57. Sun / The Gentle (The Penetrating, Wind)

[charly]

Hi Charly,
I notice the highly symmetrical nature of the ideograms, is there any commentary to explain why they are so even in their symbolism? Seems far more important in the overall symbolism of the character than any of the specific details.

Hi, Doc:

In don't udestand too well.

Symmetry in the ideogram and in the symbolism, in this case, suggests me equal rank for both partners, something that, given the hyerarchical ideology of the times, must run hidden in the discourse and in the images.

Don't you think so?

... I would suspect that the winds which to us may be aimless would be expressions of their ancestors to the ancient Chinese using the winds to bring their faithful descendants the important rains for their crop fields.

The wind is also the guy that scatters the seeds, the guy that disperse the clouds, maybe that's the source of the penetrative attributes of the wind in folk imagery. Much important for having descendants and being blessed by the ancestors.

The association of hex 57 to the eldest sister doubled would also suggest homecoming as the eldest daughter marries to form the best alliance for her clan and thus bring the resources from afar home. ...
Frank

The elder daughter is the first to be married, since Zhou times or maybe even last Shangs, she have no freedom to choose husband, she isn't but an instrument for the family interests.

Maybe remnant of earlier times, the elder daughter become the Princess of the folk stories, the one that can grant a crown to the wanderer, of course, a matrilocal marriage.

She must be attractive but also smart, from her choose deppended the destiny of her people.

Gentle but penetrating is also for girls. THE BREEZE.

Yours,

Charly

 

[fkegan]

Hex 57 as the process of blowing away current situation to prepare the Next...

Hi Charly,

The ideogram being so symmetrical reminds me of the even numbers, a point being made that it represents something that can be evenly split in half, or at least bent in half.
Gia-Fu rendered this hexagram judgment and image as this:

BENDING. LITTLE BLISS. FRUITFUL TO TAKE ACTION. FRUITFUL TO SEE THE GREAT MAN. Double bending is to reiterate the orders. Bending the hard, correct in the center the will will prevail. The gentle fully follows the hard, therefore a little bliss. Fruitful to take action. Fruitful to see the great man.
Image: Winds blow continuously and successively. Bending. The master reiterates his orders and puts them into effect.

A major feature of the character of winds or growing wood is that it is flexible and bends easily and thus is fluid and can get into any available crevice or opening which can be a help in dealing with hidden evils, I guess.

In terms of the hexagram structure as 4 yang lines indicating an active process and two Yin line places indicating what is left open like the hub of a wheel to maximize utility (cf. poem 11 of Lao Tzu, one of my favorites) this hexagram is all about pushing things along toward something new or at least Next without concern for how the current situation came about or what are the emotional feelings about it. Just encourage the progress toward the next and clear out whatever there is as a whole--like blowing the dandelion puffs away from the weed or bulldozing the house and pushing it all away as rubble.

Frank

 

[my_key]

Mike, sometimes that kind of connections comes to my mind and I don’t always have a way to explain them. It is just this. That image came in my mind, in another discussion here about Sun. Don’t recall were and when to find the link.
Moreover, I’m not very qualified to talk about those things re religion etc, but I’ll try.
The moment that god blow the breath of life, is the moment that man was endued with life. They (Adam and Eve) become alive , beings. The time they were born.
What is the quality you asked. Don’t know. God itself I guess.

How you perceive those qualities ?

Maria

Hi Maria

It's interesting how these things just pop into our mind for no explained reasn. Have you ever thought that image that just comes into your mind may well be the breath of life.
Just working with your comments here

The moment that god blow the breath of life, is the moment that man was endued with life. They (Adam and Eve) become alive , beings.

I read some where "In the beginning was the word and the word was God..." so maybe the "breath of life" was around way before Adam and Eve especially if the breath of life is God Himself as you felt.

What quality does it have?.

This story appeared in my inbox a few days ago -There were an old couple living alone in their rundown old house. One day there is a knock at the door - outside were Wealth, Success and Love. The lady answered the door and was told that you can only invite one of us into your home. She said that she would have to talk it over with her husband and closed the door. After much discussion about which one to choose she goes outside to find our 3 friends still waiting. She advises them of their decision and invites Love into her home. So Love steps over the threshhold and before she can close the door Success and Wealth slip into her house as well. She asks what is going on and it's explained that if she had chosen Success or Wealth then they would have had to come in alone, but wherever Love goes Success and Wealth follow.

