 months. Not a bad plan but it would destroy the work I've done over the past few years to build credit worthiness and I would have to put off buying land for a number of years unless I could somehow pay cash for it (not very likely).
Third, I can switch my current job to part time if my employer would allow it. At half time I would bring home just enough money to cover my monthly bills and the court would still be receiving large payments every month. This plan would leave my credit intact and with the 4 free days a week I would have ample time to both fight the order and find contract work that would earn money the court couldn't take. I don't know how realistic contract work is though as I would likely spend most of the free time reading, exploring the woods or fishing. This isn’t a bad plan but I would still lose a lot of money ( I don’t care about money, it’s the time wasted that gets me).
I have been working on a couple projects over the past few years that would hopefully allow me to be self-sufficient without a regular job. Progress is slow because my current job gets the lion’s share of my time and energy. The two latter options would give me time to pursue these.
Sorry for the life story, I just think since the IChing is such a personal thing some context is needed. I have never been able to be concise and I apologize for that. I hope it all makes for interesting reading though.
And onto the reading…
I use both Wilhelm / Baynes and I like the interpretations on a particular website, http://www.yijing.nl/i_ching/ , so I use it also. I phrased an initial statement and then posed three questions….
“I am suddenly forced to pay a debt I don’t believe is mine.”
1. “What is the essence of this situation?”
Hexagram: 28; changes – 6 at he beginning.
I glean from this the situation is serious and if quick, well thought out action is not taken misfortune will follow. LiSe’s interpretation (the web site noted) includes that life is a cycle and that challenging circumstances should be taken as an important and good part of life. “not a decline but an indispensable phase”. Every action should be taken with the upmost care as they are irreversible.
Changed to 43. I glean from this that speaking out and remaining true to myself is important for a good resolution but it needs to be approached very cautiously and always on the high road. I have to deal with a lot of lawyers, bureaucrats and elected officials. The high road is not easy.
2. “What is the most honorable approach to this situation?”
Hexagram: 55.
Both interpretations sound quite relevant to my question but I have not yet drawn any clear meaning from either. Perhaps it’s just as simple as to act in the most natural way, in the way the Creator made you if you know what that is. Approach the situation with honesty and with well thought out arguments to both find success and remain humble.
However, Wilhelm includes this hexagram is where laws that have been created are applied and enforced. Is this talking about the law of the land or natural laws? If it’s the law of the land and the court has ordered payment does it mean the most honorable approach is to pay in full the ordered amount? What if the litigation was misleading and successful only because a skillful lawyer was able to manipulate the court? The interest is usurious?
3. “How would retreating from my job and normal financial participation in life affect the honorable approach?”
Hexagram: 22; changes – 9 at 3, 6 at 5.
I really liked LiSe’s name for this hexagram “Flower Power”. I’m not a hippy but the self employment projects I mentioned earlier are on the granola side and the land I want to purchase is so I can spend my days enjoying growing food and building a little self sufficient homestead. Also very granola but I smile just thinking about it
My immediate reaction is this hexagram is saying stepping back from the complex and demanding job but only partially is a good path to success. If I were to retreat completely, which is an option, would also be retreating from the issue of this debt and it will never be resolved and perhaps worsen. I get this particularly from the 9 at line 3 which emphasizes balance, from Wilhelm “…not to sink into convivial indolence but to remain constant in perseverance”, from LiSe “Only if both sides of life are present, one will live”.
pocossin had said long and personal posts are favoured. I hope this is a good read for you all. He had also said writing things out can be therapeutic and writing this out has made things more clear in my mind.
I still invite any and all comments as there is a lot I don’t know. I will also not be deleting this post.
Have a great day everyone!
Jay