Memorizing the I Ching: 34. Ta Chuang / The Power of the Great

[Sparhawk]

A belated welcome back, Rosada!!

 

[rosada]

Thank you, Luis! How kind of you to say so!

 

[rosada]

Nine in the third place means:
The inferior man works through power.
The superior man does not act thus.
To continue is dangerous.
A goat butts against a hedge
And gets his horns entangled.

Making a boast of power leads to entanglements, just as a goat entangles its horns when it butts against a hedge. Whereas an inferior man revels in power when he comes into possession of it, the superior man never makes this mistake. He is conscious at all times of the dangers of pushing ahead regardless of circumstances, and therefore renounces in good time the empty display of force.

 

[rosada]

I'm thinking this could refer to a person feeling overly confident, like they know what the ultimate outcome is, this line says you can't force it, you have to let reality emerge.

 

[charly]

Nine in the third place means:
The inferior man works through power.
The superior man does not act thus.
To continue is dangerous.
A goat butts against a hedge
And gets his horns entangled.

Rosada:

Chinese text, W/B version and from another sources:

小xiao3 人ren2: inferior man (W/B) / Small-People
用yong4: works (W/B) / uses , applies
壯zhuang4: power (W/B) / strengt, force

君jun1 子zi3: superior man (W/B) / Noble-Young
用yong4: act (W/B) / uses, applies
罔wang3: does not (W/B) / to deceive

貞zhen1: to continue (W/B) / to persevere, to divinate, omen
厲li4: dangerous (W/B) / hard, difficult

羝\di1羊yang2: goat (W/B) / ram [di is a billy goat, a male goat and yang is a lamb]
觸chu4: butts against (W/B) / knock against
藩fan1: hedge (W/B) / fence [hedge → a living obstacle, fence → circular palisade]

羸lei2: gets entangled (W/B) / entangled, lean, weak [weaken → excessive for a lamb]
其qi2: his (W/B) / his, its
角jiao3: horns (W/B) / horn, horn-shaped [can be singular only a horn or something like a horn]

Maybe closer to the chinese text:

While force (maybe numerical force) is mainly applied by Small People, strategy (trick, deceive) is mainly applied by Noble Youngs.

To choose between force and strategy is presumable a hard matter.

When the ram uses force, the environment weaken his horn, he becomes like a small lamb.

W/B warning us: do not «pushing ahead regardless of circumstances»

Yours,

Charly

 

[rosada]

Fooling around a bit..I'm seeing 34 as being about Intention, and the importance of not forcing one's desires, but rather about focusing on a goal and then not giving up.

34.
The Power of Intention
You can do anything you set your mind to.
Just don't give up,
And don't act weird.

34.1
In the beginning we're filled with enthusiasm
But we don't know the territory,
What unseen energies oppose our own.
Careful, a false step now will set the tone
For along time to come.

34.2
Good, we're still here
But that doesn't mean we've won,
Or tell how things will Turn Out.
Patience, patience.

34.3
Oh! It's tempting to offer bribes
Or boast or bluff,
Or Do Something to make it HAPPEN.

34.4
Better to just
Keep on
Keeping on.

*Note we're now passing the Yang lines and entiring the relm of the Yin. It's as if living with Intention has gone on long enough that now the unformed universe will align on it's own with our inner intention.

34.5
The Universe no longer opposes.
Indeed, it rises up to greet us.

34.6
Coast awhile.

 

[rosada]

Trying to get a handle on 34. The Power of The Great I've gone back to looking at the trigram Ch'ien and particularly the first line of Ch'ien and examining what it means in combination with all eight of the trigrams. What emerges is a reacuring admonishment not to waste energy forcing things. By compariosn, previous hexagrams involving Ch'ien just sort of say take it easy and 34.1 becomes a dire warning.

My thinking...

Ch'ien first appears in hex1.

1.1
Hidden dragon. Do not act.

Here we get the streight advice,"It's too soon. Don't waste your energy. Don't try to force things. The time is not yet ripe." Interesting 1.1 changes to 44. Temptation. So we're feeling tempted to force something, but we're advised to wait until temptation becomes clear guidance?

5.1
Waiting in the meadow.
It furthers one to abide in what endures.
No blame.

We are again cautioned against the premature use of strength and flat out told, "WAIT!" 5.1>48. We Wait and all is Well?