A lovely story of gentle penetration.
Perhaps confirming what the Beatles told us and by that I don't mean "I am the Walrus".

Mike

 

[maremaria]

Hi Mike,

Love your story !!!!

Yes, Its interesting how some things just pop up. Must be somewhere a big box , full of things we have forgot that they exist. Do those things penetrate the box cover and come out or its us going in there ? Don’t know and maybe its not really important to know. What is good is that something reaches something. Interesting meetings

Maria

 

[rosada]

What a lovely story Mike. Thank you for sharing it.

I'm thinking about how throughout the I Ching there seems to be this theme of trying to connect with others. We have 8. Seeking Union, we have 13. Fellowship with Men, 19. Approach, 37. Family, 45. Coming to Meet etc. etc. All these different ways we try to create a larger world. They all prove unsatisfactory. No matter how sincere, there is always some barrier to true intimacy.
Until 57.
The Gentle finally shows the way to create a lasting influence.

rosada

 

[rosada]

THE IMAGE
Winds following one upon the other.
The image of THE GENTLE PENETRATING.
Thus the superior man
Spreads his commands abroad
And carries out his undertakings.

The penetrating quality of the wind depends upon its ceaselessness. This is what makes it so powerful, time is its instrument. In the same way the ruler's thought should penetrate the soul of the people. This too requires a lasting influence brought about by enlightenment and command. Only when the command has been assimilated by the people is action in accordance with it possible. Action without preparation of the ground only frightens and repels.
-Wilhelm

 

[Trojina]

except wealth and success don't always follow where love is do they...re Mikes story that is.

 

[titania]

in⋅spi⋅ra⋅tion
–noun
1. an inspiring or animating action or influence: I cannot write poetry without inspiration.
...
5. Theology.
a. a divine influence directly and immediately exerted upon the mind or soul.
...
6. the drawing of air into the lungs; inhalation.

----------------

When a room is sealed up so that no breeze can enter, the air inside becomes stale and musty. Even buildings need to breathe.

 

[meng]

in⋅spi⋅ra⋅tion
–noun
1. an inspiring or animating action or influence: I cannot write poetry without inspiration.
...
5. Theology.
a. a divine influence directly and immediately exerted upon the mind or soul.
...
6. the drawing of air into the lungs; inhalation.

----------------

When a room is sealed up so that no breeze can enter, the air inside becomes stale and musty. Even buildings need to breathe.

That's a breath of fresh air. :bows:

 

[rosada]

THE IMAGE

Of the two winds the first disperses resistances, "spreads his commands abroad," and the second accomplishes the work, "carries out his undertakings."
-Wilhelm

 

[my_key]

except wealth and success don't always follow where love is do they...re Mikes story that is.

Don't they?

That's not a view I choose to have. For me it's very much a case of how the Success and Wealth is shown. Remember this hexagram is not necessarily about physical/ material aspects of life. It's also important to recognise that there can be no expectations over the size of the window of opportunity for which the change to become reality.

The penetrating quality of the wind depends upon its ceaselessness. This is what makes it so powerful, time is its instrument......... -Wilhelm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnLE0N87T6k&feature=PlayList&p=9E41DA5620B79BA5&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=4
I think somethimes the lyrics wander into the territory of lust rather than love, however it brings a tear to my eye.

Mike

 

[Trojina]

i think in the original story you quoted wealth and success were meant in their usual sense of money and worldly success...by saying wealth is not meaning money and goods and success is not = to worldly success, well yes we could stretch it to that but theres other ways to call these things.

Actually the first 2 images the came to mind following this idea of love always being followed by wealth and success were a) a couple who recently killed themselves when their disabled baby died. They loved the baby of course and they were well loved in turn by the community i think, yet can one class their suicide as 'wealth and success' ? Of course who knows what spiritual riches are in store for them but i think in the story you quoted the wealth and success were meant in usual sense.

The other thought that came to mind was of the unconditional love of mothers who hold their starving babies in their arms and watch them die. Of course they love them and love is love...but money and food and worldly things don't arise automatically out of love..if they did i don't think there would be much wrong here.

