Hx. 62:63:64 - A Mythic Journey through the Great Revolving Gate.

[cheiron]

I am about to post an exceptionally long piece. Apologies Hilary.

I had doubts about doing this - and offer very sincere apologies for any excess in you bandwidth I have used.

I do not use it frivolously I hope.

I urge people, who have the energy to read it, to feed back.

Also I would say that I have drawn (mis-drawn too?) from many people on this site to formulate this piece - I know who each of you are (as you will if you read it) - To you I extend my deepest gratitude.

--Kevin

 

[cheiron]

Hx. 62:63:64 - A Mythic Journey through the Great Revolving Gate.

I. The Context

At the beginning of the King Wen Sequence we have Ch?ien Issuing forth the great creative bolt of lightning.

This is immediately engulfed by K?Un (Ch?ien?s complete antithesis) and K?un gestates it and forms it into matter?life.

K?un gives forth form as Hx.3... The rains fall and the seed sprouts and pushes up through the ground. (see the trigrams here) As it is said, ?From these two (Hx.1 and Hx.2) the myriad of things are formed?.

This new life travels progressively through the different energies, 2,3,4... and onward, as represented by the Yi Jing until it reaches 63:64.

This journey might be seen as a 'maturing'? A growth toward complexity, differentiation and refinement of itself as it progresses through the cycles of the time as represented by the hexagrams.

Some might say that we can be in any of many different spaces represented by the hexagrams at any stage of life. This is true and to them I would say look at how harmonics can form on a carrier wave, but the carrier wave propagates forwards all of the time?

Just as 1:2 are furthest apart 63:64 are closest together in nature (each is a permutation of the other, eg inverse, opposite etc). They are a tight focussed unit the great sifter and sorter ? The Cleanser and the Transforming Fire - The ?Great Revolving Gate?.

At the end of the long journey through the world this ?one? has hopefully become integrated? He or She has ideally brought many different energies and potentials together into a balanced harmonic within him or her.

We see the beginning of the ?final? process in Hx.62 - Here the old Woman or Man is no longer out in the World striving but they are sitting at the last great revolving gate?they have completed their great worldly actions and now it is time to sit and find balanced within themselves before continuing to 63.

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Hx.62 - Preparation for the Journey

Staying with Hx. 62 - Imagine this old one, small and shrivelled, sitting on an open plain at the edge of the village, their life?s work done? they are calm and fulfilled or not, as the case may be. They digest their lives and the knowledge it has brought, within themselves ? Here their task is to integrate it and prepare for the ?Revolving Gate'.

These are the words of this time from Stephen Karcher?s 'I Ching' (2002)? All quotes here and below are from this text. Commentary throughout is my own.

The Image of the Situation:
(The Judgement or amplification of the Hexagram name)
Small traverses growing
Advantageous Trial. Harvesting.
Permitting Small Affairs. Not Permitting Great Affairs
Flying bird abandoning sound.
Above not proper, below proper.
The great auspicious.

This carries the meaning of Stay ?small? with regard to the outer world, this will let you pass through this time and gain the harvest.
This is a good oracle (trial) there will be a good harvest (harvesting what you have sown in life).
This time is where one should only attend to small matters in the outer world; leave the great matters (of business and state etc) to others.
The flying bird is the messenger from ?the other side? ? Its message is to ?let go?. ?Let go?. The message to this one is so simple and short the bird has no need of a sound or complex song.

Don?t strive for great deeds or even try to pursue ?heaven? or deep spiritual feats of fathoming? keep your focus on your inner world, here and now,. This is very favourable.

The time of Hexagram 62 is important - The Hexagram is essentially a set of instructions on how to manage this time to prepare oneself for the journey through the Underworld as represented in Hx.63.

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III. Hx.63 - The Journey through the Underworld ? Being stripped of sorrows and the soils of the world washed away.

This underworld, as portrayed in Hexagram 63 feels like a dangerous place. Those who managed Hx.62 well will make more gain in this time.

The Trigrams:
Fire in the inner world of the lower place in the hexagram - Perception; brightness and understanding - Enlightened - This is our One who makes the Journey who has prepared themselves in the time of Hexagram 62.

This is 'plunged / below' the upper trigram of the dark dangerous pit... The Underworld.

This gives us the Journeying One in the underworld.

The Hexagram:
?Already Fording? - The key to any successful journey is the preparation - and that was what this one was doing in 62 ? They have, in this sense, already begun.

By completing the preparation (Hx.62), this one has already begun the journey.