9.1
Return to the way.
How can there be blame in this?
Good fortune.

In 9.1 there seems to have been a bit of pressing forward - perhaps only the gentle sence that we are Waiting for something, which is slightly different from being simply totally focused in the Now - but this change of perception - from being here Now to Waiting - is so gentle that there has been no harm done, nothing to prevent us from moving from Waiting back to pure Being. 9.1> 57 thus the Wind blowing forward then back.

11.1
When ribbon grass is pulled up, the sod comes with it.
Each according to his kind.
Undertakings bring good fortune.

Here Ch'ien recognizes no man is an island. 11.1>46,When consciousness links with other like minded energies it leads to Pushing Upward, the direct rise from obscurity to power. No need for using force. Thus by simply Being we gain increased Awareness = Power.

(Interesting, this hexagram leads directly to 34 by way of line 4, that is,
11.4>34,
He flutters down, not boasting of his wealth,
Together with his neighbor,
Guiless and sincere.)

14.1
No relationship with what is harmful;
There is no blame in this.
If one remains concious of the difficulty,
One remains without blame.

Perhaps the most positive position for Ch'ien. Seems to promise that we're only required to stay conscious of the difficulties. No need to assume we know what to do, no need to waste energy trying to force anything. Just stay conscious and we'll evolve from 14.1 > 50!

26.1
Danger is at hand. It furthers one to desist.

Whoa, after all the gentle chats with Ch'ien we're now entering the relm of hardcore tell it like it is. 26.1 > 18 reads like a reprimand, "Look at the mess you're gonna make. If you try to DO anything You'll only have to clean it up." and it gets worse...

34.1
Power in the toes.
Continuing brings misfortune.
This is certainly true.

We're out of the classroom. This is a real world WARNING: Hold off! 34.1 > 32. Enduring. What you do now will set the tone for a long time and mistakes made now will not be so easily cleaned up.

43.1
Mighty in the forward-striding toes.
When one goes and is not equal to the task,
One makes a mistake.

Oh boy, does this read like a mother who's given up trying to control her rebellious teenager? He's going out the door. You can't stop him. Just one last warning, "Pleeese be careful, you don't know what you're getting yourself into and frankly it looks like it's going to be total disaster." 43.1 > 28. But hey, ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

 

[martin]

Welcome back Rosada!
I was off line for a while because my computer died. Bought a new one, only to get entangled in the hedge of Vista. Why can't I use my compiler? Admin rights! Why does my program not write files?! Admin rights! Why is the harddisk spinning again? Installing security updates! Grmp!
These guys at Microsoft must have had a collective attack of paranoia when they made this.
But I have disabled most of the nonsense now. I still have my horns but the hedge or fence or whatever it is is gone. 34.4?

 

[rosada]

Hey, Martin!
is certainly the icon for 34.3! glad to hear the situation has evolved to 34.4.
I'm not quite ready to take up that line yet. I'm obsessing over Ch'ien one hexagram at a time. But if others want to move forward don't wait for me. I'll catch up in a day or two.

Meanwhile I'm now looking at how line 2 in Ch'ien manefests in the eight hexagrams. The pattern I'm seeing emerging is a sence that to make anything happen one's intention ought not be to MAKE something happen, to force change, but rather to connect with everything as it is in the NOW. When one is totally accepting of the way things are as they are, it seems that then any obstacles to the desired change dissolve because they are no longer conceptualized as obstacles.

Rats. Have to stop now. To Be Continued.

 

[rosada]

Okay, back to studying the first trigram in Ta Chuang / The Power of the Great.

Line one of Ch'ien seems to be about all the variations of holding off from acting before the time is ripe.

Line two gives an ample reward with a sence of expanded awareness...

1.2
Dragon appearing in the field.
It furthers one to see the great man.

By not announcing one's own intentions but by simply waiting and watching, someone on your same wave length comes into focus, someone a bit a head of you so you don't have to do all the work alone. 1.2 > 13 Fellowship. Simply hitch your wagon to this star.

5.2
Waiting on the sand.
There is some gossip.
The end brings good fortune.

When one dragon stands out, the others don't simply disappear. When one idea seems best, alternatives still attract our attention. No need to argue or debate, simply stay focused on your path. The doubts will calm down. 5.2 > 63. After Completion. Wonderful. Keep your eye on your goal, don't give power to negative thinking and BING your vision manefests, just sweep up the dust. I think of the sculpter who was asked, "How do you carve an elephant?" his reply, "Just get a block and chip everything away that is not an elephant."

