Hi,

I know this is a bit of a grey area but I'm wondering about how far you can go to try to understand another.
I have been in love with someone and still feeling hope for a long time despite adverse circumstances, but suddenly my perspective has changed, I've felt he's dealt another blow and that I'm starting to see the issue as hopeless and my readings are mirroring this state of mind. But in the past, I've felt the readings have encouraged my hope - giving positive answers...

I asked the I ching

Is there a danger of being led on by the I ching through asking too many Q's?
(Thing is the Yi I know is meant to be about truth - but maybe more your truth at that moment, rather than the truth of your outer reality/relationship)
33.3 > 12

(I actually had hex 12 in mind as I was throwing - feeling this would be saying halt - both in testing the Yi and asking about this relationship. and 33.3 could be about me clinging to the I ching when I'd do better to retreat and lick my wounds...)

Is it viable to ask about another's feelings?
56.2,4 > 18

Could the Yi be referring to itself as a servant (as in 33.3 too?)? I suppose it is - you can't pay a book after all, though I do give it a stroke now and again!
But maybe, 56.2 is saying yes you can get help from a trustworthy servant, invaluable to a wanderer (definitely has been) But
56.4 would this be saying you should limit your desires for others? That the I ching is about self-development, not desperately looking for shelter in another? Or confirmation of another's feelings?

On the one hand, 56.2 seems to say yes you can trust the Yi to guide you, and 56.4 could be saying that you can ask about other people's feelings and you don't need to feel ill at ease in doing this? Or mistrustful?

And hex 18 would you interpret that as work on mistaken assumptions on what the Yi can answer?

Not at all sure. I suppose though, you're more likely to drive yourself mad asking about someone else, but sometimes you have to. And sometimes it comes true!...

Do you think I should trust that the Yi can be asked any question? And I shouldn't be so suspicious of it? Hmm... but maybe that is too much to wish for. Insight into someone else's feelings....

Take it as a rule of thumb: If you ask questions about relationships of any kind from YOUR point of view/action, you will probably get corresponding lines that will give you insight into the reactions/motivations of the other.
If not, I Ching will ALWAYS tell you where YOU might go wrong, which will explain why the other behaves as he/she does

em ching said:

Is there a danger of being led on by the I ching through asking too many Q's?
(Thing is the Yi I know is meant to be about truth - but maybe more your truth at that moment, rather than the truth of your outer reality/relationship)
33.3 > 12

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You know there's a danger of being led on through asking too many questions, or at least you know that is a pretty common consensus around here, Em. chuckle

Anyway, the answer says it goes nowhere. Just bounces around a bit and rolls to a stop.

Then you could throw the ball again, and again, just to watch it bounce around.

Ok, yes maybe there's only one answer for a given situation in that moment, even if you can think of other questions that might explain aspects of the situation, that is then approaching it from your perspective, or looking for what you see or want to see in the situation. Perhaps investing too much of yourself - your time and energy - into creating new or different Q's about the same issue - subjectifies the result, and is thus leading you back into your ego/delusions, rather than helping you to see the truth. What you need is the objective situation to encourage you to give up the struggle or see the situation simply.

Do you think the answer is saying you can ask the Yi ANY question, but you're heart will still not be glad? You are not be able to rest with the truth if it hurts, so you keep chopping away at the issue with your axe! Ah eureka. Breaking up a situation into smaller pieces only makes it messier and harder to wade through. The bigger picture - maybe from one reading - lets you see the situation as a whole - and distanced, as in representing reality, rather than asking lots of questions, which only brings your desires, wants and biases to bear. Perhaps it should be as simple as 'How do I deal with this now?'.. instead of making such a story about it, a drama.

Maybe there's only one anser at the end of the day - to all situations or problems - Yin or yang. Yes or no.

And hex 18 may be saying, work on your spoilt technique?
I have actually put my I ching book away into a box under my bed today - intending not to use it for a while - and I have come to the end of a journal which was mainly full of questions about one person/situation. I'm really going to try to not use the I ching for as long as I can unless I'm really confused about something - because I think I've absorbed most of it - maybe not it's subtleties - definitely still need Clarity - but the wisdom or general advice of the hexagrams and what they're saying. Maybe I can draw on memory - the I ching now within. Or at least give myself a chance to think.

em ching said:

Ok, yes maybe there's only one answer for a given situation in that moment, even if you can think of other questions that might explain aspects of the situation, that is then approaching it from your perspective, or looking for what you see or want to see in the situation. Perhaps investing too much of yourself - your time and energy - into creating new or different Q's about the same issue - subjectifies the result, and is thus leading you back into your ego/delusions, rather than helping you to see the truth. What you need is the objective situation to encourage you to give up the struggle or see the situation simply.

Click to expand...

Well said.

em ching said:

Do you think the answer is saying you can ask the Yi ANY question, but you're heart will still not be glad? You are not be able to rest with the truth if it hurts, so you keep chopping away at the issue with your axe! Ah eureka. Breaking up a situation into smaller pieces only makes it messier and harder to wade through. The bigger picture - maybe from one reading - lets you see the situation as a whole - and distanced, as in representing reality, rather than asking lots of questions, which only brings your desires, wants and biases to bear. Perhaps it should be as simple as 'How do I deal with this now?'.. instead of making such a story about it, a drama.

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I can find no fault in your reasoning.

Maybe there's only one anser at the end of the day - to all situations or problems - Yin or yang. Yes or no.

Click to expand...

I'd be more inclined to think yes and no, depending from which angle it's looked, and/or to which specific it speaks.

And hex 18 may be saying, work on your spoilt technique?
I have actually put my I ching book away into a box under my bed today - intending not to use it for a while - and I have come to the end of a journal which was mainly full of questions about one person/situation. I'm really going to try to not use the I ching for as long as I can unless I'm really confused about something - because I think I've absorbed most of it - maybe not it's subtleties - definitely still need Clarity - but the wisdom or general advice of the hexagrams and what they're saying. Maybe I can draw on memory - the I ching now within. Or at least give myself a chance to think.

Click to expand...

:bows:

Thanks Meng