55. Feng / Abundance [Fullness]

[frank_r]

Ok Frank put me out of my misery !!
What better place than in a thread on abundance to share the wisdom and allow us all to understand teh cosmos.

More explaination required if you would be so kind.

Mike

hello Mike,

As was already mentioned, the cosmos has many stars in all kinds of shapes.

yes I found it very intriging that the numbers 3,6 and 9 are that important in numerology. And looking to some traditions the 3,6 and 9 are a sort of breaking points. In the case of the enneagram the 3,6 and 9 make a perfect triade. It's like hexagram 1 and 2. Being or not being. When you have a look to the enneagram than the numbers 1,2 4,5,7 and 8 are related to hexagram 63 and 64. They can change into each other, the nucleus is exactly the opposite, the are both in the core there own opposite. Only 1 and 2 are what the are. 63 and 64 have a open core 1 and 2 not. So looking to the enneagram there is this relation with 3,6,9 with the Earth astrology signs, taurus, virgo,capricorn.

When you have closer look to the theorie of the ennegram at the site I already mentioned. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_Way_Enneagram

Then they explain that at the numbers 3,6 and 9:
"Using the enneagram a process is depicted as going right around the circle beginning at point 9 (the ending point of a previous process). The process can continue until it reaches point 3. At this point, an external aid is needed to continue the process. If it doesn't receive the ‘help,’ the process stops evolving and devolves back into the form from which it evolved. The process continues until point 6 and later 9, where a similar "push" is needed. If the process passes point 9, the initial process ends while giving birth to a new one."

When you understand hexagram 1 and 2 than you understand the ways of the cosmos. When you understand hexagram 63 and 64 you understand time. As being water and fire who are the substitutes of heaven and water on a earthly plane.

Hopefully this explains a bit for you, this qoute has been a mysterie for already some years for me. Maybe you can let shine your light and idea's about this question too. Because it was also a open question from mine side here.

Frank

 

[rodaki]

dear all,

been reading Richmond's 'Language of the Lines' on 55 where he writes:

Trigrams: Li, Sun, Tui, Chen.
Emerging Frire (Li at the bottom)
meets wood (sun) so is born
(Tui) into great activity (Chen).

Pattern: the life force finds a form which enables it to act plentifully
Nature: When the fire has fuel there is agreat blaze
Human: His energies flow naturally into activity. What he needs comes to hand. Acting after maturing has abundant success.
Form: The idea worked out in privacy comes out with an easy force.

playing a bit around with trigrams (Li, Sun, Tui, Chen) I can see:
the nuclear of 28 (Sun & Tui) surrounded by:
37 made out of the lower and lower nuclear (Li & Sun) and
54 made out of the upper nuclear and upper (Tui & Chen)

. . maybe sth like:
messenger Wind informed by Fire's clarity (37) enters the somewhat murky waters of Tui where it faces the challenge of being diluted (28), but if Tui follows Thunder's directives with obedience and suppleness (54), Fire's inner message can unite with its Thunderous execution . . et voila 55

hmm . . hope that was clear and not convoluted

reading more on cornucopia (=the horn of plenty) was directed to the figure of Fortuna (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortuna), a fortuitous but also fickle character which as "the embodiment of the chaotic chance event as modern historians would see it, was closely tied by the Romans to virtus, strength of character"

does anyone else feel like it's high time to proceed with the lines?

:bows:
rodaki

 

[rosada]

THE JUDGEMENT

ABUNDANCE has success.
The king attains abundance.
Be not sad.
be like the sun at midday.

It is not given to every mortal to bring about a time of outstanding greatness and abundance. Only a born ruler of men is able to do it, because his will is directed to what is great. Such a time of abundance is usually brief. Therefore a sage might well feel sad in view of the decline that must follow. But such sadness does not befit him. Only a man who is inwardly free of sorrow and care can lead in a time of abundance. He must be like the sun at midday, illuminating and gladdening everything under heaven.
-Wilhelm

 

[maremaria]

It reminds me the times I was going camping with a girl guide team. After long trips we had to clean the area , put our tents all do all the arrangements, before sunset. Not big meeting around tables, not big committees mostly ad hoc decisions. We had to hurry, before night comes and couldn’t see.
You can’t stop the sun, nail it in the sky, just use the light as best as you can.

