Hexagram 48/The Well/So appropriate!

[emc2cme]

Just a posting to share something that's both annoying but really funny (to me, anyway), even if it is a kind of off-putting topic for conversation.

When we had our house built ten years ago, it was constructed by a very well-respected contractor. About two years later, however, we noticed that our toilet kept stalling and running over. We had a plumber take a look at it, and apparently the sub-contractor that installed it had used a kind of unconvential (but still within the codes) kind of pipe. By the time we could have gotten it straight with him, the contractor had retired to Tennessee to spend more time with his daughter (who has cerebral palsy) and his wife. So we don't know who did the original plumbing! Buyer beware, huh?

Anyway, tonight it appears to have given up the ghost. After using every last one of our old towels, and some of the new ones (those will be dog "blankets" after this experience, once they're laundered about six times), I just had to turn off the water and keep my fingers crossed that it's not leaking down into the rooms below. I then asked the I Ching if this was going to be an expensive proposition. I sometimes get answers that really hit home, but I've never really shared them with anyone. Just thought that during this perhaps stressful to some holiday season, I'd share something funny for a change.

I frequently go to several I Ching online sites, and tonight I happened to select the flytrapinteractive.com one (not to say that I don't love Hilary's, but I spread them around so that I don't look like such a mooch on any one site).

Anyway, this is what I got:

The answer to your question, "is this going to be a major expense?" is:

December 15, 2007

48. Ching - The Well (lines 2 and 3 changing)
-- --
----- above K'an The Abysmal, Water
-- --
-----X
-----X below Sun The Gentle, Wind
-- --

The Judgement

The Well. The town may be changed,
But the well cannot be changed.
It neither decreases nor increases.
They come and go and draw from the well.
If one gets down almost to the water
And the rope does not go all the way,
Or the jug breaks, it brings misfortune.

The Image

Water over wood: the image of the Well.
Thus the superior man encourages the people at their work,
And exhorts them to help one another.

Changing Lines

Changing yin at the bottom means:
One does not drink the mud of the well.
No animals come to an old well.

Changing yang in the second place means:
At the wellhole one shoots fishes.
The jug is broken and leaks.

63. Chi Chi - After Completion
-- --
----- above K'an The Abysmal, Water
-- --
-----
-- -- below Li The Clinging, Flame
-----

The Judgement

After Completion. Success in small matters.
Perseverance furthers.
At the beginning good fortune,
At the end disorder.

The Image

Water over fire: the image of the condition
In After Completion.
Thus the superior man
Takes thought of misfortune
And arms himself against it in advance.
http://flytrapinteractive.com/~complimentary/iching/

These are the things that jumped out at me:

First, the hexagram itself, with wind under water--it's possible that our current very cold weather may have worsened the original problem.

Then, it says that the town may be changed but the "well" can't be changed. Pretty good description of the contractor moving, but the plumbing problem not having been fixed as of yet (or, heaven forbid, maybe the plumbing maybe not being fixed EVER).

As for the "jug", that's a pretty good visual for a toilet bowl <grin>.

Since Hex 48 is one of the two man-made images used in the Yi, and its function of holding water is about the closest parallel I can imagine the Yi might come to the WC
(trying not to get too technical here), I just thought that that was funny!

As for the changing lines, line 2 says "no animals come to an old well"--and it's certainly true that no bipeds/opposable-thumb owning animals are going near that particular "well" tonight. Line 3 says "the jug is broken and leaks"--well, even though I was angry after an hour of trying to fix the problem, I just had to laugh because I couldn't think of any other line that would have described this any better! As for shooting the fishes, well, I'd never do that, but I might just shoot a certain plumbing sub-contractor if I could find him!!!!

As for the second hexagram, Hexagram 63, I'm not so sure about that means. Maybe with the image of fire under the water, they're going to have to solder some pipes together, and I'm hoping that this might be a small problem that could be solved with taking thought of misfortune and arming myself in advance. I'm not holding my breath, however.

