Deciphering Hexagram 42 Increase

[unsubscribed_cm]

I'd like to discuss hexagram 42 as it contains many subtleties that are eluding my full grasp and understanding.

In the text it says that what is high is decreased for what is low - which brings about an increase for all.
Why is it to be seen as a increase if something that is high is sacrificed for something that is low? Isn't thats like throwing away something good to benefit something that is bad? How is that good?

Also decrease seems to take the opposite direction - decreasing what is low for what is high. That seems more an increase to me.

Would you want to sacrifice a valuable thing to increase what is less valuable - that seems like a loss for the whole but the Yijing seems to see it as a gain for the whole.

I can see if that someone who is rich gives to the poor - that would benefit the whole - but would it benefit the whole if he gave priceless items of ancient significance to be made into fertilizer for the field? I think it would be better kept intact especially if the item is small. What if the all the texts of the Yijing were scrapped to produce paper for poor school children in a third world country - is that a worthy cause for increase of hexagram 42?

There appears to be both an element of decrease going on and an increase within the time period of hexagram 42. The lower line of the upper trigram is decreased so that the lower line of the lower trigram is increased. But then it says "the decrease above and the strengthening below produce a stability that means increase for the the whole." But what about that decrease aspect? Is it now increased after being decreased? This hexagram seems to within it contain an element of decrease as a prerequisite for increase. "If decrease goes on and on it is certain to bring about increase." So is that sacrifice of the lower line then also accounted for in the increase or is it overlooked and left out? So is this more like an investment where the sacrifice of the high is payed off eventually or a charity where you just give and still yet don't benefit from it?
Loss in the short run gain in the long run? What is going on here?

 

[pocossin]

Wilhelm:

A sacrifice of the higher element that produces an increase of the lower is called an out-and-out increase: it indicates the spirit that alone has power to help the world.

To establish an interconnection between heaven and earth, a sacrifice of valuables is offered to the spirits for their benevolent influence.

 

[my_key]

There's lots going onin these hexagrams. It's a bit like the giveaway concept. You are full to busting with something good which you value highly, but you have nowhere to go with it - it's as big as it can get. And then if you let that go you make room for something else to grow.Something that at the moment is not big or consequential, but give it time and it'll grow in value. Not monetary or materialistic necessarily but in all sorts of ways.

Mike

 

[ararelin]

I thought it was about balance. There is only a finite amount of what can be used, be it energy, be it food, be it wisdom or whatever else is at hand.
In order to achieve the best condition the correct contribution of that commodity needs to be found, and that is what this Hex is trying to explore.
Like on some electronic equipment, there are switches that you can slide horizontally. The total length the switch can travel is finite, but in order to achieve the correct result you have to move it to the position that is most appropriate, and that includes that you increase one side and decrease the other side.

I think you got caught in assigning 'better' and 'worse' attributes to what you are considering to be distributed. If you take those out and simply try to consider the best result for a given problem, then you could see how reducing one will increase the other and the outcome be the appropriate outcome for the problem at hand.

 

[unsubscribed_cm]

Thanks for your replies - I'm looking for a little bit more analysis however. The details are important to me. I do (think) I see the general picture - but it's not clear enough. It's supposed to be a good situation I get that.

I do appreciate your idea Mike - this does seem like an investment situation - If I understand you correctly.

 

[pocossin]

The details are important to me.

Tortoise occurs three times in the Wilhelm Yi but in both of the 41/42 pair:

27.1 You let your magic tortoise go
41.5 Ten pairs of tortoises cannot oppose it.
42.2 Ten pairs of tortoises cannot oppose it.

The object being sacrificed is a plastron. In 41 the plastron is reduced (drill most of the way through). In 42 it is fired and pops and the will of the spirits is revealed in the crack formed. That is the querent's increase. The king presents the plastron before God (42.2) and uses it in relocating the capital (42.4).

 

[unsubscribed_cm]

Tortoise occurs three times in the Wilhelm Yi but in both of the 41/42 pair:

27.1 You let your magic tortoise go
41.5 Ten pairs of tortoises cannot oppose it.
42.2 Ten pairs of tortoises cannot oppose it.

