55 and the solar eclipse

[philippa]

I've been pondering on 55 lately since I read some news about an upcoming solar eclipse. But I couldn't come up with a satisfying answer about the true meaning of it. I understand the general meaning points to a state of abundance. Because the text points to an image of a bright sun at noon, the state is supposed to be short-lived, this is relatively easy to grasp.

What puzzles me the most are the lines. Apparently, it documents the different stages of a solar eclipse. I can see the general progression from line 1 to line 6, but the connection between the state of abundance and the solar eclipse is rather opaque to me. (Kinda like a solar eclipse, actually!) What's more, whenever I read the yao text, I always have a feeling as if I'm reading about 36, i.e., light being hidden from view. The one similarity between the hexagrams is that both 36 and 55 have Li (fire) as the lower trigram.

Ideas? Comments?

Philippa

 

[jesed]

Hi Philippa

In general sense, the way i see the lines is like the risk of abundance. In a more positive way, advices on how to deal abundance in order to avoid that abundance make us lost our clarity.

So, is something like: abundance can make you lost your clarity of vision; be caution.

Another way to see: every time for abundance will eclipse someday. (This has more relation with the text of Judgement)

Best wishes

 

[philippa]

Hi Jesed,

I came to that conclusion earlier but 55 still bugs me a lot, though the notion that the state of abundance is short-lived (the eclipse image) is clear. What bothers me the most is that it doesn't really tell me what can be done with the abundance (cf. 14). It tells me what to do when the abundance is eclipsed. In a sense, it bothers me in the same way as 16 because the text is full of warnings when one is, well, "overly" enthusiastic/happy/satisfied. I find myself disliking 16 and 55 (sometimes, e.g., more so than 47) as the answer to questions such as what's the most appropriate action or state of mind in certain situations. It is as if Yi is warning that one is in danger of losing perspective.

P.

 

[bruce]

Philippa, I hear and sometimes share your frustration with 55. One big splash of light, and then it wanes so quickly. But I think 55 does offer council as to "what can be done with it", namely, learn to enjoy it and take advantage of the light whilst it shines. Be not sad, but be as a king at the peak of his influence.

The lines stress the inevitable consequences of light: that darkness will soon follow. Adjusting to this simple law can help us to live more in accord with it.

 

[micheline]

I also agree about 55. In retrospect, it has never indicated anything wonderful at all. Something like "ok, this is as good as it gets..", or "this is as good as it is ever gonna get"
I picture a very ripe harvest, which almost simultaneously is gonna fall over and go splat. a big fat red tomatoe which tomorrow will be on the ground if you dont pick and eat it RIGHT NOW. Or a woman whose beauty is just about to lose its youthful lustre.Or, The person who is about to retire after a long and prosperous career.

I think it has a council of: Ok, you've made it, you're there. enjoy your day in the sun.

but yes, the lines!...most are contrary to the meaning of the hexagram... except maybe for line 1 and 5..the lines really confuse me too

 

[bradford_h]

Some phrases that come to mind for me with 55:
The curse - "may you live in interesting times"
and the warning:
be careful what you ask for

A state of great abundance requires a much narrower vision just to get through it. It's seldom the general improvement it promises to be. But the king mentioned in the Tuan (55.0) has just the kind of executive judgment to deal with this - cutting through the extraneous is what he is practiced in.
A key word is focus.

 

[pushpaw]

In my eyes this Hexagram is all about casting off sorrow. Keep a clear head, and ACT. I don't see any time for withering sorrow here, melancholy, etc. Any moaning and groaning about decline and injury gets you nowhere.

how is this for certain about a solar eclipse.

 

[philippa]

I don't quite agree that the reaction towards the somewhat negative interpretation of 55's yao text is all groaning and moaning. On the contrary, it strikes me that most of the messages here are about what can be _done_ in response to the text. I like, in particular, what Brad says about "focus."

Having said that, the groaning component partly depends on how optimistic a person is. A pessimist with a control issue would find the text hard to deal with as some of it is rather cryptic. E.g., lines 1 and 4, what does it mean to see polestars during an eclipse? What should one do? Sit tight and enjoy the view?

Speaking of control, as an aside, there is much in Yi that says explicitly that "control" is not necessarily useful. One comes to mind are those "do not chase" lines, i.e., 51.2 and 63.2.

 

[void]

I once had a very dear friend who knew absolutely nothing about the Yi(had never even heard of a hexagram or seen an I Ching book) but had a great knack for interpreting it. I was looking for somewhere to live and kept getting 55 with various lines mainly 2 and 3 I think. I read it out to him about the stars being visible at noon and he said it was simply a question of focus, I needed to focus - he was right.

Elsewhere here somewhere I think Hilary said 55 means you have all you need to go ahead and make a decision ? There might be a huge amount of options and considerations to be taken into account but you do have all you need to know to act - a case of narrowing down your options to see ahead. (BTW I asked my friend mentioned above about why he said it meant focus and he talked about light, seeing more clearly thru a narrow focus..well he knew what he meant anyway)


I don't always associate 55 with happiness at all, I've often had it when I feel very lost and want a direction. Actually with hindsight it probably meant I needed to stop 'gathering' ideas and facts and use what I already had to go on - I already had enough to act upon, like the sun at noon I was full of stuff and it was time to use it, focus it, not keep gathering more 'light' as the light was as full as it could be.
I didn't realise at the time and did alot of groaning instead....but I'm wiser now

Well a bit wiser, I'm still open to ideas...