You say its not how you 'choose' to see things and i sense you are whole heartedly on the whole new age western 'you create your own reality trip' (no offense intended).. well you might have the means to create yours as many of us do...but many of us also don't.

i guess love is sufficient to itself and guarantees nothing more..though if you have love i can see you may feel you have wealth and success in spirit but i don't agree material abundance follows on from love


i think we're off topic anyhow

 

[rodaki]

hi all,

I spent a good part of my morning today listening to some radio broadcasts I came across following a link that Pantherpanther posted in Open Space, and I run into another story that I think relates very well to 57 . .

the story is narrated by a man and it's about how he was able to deal with his father's grief over the death of his mother. He recounts how after her funeral, his father was unable to face the new situation without his wife and locked himself in his house, refusing to see any of his children. What this man did, was to start sending his father flowers. He would send his father flowers regularly, and whenever he could, he would go at his father's house, bring the flowers himself, and just sit outside the house, knowing his father was inside, but could not open yet to him. He did that, without demanding to be accepted or losing faith, until one day his father opened the door and himself to the world . .

(this one came from http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/2009/thichnhathanh/)

:bows:

 

[ravenstar]

57. Sun / The Gentle (The Penetrating, Wind)

-----
----- above SUN THE GENTLE, WIND, WOOD
-- --
-----
----- below SUN THE GENTLE, WIND, WOOD
-- --

Sun is one of the eight double trigrams. It is the eldest daughter and symbolizes wind or wood; it has for its attribute gentleness, which none the less penetrates like the wind or like growing wood with its roots.
The dark principle, in itself rigid and immovable, is dissolved by the penetrating light principle, to which it subordinates itself in gentleness. In nature, it is the wind that disperses the gathered clouds, leaving the sky clear and serene. In human life it is penetrating clarity of judgement that thwarts all dark hidden motives. In the life of the community it is the powerful influence of a great personality that uncovers and breaks up those intrigues which shun the light of day.
-Wilhelm

I apologize for intruding on this discussion......I thought it was rather interesting that we are now on this particular Hexagram and that in the skies above, Jupiter has gone retrograde in Aquarius.

The other day I received an emaill from Robert Ohotto who discusses Pluto in Capricorn as well as Jupiter going Rx from June 15th to October 12, 2009.

The full article is here....
http://www.ohotto.com/newsletters/archives/2009/062509.asp

My interpretation of the article.....

Jupiter (light, faith, confidence) represents our perception, our intuition, our highest potential, our truest meaning and purpose. Retrograde, Jupiter pulls you inside yourself and asks you to look at your current plans and goals. Can you almost reach it? Or is your vision too high? Is it in keeping with helping humanity? If not, no matter what you try to push and move, you'll encounter one obstacle after another. Jupiter Rx, is about boundaries, self-discipline and about self-healing. If one goes at something with no lack or concern for one's health.......he or she will be toppled off their tracks. Rather than expanding outward, they'll constrict inwards, losing precious time and unexpected encounters.

This is a time when sychronicities begin unfolding with our purpose. All we have to do is align ourselves to our purpose and follow the unknown rather than try and plan it for ourselves. When we are in the 'flow' things start happening, they may be small steps at first but each step leads to the next one and the next one. Rather than trying to open the door, we wait for it to subtly open for us. And this happens through 'odd' occurences that take us to 'what we need to know' to take us to the next step upward. In other words an inspiration takes time to work through our system. It's at the conception stage but needs to go through the various channels until its 'mature' enough to make itself known.

Every person we meet, every thing we encounter has a message for us. This is what Jupiter Rx is telling us. It's telling us, this is a time to slow down and smell the roses. As we do so, it will trigger a chain of unexpected events that could change our lifes' forever.

ravenstar

 

[my_key]

i guess love is sufficient to itself and guarantees nothing more..though if you have love i can see you may feel you have wealth and success in spirit but i don't agree material abundance follows on from love

Hi Trojan - I'm not sure that I've said that material abundance follows on from love.

i think we're off topic anyhow

You speak for yourself.