9.2
He allows himself to be drawn into returning.

Thus far our consciousness has conceived an awareness of what we would like to experience, but has also realized that nothing can be gained through force. By patiently watching and waiting we have recognized others who share our motivations, but now also recognized the presence of energies working at cross purposes. That is, at first we could only see why our idea would work, now we are getting strong enough to recognize why it might not, what are the obstacles. By aligning our energies with others moving in the same direction, who see things our way, we expand our awareness, gain confidence. Now one can ask something along the lines of, "If this is such a great idea, what's stopping it from happening?" and now recognize important obstacles not recognized before. 9.2 > 61. Does this mean we'll see the obstacles that arise from within ourselves? Kinda like the group here assuring me, You can go to Ecuador if you want to, but now, are you sure you really want to?

11.2
Bearing with the uncultured in gentleness,
Fording the river with resolution,
Not neglecting what is distant,
Not regarding one's companions:
Thus one may manage to walk in the middle.

Here we have a beautiful thought on how to be a team player. No longer looking for just one's own advantage, we realize we are connected to a group and until the group is able to move forward we will only experience rebuff. I get an image of trying to squeeze into a tight dress. You might be able to get it over your head, but what about your hips? 11.2 > 33. Better Retreat until you spot a larger size..Or maybe a better example would be wanting to move. You can carry your suitcase but the rest of the family has to move their things too. It might be best to hold off until you find a....

14.2
A big wagon for loading.
One may undertake something.
No blame.

Now we have a wonderful feeling of all the power, all the intention, all the awareness of Ch'ien being focused in the same direction. Everybody, every thought consciously choosing to work together. 14 > 30, Voluntary compliance.

26.4
The axletrees are taken from the wagon.

You might have expected that at this point there would be a sence of moving forward, but just the opposite. The first sence of team effort is one of complete agreement NOT to move forward. I think this translates to meaning when wanting to make changes it is wise to first consider what is working as things are. 26.2 > 22.Grace. I think of the phrase, "What ever IS, is best." Consider how the world is in balance and harmony with things as they are.

34.2
Perseverance brings good fortune.

Looking at this line without considering the other manefestations of Ch'ien's second position can give the impression that one is being given the go ahead with their intentions. However, when we consider what line two has meant in other hexagrams of Ch'ien it becomes obvious that Ch'ien's second position is about strengthening connections, stopping, stabilizing, but not making changes. Thus in 34.2 "Perseverance" doesn't mean "Go ahead with YOUR plans," but rather, "Continue being calm and aware of what other people are planning." 34.2 > 55. Abundance. Does this change line mean at this point things are going to beome obvilus without you having to do much of anything?

43.2
A cry of alarm. Arms at evening and at night.
Fear nothing.

READINESS is everything! If reason triumphs, the passions withdraw of themselves.
All through this examination of line two I'm seeing that at this time it's all about being aware of what's going on around you. If one can keep from being swept along by passion, REASON will find a way.
43.2 > 49. Revolution. On your own day you are believed. Supreme success, Furthering through perseverance. Remorse disappears.

I like that line, "On your own day you are believed." and the further comment, "Thus the superior man sets the calendar in order and makes the seasons clear." Like, if you're going to be believed on your own day, best you find out what that day is!

 

[rosada]

Well I'm afraid I have created a big roadblock here and I must complete my trigram study project before this thread moves forward. Hows that for an example of 34.3, getting ones horns entangled?

Okay looking at all the possible permutations of line three in the trigram Ch'ien...

!.3
All day long the superior man is creatively active.
At nightfall his mind is still beset with cares.
Danger. No blame.

More and more I'm getting that Ch'ien is about that spark of life we each have and the trick of living our own life to the fullest without over stepping our boundries and imposing on anyone elses spark. Ultimately the goal seems to be to align with other sparks, but not overpower. And also, not to be overpowered. Anyway, 1.2 seems to be that moment of spotting someone, The Dragon, you would like to align with, the role model, and then 1.3 is about doing everything you can where you are with what you have to make that connection. Like, maybe you want to be a movie star when you grow up. 1.3 would encourage you to start putting on plays in your bedroom.

5.3
Waiting in the mud
Brings about the arrival of the enemy.

On the cusp of the trigram K'AN, The Abysmal, Ch'ien here certainly gives the sence of danger and the need for caution. I visualize that the eager enthusiast of 1.3 has so out shown his fellow classmates that now he's gotten their emnity. That is, Ch'ien cannot go beyond his rightful place, just as a student will not be promoted midsemester. So a star pupil must continue to be a part of the class, he must be careful not to make the other students look bad.