The Lines:

Line 1
Is a caution to go slowly and not to start until the time is right.
?Pull back your wheels? ? Don?t start your journey yet.
?Wetting ones tail? - Now are you that frightened that you?? No? surely not? How embarrassing. ? Is the author making a wry comments here? Of course he is also saying that if this one pushes forward now the One who Journeys will come unstuck.

This line resonates with or is in a harmonic relationship with the energy of Hx.39
Limping and Difficulties at the beginning.

Here the energy of the time is that of feeling hampered. It is the energy of the God Yu who tamed the flood and the demons. It is time to hold back and re-imagine the problem in order to overcome what is hampering you and only then to proceed.

The inner hexagram for Hx.39 is in fact Hx.64 - Not Yet Crossing - This is the potential of this time? and the potential is the injunction to wait. Is it also a promise that correct management of this time of Hx.63 is that the time of Hx.64 might be entered?

Line 2
Now this is the Ruler of the hexagram... The key centre to the whole hexagram or moment of this time.

A Yin line in the central place of the lower trigram. This is our Journeying ones centre. It is essential here as it is this ?brightness? that will light their way through this dark underworld.

So what is it that was lost in this line?
?Fu: Veil; Screen on person or carriage; hair ornaments; ??

On a journey such as this there is no modesty; no earthly status symbols? The Journeying One is laid bare? and must travel naked ? even their inner most being is exposed.

But the line says 'Nothing will be lost', if one can keep centred on one's Tao.
Indeed much is to be gained here.

This line resonates with or is in a harmonic relationship with the energy of Hx.5
This is the energy of Paying Attention and Waiting for the right moment to begin; Attending; focussing; being Centred. Focussing on the ritual world and beginning the ritual.

Line 3
? The High Ancestor subjugating souls on all sides.
Three Years revolved and he controls it.
Small people not availing of.

Three years revolved [years elapsed] and he controls it
Small people, no availing of.?

Our One descends yet deeper on through the dark pit of the Underworld? on all sides are Ghosts and Souls. However not only has our Journeying One got their centre, in line two, as their guide and light, they have now the also got the ?Great Ancestor? holding these dreaded ones back?

The last part is a simple comment? You are on your own and there are no helpers you can call upon? this is something you have to do alone.

This line resonates with or is in a harmonic relationship with the energy of Hx.3
This hexagram represents the new beginning. A seedling sprouting? it is the beginning of the transformative process in Hx.63? the beginning of the transformation of the Journeying One into a re-formed being.

Line 4
A lot of word play here? But a simple message either which way.

So Deep in the pit now, the path reaches the dark water?

?A Token: possessing clothes in tatters
Completing the day, a warning.

Completing the day, a warning
Possessing a place to doubt indeed.?

From Karcher's glossary (ref. above) - A token here is a torn piece of silk which when joined identifies the bearers.
In tatters - worn out garment used for padding or stopping leaks.

Our dear Journeying One is in the dark watery part of the Underworld (note this line is in the Trigram of the ?water filled pit?)? The journey has been long and their clothes (vestiges of the outer world) are now in tatters? Is our author chuckling, and using a play on words, here when he says it looks as if all this one has to wear are tokens? But these are also tokens of the outer world ? and they are in tatters!

In addition, they are only good to stop leaks, caulk the boat, for here is implied a boat to cross this dangerous water. More word play perhaps: Are these clothes only good for caulking the leaky boat in this deep dark place, for who needs fine silks and fashion when their inner most being is laid bare?

The last part of this line is saying something which is difficult for me to get a good sense about.
Perhaps it is something like ? ?To get through this time: You will most definitely have doubts?; or ?Danger: You are in a place which might cause doubts?? I suspect it is. ?Warning: Don?t have doubts as this place will surely act to cause them and therein is the danger.? I suspect the danger is that of confusion and getting lost.

This line resonates with or is in a harmonic relationship with the energy of Hx.49
Hx.49 is representative of the ritual of stripping the corpse of flesh to allow the spirit to be free of its earthly existence. It is where the old and outmoded are stripped away, it is ?let go? so that the new form can emerge.

His is the process that is taking place on this part of the journey? an erasing of the outer trappings of this one?s life. The ?trappings? here might also include memories and deeds.

I wonder are the ghosts in this place the shorn memories and sadness of previous ones who journeyed here?

Line 5
Our Journeying One has passed the 'Trial' and is in the heart of the matter.
But this line begins with talk of Sacrifices, topside, on Earth...
A literary allusion perhaps? I think so.
This was well discussed recently on Online Clarity (www.onlineclarity.co.uk) and in agreement with what was said - I will only say here that our One who makes this Journey has had to sacrifice something... something small simple and sincere... not a whole herd of the best cattle - that is no good here.
Is this time it may well be the sacrificing of the 'I'... The death of 'self'? - The attaining of Buddha nature? - I think so.