Maybe a 55 moment...

 

[Trojina]

It reminds me the times I was going camping with a girl guide team. After long trips we had to clean the area , put our tents all do all the arrangements, before sunset. Not big meeting around tables, not big committees mostly ad hoc decisions. We had to hurry, before night comes and couldn’t see.
You can’t stop the sun, nail it in the sky, just use the light as best as you can.

Maybe a 55 moment...

Yeah, nice one, I can relate to that having camped with the girl guides myself and spent the night rolling downhill in the rain...(obviously something wrong with tent pitching procedure )

So you'd definately say theres of 'just get on with it while the light is there' with 55.. a sense of hurry ? Do it now and don't procastinate ? I'd not associated hurry much with 55 before but there must be sometimes...at least theres nothing left to wait for, the light isn't going to get any lighter...only darker

 

[rosada]

Hello All,
Good to be back! We were on a road trip to deliver a cradle my husband made to our son and daughter-in-law who will be giving birth to my first grandchild in June. Anyway, many stops and visits along the way made me feel I was living 55. Many occasions for celebration as we dropped in on our various friends, the sadness of knowing we wouldn't be staying, and the awareness of unique in the moment opportunities. So I see 55 as defining a sense of Now or Never.
rosada

 

[maremaria]

Welcome back Rosada !

It must be great to wait for your First grandchild. Wish everything goes well.

Trojan, don't procrastinate maybe is an aspect of 55 but in a hurry, no I don't think. Hurry can be careless too so I don't feel like one should be careless in such a situation. (if I understand it correct)

If an oportunity appears, sometimes thinking a lot over it , might lead as to lost it.

 

[rosada]

Thank you Maria!

I'm thinking 55 is teaching us how to prolong the feeling of Abundance. At an earlier stage, like 16, once we had fulfilled our mission we might have dropped dead or gone to sleep (17) and not been able to participate in life again until we'd built up a whole new situation. But by 55 we have learned how to stay awake, stay conscious, even when we are not center stage. Like a band of actors in repertory theatre, to prolong the feeling of abundance one must be able to change their individual role. I'm thinking about visiting my son and his wife and how I used to play the part of "The Mother" and now I am "The Grandmother'" - I'm still in the room, but my role has changed.

 

[rosada]

Commentary on the Decision

Abundance means greatness. Clarity in movement, hence abundance.
"The king attains abundance." In this way greatness is emphasized.
"Be not sad. Be like the sun at midday." One should give light to the whole world.
When the sun stands at midday, it begins to set; when the moon is full, it begins to wane. The fullness and emptiness of heaven and earth wane and wax in the course of time. How much truer is this of men, or of spirits and gods!

Feng represents a time when clarity and progress bring about greatness and prosperity in public life. To achieve these, there is needed a strong and leading personality, drawing to itself others of like nature. Therefore it is not the relation of correspondence but that of congruity between the lines which must be taken into account (cf. the nine at the beginning and the nine in the fourth place, as well as the six in the second place and the six in the fifth place). But such a time of very great culture also carries hidden dangers. For according to the universal law of events, every increase is followed by decrease, and all fullness is followed by emptiness. There is only one means of making foundations firm in times of greatness, namely, spiritual expansion. Every sort of limitation brings a bitter retribution in its train.

Abundance can endure only if ever larger groups are brought to share in it, for only then can the movement continue without turning into its opposite.
-Wilhelm

 

[rosada]

THE IMAGE

Both thunder and lightening come:
The image of ABUNDANCE.
Thus the superior man decides lawsuits
And carries out punishments.