Mike

 

[rosada]

musings..
Seems to me that over and over again in 56.The Wanderer the soul would get accepted to a certain degree and then he would take his acceptance for granted and go too far and get rejected. Seems to me the lesson there is to learn to not go too far all at once. When one has learned how to hold back as well as how to go forward they are ready to move on to 57.
The Gentle shows how it should be done: Go as far as seems comfortable, then leave it alone - go off topic! - do other things. Don't make an impression, just be. Love will find a way...

rosada

 

[rosada]

I'm going out of town tomorrow to Pasadena. My turn to take care of Mom. Not sure when I'll have access to a computer. Maybe a week or so. Please go ahead and post the lines. Thanks!
R

 

[frank_r]

yes Mike a nice storey. And Dora the perseverence (wind)of giving love makes contact with the world possible again. In that way people can see grief in another perspective.
Jannice I will try to slow down that I can see what the message of some people are.

57 the gentle, wind doubled. Wind has a penetrating energy. And is only visible indirect. Yoy can see it when the leaves are moving or you can feel it on your skin.

trigram wind has in acupuncture a connection with the Lung, the element/phase wood yin and with the extra -ordinary meridian Dai Mo, the girdle belt meridian.

When I translate this to hexagram 57 then we can say from wood that it is the only element/phase that is in balans. Wood is trigram thunder and wind. So three yin and three yang lines. The oldest daughter gives balans to the eldest son.That why there must be balans to start a new cycle in the spring, the phase of wood.

Lung is the minister of the heart, in Chinese TCM phylosophy the minister is going on audience every morning to the King(the heart), here he is hearing what the message is from the king. Then he is going to the other ministers who are passing the message of the king to the rest of the kingdom.
The Lung is giving with the oxygen the pure message of the heart to the rest of the body. So the Lung is having contact with the most subtle purest substance of the body. Inpure is exhaled(CO) oxygen is going through all the body and the most purest (prana)is going to the region under the umbilical point where our history is situated. When this pure message of the heart is making contact with our history. Than we can live this moment. Then we can say whatever is happening good or bad. It must be this way.
The emotion belonging to the Lungs is grief and sadness.

The extra ordinary meridian the Dai (帶) Mai, is the extra ordinary meridian that gives us the possiblity to get communication between or inner and outer layers, between our head and our feet. With this meridian we can change duality into unity.
The meaning of Dai mai is a girdle with three trinkits hanging from it. It is a kind of band assuring the continuity of something, a current of water or a chain of severall moutains. but at the same time it also means to be able to lead to guide. If you add the character of Dao 道, the way, it is the pilot ship which guides larger ships into the harbor.
With this meridian it is possible that there is communication between our inner and outer world, communication between the King Wen and Fu Shi sequence. This meridian gives us the possibilty to be human. This meridian gives us the connection with the kosmick laws, the laws of the universe. It joins and orientates our energies.

Everything together; Wind makes it possible that there can be a connection between different parts of our body and between us and the universe. Understanding Wind gives us the possiblity to be a mature human being.

Frank

 

[my_key]

Frank
A fascinating post - it's blown me away.
Before I succumb to an overwhelming desire to show a less mature side of me by making some base comment about your last couple of sentences, in the absence of Rosada......Let's get this show on the road.

Six at the beginning means:
In advancing and in retreating,
The perseverance of a warrior furthers.

In born gentleness is often carried to the point of indecisiveness. One does
not feel strong enough to advance resolutely. A thousand doubts crop up; one
is, however, not minded to withdraw but drifts indecisively to and fro. In
such a situation, a military decisiveness is the proper thing, so that one
resolutely does what order demands. Resolute discipline is far better than
irresolute license.

 

[charly]

...
I think somethimes the lyrics wander into the territory of lust rather than love, however it brings a tear to my eye...

Hi, Mike:

The same happens with the mine.

I have highlighted many passages from Wilhelm / Baynes with unespected results. Too much sexual allusions! Lust indeed.

I believe, following a Waley's commentary, that 巽 means a BUG, a sort of BEETLE, like a CICADA, a CRICKET, a GRASHOPPER...

Another translators prefer GENTLE (Wilhelm) , OFFERING (Rutt), PENETRATION (Legge) all options with clear sexual connotations, of course, they had much more expertise than myself.

