Clarity,
Office 17622,
PO Box 6945,
London.
W1A 6US
United Kingdom
Phone/ Voicemail:
+44 (0)20 3287 3053 (UK)
+1 (561) 459-4758 (US).
‘Noble one creates and creates to the end of the day,
At nightfall on the alert, as if in danger.
No mistake.’
Hexagram 1, line 3
‘Boundaries of stone,
Not for a whole day.
Constancy, good fortune.’
Hexagram 16, line 2
‘The leaks are plugged with clothes of silk
For the whole day, on guard.’
Hexagram 63, line 4
At the end of a full day’s creative work, the noble one is still vigilant, on the alert for change. (The components of the Chinese word are ‘heart’ and ‘change’, yi, the name of the oracle.) There are plenty of reading experiences where this is literally true: people staying awake and reflecting – or fretting – overnight. (Perhaps the idea is to do your worrying at night, and dedicate your days to creative work without stopping to worry.)‘Noble one creates and creates to the end of the day,
At nightfall on the alert, as if in danger.
No mistake.’
Hexagram 1, Creative Force, line 3
The same is probably true of large, stripey cats, so perhaps it’s as well to stay alert at nightfall when treading close behind them. 1.3 is ‘no mistake’.‘To assume a cat’s asleep
Is a grave mistake.
He can close his eyes and keep
Both his ears awake.’
Aileen Fisher
I wrote about this line before, when I was exploring ‘boundaries‘. In this line, I imagine the boundaries as enclosing rocks – containing, shaping, confining or protecting. However you experience them, they won’t last until the end of the day. The basic story of this line, as I understand it, is that your constancy can outlast the boundaries (even if they seem to have been there forever).‘Boundaries of stone,
Not for a whole day.
Constancy, good fortune.’
Hexagram 16, Enthusiasm, line 2
Hexagram 40 is never tied to an existing route, but can change direction promptly, as soon as the seeds are known.‘Release. The southwest is fruitful.
With no place to go,
To turn round and come back is good fortune.
With a direction to go,
Daybreak, good fortune.’
Hexagram 40, the Oracle
I wish I could say that ‘on the alert’ in 1.3 and ‘on guard’ here are the same word, but no – to be ‘on guard’ is jie 戒, having a weapon in one’s hands. The idea is not so different, though: as long as you are crossing the river, you might sink, and so to the end of the day, for as long as this activity lasts, stay on guard!‘The leaks are plugged with clothes of silk
To the end of the day, on guard.’
Hexagram 63, Already Crossing, line 4
As you move into the outer trigram, where you’ll start to see real-world results, you need to keep the chaos of endings (zhong 終) at bay.Already across, creating success.
Constancy yields a small harvest.
Beginnings, good fortune – endings, chaos.’
Hexagram 63, the Oracle
I reckon the ‘whole day’ when you’re on guard is the same as ‘your own day’ when there is truth and confidence: the day of transformation, when everything is repurposed to keep you afloat so you can complete the crossing. Stay awake! Stand by to bale!‘Radical change.
On your own day, there is truth and confidence.
Creating success from the source, constancy bears fruit.
Regrets vanish.’
Hexagram 49, the Oracle
At the end of the day, at nightfall, there is danger for those who are over-confident or out of touch, as in the fan yao 10.3. Someone who failed to stay alert might well be have regrets.‘Noble one creates and creates to the end of the day,
At nightfall on the alert, as if in danger.
No mistake.’
‘Overweening dragon has regrets.’
Hexagram 1, the Creative, lines 3 and 6
At the end of the day, darkness falls, bringing results and a change of heart. But the protagonist of line 2, knowing the seeds, had no need to wait until the end of the day for the results to be fully manifest.‘Boundaries of stone,
Not for a whole day.
Constancy, good fortune.’
‘Enthusiasm in the dark.
Results bring a change of heart,
No mistake.’
Hexagram 16, Enthusiasm, lines 2 and 6
If you relax your guard before the end of the day, before the crossing is complete, then you may find yourself in over your head.‘The leaks are plugged with clothes of silk
For the whole day, on guard.’
‘Soaking your head. Danger.’
Hexagram 63, Already Crossing, lines 4 and 6
Clarity,
Office 17622,
PO Box 6945,
London.
W1A 6US
United Kingdom
Phone/ Voicemail:
+44 (0)20 3287 3053 (UK)
+1 (561) 459-4758 (US).