This hexagram has a certain connection with Shih Ho, BITING THROUGH (21), in which thunder and lightening similarly appear together, but in the reverse order. in BITING THROUGH, laws are laid down; here they are applied and enforced. Clarity [Li} within makes it possible to investigate the facts exactly, and shock [Chen} without ensures a strict and precise carrying out of punishments.

The Image is immediately intelligible, especially in association with the hexagram BITING THROUGH (21). The trigrams Li, clarity, and Chen, shock, terror, give the prerequisites for a clearing of the atmosphere by thunderstorm of a criminal trial.
-Wilhelm

 

[rosada]

THE LINES

Nine at the beginning means:
When a man meets his destined ruler,
They can be together ten days,
And it is not a mistake.
Going meets with recognition.

To bring about a time of abundance, a union of clarity with energetic movement is needed. Two individuals possessed of these two attributes are suited to each other, and even if they spend an entire cycle of time together during the period of abundance, it will not be too long, nor is it a mistake. Therefore one may go forth, in order to make one's influence felt; it will meet with recognition.
-Wilhelm

 

[rosada]

"They can be together ten days and it is not a mistake." More than ten days is harmful.

The line is strong and clear. The destined ruler that it meets, and that is of like kind, is the nine in the fourth place. The Chinese word hsun means a space of ten days, a complete cycle. Despite the situation in ABUNDANCE, one may spend a full cycle of time with a friend of kindred spirit without fear of making a mistake. One may therefore go unhesitatingly and seek him out, if he is in a high position. Nonetheless, the commentary warns against overstepping this time limit and against clinging to him after the completion of the task. This is harmful. One must be able to stop at the right moment especially in times of abundance.
The Sung interpreters take the word hsun in the sense of "similar," so that it would be an additional emphasizing of p'ei- "of like kind, destined for someone."

 

[meng]

a view of line 1

Stepping into the circle for a complete cycle is rewarding. More than that is a loss.

For me "circle" or center feels right, but I mean it the same as meeting ones peer and/or teacher.

Overstaying time in the circle, you lose touch with your individual nature, either by imitating your image of the teacher, or losing desire altogether.

Abundance carries a full amount of thunder and lightening, as something reaching the peak of power - the way the sun stands tall at midday. Spending an entire cycle together in that intensity can make the hair stand on end. Some time in abundance is good, too much, and you fry.

The metaphor can apply to tiny and big things. The idea is the same.

(did I just write this post backwards?)

 

[heylise]

Feng is abundance, but it is also the name of the temporary "city" from where Wen organized everything for attacking the Shang. It was probably rather a garrison.
He had to do a very tough job of getting allies. There were many who hated the Shang, because many had very bad experiences with them. But they were also suspicious. Some he could 'meet', others he had to win over.

In 55.1 he probably meets the ones who are already his allies. "Meeting the associated lords." It is good to be together for quite some time, so everyone can say what he has to say, know what he needs to know. Meetings of men always take lots of time. The rituals have to be observed.

Hex.55 is not at all an easy one. In a time of big trouble one has to go on with a plan, even though everything seems to be against it. An eclipse was about the worst omen which could happen at such a moment. And then Wen died.. so his son Wu had to get all his powers together to get this attack on its way.

 

[rosada]

Interesting how we had the weddings in 53 and 54 and now we have this line about two people spending a complete cycle of time together - Ten days? Until death do we part? Whatever, eventually we will 56. travel on. Meanwhile I thought I'd post a few takes on 55.1:

55.1 To preserve a time of abundance, two individuals come together who are both possessed of inner clarity and who are both capable of energetic action. It will not be a mistake if these two individuals spend ten days [a complete cycle of time] together. The time spent together should cease immediately when the need for it ends. To advance will bring recognition.
-Wu Wei

55.1 Getting along with the destined master, nothing goes wrong for the first ten days. What follows will be revealed as time progresses. The honeymoon period. what comes later remains to be seen.
-Idiot's Guide

55.1 Meeting your partner. Good for ten days. Someone of significance is willing to help you. If you take advantage of this generosity, realize they may want something from you in return.
- I Ching Made Easy

55.1 The potential for an influential union exists. Maintain clarity and balance and act energetically when the way opens. when it closes, withdraw without resistance.
- Walker

55.1 The line signifies the coming together of two people in a time of plenty. Both people possess different qualities which, when combined, amount to a considerable power for doing good work. One of you possesses the attribute of clarity of mind, the other possesses tremendous energy. Time spent together is well spent, and together you will meet with favor and honor.
-Damian-Knight

rosada

 

[rosada]

55.1
*First yang: Meeting the partner, though the master is equal, there is no blame. There is worth going.