WHEN THE CICADA WAS NOT A BUG​

I believe that there is a connection between Aesop and old chinese, the cicada goes as a metaphor for human feelings and tendencies, being the CICADA a JOYOUS PERSON and the ANT a STINGY WORKER.

Sometimes, in ancient chinese, a word used for a type of cicada meant also BEAUTIFUL WOMEN (2).

Maybe the H.57 «BUGS UNDER THE BED» is about having a good suply of beautiful women available at the ninghts.

Among nomadic people near the chinese, there were a bed only for the master of the family, all others slept over the floor (3)

I believe that ancient chinese people didn't carry out sexual activities over a bed, but OVER A MAT IN THE FLOOR. I remember, I don't know if from Stephen Field, that old chineses used beds only for ill people.

I have read that the molted skin of a cicada, when dried was used in chinese medicine, for cure the «incessant night crying in infants» (4), say to have the children calm maybe for paying attention to another activities.

Yours,

Charly



________________________
(1) Or maybe not too much unespected given my obssesion with the dirty part of the YI.
(2) see Lin Yutang dictionary.
(3) so happened in the YURTS where the bed was almost a THRONE only for the father of the family, maybe a BUG UNDER THE BED could mean POWER BEHIND THE THRONE, say ministers, favourites.
(4) children that cry like crickets, see http://www.itmonline.org/arts/chantui.htm .

 

[fkegan]

Hex 57.1 >> hex 9 by structural analysis by decad 51...

Hi Charly,

As an alternative to all the sex and beetles, hex 57.1 >>9 can be seen as simply a structural statement of the persistent winds (hex 57), when focus is developing of their emergence from prior conditions (line place one) tends toward the realization of the jet stream weather fronts (hex 9, winds high up over the sunshine energy) are what are actually in control.

Or in the alternative again. The 7th hexagram of the decad of hex 51, the thunderstruck human heart is all about the negative x-axis of fluid dynamics. Hex 57 is the repeated winds of casual following the currents hither and yon, more dispersing whatever has been gathered together... in contrast to the power of the topography to collect all the fluid rain streams in the deep lakes and on into the sea (hex 58) as the positive x-axis for the tetrad double dichotomy.

When hex 57 the repeated winds that cause the thunder stuck heart to to chase every passing current, then comes to develop focus in the first line place and thus puts down some roots this tends toward the hex 9 or Open field or dealing with starting to make some new beginning in a fresh situation...

Doesn't have to be sex and bugs... there are many facets to the Yi hexagrams and Oracles...

Cheers,
Frank

 

[rodaki]

hi all,

hm . . I think I'm seeing a pattern here? 57 looks very introspective to me, looking under the bed is like seeing what goes on in the back of our heads

me, I've been obsessed with housecleaning lately (channeling busy bee here ). .
and cleaning under the bed is one of these boring things included, a drag really cause I have to take out all the things stored there -well sometimes that ends up with me opening boxes, re-discovering memorabilia from summers past (who knows maybe I'll find a piece of amber keeping its bug retained forever)

and hex. 9 is again about those house chores . .

last -but not least- today is Rosada's birthday and even though she is not around, I 'd like to wish her
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Rosada!!ompom: may you be blessed with great good health and all the time in the world to share and rejoice with your loved ones!!


rodaki

 

[Sparhawk]

Really? Happy Birthday, Rosada!!

 

[ravenstar]

The extra ordinary meridian the Dai (帶) Mai, is the extra ordinary meridian that gives us the possiblity to get communication between or inner and outer layers, between our head and our feet. With this meridian we can change duality into unity.
The meaning of Dai mai is a girdle with three trinkits hanging from it. It is a kind of band assuring the continuity of something, a current of water or a chain of severall moutains. but at the same time it also means to be able to lead to guide. If you add the character of Dao 道, the way, it is the pilot ship which guides larger ships into the harbor.
With this meridian it is possible that there is communication between our inner and outer world, communication between the King Wen and Fu Shi sequence. This meridian gives us the possibilty to be human. This meridian gives us the connection with the kosmick laws, the laws of the universe. It joins and orientates our energies
Everything together; Wind makes it possible that there can be a connection between different parts of our body and between us and the universe. Understanding Wind gives us the possiblity to be a mature human being.

