Hi guys!
I've been trying not to take too much advantage of your kindness and willingness to help, but on this one i'd need help - and badly so.

Background: It's about eventual work trip abroad and it's an important one for a group of people. The receiving side is perfectly fine, at home though (i am from 'one of those countries' which aren't the part of the so-called free world) there is complete chaos and corruption in the very field. (Sorry for being cryptic, it's out of concerns for my safety.)

My question for I Ching was "what do we, as a union, get from this trip" and i got 11.Peace, moving lines 2,5,6 changing to Hexagram 37. Family.
I love getting hex. 11 normally, but it's the sixth line that scares me.

2nd line (Willhem's translation) pretty much depicts the actual situation and what are we trying to change: Factionalism and the dominance of cliques are especially to be avoided. Even if people of like mind come forward together, they ought not to form a faction by holding together for mutual advantage; instead, each man should do his duty. These are four ways in which one can overcome the hidden danger of a gradual slackening that always lurks in any time of peace. And that is how one finds the middle way for action.
5th line i believe also depicts the actual situation and a group of people who are repressed and trying to organize themselves so to form some kind of resistance. So far so good, but it's the 6th line that spooked me:

The wall falls back into the moat.
Use no army now.
Make your commands known within your own town.
Perseverance brings humiliation.

The change alluded to in the middle of the hexagram has begun to take place. the wall of the town sinks back into the moat from which it was dug. The hour of doom is at hand. When matters have come to this pass, we should submit to fate and not try to stave it off by violent resistance. The one recourse left us is to hold our own within our intimate circle. Should we persevere in trying to resist the evil in the usual way, our collapse would only be more complete, and humiliation would be the result.

Hexagram 37. is also translated as Clan - and i think it's very much the clique we as a group are trying to resist.
I am in two minds whether to go on that trip, as it seems too dangerous. What do you think?

Update: 18 > 12

I asked about outcome if cancelling the trip all together, i got

18. 4.6. > 12

Can of worms/ Work on which has been spoiled pretty much depicts the actual situation (corruption)

line 4 Six in the fourth place means:
Tolerating what has been spoiled by the father.
in continuing one sees humiliation.

line 6 Nine at the top means:
He does not serve kings and princes,
Sets himself higher goals.

12 is the infamous Standstill - so NOT going to that trip seems to make things eve worse, albeit going there is dangerous? Is it so?

Thanks in advance!


ETA: OR is I Ching telling me to mind my own business all together?
He does not serve kings and princes,
Sets himself higher goals.

Littlebuddha

I think maybe people are afraid to touch this one. It is so enormous in its scope, nobody wants to make a mistake in their reading and give you wrong advice. I know that is how I feel anyway.

Overall, the first reading seems much better, although I too am not sure how to interpret the sixth line. I am wondering. Is you family in danger as well as yourself? That may be key here. However, the second and fifth lines in hexagram 11 seem very positive. There are two lines in the decision on hexagram 11 that I think are significant. One is, "not neglecting what is distant" and the other is "Fording the river with resolution." In other words, go. But whom am I to say, really, when so much is at stake?

I wish you the best on this, and wish there were more I could do, but all readers and all of our understanding can sometimes still lead to errors, so I would say, you will have to make the decision.

Gene

gene said:

Littlebuddha

I think maybe people are afraid to touch this one. It is so enormous in its scope, nobody wants to make a mistake in their reading and give you wrong advice. I know that is how I feel anyway.

Overall, the first reading seems much better, although I too am not sure how to interpret the sixth line. I am wondering. Is you family in danger as well as yourself? That may be key here. However, the second and fifth lines in hexagram 11 seem very positive. There are two lines in the decision on hexagram 11 that I think are significant. One is, "not neglecting what is distant" and the other is "Fording the river with resolution." In other words, go. But whom am I to say, really, when so much is at stake?

I wish you the best on this, and wish there were more I could do, but all readers and all of our understanding can sometimes still lead to errors, so I would say, you will have to make the decision.

Gene

Click to expand...

Thank you so much, Gene! Yes, i would also think twice before advising anyone on such a sensitive matter
To me also the 1st reading seems way more encouraging - it's as if some stuff is unavoidable, yet still would lead to better outcome for everyone involved than the other option - doing nothing at all.
I did one more reading - on the overall outcome - and got 9,
The Taming Power of the Small
Has success.
Dense clouds, no rain from our western region.

I think it means two things: 1. seems the time is not yet "ripe" for sizable changes 2. it's better to keep low profile , stay away from social networks etc., and try to accomplish 'small things' - spreading the word and getting support without counting on something big changing anytime soon.
But all in all - it seems that this time it won't go too bad (or at least i hope so.)
Thank you once again, Gene, much appreciated!

Just a quick update: i made it and the things at home have finally started moving - that's after some 20y or so of complete stagnation! There was some verbal harassment, but nothing more than that! Pheeew!