The presence of both thunder and lightening symbolizes abundance. Clarity and action assisting each other is the way to bring about abundance. Without clarity, one cannot perceive; without action, one cannot progress. Their interdependence is as that of form and reflection, like inside and outside.
The first yang is at the beginning of clarity. the fourth yang is at the beginning of action. They should cooperate to complete their functions, so even if they are equal and correspond, while their positions correspond their functions help each other. Therefore the first regards the fourth as the master of the partnership, and itself as the partner. Even though the partnership is equal, one goes to the other. Therefore the subjective nuances of the relationship are somewhat different.
When the text says, "there is no blame" in spite of equality, it means that complements are never equal - yin responds to yang, the weak follow the strong, those below cleave to those above. If people are equals, how can one consent to follow another? Only in the case of abundance, where the first and fourth lines support each other in functions and complete each other through cooperation. Therefore even though they are equal, being yang and strong, they follow each other without fault.
This is all because action without clarity has no aim, while clarity without action has no use. Through their mutual sustenance they become useful. When they are in the same boat, people of conflicting views are of one mind, when they have difficulty, enemies cooperate. It is the force of events that makes this happen.
To go on and follow will result in being able to produce abundance, so the text says there is worth. Worth means something worthy of appreciation. In other hexagrams, equals are not humble to each other, so they become divided.
-Cheng Yi

 

[rosada]

I really like Heylise's take from her book:

55.1
Initial 9:
Meeting the associated lords. Even if it is ten days, no fault. To proceed brings honor. Abundance is a question of following a guideline. It may start with an impulsive action, but after that it needs continuance. A great harvest needs steady work, reliable cooperation and time. So if you find an ally, stick to him, work together. Do not change your course or enter new ventures but go on the way you are going.

--
Thinking of the sequence, 54. The Marrying Maiden is now being advised, "Okay, you're married. Till death do you part*. Going forward as a married couple now will bring honor. Just do what married couples are supposed to do. This marriage may have been a bit impulsive, but that's okay, just keep on keeping on. A great result needs steady work, reliable cooperation and time. So if you find a husband, stick to him, work together. Do not change your course or flirt with other men or start something else but go on the way you are going."

*At least give it ten days!

rosada

 

[rosada]

55.2
Six in the second place means:

The curtain is of such fullness
That the polestars can be seen at noon.
Through going one meets with mistrust and hate.
If one rouses him through truth,
Good fortune comes.


It often happens that plots and party intrigues, which have the darkening effect of an eclipse of the sun, come between a ruler intent on great achievement and the man who could effect great undertakings. Then instead of the sun, we see the northern stars in the sky. The ruler is overshadowed by a party that has usurped power. If a man at such a time were to try to take energetic measures, he would encounter only mistrust and envy, which would prohibit all movement. The essential thing then is to hold inwardly to the power of truth, which in the end is so strong that it exerts an invisible influence on the ruler, so that all goes well.

"If one rouses him through truth" - that is, one must rouse his will through trustworthiness.

The nuclear trigram Sun, wood, darkens the lines it covers, but the darkening here and as regards the nine in the fourth place is less marked than in the case of the nine in the third place, the center, where it is particularly strong. Because this second line is weak it meets only with doubt and hatred when it turns toward the prince who belongs to it, the six in the fifth place, which is also weak. But since it is central and correct, the power of inner truth will enable it to overcome the separation and to arouse the will of the ruler.
-Wilhelm

 

[jilt]

When you say e.g that the sun is just a star as every other star, you forget that the stars are far away and cold. Rules of equality rule out something very special.
This is a very common way of saying that a person or something is not special, because it shares so many traits with others. Only the evident it forgotten, that the person is close and warm, has integrity.

