A way to get a resulting trigram from the two constituent trigrams

[hmesker]

I posted this on the www.fivearts.net forum, but members from this forum might also find it interesting.

From the book 皇極秘數 that Cyril recommended to me (see this thread) I learned an interesting way that shows how trigram relationships work out in a hexagram. Many questions that are asked to the Yijing involve relationship matters in one way or another, like husband-wife, boss-employer, goal-means, interior-exterior, you-the other(s), yin-yang, etc. Both parties can be found in a hexagram by dividing the hexagram in a lower/inner trigram and a upper/outside trigram. The lower trigram tells about you, your means, the interior etc.; the upper trigram tells about the other(s), your goals, the exterior, etc. This already gives interesting information which you can use in your interpretation, but it does not really show any dynamics between the parties. These dynamics might be shown by extracting another trigram from the hexagram.

In a hexagram the lines 1-4, 2-5 and 3-6 connect the trigrams and a line should be in harmony with its counterpart, that is, if one line is yang, then the other should be yin and vice-versa. If both lines are yin or yang than they clash and there will be no interaction. If one line is yin and the other yang, then there will be movement, activity. This is depicted by a yang line. If the lines clash, then things come to a halt, depicted by a yin line.

So how to get this extra trigram? A yin-yang combination gives a yang line (productive), a yin-yin or yang-yang combination gives a yin line (receptive). For instance:

6. ---  ---
5. --------
4. --------
3. ---  ---
2. --------
1. ---  ---
     47

3. The combination 3-6 is yin-yin, giving a yin line: --- ---
2. 2-5 is yang-yang, giving a yin line: --- ---
1. 1-4 is yin-yang, giving a yang line: --------

The resulting trigram is Thunder

: the relationship between the trigrams will express themselves through this trigram.

This technique can help in showing the result of the interaction between two characters, but it can also tell you if the means that you have are supportive to the goal that you are trying to achieve. Personally I find this a very attractive method, also because the premises on which it is based are straightforward and in line with the Chinese philosophy of balance and harmony that is connected to the Yijing.

 

[Sparhawk]

Hey, that's a cool forum. I'll try to keep an eye on it, granting my wish for 36 hours long days and 4 days weekends...

 

[russell]

Creating a hexagram

What shall we call this? The balance trigram? Harmony trigram?

If there are moving lines, what about creating a hexagram with the balance trigram of the base hexagram as lower, and that of the transformed hexagram as upper? If there are no moving lines, one could simply double the trigram.

—Russell

 

[hmesker]

It is called the yungua 運卦, it is mostly used in Feng Shui to appoint one of the nine yun cycles which are designated by trigrams.

You could also call it 'relational trigram', or 'interacted resulting trigram', or 'harmonized balanced vs imbalanced energies concluding trigram'. Personally I call it a trigram.

Your idea with regard to moving lines sounds interesting, I would say give it a try.

 

[neegula]

I posted this on the www.fivearts.net forum, but members from this forum might also find it interesting.

thank you sooooo much for this wonderful link, i registered myself there after few seconds i opened it!
thanks again!:bows:

 

[russell]

Try it . . . .

I would say give it a try.

O.k., I did. It is now included in the new improved version of Virtual Yarrow Stalks.
I had to call it something to distinguish it from everything else so I called it the balance hexagram.

—Russell

 

[elkoholik]

Hello hmesker,

Thank you very very much for sharing this particular method of generating a trigram from a hexagram. I immediately applied this method to a casting I did previously regarding a job prospect. Lots of food for thought.

There's a question I have though which I hope you (or anyone else on the post) can help enlighten me on. Coz I consider myself new to Iching despite having studied this for years. There's so much I still don't understand and hope you can be patient.

This technique can help in showing the result of the interaction between two characters, but it can also tell you if the means that you have are supportive to the goal that you are trying to achieve.

I was thinking that the trigram of K'an is one of the less positive trigrams out of all 8. It warns of danger. And to generate such a trigram from the above method, the hexagrams would be 7, 8, 13, 14, 17, 18, 53, 54.

I get the idea of danger in the hexagrams 7 Army, 18 Decay, 54 Marrying Maiden. After all, there is a danger in disciplining people and leading troops, danger in correcting and removing decay, danger in the subservient position of a marrying maiden or concubine.

But let's say I'm asking about a relationship and got Hexagram 8, or asking about a job promotion prospect and got Hexagram 14, where does the danger hinted by K'an comes in then? Technically speaking, Hexagram 8 is a favourable sign for relationships and Hexagram 14 seems to advice great achievements, great ideas, great possessions.

Hope I don't come across as being rude and trying to up-end you method. I honestly love the concept and idea behind it, just a little mystify, as in the cases above, to how the derived trigram can apply. :bows:

 

[elkoholik]

O, and do let me know if I've posted my query in the wrong forum.

 

[hmesker]

I was thinking that the trigram of K'an is one of the less positive trigrams out of all 8. It warns of danger. And to generate such a trigram from the above method, the hexagrams would be 7, 8, 13, 14, 17, 18, 53, 54.

I get the idea of danger in the hexagrams 7 Army, 18 Decay, 54 Marrying Maiden. After all, there is a danger in disciplining people and leading troops, danger in correcting and removing decay, danger in the subservient position of a marrying maiden or concubine.

But let's say I'm asking about a relationship and got Hexagram 8, or asking about a job promotion prospect and got Hexagram 14, where does the danger hinted by K'an comes in then? Technically speaking, Hexagram 8 is a favourable sign for relationships and Hexagram 14 seems to advice great achievements, great ideas, great possessions.

It seems you are trying to fit the general image of a hexagram in the yungua, but that is not how it works. You must also look at the original trigrams that generate the yungua, because they decide how the yungua will manifest itself. In the case of hexagram 7 the yungua is the same as the lower trigram, which could indicate that this trigram is dominant in the trigram relationship. In the case of hexagram 8 it is the same as the upper trigram, which could mean that the other party is more dominant. In the case of hexagram 14 concerning a job prospect it can indicate a relationship which is emotionally challenging, or it can drain your energy. This in itself is not bad, as long as you take measures to cope with it - it is not the situation which decides if things are bad, it is how you decide to deal with it. Besides that, Water is more than danger, it is also emotion, go with the flow, taking risks, etc.

 

[elkoholik]

O!!... O I see it now.

And now looking back at the hexagram I drew a couple days back regarding my job prospects (which was Hexagram 16), your last explanation makes so much more sense of the entire situation then I could previously see. It just all clicked together when you explained how the yungua can indicate which trigram is dominant in the trigram relationship, as in the example of Hexagram 7 and 8.

Ooo, I see light. Thank you for your patience Hmesker, and thanks for sharing this method of getting a resulting trigram with us. Thank u thank u thank u!! :bows: