An etymology of Yu.16

[confucius]

Etymology of the ideogram Yu.16






Two side-by-side groups are used to compose hexagram sixteen. On the left is a complex group whose canonical shape suggested a specific common ground, some sort of beltway, a peripheric space in relation to an unspecified centre. From this relationship is meant reciprocal transmission, (a place proper for) exchange.

The image proposed by this character illustrates very well China during the reign of the Zhou dynasty: civilized centre – a fortified city in the middle of an uncultured area where barbarians roam. At the very point where this peripheric met the city limits was this place proper for exchanges, the common ground. Two other examples are found in the context of the Yi Jing to illustrate this city limit: the Exiting level of Kun.2 and in the judgment of Tong Ren.13

On the right, an ideogram whose canonical form suggested the idea of an elephant. They were common throughout China during the High Antique period (a fact confirmed by the many bronze sculptures representing them. Though they disappeared gradually up to the Shang period, after that period only traces of them could be seen in the form of carcasses left behind. The Chinese seldom saw an elephant alive. They therefore had to imagine what it could look like by observing the carcasses. That is the reason why every circumstance depicting the idea of imaging or conceiving is called elephant. Hence follows why elephant has adopted the meaning of image, symbol…In the context of the Yi King it is always used in that sense where it is used to name the Great Image.

Confucius

 

[lightofreason]

From the universal position, and so from categories derived from oscillations of WHAT/WHERE in our brains, here we have expansive binding (thunder in top = becoming aware) operating in a context of contractive blending (earth in bottom = devotion to another/others).

Thus "with/from devotion comes awareness". (awareness reflects the refinement of thunder in bottom aka enlightenment - thus once one has experienced the 'a-HA' so one becomes aware of what could be and so the focus on planning, enthusiasm etc)

the infrastructure of 16 is described by:

000100
100001
--------
100101 21 - problem solving - in 21 the focus is on setting down laws/rules etc and in its generic form this relates to 'planning' as does, for 16, the enthusiasm that comes with earth in bottom devotion to another/others.

Chris.

 

[bruce_g]

Know what’s funny? When two are talking and neither one is listening, or both are teaching and neither is learning. The good side is, there’s no admission fee to see the show.

 

[lightofreason]

Know what’s funny? When two are talking and neither one is listening, or both are teaching and neither is learning. The good side is, there’s no admission fee to see the show.

your getting confused Bruce - the general seeds the particular but lack of awareness of that general means lots of local analogies/metaphors to try and describe the general that is being felt. Thus the traditional perspective will contain approximations, history, legends, myths etc as 'out there' is recruited to try and communicate the feelings.

Thus you cannot compare general-particular as if both are particular ;-) The focus is on patterns in the general that come out implicitly and/or explicitly in the particular. Since those patterns come out of what our brains do, so the IC is a metaphor/source of analogy for describing those universals applied to local context.

Understanding the hard-coding of the general allows for finer understanding of the particular without reference to local myths/legends. Once you understand the general then it becomes applicable to flesh out local contexts and so what the myths/legends are trying to say.

Since the LOCAL is the realm of singular consciousness etc, so each local can add some nuance to the general and so there is a feedback loop involved that can 'enlighten' local perspectives sourced in 'dark' times.

Chris.

 

[ewald]

Confucius - You didn't explain the meaning of Yu. Another source doesn't either. What about that imagining the result of an exchange makes one enthusiastic?

 

[lightofreason]

A common experience in going to market is in the imagination of what COULD be and that can be exciting, as can the rehersal of what one will do if X offer something and Y offers something else etc etc

IOW there is both excitement and planning involved in a feedback process but always about what COULD be. Thus the common ground analogy served to represent something that will elicit what 16 covers - enthusiasm and planning.

Chris.