Well, hope I haven't put you guys off too much. I just thought that this was such an excellent example of how the Yi's images can be surprisingly uncanny.

Happy holidays, all.

Nancy

 

[alchemy]

well

greetings nancy and others.
the hex well gives a picture of joint ownership,maintenance and preservation.
it is therefore clear that ur current situation is a result of involvement of many people.

it also indicates some thing permanent
well does not move also means a blocked or stagnancy.check 4 pressure in the pipelines may b clearing that would ease the flo.
just in case the property has passed thru several hands one of the previous owners would b able to help on this.

thanks
N Subramani
India

 

[willowfox]

Hex 48.1,2 > 63

What an appropriate answer to your question, first line speaking about mud and the second line speaks about leaking or overflowing. Hex 63 says the problem can be fixed but to watch out for a recurrence in the future.
Now, as for expense, I do not see anything in this answer to indicate a lot of money, unless the hex says you are going to flush money down the toilet, so it will be expensive.

 

[emc2cme]

Thanks Willowfox

Hi--just read your thoughts, since I've been away from the computer for about ten days. You're so insightful! Thought you might appreciate the irony of receiving this particular hexagram on such a mundane subject. Happy holidays, Willowfox!

Nancy

 

[emc2cme]

Thanks so much, Alchemy, for your thoughtful reply. And you're right about "the permanent"--the plumber says it's a problem with installation. Again, please forgive what may appear to be a silly comparison (the hexagram to the situation), but the Yi seems to take even our smallest problems as seriously as we do at times

I've been away from the computer for most of the past two weeks, so please forgive the tardiness of my response.

Nancy

 

[rosada]

Hi Nancy,
This is indeed a fitting toss! Thanks for giving us the update as to how the interpretations fit with the facts. I hope you will continue to get back to us and let us know what finally had to be done to fix the problem. Unlike Willowfox, I am not so optimistic that this will be resolved without expence. The lines for 48 sound like the toilet is shot. The judgement for 63. After Completion says "Success in small matters." This is not a small matter but I think what happened was the subcontractor THOUGHT using a different pipe would be a small matter. "At the beginning good fortune, at the end disorder." The pipe appeared okay at the beginning but in the end it was not. The Image goes on to advise, "The superior man takes thought of misfortune and arms himself against it in advance." Sounds like you're being told there should have been some insurance or agreement with the builder that these sort of problems would be covered in your original contract. Bummer.

I hope you'll let us know if the whole thing had to be replaced and if the cost was reasonable. It will help us to know what 63 is really all about.

Thanks,
rosada

 

[willowfox]

I have changed and installed some toilets in my heyday, and they are not that difficult to do and neither are they outrageously expensive either. I'm a dab hand at doing the plumbing as well, so I know what it actually entails.

 

[rosada]

Hi Nancy,
Studying this puzzle a bit further it occurs to me that while 63 can refer to your experience with the contractor, it would also make sence as advice for the repair. That is, perhaps you should get some sort of written guarantee on the new work.

That's encouraging to hear, Willowfox. I was basing my interpretation on the lines 48.1.2. They gave me the impression more than just one pipe would need attention. But according to your experience even if the whole unit must be replaced that will still not be expensive. Excellent!

 

[willowfox]

That's encouraging to hear, Willowfox. I was basing my interpretation on the lines 48.1.2. They gave me the impression more than just one pipe would need attention. But according to your experience even if the whole unit must be replaced that will still not be expensive. Excellent!

You will find that most toilets are very simple and pipes especially, they have to be for easy installation. If the toilet is blocked it is simple to remove that block but if a pipe is blocked there are several ways to deal with it. A wrong installation of a pipe is just a matter of either taking it out or adjusting it. The main problem regarding expense comes from the person who is doing the job. Do they really know what the problem is? Are they lying to you to increase the fee? Or both?