 

[rosada]

Not sure what you are referring to here. Did you by chance mean to post this comment over at Open Space on the thread "perspective"?
rosada

 

[Trojina]

When you say e.g that the sun is just a star as every other star, you forget that the stars are far away and cold. Rules of equality rule out something very special.
This is a very common way of saying that a person or something is not special, because it shares so many traits with others. Only the evident it forgotten, that the person is close and warm, has integrity.

you mean saying the sun is like any other star so its not special is like saying "my son is not special because there are many others with sons too " ? No pun exactly intended on sun/son but yes i think i see what your're saying..even if it you did say it in the wrong thread lol

 

[jilt]

That's exactly what I mean, Trojan, and that is how line two from 55 can be interpreted.
I think line 2 and 3 are all about the social ideology (2) and a wood of incompetents c.q. precedents (3) that hold back on the abundance, the celebration, of the moment.

When an ideology of equality is ruling, people that distinguish themself in competence and insight are ruled out. But they are also the people that could bring about something, execute something competently. Because of the ruling ideology, in many cases a disguise for organized jalousy, It is very difficult for the ruler to distinguise the competent people. Line 2 and 3 are the brakes on the celebration, letting good times roll.

 

[rosada]

Ah, thank you for explaining that, Bert! I was confused with the introduction, "When you say..." Anyway, glad you roused me with your truth!

rosada

 

[rosada]

From Cheng Yi's I Ching The Tao of Organization:

55.2
Midday is the time of greatest light. To see a star at this time is like having a weak leader in a time of abundance and greatness. {fifth line, which is yin - yin is associated with stars - and weak yet in the position of leadership.} Since stars are seen because of darkness, this means the light is lost and gone dark.
In spite of the qualities of those in the state of the second line - extremely bright, centered and upright - they are dealing with a leadership that is weak, ignorant and unfair. Since the leadership cannot lower itself to seek from them, if they go to the leadership they will be suspected and resented. That is the way ignorant rulers are.

So what is to be done? When enlightened people work for rulers, if they do not win their minds, then they just perfect their own sincerity in order to inspire the ruler. If sincere intentions can move them, even the ignorant can be enlightened, even the weak can be helped, even the incorrect can be corrected.
When people in ancient times worked for mediocre rulers yet successfully carried out their Way, it was only because their sincere intent reached the ruler and they were deeply trusted. If you can inspire determination by sincere intentions, then you can carry out your way. This is fortunate.
-Cheng Yi

 

[rosada]

55.3
Nine in the third place means:
The underbrush is of such abundance
That the small stars can be seen at noon.
He breaks his right arm.

The image is that of a progressive covering over of the sun. Here the eclipse reaches totality, therefore even the small stars can be seen at noon.

In the sphere of social relationships, this means that the prince is now so eclipsed that even the most insignificant persons can push themselves into the foreground. This makes it impossible for an able man, though he might be the right hand of the ruler, to undertake anything. It is as though his arm were broken, but he is not to blame for being thus hindered in action.

"The underbrush is of such abundance" that one can carry our no great transactions.
"He breaks his right arm": in the end, one must not try to do anything.
-Wilhelm

 

[rodaki]

i've seen this line as referring to a kind of exhaustion
trying to pay attention to every little thing that goes on and being incapacitated by it
then you just sit back and stare -not more, not less

 

[Trojina]

i've seen this line as referring to a kind of exhaustion
trying to pay attention to every little thing that goes on and being incapacitated by it
then you just sit back and stare -not more, not less

Yes I think so..wish I'd known this a few years ago. I don't think the incapacity for action (broken arm) is such a bad thing though..or is it ? Theres 'no blame' anyway and Karcher says "This is not a mistake". Maybe the incapacity serves us, stops us making rash moves when we can't see ? or maybe not. I'm familiar with the state of mind you describe above and i do recall getting 55 alot and this line around the times i was in this state of mind.. a bit like a rabbit frozen in the headlights...or more realistically like being in an incredibly untidy house stuffed full of possibly valuable or useful things but the enormity of the task giving a feeling of not knowing where to start and so not doing anything... a bit of a panic/freeze reaction. I guess as your arm is broken you can't do anything so theres no point trying to force yourself to make order, make a direction ?