 

[bruce]

I haven't seen hopelessness or the like as a theme in any of the above interpretations of 55. But, it IS a time to get up off your sorry kingly butt and get something done!

 

[pushpaw]

Er- Ahem - did I say anyone said that? Just voicing my gut reaction to 55.

 

[ewald]

I think it's interesting how Steve Marshall connects an actual solar eclipse to hexagram 55. But in my view 55 is not about a solar eclipse, not even in lines 2 and 4. I do believe the solar eclipse has been an inspiration to the writer of these texts, but nothing more.

In 55.2 and 55.4 it's as dark as a starry night because of shutters (or screens) used. In 55.3 it's as dark as dusk because a large amount of rain is pouring down.

 

[bradford_h]

Concurring with Ewald on this statement:
"I do believe the solar eclipse has been an inspiration to the writer of these texts, but nothing more".
There's also a bit of folk wisdom (that I haven't tested yet) that you can see stars from deep in a well or tunnel, because so much of the ambient glare is shut out and the starlight is more or less polarized. This too would fit ihe imagery, and with the blindered "tunnel vision" that's the subject of some of these lines.

 

[soshin]

Hi, Bradford,

I'm afraid this folk wisdom would not work. Its simply impossible to see the stars in daylight just by narrowing the scope. But of course I hear what you mean.

Soshin

 

[koshime]

I cant seem to understand 55.3
what does that message portend to?

does it mean, do not try to accomplish too many/large goals instead, focus on smaler achievable goals or face potential injury and thus lose employment?

 

[ewald]

In my view 55.3 means that things are so difficult to oversee that injury in one form or another will likely happen.
It is like being out while it's raining so heavily that it's dark and one can't see a thing. Stumbling and breaking one's forearm may very well happen then.

 

[freemanc]

Brad & all,

Feng; "Abundance." The name of one of the Zhou's capitals. Not much of a capital; a forward encampment. I think I read somewehre (since writing I Ching: The Chameleon Book) that perhaps it's a person or family's name as well??

Anyway. Perhaps it's best to just think of it as a proper name of the Hexagram. The Chameleon Book doesn't translate it to Abundance; it just leaves it Feng (Solar Eclipse).

Feng is a moment not so much of Abundance, but of your initiative coming to fruition. (I like that reading of "abundance" very much; that it's like, harvest time soon.)

Your initiative has crossed over, is crossing over the apex of some trajectory. It is a time of intense activity and engagement. One major ally is at risk or lost (Right arm is broken). You have made plans but there is always considerable improvisation and scurrying and negotiation still required in the heat of things. It is also (like) a large calendrical cycle changing, a change of age. (line 5)

The top line is often against the grain, perhaps counterfactual, perhaps a warning of how things might be. So it is in 55 to an extreme degree. The idle or too-pious king's kingdom is lost.

These stories suggested by the conquest narrative material sometimes run somewhat afoul of traditional readings, but my feeling is that in this case, it really seems to flow along the same lines and flesh out the traditional collection of meanings rather prettily.

fondly,
FC

 

[bradford_h]

FC-
How'd I get in there? I been ignoring this one, on account of having contrary opinions and all.
For me 55's about having to narrow, focus or polarize one's vision, for the sake of prioritization,triage or the necessity for a quick execuitive decision, forgoing in the process most of the "wealth" of stuff going on. For me it's an irony and a paradox that the more you have the less you can make good use of. The busier you are the more you have to ignore to keep focus (symbolized by stars, which give orientation but little light for the ambient activities).

 

[jesed]

Hi Bradford

Agree with you in this (focus or polarize one's vision, for the sake of prioritization).

In traditional teachings, there cann't be abundance in the Earth without sacrifice.

Feng => "to many things" .. so, one needs to chose some of them (because one cann't have all of them)

Abundance, as abundance of choices.. so one needs to take a choice and leave others. If one want to have all of them, well 55.6

 

[white_dog]

I?ve processed 55 similarly. Here in the desert you see minimal animal life during midday. If you can see far, you can also be seen from afar. Animals don?t survive long that way. Survivors burrow deep into heavy cover, where the sun appears as a polestar at noon. Living during the noonday sun is a matter of conserving life force, not glorifying or basking in it. If you live to see sundown you?ve done well.

 

[heylise]

Feng was rather a garrison of an army than a capital. King Wen organized his attack on the Shang there. Although then, he was not yet 'king'.

During this time, there was a solar eclipse, and it has been a great lesson to his son Wu (who 'inherited' the task from his father) to go on, and trust his own decisions.
In line 2 Fa (personal name of Wu) gathers after the solstice, or maybe even during it, in order not to let the eclipse scare his troops out of their fighting spirit.
In lines 1 and 4 he meets allies, the friendly ones and the ones who are difficult to persuade.
There seems to be a story about Wu breaking his arm (line 3) but I could never find more information.
The top line has to do with Wen's death in Feng, and his son Wu being obliged to stay in a mourning hut for 3 years. But that would have made the entire plan impossible, so he decided to go against the custom.

So 55 has to do with abundance, but you have to work for it. To organize, fight, lead, find resources and helpers, be decisive even when everything seems to work contrary, like eclipses. Lots to do, but also lots to achieve.

LiSe

 

[heylise]

All can be found in Marshall, "Mandate of heaven"