The last part of the line is what is received following the sacrifice...accepting one?s blessing.
Our One who is making this passage is now stripped and washed clean in these waters. Transformed this One receives the blessing; the Mandate.

This line resonates with or is in a harmonic relationship with the energy of Hx.36
From Karcher 2003: "This is the world of the dead and of mourning, the demon country and travelling among the barbarians - outcast... travelling away from the centres of culture and power." It is also (again Karcher 2003), "Yu the Great taming the demons through enduring hardship."

It is also the Great Eclipse of the sun which signalled the giving of the Mandate of Heaven to King Wu.

These references give a symbolic understanding of what is resonating with this time of 63.5 and what is really taking place here.

Line 6
Top lines are often reserved as a warning for those who go to excess with the energy of the hexagram or who are inappropriate to the time.

Here I think it might be something a little different.

There is perhaps a fork in the road here for our dear One who makes this passage.

Consider where the process, reached in line 5, might take such as one who is here. (It becomes clearer when Hx.64 is covered below)

This line resonates with, or is in a harmonic relationship with the energy of Hx. 37 ? Jia Ren - Dwelling People, Family Person.

Such a one as this belongs in their group, family, or community - In the human world. To stay in the Underworld would be to drown or become mad (drunk / their mind lost). They would be over their head.

So it is that the One who is here is now in the wrong place and must leave.

One option, as indicated in this line, is to return to the world and the affairs of it. Though, still, they are transformed.

The fork in the road is that there is possibly an option, for some, to move on to the energy or space of Hx.64.

But for all ? ?No-one should dwell here?... Whichever way - They must leave. (on to 37 or on to 64) - They must leave or be lost!

This is the ?Revolving door ? Return to Jia Ren (37) or move on to the time of Hx.64

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Hexagram 64 - Not Yet Ascended!
Our One has made the ?cleansing and stripping? change of themselve?s by traversing the Underworld? After this some may have returned to the World as in Jia Ren.

Others it seems, having also been enabled to ?cleanse and strip?, leave the pit in Hx.63 and approach the time of Hx.64

The Underworld pit has already been crossed in Hx.63.

Looking at the Trigrams - Here we have ?fire? over ?the pit?? The bright spirit rising out of the Underworld - ascending.

Line 1
?Soaking One?s Tail
Distress.

"Soaking one's Tail.
Truly not knowing the end indeed"

Commentary: This one is still in the Wet Shadow Lands. His tail is wet!
We know how inappropriate it is to stay in 63.6... This one, too, now has to leave!
For this one there was no end in 64 ? ?Already complete? - This one continues on, ?Not yet complete?.

This line resonates with or is in a harmonic relationship with the energy of Hx.38
Parting - Turning away ? ?Diverging the Shadow Lands?

The Image: Fire over Lake or Marsh:
"Fire above Marsh below. Diverging
A chun tzu uses concording and dividing"

Commentary:
The Noble One rises up out of the lake (shadow land). Through finding harmony he leaves it.

Line 2
?Pulling back one?s wheels.
Trial auspicious.

Trial Auspicious
Centring using moving and correcting indeed?

Commentary: This is going to be very good ? but such a one should not move yet (?Pull those wheels back - the wagon at the front there please! ? Yes You!?) The immense energy in this one is not yet stable ? Care is needed to keep it balanced.

This line resonates with or is in a harmonic relationship with the energy of Hx.35
Progress - Flourishing - A Rising Sun

Image: The trigrams show a Sun rising out of the Earth - Fire Rising above the Earth.
"Prospering. Advancing indeed.
Brightness issuing forth above the Earth
Yielding and congregating reaches to great brightening."

Commentary: The time and the potential energy is advancing.
This one yields to the moment and gathers themselves ? they are beginning the time of their ?Great Brightening?.

Line 3
?Not yet fording. Chastising Pitfall.
Advantageous to step into the Great River. Harvesting.

Not yet fording, chastising: pitfall.
Situation not appropriate indeed.?

Commentary: Still it is not time to move. Any interference, by the One in this place, them self or correction, by themselves, now will lead to an ending to this energy flow. Such a one must not interfere with the energy growing inside them.

This line resonates with or is in a harmonic relationship with the energy of Hx.50
The Vessel or Ting

Image: "Above wood possessing fire. The Vessel.
A chun tzu uses correcting the situation to solidify fate."

Commentary: This one is in the vessel! They are the offering! This offering confirms their destiny. But first it must cook, so to speak ? finish this transformation ? complete the process.