Frank

(((((HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROSADA))))

I'd also like to comment on rodaki's post re: introspection, I definitely agree.

Frank, I looked at the picture of the extraordinary meridian Dai, which is situated or seems to be right at the pelvic girdle. This seems intimately connected to the womb as well as the creative life force. As you say it connects us to the inner and outer worlds..it expresses their balance.

In the line 1, advancing and retreating, is this an indication of a blockage or a congested meridian Dai, which may affect the knees which only move back and forth (submission and independance) as wekk as the ankles (trouble moving forward)? And what is the determining factor that makes him take a stand....the lung (and heart) and neck area (head head high)?

ravenstar

 

[my_key]

It seems to me there are lots of good thoughts and feelings coming together here. Frank looks to have supplied the really big picture, now it's a case of joining the dots and colouring in the squares.
Line one is the focus of developing their emergence from prior conditions.
Advancing and retreating - breathing in and out, calling in and out the universe, as within so without. The inner and the outer being working together to overcome what has gone before - either in this life or ancestorally, or perhaps even both.
This overcoming is gradual the two halves of the song working in tandem, seeking to be in unison with each other . There is still some house cleaning to be done, last night's curry half eaten left under the bed,( perhaps draped in a silk stocking or bestrewn with cicada skins - I wanted to type banana skins there(???)) and it is important to remain on your toes - alert and ready to act, whether that is to go forward or to retreat - the warrior knows what is best in each circumstance.

The by word is gradual and gentle, acceptance of what is going on, allowing the inner calm, the connection to percolate through from the inside out and accepting that the outer messages will come back as they may. The start of a cleansing, a releasing of old issues of the heart - something is calling to us from a far, echos of the past begin to reverberate .

Anyway - before it's too late and the clock ticks beyond the witching hour
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROSADA

Mike

 

[charly]

Hi Charly,

As an alternative to all the sex and beetles, hex 57.1 >>9 can be seen as simply a structural statement of the persistent winds ...

Doesn't have to be sex and bugs... there are many facets to the Yi hexagrams and Oracles...

Hi, Frank:

Of course, I remember that Wu Jing-Nuan translated H.57 WIND. WIND is related with WOOD, the ROOTS that PENETRATES de earth (1).


Similar relations, I believe:

• WIND → BIRD, free like the wind (2).
  
• WIND → BUG, brught by the wind, like fallen leaves (3)
  
• WIND, breath of life, put in the nose by God → BEETLE (Egypt) / CICADA (China), inmortality, cycle of life (4)

BUGS like CICADAS or CRICKETS only sing for GETTIG FEMALES, but ladies found the song SWEET. And BUGS have many other respectable and philosophic meanings:

... Zhuang Zhou from about 400 BC ... wrote the well known motto; "The mantis stalks the cicada unaware of the oriole behind." ... warns us of the often unseen latent danger that follows profit motivated actions. ... Zhuang Zhou saw this and used insects to illustrate this philosophical concept.

... Liu Zhongyuang .. poet from the Tang Dynasty ... wrote a famous fable named "Fuban Fu." ... an insect with the unfortunate habit of carrying everything it finds until being crushed under the weight. Fuban would also creep higher and higher until driving itself to exhaustion and death. Liu Zhongyuang warns ... of the relentless pursuit of material possession ...

... Bai Juyi, another poet of the Tang Dynasty ... wrote ... "Little insects fight on their nest, uncivilized tribes fight on their boundaries, all the universe looks the same, all heroes come from the mote." ... the same nonsensical stupidly is found in battles between insects as between men.

From: Spirit and Enlightmnet by Dr. HuangJu. Shijiazhaung Pomological Research Institute. Hobei Province, People's Republic of China
at: http://www.bugbios.com/ced1/spir_enl.html

Bugs don´t speak only about sex.

Yours,

Charly


_______________________________
(1) the sexual obssession attacks newly.
(2) Some BIRDS have also penetrative virtue.
(3) Or like the SEED, another time the same.
(4) Both put in the mouth of the deads, see the prehistoric chinese JADE CICADAS

 

[solun]

yes, happy birthday Cancers all!
And Rosada, I have been busy with the house, too! It's one of those Cancerian themes again ... we crabs fixing up our shells!

