Health scare 36 unchanging

[fengyun]

I received bad news regarding my eyesight today and am very worried. It seems an operation is unavoidable at some point (when is unclear). Otherwise I risk going blind. Since one of my eyes has always been very bad, I reply on my "good" eye. If something went wrong during the operation of my good eye I would be almost blind. I am so very upset and scared.
I asked the I Ching whether my health (re eyes) will be restored and received hex 36 unchanging. This scares me even more. Literally Hiding Brightness = blindness? Pls help me with an interpretation.

 

[equinox]

It is understandable that you dislike this result very much in your specific situation.
But keep in mind that a result is not always meant like it seems on the first glance and that, while being in panic, one tends to have a "clouded perception" sometimes (very much 36 UC).

I was once in danger of losing a tooth and, panicking, asked the I Ching if that would happen -- the answer was 57.6.
So it was absolutely certain for me that the I Ching answered me almost literally and I would lose the tooth: "Penetration under the bed. He loses his property and his axe."
With the "property and axe" I thought my tooth was meant. And I thought "bed" was a metaphor for my periodontal apparatus. In German, the structure of gums and jaw bones and teeth is also called "Wurzelbett", "root bed", to translate it literally.
In the end, however, the tooth was saved. I guess the I Ching wanted to tell me that my thoughts were too destructive and that I was dismantling myself. And that was true.
So if you're that worried that you can't see clearly (metaphorically) right now, the I Ching might also point you to that state.

Anyways, I am of the opinion that it is not necessarily ideal to use the I-Ging in health questions. Sometimes one then tends to interpret the worst into the result, as you do now. (which is of course understandable in your situation)

 

[equinox]

I asked the I Ching whether my health (re eyes) will be restored and received hex 36 unchanging. This scares me even more. Literally Hiding Brightness = blindness? Pls help me with an interpretation.

Did you ask if your health would be restored by surgery or did you ask in general?

 

[Freedda]

Fengyun, I cannot say for sure what this means in terms of your eyes, but I'll offer a bit of my thoughts about 36

The image text for 36 reads, in part, 'The light goes within to the heart of the earth.' So, looking at the trigrams (the upper and lower three-line characters that make up hexagrams), you have Fire or Light below and Earth above. One interpretation might be: that you have innner clarity or an inner sense that can guide you, but that you also need to be practical and not get lost in indecision.

Some names for 36 are 'Brightness Obscured,' and Enshrouding Oneself.' Often people interpret this to mean that you should - or need to - hide oneself from danger. But I don't think it means that, or at least not necessarily. First, there is nothing in the trigrams that would point to this, instead you have FIre - Clarity below and Earth-Acceptance above.

So for me this means that there are times when you hide your light until there is a more opportune time to shine. One example might be an artist who doesn't show her new work until she's ready to show it at a exhibit. Or, that you don't speak up until you know you have something to add that will be useful ... but these don't necessarily mean 'hiding from danger.'

What does this mean for you? Again, I'm not sure. Perhaps that it's not time for you to decide on this procedure until you know more, and have more of your questions answered: how much danger is there in losing your eyesight? Are there any other alternatives? Will things get worse - or the procedure harder - if you were to wait?

Or ... and maybe I'm getting a bit too woo-woo here -- consider contemplating on "Eartth above, Fire below,' or perhaps to think, what would it mean to have one's 'inner' clarity, light and vision supporting being accepting and practical?

Not sure if that's of use at all, but ... Best, D .

And PS - I agree with Equinox that it's not always best to rely on the Yi for health related decisions, though it can often offer some guidance and perhaps suggest an attitude to take when facing your situation. D

 

[fengyun]

Very belated thanks for your responses. I apologise for not getting back earlier.
The situation as such has not changed. My eyes are monitored regularly. My doctor who was not around when I received aforesaid diagnosis has calmed me down somewhat. The operation will take place - maybe this year, maybe next, maybe in 5 years time. It all depends on fast my eyesight declines.
Thank you again for your concern.