For me i guess 55.3 has come up alot when I've the feeling i really don't know what to do next..theres lots of options but how to know which one...and then just fretting and feeling stuck which may be the broken arm

 

[rosada]

This would fit in with Bert's idea of all suns being equal to the point where you can't see how to prioritize anything.
This line brings an experience to mind:
A month or so ago my sister decreed that we had to clean out the garage - only she wasn't going to be available to say what was important and what was underbrush. So I spent a very unproductive day just moving clutter around. Oh, and I lifted something I shouldn't have and did something to my right arm. It still hurts.

Thinking how 55.3 leads to 51 whose image reads, "The superior man sets his life in order and examines himself." Not sure in general how these two hexagrams connect but in my experience after spending the day in the hot stuffy garage not knowing what was important and what to let go of and hurting my arm, I sure came away vowing I'd set my own garage in order, examine my priorities and not hang on to so much.

Seeing as how 55 is about appreciating the moment and then moving on I wonder if the image of the problem with the arm is a symbol for what happens when you try to hang on to the past?
rosada

 

[Trojina]

LOL the garage incident certainly seems a mini vignette of 55.3...I guess its a metaphor for when the whole of life seems like that. I certainly have had alot of dreams like that..packing cases but not knowing what to put in and not being able to leave the house till i finish packing but i can't finish packing if i have to take everything....its all too much uch:

 

[my_key]

This whole 54 / 55 area has been going round in my head so here are just a few musings where I'm trying to pull a few things together. ........The whole scene around abundance comes out of a marrying of 2 worlds and a personal growth in awareness that ends at 54.6 where we are sitting in a position of a realisation that the real firepower that makes things happen comes from a place beyond. ( Franks posts in Hex 54.6 really seemed well made)

So we have gone through a real positive change and step slowly into the inner trigram of Hex 55.
55.1 - The hidden me has stepped forward as an equal, trying to bring new feelings into a new conscious activity. Manifesting these new ways internally is a good thing to do and we are gasping to put them into outer actions. Everything looks to be going swimmingly well.

55.2 - We miss what is right in front of our eyes. We are so intent on what we want on the outside for the future of the new me. We can't understand and we miss the real beauty of what is happening right now on the inside.

55.3 - The more we try to pull the future state towards us, to focus on it, the smaller the bright light gets and it moves away. We have less power to the elbow, but nothing to worry about as this is how it's meant to be.

While there is still for me a strong spiritual connection to this hexagram, there also appears to be a connection to the cycle we go through for reaction to 'positive change'. It goes something like this.....


When something changes that you perceive to be a “good” change…your initial reaction may be OPTIMISM…but this optimism may be “uninformed certainty”. (55.1) In other words, you know little about the change at this point, other than it seems pretty good. This time is known as the “honeymoon period.” Things look great on paper, you see no obstacles or feel that they have all been handled. Next we slide into INFORMED DOUBT (55.2 - mistrust and aversion): As time goes on and you start to uncover more & more facts about the situation, your initial optimism may change to doubt. Perhaps more problems than you originally believed possible have surfaced.
Morale drops, and you may chastise yourself for ever being so “foolish” as to think this change would work. “What have I gotten myself into??!!”
(55.3)Negative feelings during this phase are natural and even desirable.

This brings about an upward surge as eventually we realise that how we see what's happening may not actually be the right perspective and eventually we find renewed hope, enthusiasm, on our way to satisfaction and acceptance of the change. If this connection is right then this last bit is somewhere in lines 55.4 thru 6.

Mike