Is the world coming to an end? 24.1.3 - 15

[rosada]

So many things happening on the world scene lately that suggest a significant recalibrating of the scales that I'm wondering if the world as we know it is on course to transform in the near future.
I asked, "Is the world coming to an end in the near future?"
I received 24.1.3 - 15.

24. Return
Returning to what? God/Group Consciousness? The lines seem to discuss the repeating cycles of death and rebirth.

15. Modesty
A single consciousness, Man, ever moving forward on his appointed path.

I interpret this to be saying that consciousness will survive. Any other ideas?

 

[Trojina]

So many things happening on the world scene lately

Surely there's always been many things happening on the world scene - no more now than there ever has been.

Maybe the answer asks you to return from this line of thinking.

 

[Trojina]

What I mean is if you took any chunk of time through history you would find many things happening on the world scene. People always like to think there's so much more happening in their own time on the planet but not really.

 

[Freedda]

What I mean is if you took any chunk of time through history you would find many things happening on the world scene. People always like to think there's so much more happening in their own time on the planet but not really.

I imagine there have been many times when people thought the world as they knew it was coming to an end: during the Mongol invasions, , when the Vikings invaded England, when the Qin occupied and unified the other Chinese states, during the first and second world wars, and during the Black Plague, to name a few.

And for some their world did come to an end in very real ways. For example, for the First Nations people of western Canada who had up to 95% of their people wiped out by diseases brought by Europeans: "In British Columbia, as with depopulated regions across the continent, Europeans were literally stepping over the bones of the dead to find vast landscapes populated by small bands of traumatized survivors."

Our times are ripe for feeling this way, in part due to our access to the media and instant news from all over the world (I'm pretty sure that people who lived in the Mayan or Aztec empires were not at all concerned about the Black Plague), and because we now have the power to make our planet uninhabitable from nuclear conflict.

Further, human's reach and our impact on the environment is widespread and unprecedented, and I think there is genuine concern about how much damage we have done and will continue to do to our planet. However, barring an instant nuclear war, I don't see an end to the world in the near future.

That said, for many of us there is quite a lot going on right now that worries and concerns us. Perhaps Gua 24 is suggesting a personal Returning (a renewal, a coming home, a point of stillness) as a way to approach these difficult times. To quote the Tuan Zhaun: "turning around and returning is the way ... In returning, one sees the heart of heaven and earth."

I, for one, could do with a little more 'heart' right now.

Best, David

 

[sylvia1ching]

HEX 24: RETURN
The idea of return to me refers to the natural ebb and flow of all things. It also contains a constant element of hope. There are 5 dark lines that precede 1 light line. Transformation! Everything is in a constant change and perpetual transformation. The timing ,"near future", is relative. Asking the question "Is the world coming to an end?" is another way of saying "Is the world coming to a new beginning?" The six lines are a progression of change from its infancy to its maturity and then there is a return or turning point that takes it to another beginning.

A turning point is like the inflection on a sound wave (at the peak or low). It represents a moment of rest that is another state of movement. Movement is constant thus change is constant. Sooo..

Is the world coming to an end...not in context of nothingness...it just becomes another state of movement, a new beginning, something we as humans cannot comprehend at this moment...

Line 1:
Return from a short distance.
No need for remorse.
Great good fortune.

This lines suggest to me that you need not to worry because all will be fine or goes well. Do not allow yourself to be caught up in finality of things because it is not where your focus needs to be. How you define "the world coming to an end in the near future" needs to be clarified. How this is defined changes the amount of control you have personally. Right now you derailed yourself with such an overwhelming concept. If the question is about man's survival ... literal survival one would have to figure out if the sun is going to flame out or if there is an asteroid that is racing towards us. It is possible to check on those kinds of things. Then no the world at this moment or near future will end be ending.

I think this line is suggesting that you should not overwhelm yourself but allowing fear to take hold.

Line 3: Again the enormity of the question only distracts you from what your purpose is. By focusing on the finality of the world with qualifying the question will spin you out. You are left with great uncertainty.

"Repeated return. Danger. No Blame"

With regards to "consciousness" the mere fact that you look to the I Ching for the answer is the answer that consciousness will survive. Consciousness can also be described as Energy. Energy cannot be created or destroyed. The only thing that creates consciousness/energy is God and that is unproven but is the only explanation. Only God can create what cannot be created in context what man knows. If consciousness is energy, energy is a defined amount that cannot be destroyed, thus if the world ends and man does not exist, what will remain is the spirit, energy, consciousness.

HEX 15: MODESTY
The answer to you...take your place as man. Heaven will make full what is empty and empty what is full. In another words it is not up to you to concern yourself with Heavens will. Do the things that you do to create and do what is your purpose. Heaven has got this!
At the same time recognize the law of heaven as you see it in the waning and waxing of the moon, rise and set of the sun, erosion and mountain building.... act accordingly and

"Thus the superior man reduces that which is too much,
And augments that which is too little.
He weighs things and makes them equal."

Heaven brings balance when it supposed to and right on time...in the same way man gets to do the same by watching heaven and the immutable laws that bring balance. Do what you can do on this earth to bring peace, balance, mean, harmony.

I think you may want to consider asking a question that is more specific. How should I prepare for the end of the world? What kind of "end of the world" do you mean? The question you asked is a big one with many interpretations...and the I Ching in its beauty always gives way to possibility even in the face of finality.

