An etymology of Pi.12

[confucius]

Etymology of the ideogram Pi.12






The ideogram used to illustrate Pi.12 is composed of two parts on top of each other. At the bottom is the general symbol for the idea of mouth whose primary suggestion is communication. In a more subtle way it can also be used to express gathering and openness, receptivity.

The group resting on top represents the idea of a bird taking-off towards the sky and, as such, disappearing from sight. From there this character as come to illustrate a commonly accepted negation. Further etymological development on this ideogram is found in Jin.35.

The combination of the two symbols proposes two possibilities: when it is pronounced Fou, using the two components, it means to talk but to deny, the English equivalent of is it or is it not?...it expresses a doubtful questioning about the outcome of a situation. Such an example of Fou is found at the entry level of Shi.7.

When it is pronounced Pi, as is the case here, it is also slightly subjected to a definition about communication. As a noun it means obstructed. As a verb it means to oppose in a development, to be unable to go any further; whence some of its equivalents: bad, misfortune, stuck…

In the context of the Yi Jing, the ideogram Pi.12 evokes the absence of fertility in a situation where gathering is not promoted. The Yi says without communication man can not grow. The result is a clogged situation corresponding to autumn during which the active communication between Heaven and Earth is no more promoting. Hence follows the shrinking of vegetation before it slips into an apparent winter sleep from where it will resurface when spring promotes a new cycle.

Confucius

 

[lightofreason]

From a universals perspective, 12 covers the notion of neutralising. Since it favours 'fighting' to maintain a current state, so it is considered in the traditional interpretations as stagnation, standstill (giving Wilhelm) in that it is 'anti change'. But the hexagrams are not negative or positive, they are both in that they can reflect both since they are universals and so in need of local 'colour' to be meaningful locally.

The top trigram position contains heaven and this reflects, in that position, singlemindedness. The bottom trigram is earth and reflects devotion to another/others. Thus 12 reads "with/from devotion comes singlemindedness" - that singlemindedness is in refusing change imposed from 'outside' - defending one's belief and in so doing valdating that belief.

The PAIR of 12,45 reflect this focus on devotion to another/others in (a) cooperative exchange (45 - celebration etc with a crowd) or (b) competitive exchange. The exchange focus is reflected in five-phase as metal.

Chris.

 

[martin]

Keep it simple. Think of a battery that is connected to a circuit in the wrong way. Poles switched. Hence no current in the circuit.

Another way to see it, which amounts to the same more or less: potential (heaven) and opportunity (earth) can't meet. There is potential but it cannot be used now.
For example, there is a product but no market, there are qualified workers but no jobs.

 

[lightofreason]

Keep it simple. Think of a battery that is connected to a circuit in the wrong way. Poles switched. Hence no current in the circuit.

Another way to see it, which amounts to the same more or less: potential (heaven) and opportunity (earth) can't meet. There is potential but it cannot be used now.
For example, there is a product but no market, there are qualified workers but no jobs.

Sure but these are all 'negative' and that is my point in that neutralising is also positive. Your above prose is strongly biased and so does NOT cover the full spectrum of 12 or more so the category it represents.

the temporal focus on 11/12 is in issues of time - there is potential for change vs there is none. BUT the no change is positive just as it can be negative.

Chris.

 

[martin]

I didn't intend to be negative about hexagram 12.
A potential that cannot be used, that usually doesnt feel good initially, but once the 'stagnation' is accepted (at least for the time being) we can have a good time, like a holiday.
Perhaps "holiday" would not be a bad name for hexagram 12.
During a holiday we also build up resources for the future.
And that is the other side of hexagram 12. Outer stagnation doesn't imply inner stagnation. And sometimes standstill on one front is needed to get things going on another.