 

[charly]

...
Six at the beginning means:
In advancing and in retreating,
The perseverance of a warrior furthers.

In born gentleness is often carried to the point of indecisiveness. One does not feel strong enough to advance resolutely. A thousand doubts crop up; one is, however, not minded to withdraw but drifts indecisively to and fro. In such a situation, a military decisiveness is the proper thing, so that one resolutely does what order demands. Resolute discipline is far better than irresolute license.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROSADA !!!​

Characters / pinyin / usual meanings // WILHELM-BAYNES

進 jin4: advance / enter / to come in // in ADVANCING and
退 tui4: retreat / to move back / to withdraw // in RETREATING

利 li4: advantage / benefit / profitABLE // FURTHERS
武人 wu3 ren2: martial man / martial people //a WARRIOR
之 zhi1: ´s / him / her / it // OF
貞 zhen1: chaste / divination / omen // The PERSEVERANCE​

The BUG alternative:

ADVANCE, RETREAT
_________________
Advance and retreat
also: advance or retreat


PROFITABLE FIGHTER´S OMEN
__________________________
the omen of the fighter (= cricket ?) is profitable
be martial like a warrior
be like a singing cricket, penetrating and restless
... but sweet for the female´s ears

even: profitable omen for «bugs»

From the ER-YA,
at the article quoted below

​

...The tradition of favoring singing insects and fighting crickets has ancient roots and has been handed down throughout the generations to the present day...

The primitive Chinese words of Summer ,"Xia" in "Jia-Gu-Wen" take on the form of a cicada. Autumn "Qiu" words are in the shape of crickets... from inscriptions on bones or tortoise shells. The book "Er-Ya" (500-200 B.C.) clearly depicts a pair of crickets... the first biological and taxonomic work in China that divided organisms into seven groups: Grass, wood, insects, fish, birds, wild animals, and livestock...

From: Chinese Cricket Culture by Jin, Xing-Bao, Shanghai Institute of Entomology, Academia Sinica
at: http://www.bugbios.com/ced3/chinese_crcul.html

This is the alternative of the GENTLE BUG, there is another dirty alternative, but this is another story.

Yours,


Charly :bows:


_____________________________

P.D.: for people interestd in cross cultural studies I recommend this page with very interesting articles:

The Egyptian's deified the scarab beetle and the ancient Greek cult of Artemis worshipped the bee. As you work like an industrious ant, your mind might think of love as you watch a butterfly drift by.

BUGBIOS CULTURAL ENTOMOLOGY - INSECTS IN HUMAN CULTURE
at: http://www.bugbios.com/ced/index.html

 

[jilt]

is this what all the talk is about?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ljdart/3571625360/

Perhaps an aspact of this hex. is about influencing by means of scents and smells. In evolution-theory the smell is the first sense, the other senses developed later. Our reactions on smells and scents is very basic and most of the time on a very sub-conscious level.
Marking territories can be done by scents. The use of perfumes is not only a way to attract the opposite sex, but also a mark of identity and therefore territory.

In a way it can be said that there is an other side at environmental pollution: we humans mark territory by the fumes of industries, cars and other pollution. Looked at it this way, humans have great interest in polluting the ecology, they mark it as their territory.

Rosada, congratulations

 

[rodaki]

I was thinking a lot about the advance/retreat movement . . In advancing you might find you have to retreat sometimes . . in going forth with the cleaning business I find I might have to go back a bit, back in time perhaps, but I have to remind myself, this is not what I set out to do and I cannot spend all day going through these boxes, maybe sit for sometime and smile but then pull my sleeves up again and get on!

I find there's nothing wrong with the sexual obsession, mating processes happen all the time around us, inside us too, trying to couple our yin and yang sides, germinating our creative potential. Our yin enchants and upsets and inspires our yang, there is a dance of these too within, one step forwards two steps back and two forwards one back in keeping the symmetry and balance. But yang has to keep a firm foothold, keeps its feet strong to avoid the pitfalls of gentleness

Solun, hmm, did we miss birthday wishes to someone ?? My birthday is coming and going these days too -happy birthday to all busy little crabs!


rodaki