9.3
The spokes burst out of the wagon wheels.
Man and woman roll their eyes.

Line 3 is all about being at the cusp of the upper hexagram. It's the trickiest position. Here in The Taming Power of the Small, the power of Ch'ien is particularly difficult. It's as if in hex 1 and 5 the power is expanding but it is the nature of energy to travel or something, so the one who had the power before no longer has it. Now the power is with the weak. I don't know, having a hard time grasping this idea. But anyway, 9.3 changes to 57. the gentle wind that blows one way and then another, suggesting that what goes up comes down. I think the main point for Ch'ien here is that we're seeing things change and we can't assume that things will always go in the same direction.

11.3
No plain not followed by a slope
No going not followed by a return
He who remains persevering in danger
Is without blame.
Do not complain about this truth;
Enjoy the good fortune you still possess.

Well this seems to be the resolution to 9.3 I mean, 9.3 seems like a lot of arguing about the ups and downs of fate and PEACE here seems to be saying, yep, and that's just the way it is. 11.3 changes to 19, a very encouraging hexagram for saying if you can accept 11.3 you've really got it made.

14.3
A prince offers it to the Son of Heaven.
A petty man cannot do this.

Seems to be continuing the advice of how to handle power when you start to realize that personal power doesn't last. Maybe the Teacher's Pet is no longer interested in being the top student, but now really wants to help the teacher help the others become top students.

26.3
A good horse that follows others.
Awareness of danger,
With perseverance, furthers.
Practice chariot driving and armed defence daily.
It furthers one to have somewhere to go.

That line "A good horse that follows others" seems to be the real tip off to what Ch'ien line three is all about. The importance of being the best you can be, but still maintaining your position in the group. Then "Practie...daily." Somehow this is a situation where one can practice using their power without fear of reprocussions. Does the upper trigram, Ken, Keeping Still mean God or Karma is Keeping Still and you can try your moves, practice, without fear? 26.3 > 41 Decrease. A time for consciously learning to control one's power?

34.3
The inferior man works through power,
The superior man does not act thus.
To continue is dangerous.
A goat butts against a hedge
And gets his horns entangled.

Okay, so now we come to our hexagram of interest and hopefully now after having gone through all the lines leading up to this we can understand more easily why the goat is getting his horns entangled. Over and over the warning seems to be in Ch'ien line three to not proceed alone, or not to push rashly forward. To control one's Power Impulse. Line 34.3 seems to be the place where all this good advice and training is put to the test. And as the Upper trigram is Chen, shock, surprise, the arousing, it appears that no matter how carefully we prepare, there's always a surprise out there. 34.3 leads to 54. The dreaded Marrying Maiden, the symbol of the powerful hidden unconscious drives. The blind spot?

43.3
To be powerful in the checkbones
Brings misfortune.
The superior man is firmly resolved.
He walks alone and is caught in the rain.
He is bespattered,
And people murmur against him.
No blame.

Wilhelm calls this an ambiguous situation and this may discribe the whole problem for trigram Ch'ien. Ch'ien is power and energy, but the reality of life is that power and energy exist all over, and to know whether the energies surrounding us are for or against us can never be known or at least not for long. And thus the challenge to stay centered, to not say too much, to not over commit (power in the cheekbones brings misfortune) but at the same time to be true to one's own beliefs. At first this may cause difficulties, but 43.3 leads to 58, suggesting that ultimately we are understood and we join with friends. I think in practice this can also mean that the big surprise that got us so entangled in 34.3 maybe that we come to see that the other fellows viewpoint that we may have been in opposition to since 9.3 turns out to actually have merit. Or at least that if we can calm down and not insist on seeing things only from our own perspective,we can hear what the other fellow has to say and find a way out of stuck positions - without the use of force.
Ultimately, as in studying these lines it appears to me the I Ching is telling us that the "goal" in life and what one should be seeking is not some sort of superiority over others, but a sence of comradery, the 58.Joy of discussion and practice with friends.

 

[rosada]

34.4 Nine in the fourth place means:
Perseverance brings good fortune.
Remorse disappears.
The hedge opens; there is no entanglement.
Power depends on the axle of a big cart.

 

[martin]

Very interesting, Rosada!

It seems to me that line 3 of the heaven/ch'ien based hexagrams is always about finding some sort of balance between heaven and lake, the trigram that results when line 3 of heaven changes.