Line 4
?Trial: Auspicious, repenting extinguished.
Shake avails of subjugating souls on all sides.
Three years revolved, possessing gifts in the Great City. [Revolved means years elapsed]

Trial: Auspicious, repenting extinguished.
Shake avails of subjugating on all sides.
Purpose moving indeed.?

Commentary: This could almost be a Judaic text! The extinguishing of repenting and doubt. Note the word extinguish here. Do we have the Judaic concept of forgiveness here? Has this one expiated the need for repentance? Note that we have a thunderous shaking such as to make even souls subjugated! This is the beginning of movement out of the pit / the shadow land. Do the three years expended (an echo of the three years in 63.3) mean that it has taken this time for this energy to build, in the first three lines of 64 to this point?

This line resonates with or is in a harmonic relationship with the energy of Hx.4
Meng ? Ignorance ? Unaware
Image: A spring issuing forth from under a mountain ? A new beginning.

Commentary: Do we see someone here who is beyond ?ego? ? Reborn? A new beginning - a rebirth into a new time/space? And that time space could be here/now or there/then or maybe they are the same.

Line 5
?Trial Auspicious, without repenting.
A chun tzu?s shining.
There is a connection to the spirits. Auspicious.

A chun tzu?s shining.
One?s brilliance auspicious indeed.?

Commentary: Not even dark glasses with shade your eyes when looking at such a one as this. Even at line 4 this one ?subjugated souls? with their glory? this one is beyond my conception at this present moment!

This line resonates with or is in a harmonic relationship with the energy of Hx.6
Sung: Conflict / Arguing ? Pleading a case before the prince.

Image: Heaven above a stream.
Commentary: The stream is the stream of life, heaven is above it. Arguing? - Best try the word JUDGEMENT.

Line 6
?There is a connection to the spirit in drinking liquor.
Without fault
Soaking one?s head
There is a connection to the spirit in letting go what is past.

Drinking liquor, soaking the head.
Truly not knowing, articulating indeed.?

Commentary: Hmm? There?s a party at the end to celebrate this one?s arrival ? Great Rejoicing ? So the Great Spirit does care!

Is that bottom line saying: ?No man can speak of this ? it is beyond their comprehension??

This line resonates with or is in a harmonic relationship with the energy of Hx.40
Loosening / Deliverance

Image: Thunder above the pit.
Commentary on the image: Thunderous glory risen out of the pit. Thunder the force that stirs up and creates.

From the Image / (Judgement)
?Loosening West and South Advantageous
Without a place to go:
Coming and returning auspicious.
Having a direction to go:
Daybreak Auspicious.?

Commentary on the Judgement:
This one has untangled themselves and has returned home (West and South)
There is no longer a need to go places ? ?being? is the place now
This one has returned ? the ultimate return to the centre, the Dao
There is still a direction to go ? there is a purpose to this.
This is a Great Dawn


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Footnote:
So perhaps there are 60 Hexagrams which deal with the affairs of this world. For 1:2 are the Creating : Forming moment which gives birth to the world and 63:64 are perhaps the Great Revolving Door of - Return to Complete : Ascension.

Perhaps the strings, on which we play our song are held taught, as on the weavers loom, between these two great pillars.

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With deep thanks to many at clarity for all of your work which I used here and who unwittingly led me on with questions and answers.

Also and including:
LiSe Heyboer: http://www.anton-heyboer.org/i_ching/index.html
Bradford Hatcher: http://www.hermetica.info/
Steve Marshall ?The Mandate of Heaven? Columbia Univ. Press 2001 ? For the many keys therein.
Karcher, Stephen "Total I Ching" Time Warner Books London 2003
Karcher, Stephen "I Ching" Vega London 2002

And of course
Hilary Barrett: http://www.onlineclarity.co.uk/ - Who provided the Ting!


--Kevin

 

[cheiron]

Edited the above - Substantial corrections made.

--Kevin

 

[joang]

Kevin,
I liked the piece, and it did not seem long while I was reading it.

About this line, 64.5, you wrote:
"This line resonates with or is in a harmonic relationship with the energy of Hx.6
Sung: Conflict / Arguing ? Pleading a case before the prince.
Image: Heaven above a stream.
Commentary: The stream is the stream of life, heaven is above it. Arguing? - Best try the word JUDGEMENT."

In place of 'arguing' how about "justifying one's existence'? Judgement would then follow upon that. What do you think?

jg

 

[soshin]

Food for the heart-mind for a week.
What should I say....?
I simply quit.... No....
We'll meet again here in a week.....

...seems to be the bodhisattvas path....

as shown in....

http://www.panlatrevo.com/texts/tenox


...will ask my teacher about that...