 

[rosada]

Thank you all for your thoughtful responses. I think the way I worded my question created some misunderstanding. I wasn't asking from a place of personal concern but rather I was interested in knowing how the I Ching would respond to such a question and I posted the response I got because I thought 24.1.3 - 15 was a particularly fitting answer:
24. Return leading to 15. Modesty (as in, the Modest Man) seemed to be wonderfully clear way of saying the sun will come up tomorrow and mankind will keep on keeping on.
Hope so!
Anyway, I'll try to be more clear with future postings - geeze, I realize now that I even framed it as a yes - or - no question. No wonder it caused confusion.

 

[Trojina]

I wasn't asking from a place of personal concern

I believe there is no answer that does not address a 'place of personal concern'. The answer is for your consciousness it is not a statement of fact, it's a mistake to see it as a statement of fact, the answer is for you, no one else.

 

[rosada]

When I say I wasn't asking from a place of personal concern I meant I was not asking because I was feeling worried. I asked because I thought it was an obvious question to ask the I Ching in these times of unprecedented change - global warming, population explosion, proliferation of nuclear weapons. I wanted to see how the I Ching would handle the question and I was delighted with what I thought was a particularly appropriate answer and I thought others would see it that way too and enjoy yet another example of how the I Ching can give meaningful responses to any question we come up with.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

[becalm]

Hi Rosada, I understood your question as you meant it. My first thoughts are these times are a Turning Point for humankind to Return to a place of Integrity (I always seem to see Hexagram 15 as Integrity). Sure the World has gone crazy more so than ever with the invention of technology but the beautiful side of technology (to me) is that things that were hidden in the past ie sexual abuse from those in power are bringing people together as they unite and become empowered. We have more information available to us and do not have to rely on just the words of a professional (or those that THINK they know) because we can reach out to other 'normal' people who can give us the wisdom of their experience. There are more people Turning to the outlook of Higher Perspective which I see as Returning to Consciousness.....I hope one day we do all become a Universe of Mindfulness but I do think we are on our way.

 

[rosada]

Yes, Becalm, you and I are on the same page. (I like "Integrity" for 15!)
Does everyone know the game Wheel of Fortune? One letter after another is uncovered and a word or phrase is slowly revealed and then the game is over. I feel like humanity is playing some game like this in real life. Slowly the truth is revealed. oops, gotta go. more later..

 

[becalm]

Yes it's a game of Hex 5 to bring out of the Hex 36 of Hex 18. Quite often my mind goes straight to a Hexagram when things happen in my day.

 

[diamanda]

@rosada interesting to come across this thread in 2020 - it looks like the world as we knew it sort of 'ended' indeed, at least for now.

 

[rosada]

Thank you so much for re-posting this. I am seeing a message in these hexagrams I hadn't recognized then. Today I am interpreting 24.1.3. - 15. as "Return to Normal" and because I was asking as an exercise in asking a question for humanity, not just me personally, I'm thinking this answer has to do with climate change. Like, all the problems we are having are related to Mother Earth trying to Return to her Normal healthy self.

Like covid is just Nature's way of showing us how nice life could be if there weren't so much air pollution:
I remember when the lock down first started there were pictures in the news of the clear air in Los Angeles and Beijing . I thought "This will wake up people to the truth about the effects of cars and burning gas and oil! This will get some political motivation to restrict these polluters!" but it hasn't. We're back to polluting again and we're seeing a surge in covid-19 again which will be leading to another massive lock down again which will clear the polluted air again... Maybe we'll get the hint this time? 24.1.3 seems to point to having to learn the same lesson repeatedly before the person finally understands how to do what needs to be done - 15. modest consistent steps.

 

[my_key]

@ rosada
Interestingly the nuclear of Hex 24 Return is Hex 2 Earth and of Hex 15 Integrity is Hex 40 Release.
So deep motivations working towards a situation that releases the earth.

24.: Return is the start of a new cycle, typically the 1st month after the winter solstice.

Thus the ancient kings closed the borders
At the time of the solstice.
Merchants and travelers did not move about,
And princes did not go forth to inspect the provinces.

24.1 - Advocates listening to your conscience before going too far. Before regrets grow too large.
24.3 - Repeated straying (and return) only encourages the dangers to manifest more. You have to be aware of the dangerous consequences that come with teetering on the edge of crisis.

15: the context is one of swimming in a sea of respect, humility and coursesy. So maintaining this approach could bring with it eventual success of right action.

...or it may be nothing like this at all

 

[marybluesky]

Interesting thread Rosada!

I read 24.1.3>15 as the world returns to the normal (15) again and again despite all the dangers (24.3), and rather quickly (24.1).
The hidden line, 2.3, talks about perseverance.

24 is also about completing cycles, a natural pattern in the life; so I don't consider the end of a cycle to be the end the world, as it is how the world, the nature, recovers itself.

 

[rosada]

Just realized 24. ”The ancient kings closed the borders” sounds like the lockdown!

 

[diamanda]

Also, 24 is coming and going without blame, so, ease of movement. That is changing into 15.
There was no way we could predict what was coming of course...
So far I have only seen one astrologer who in 2017 accurately foresaw a 'plague' for 2020.