Hexagram 1

[moss elk]

[MENTION=252]hilary[/MENTION]

On this thread: https://www.onlineclarity.co.uk/friends/showthread.php?27082-If-the-hexagrams-were-short-advice-what-would-they-be
I'm curious why you chose 'create' for Gua 1?

Would you mind explaining?
(and do you mean more like bringing into existence or causing to happen?) (perhaps I am biased towards the word create by my association with the arts)

I ask because I see a hexagram all about being Active and Persevering and Power, and a study in the limits of power and endurance (line 1 and 6)

(Oh, and the Hidden Dragon in line 1 is the 44 lurking in the background, right?)

 

[Freedda]

Moss Elk, are you wondering why Hilary choose 'create' instead of 'creating' or 'The Creative,' or are you questioning why she (or anyone) would use any words related to creating and creativity?

Best, David.

 

[moss elk]

are you questioning why she (or anyone) would use any words related to creating and creativity?

Hi Freedda.
Yes, basically.
Because I don't see Creat/ivity anywhere but in the title. The only time I ever recieved 1 unchanging was the day that I got some unexpected good news about a visitor coming in the evening, that required MUCH work that day to be ready for it. (that was back when my apartment was messy) I looked at the Huge mess and I asked how can I accomplish this? 1 unchanging told me to work hard and persevere through the work. Five hours later, I had a spotless apartment. It took active unrelenting work!

 

[Freedda]

I think yours is a question about what Hilary wrote, so maybe it is best (or more fully) answered by her.

I'll add, ... I took a quick look and did find:

1. Creating. The greatest fulfillment rewards persistence.
1.3 The noble young one, throughout the day, creating, creating ... (which is admittedly a bit sparse).

But there are some instances of it in the text.

However, it is a bit of puzzler for me too: I usually approach Gua 1 by thinking of it as "Creativity" instead of 'create' or 'to create.' That's because I understanding Gua 1 to be where creative thoughts happen, or are formed (an incubator of sorts), but it's Gua 2 which manifests these, or 'creates them,' brings them into being, brings them 'down to Earth.' So, I"m making a distinction between creative thoughts and creating something from those thoughts, and I also include inspiration, and higher aspirations or higher plans (re" the Heavens) with 1.

Best, David.

 

[moss elk]

1.3 The noble young one, throughout the day, creating, creating ... (which is admittedly a bit sparse).

Thanks.
I've seen that line translated as 'throughout the day, active active'
(Can't remember where at the moment)
And 'Heaven moves inexhaustedly'

Which makes sense to me since 2 is more of passive passive role.

 

[Freedda]

Thanks .... I've seen that line translated as 'throughout the day, active active' .... Which makes sense to me since 2 is more of passive passive role.

Thanks Moss Elk, a few thoughts ...

Applying the same original inquiry to Hex. 2, which you did to Hex. 1: I find the the name or title Kun, 'Accepting' only showing up once in the text of 2's oracle and lines. In fact, I don't think it appears again at all in the I Ching (in searching through Hatcher's 'matrix translation', and not including the Wings). So, hmmmm, interesting.

As to what you wrote above for Kun - "passive, passive":

Kun is not repeated at all in 2. If it were, I believe it would mean (and this is based on my very sparse understanding of Chinese) a whole lot of acceptance (or whatver word you think fits), or perhaps acceptance happening over a longer time ...

What I find interesting however - and what I was wondering about - is that you choose to use the word "passive" for Kun. I did find 'passive' as one of the meanings for Kun, but there are many others that I would have selected first (and second and third), including to recieve, accept, support, realize absorb; a base, basis, Earth, etc.

Moving on, I also looked a few other hexagrams to see how often their names or titles were used in the oracle and line text: we find the names of the hexagrams two times in Hex. 1 and in Hex. 64; only one time Hex. 2; three times in Hex. 3; and whopping five times in Hex. 16 and 35!