Thank you, and Namaste, Kevin.

Soshin

 

[gene]

This is great stuff! It also relates somewhat to what has been posted in Val's thread, Yi and Christianity. Wow! Kevin, keep writing.

Gene

 

[tashiiij]

hi kev- just a thought, occured, mostly sprang from your word choices on 63 4. -- just that, there are places in the river where the enrgy is so high voltage that the opening of a small doubt , could tear through and blast a hole in the boat. --suck the person thru - you know, the person will have no control. have as much choice as a drop of water in a hurricane. maybe one of the tricks of passing the gate of 63 4 is just maintaining presence of mind. if you can do that, youre doing a lot .

 

[shelley]

Hi Kevin.

There's so much here to digest, especially in the light of my reading for 2004. Thank you! I'll be alert for resonances with the progress thru' the lines of 64 & keep you posted.

Love,

Shelley

 

[candid]

Kevin,

Interesting depiction. Reminds me very much of the Tibetan Book of the Dead.

C

 

[hilary]

Wow... now I know who that overtaking blur in my conceptual space was

This is wonderful - I'll be asking for more just as soon as I have caught up...

Hexagram 62 reminds me of the stories from various cultures of the hero's return. He's reached the truth or the heroine (or both), and now passes back into the ordinary world, comes back down to earth. Typically he has problems making the new message fit into the old forms. Maybe he suddenly finds that from the perspective of the ordinary world, he's become old.

Soshin - have you seen Eric's thoughts on 64 and Buddhism? You might enjoy them.

 

[cheiron]

Not ignoring folk - have flu and going to work too ughhh - so tired - comments above raising many exciting ideas - thanks for taking trouble - will get back when I can.

Warmly

--Kevin

 

[cheiron]

Hi Joang

Yes, it could be. There is so much that I haven?t got inside yet? I am still working on it ? I am going to try some different 'tools' to see what they yield up.

Glad you like the piece

--Kevin

 

[cheiron]

Hi Soshin

Food for me too? later realised I dreamt 63 some months back ? never realised until after I posted ? dreamt it again last night with a message delivered whilst I was down there?

I would love to hear what your teacher says ? There is a very Buddhist feel to it but I am afraid I know little of Buddhism.

At one point I was thinking of Hx.3 ? 62 as being a great ?inhale? by the Dao - Drawing us back to the source and 63.6 being an exhale ? recreated and back to tread our path further.

I suspect there is a lot here? Am still working on it.

Thanks for the encouragement.

--Kevin

 

[cheiron]

Ahh, Gene
So it does - As a devout non Christian the imagery caused me ?not a little shock?

Tashiij
Yes ? I like that ? It has a feel of the immense power and tension of the time ? Keeping a present and centred mind does seem to be the key. - Thanks

Shelley
Do keep me posted ? Hope your journey is a good one!

Candid
From the little I remember of that book ? Yes ? I have made a note to get a copy from the library ? I was surprised to find this imagery here in the oldest layers of the Yi Jing ? Long before Buddhism etc ? Are they universal images? It is interesting I agree.

Hilary
Yes, I like that ? It got me thinking ? It fits well with Stephen Karcher?s idea of shadow site ? He proposed that ?? the shadow sequence that runs backwards from 64 to 1. This reverse flowing of time evokes the mystic process of death and re-birth. It also establishes the Shadow site, the event or experience that is acting as the entangler and antagonist in the given situation.? ? 61:62 is the shadow of 3:4 (the new beginning). Thanks for that thought, had missed it ? I think I will be exploring this pair and 61:62 for a while. Thanks for the link ? I enjoyed those thoughts imensley.

Thanks all for your thoughts and encouragement

--Kevin

 

[candid]

Kevin,

Of course I can't say for sure whether its intuitive knowledge or reasonable deduction. From some of the frightening imagery, I can't conclude its wishful thinking. Like all archetypal images, the idea resurfaces throughout humankind's history.

What is especially interesting to me is how these ideas surface in someone with limited knowledge; knowledge beyond learned or devloped traditions. It demonstrates the real creativity of life to find a way. Or show the way?

C

 

[cheiron]

Hi Candid

I am not sure that the imagery is necessarily frightening? but it is dramatic for sure!

At one level we all make such journeys. The detective who delves into the shadowy world of a crime to bring the law to bear in the bright light of civilised society?

The Children?s social worker who performs similar acts and who hopefully can bring a child from the torments of their Underworld into the bright sunshine of a childhood with love, laughter, hope and growing.

Chuckling ? sometimes limited training (received formal knowledge) conveys a small advantage ? that of lack of entanglement ? but the potential for making errors is also great?

--Kevin