Freeing Oneself From The System

[silent octavius]

Good Evening/ Day to all,

For some time I have been seeking a way to be free of the system I live in ( consumerism/capitalism etc. ) I've various books, publications, websites etc, but yet keep wondering if i'll ever be able to pull it off myself. So I consulted the yijing who has often given me valuable insights. My question was " Will I ever free myself from the system I live in ? " The response the Yijing gave me was Hexagram 11 with lines 1,2,3 changing into Hexagram 2. The interpretations i've read about these hexagrams suggest concepts such as "harmony", "yielding" etc, basically so called "yin" qualities. The interpretation I make of it comes from also considering the nuclear hexagram of hexagram 11, which is 54. The picture I get is that I have to learn to live with the situation i'm in, but yet there is a chance of succeeding in my entreprise if i adopt a more "yin" attitude. What is funny is that when I had that idea I also suddenly remembered the cliché phrase " move like water, grasshopper! " I would be very interested in hearing the interpretations others here would make of my reading.Thank you in advance to all who will respond.

 

[magictortoise]

Silent Octavius,
It is difficult to be free of a system that we are also inherently dependent upon, a system which, by the way, must have some sort of merit, as it has lasted well over 200 years. But I know how you feel. I think of the sage, who is in the world but not of it. I think the task then is to learn to live in it without being of it.

Line one I think gives good prospects for the undertaking to free oneself while at the same time living in the system. Maybe it is freedom from attachment to the system which is the real issue here. Line two seems to suggest bearing with all the nonsense while still making the crossing to freedom from attachment.

Lastly line three seems to be shouting "Live it up", enjoy the fruits of your existence, though it be in this 'wretched' system. All things change and I think your grasshopper wisdom is spot-on: flow with it!!

Best regards,

Ken Wanamaker

 

[willowfox]

Hex 11.1 this suggests that you go out and achieve something worthwhile, join a team of liked minded people, and do something that will be of benefit to others. In this way it will give you a certain amount of freedom within the system.

Hex 11.2 you have to go through this life putting up with all kinds of things that you don't like, you have to find a way to manage the situation which in turn will give you some freedom in your actions.

Hex 11.3 life is full of ups and downs but you still have to live it, so if you are seeking freedom, then you will have to become more self reliant within the structure of society.
There is no getting away from the rules and regulations, there is no where to hide, but you can achieve a certain degree of freedom while living with in society, you can still make certain choices as to what you will and will not do, what you spend your money on, how you want to live.

Hex2 says you will find a successful solution.

 

[bruce_g]

I concur with Willowfox on this one, mostly.

A striking feature of 11 is that the trigrams are what would normally be considered to be in the wrong places. Heaven is above and earth is below, right? So why does 11 have them arranged in reverse?

I see the idea as being that, both heaven and earth exist for each other. To exist only for yourself is hex. 12 - each goes their own way. So, in 11, heaven, with its upward direction, supports and lifts earth, while earth, with its gravitational downward direction, settles down into heaven. Unity of heaven and earth. Intercourse, if you will.

Many think life is an entitlement, but to find ones place in it, you have to give yourself to it.

 

[silent octavius]

I agree with the comments above. It is true that freeing oneself from the system is no easy task, since it is more thn just a space-time location but also a state of mind held by a collective of people . I think it's all a matter of "skillful living" as a buddhist would say. I think hexagram 11 is not only about "harmony", but more like "harmonising", finding a way to skillfully live and move in harmony without total surrender or total attack against the system. Hence the nuclear hexagram of number 11, hexagram 54 which is about a maiden who finds her place seems very relevant in this case.

 

[Grandma]

I'm not very good at interpreting the ic but I just want to say I'm with you in your sentiment. I feel the same way about "the system", which if you are like me does not mean the 200 year old one but the many thousand year old one, which although still in place doesn't mean there is merit in it, as slavery was/is in place for a long time also.
But I thought the answer was really great, I'm going to contemplate it for myself also.
I especially liked 11.3 Wilhelm commentary for it:
"Evil can indeed be held in check but not
permanently abolished. It always returns. This conviction might induce
melancholy, but it should not; it ought only to keep us from falling into
illusion when good fortune comes to us. If we continue mindful of the
danger, we remain persevering and make no mistakes. As long as a man's
inner nature remains stronger and richer than anything offered by external
fortune, as long as he remains inwardly superior to fate, fortune will not
desert him."
Perhaps the ic is saying that just your desire to overcome the evil of the system is good in itself and will help free you and others from the system in some manner.
I also thought that 2 was a very positive, hopeful response. I always think of Carol Anthony's 2 when I get it- paraphrasing "bear with it". Seems like a gentle answer.
The answer is also interesting in the 11 aspect with earth above and heaven below, as part of the "system" that seems to be in place is from people who "promoted" the as above so below belief, (the ancient Egyptians for one). Don't know how to interpret the answer but it's really interesting.