The object being sacrificed is a plastron. In 41 the plastron is reduced (drill most of the way through). In 42 it is fired and pops and the will of the spirits is revealed in the crack formed. That is the querent's increase. The king presents the plastron before God (42.2) and uses it in relocating the capital (42.4).

Thx for the comment. Thats interesting - But the way you describe it seems to mean that the hexagram is only describing the ancient act of divination; It seems to me that it must mean more than that itself since all divinations require this act not just ones bringing up hexagram 41 42 or 27. But interesting detail there.

 

[peter2610]

If you can see the universal process as being based on a principle of homeostasis, that is, self-regulating in order to sustain a state of balanced equilibrium, it will help you to better understand hexagrams 42 and 41. Change takes place between the two principle orders of yin and yang (and an infinite number of sub-combinations) in such a way as to constantly gravitate, or 'return' to a state of balanced harmony - essence. It works in exactly the same way as the homeostatic relationship between the conscious and unconscious aspects of mind. Increase and Decrease reflect the compensatory element within the process of universal balance. What is excessive must be reduced, what is insufficient must be increased. This process can, and does, manifest externally, but it originates internally.

When we are in a situation of Increase, the conditions are appropriate for the assimilation of true principle and the decrease of negative conditioning, hence "This hexagram represents using reduction in the midst of increase" - Liu I Ming, and "If he (the superior man) has faults, he rids himself of them" - Hsiang Chuan. If we can integrate true principle and perception into our understanding then we will produce real increase both in terms of our internal clarity and its outward manifestation in our lives.

The structure of the hexagram symbolizes internal movement (dynamic thought - Chen) which gradually penetrates (Sun) into external principle. Within the field of unified consciousness, there is no such thing as a vacuum, hence the removal of negative conditioning will produce True Yang. But this process is often one of repetition and gradual assimilation - "The seeds of habitual compulsions cannot be removed at once" - Liu I Ming.

The key to understanding the processes of Increase and Decrease lies in the relationship between internal and external phenomena. Rather than seeing everything on a one-dimensional material level, try to grasp the reciprocal interaction between mind and material manifestation, mind and matter. Then there will be no contradiction in the observation that within Increase there is Decrease, and that within Decrease there is Increase.

 

[my_key]

I do appreciate your idea Mike - this does seem like an investment situation - If I understand you correctly.

There is an investment - an investment in growth, or an investment in reduction that leads to growth. These are giving indications of where we sit in our picture towards finding our true self perhaps even somewhere on our journey to self realisation. Hex 42 is showing us the potential that there is within us to take the next positive act towards achieving a change.

Peters post says it very elequently. It's maybe a bit of an "as within, so without" situation that the Yi is pointing us towards here.

Have Fun
Mike

 

[junzi]

I have always seen 42 as an encouragement to reduce or diminish "negative" (feelings, actions, habits, clutter that doesn't serve me) in order to make room for increase. Strengthen and give attention to that which I would like to increase; remove attention from that which I would like to decrease. What is full are things I have too much of (e.g., weight, debt, etc.) and they become decreased. What is empty is the "good" habit that replaces that which does not serve (e.g., exercise, frugality) and that is then increased. Received this as my study hexagram today, and I am in the middle of a massive de-cluttering of my space so I had much opportunity to think on it...

 

[unsubscribed_cm]

I have always seen 42 as an encouragement to reduce or diminish "negative" (feelings, actions, habits, clutter that doesn't serve me) in order to make room for increase.

I think that would be more characteristic of hexagram 41.

"
At the foot of the mountain, the lake:
The image of DECREASE.
Thus the superior man controls his anger
And restrains his instincts."

" decrease of the lower powers of the psyche, the higher aspects of the soul are enriched."

-Source: Wilhelm Baynes - Book of Changes. (http://theabysmal.wordpress.com/2006/10/27/i-ching-hexagram-41/)

 

[unsubscribed_cm]

From what I understand. Is that both 41 and 42 are in movement towards increase. "The I-Ching was written for the superior man". In other words the I Ching will not give unproductive advice or interpretations meant to stifle and dominate the inquirer.

41 leads to increase by reducing the negative.
42 leads to increase by reducing/investing the positive.

By reducing the negative you make room for the positive.
By reducing or investing the positive you make room for the positive in returns. (you buy stock and it goes up)

In both hexagrams there are sacrifices. And in both hexagrams there are increases that follow.