That's not really an exhaustive survey (though it is 10% of the hexagrams, which is a lot more than most political opinion surveys!), but it seems to be all over the map as to how much the hexagrams' names or titles are acutally used within the corresponding text.

Interstingly, I did not find Hilary's word "Respond" (for a short list of advice) for Hex. 2 in the definitions of Kun which I looked at (though, again, it may not be exhaustive). I don't begrudge her this however, in part, because for me it generally seems to fit the overall 'flavor' or Kun, as in to respond, instead of to initiate.

But this brought to mind another question: how much importance do the hexagram names carry - especially in defining them or understand their meaning and advice? (Perhaps this has been covered already somewhere on this site, or maybe it warrants a new thread?)

I think some people might look at as just a name, more or less, and that the true and more complete meaning is to be found in the text and images. Or you could think of the name as a short, but important summary of the meaning of the hexagram, and perhaps a good 'lens' through which to focus one's understanding of what it is saying.

Best, David.

 

[moss elk]

But this brought to mind another question: how much importance do the hexagram names carry - especially in defining them or understand their meaning and advice?

I think the chosen names are very important. I am comfortable though using, oh say three to five names each.

An example of a bad name I see posters use for 22 is Grace. Then they associate it with dignity or even the Christian concept of God's Grace,
which misses the mark entirely.

 

[hmesker]

The problem with the names of hexagram 1 & 2 is that they only occur in the Yijing and nowhere else. If they are used in other texts they refer to the names of these hexagrams. We don't have any reliable sources or context to know what 乾 and 坤 really mean, other than later commentaries and dictionaries that uses these commentaries as a source.

About hexagram 1 see http://yjcn.nl/serendipity/archives/47-The-banner-of-qian.html .

 

[my_key]

I've found it useful to see Hex 1 as being the energy sitting in the wings waiting to be harnessed. When described by Karcher as "Inspiring Force", it is seen more like a creative energy; a primal power cloaked within inspiration working simultaneously in both the inner and outer worlds promoting growth and awareness.

It is there waiting for us engage with it in some way to paint our picture, mould our clay or use it in whatever other creative way we choose. Creativity is an outcome of engaging with Hex 1 as we choose which artist to become.

Being inspired to create a tidy appartment or destroy the clean tidy environment in the first place it matters not.

 

[legume]

hi, although you're addressing Hilary, i find it really interesting actually so (while also touched quite a bit on that in Freedda's post on Hexagrams 1 and 2 - Active vs. Passive; Yin vs. Yang) here's my two cents.

i see hex 1 as utmost yang (only strong lines) and this entails an upcoming change (into yin again).
in terms of bagua, heaven is the father but his main role is to control, while earth is the mother - it's her role actually to give birth, to create. each at it their own maximum will eventually switch roles, turn into another (basic theory of yin and yang). the image that comes to my mind is actually that of a young couple or parents-to-be: a female (although normally receptive and supposedly more creative) is most sensitive or susceptible at that time, while the male, usually more passive in his role, which in this case is to maintain control - either gets out of his mind or... finally has to start thinking outside of the box, takes on the role of the creator - in a slightly different sense.

and then when it comes to arts - i think it requires equal use of both forces, both types of "creativity" that the first 2 hexagrams symbolise. the one generally considered more passive is about being receptive to own senses, sensitive to symbolism, susceptible to many forms of beauty, then the supposedly more active one - the actual moment of creation, action or practice thus also exercising control of the skill. and lastly - there's again a recipient needed, a receiver, maybe a consumer. although, even if someone is creating just for themselves and stores their art in a drawer - that person might become a receiver of their own art, and it's also fine and fits within this process, i guess...

i think the so called 3rd force, could either be synthesis, where the lines between yin and yang or any duality cease to exist, or it could be its opposite - further breakdown into even smaller yin & yangs and perpetuating of such processes - and this is what the I Ching is all about, imo...