4.5

[Liselle]

I was upset about something and did a series of frantic readngs. At one point, I just wailed to Yi, "I'm so upset right now!! What can I do at this moment to help myself???"

The answer was 4.5 > 59:

‘Young ignoramus.
Good fortune.’ ([URL="http://www.onlineclarity.co.uk/learn/books/recommended-books.php#barrett"]Hilary's translation[/URL])

"Childlike folly brings good fortune." (Wilhelm)

I managed to understand that this was meant as a good thing and not a lecture that I was being ignorant, pursuing a ridiculous folly, or acting like a baby instead of a grown woman.

But I didn't know what it was saying. The commentaries made points like, "One teaches to make the right choices by showing all choices" (LiSe Heyboer); use "youthful energetic constancy" in seeking answers, and have an unimpeded "flow of learning" with "no preconceptions" (Hilary); and "[seek] instruction in a childlike and unassuming way" while "subordinat[ing] himself to his teacher" (Wilhelm). (I hope I didn't butcher any of those in the paraphrasing.)

I didn't see how any of that advice could help. I was upset because my problem seemed unsolvable. I suppose it's possible that a solution will appear someday, if I remain open to seeing it - and that's all fine and well - but that wasn't my question. I had asked how to help myself in the present moment of despair.

More questions ensued before I finally gave up. Then later I wondered if 4.5 was meant to tell me to just put it out of my mind altogether. Like, . An child is too ignorant to worry. Children don't have to worry. Children can just bounce on, oblivious. So, maybe I should just do that for now, by some sort of 59-ish disappearing-problem mental trick.

I think it worked? At least I'm here typing about it rather than being frantic .

 

[Tim K]

Hi lisa,

The 'don't worry be happy' hex is 25 , so I don't think Yi told you to just forget about it.
As I see it, 4.5 asks you to behave like a child, to just do something without any planning and calculation of probabilities.

Just experience it with fresh|unspoiled mind. Allow yourself to make mistakes, explore it, try this and that, like a child

59 speaks about dissolving the rigidity/egotism, and barriers of all kinds. Wonderful advice from Yi

 

[Liselle]

Ashteroid, thank you, and yes, what you're saying about 25 does make sense. "Disentangle."

I don't know. Maybe I stumbled into an I Ching placebo effect? I thought that's what 4.5 meant, and so it had the desired effect despite not meaning that at all?

I'll have to give some thought to how what you said about 4.5 could apply either to my mood at the time (which was my question), or to the underlying problem. Offhand, "trying this and that" etc. doesn't seem like it would help, since a major part of the underlying problem is that I'm out of things to try. If there is a way to "play" with the problem, to try to get around it by hacking or jury-rigging a solution, none of the things I've thought of in that vein work.
But I'll give it some thought. (Sometime. Right now I'm still trying to so I don't lose my blessed mind again today.)