Lake is open, social, extravert, adaptive, supple, easy going, happy, fun seeking, and so on.
Heaven is closed (well, not so open), strong, determined, singleminded, powerful, etc.

Sometimes there is clearly too much heaven and the advice is to add some or a lot of lake to the soup. Sometimes it's a mix.
In 11.3, for example, the subject is advised to accept that things always change (lake is more open than heaven and because of that less stable and more changeable) and enjoy (lake!) the good fortune while it lasts.
But 'persevere' (in danger) is an aspect of heaven, so it seems that the Yi advises to hold on to heaven to a certain extent and try to find a balance between the two trigrams.

Something similar in 26.3. The subject follows others (the social aspect of lake) but 'awareness of danger' (in this case the 'danger' seems to come from lake, openness makes one more vulnerable) and the advice to practise chariot driving and armed defence. Again, hold on to heaven, remain strong.
'It furthers one to have somewhere to go' is also more like heaven, I think. Lake doesn't have a fixed purpose.

In every third line of the heaven based hexagrams the combination of heaven and lake plays out differently. It's fascinating.

 

[martin]

I see that you often looked at the relating hexagram, while I look more at the 'relating trigram'. Does that make a difference? Maybe not! But in any case, if line 1 of ch'ien changes it becomes wood, not one of the most active trigrams. Unless it's a gentle kind of action.
Often the advice is indeed 'do not act', but not always. Again a balancing, in this case between heaven and wood? Don't know yet, I hesitate, have to think about it more, like wood.

 

[rosada]

Ooooh, that is so cool, Martin. Looking at the relating trigram adds a whole 'nother level of understanding. So now one could consider the wood/wind element of every first line of all the Ch'ien hexagram, and next the fire element, Li, in all the second lines, and of course the Tui hidden in every third line changing Ch'ien hexagram. Hmmm, I'm a little burned out...nice if someone else out there has the enthusiasm to chart out what it all means.

 

[rosada]

It occurs to me that Ch'ien, the trigram known for Power, immediately becomes weak when there is a change in the first position. That is, when the very first bottom line changes, the trigram changes to Sun, the trigram known for being gentle, weak and undecided. So this may say something about hexagrams made up of Ch'ien at the bottom with a change in the first place. This may be a warning that we are not as strong, all knowing, all powerful as Ch'ien had us assuming.

1.1 > 44. Sun warning you are weaker than you realize, maybe a powerful unconscious urge - 44.Marrying Maiden - could sabotage you?
5.1 > 48. Patience. Take on too much and - 48 - the rope may break?
9.1 > 57 Your resolve is weak, you could be swept away by the next wind?
11.1 > 46 Acknowledging weakness encourages one to seek strength?
14.1 > 50. Wow, being aware of weakness, but not indulging in it, not focusing on negative thinking but being aware the possibilities, leads to The Caldron, Supreme good fortune?
26.1 > 18 I love how 26 seems to always just tell it streight. With a broken change line at the beginning of The Taming Power of the Great obviously the power ain't so great. Clean up your act, compose yourself. If your wishes were granted today you wouldn't want what you get - it would be a hex. 18 Mess.
34.1 > 32. Oh boy, major weakness revealed here.
43.1 > 28. Likewise here.

Anyway, I'm sure other sides and subleties of wind/wood can be found in the variations of Ch'ien, but I'm delighted to just recognize how much it's element of weakness informs the trigram. Really makes you realize that Ch'ien has to be careful not to be seen as bluffing or naive.

 

[charly]

... I look more at the 'relating trigram'... if line 1 of ch'ien changes it becomes wood, not one of the most active trigrams. Unless it's a gentle kind of action.
Often the advice is indeed 'do not act', but not always...

Martin:

The gentle isn't quit of strenght (1) the trigram >|| is not only wood, but also wind, elder daugther... As wood is living wood, like a tree, a branch, a root. As ruins prove meanwhile dead wood don't survive stone, living wood can destroy the tallest walls. Not inactive indeed but gentle penetrating like the wind, that can erosionate mountains.

The tree always begins like a sprout but can move rocks, fixes the sun energy.

From: http://www.eigotown.com/culture/tjapan/kanji/kanji_p2.shtml​

Yours,

Charly

______________________
(1) in spanish «lo cortés no quita lo valiente»

 

[martin]

Agree, Charly, wind/wood is strong, given time. And it is not really inactive, although it may seem so compared to thunder. Short term effects are small but if it endures it can move mountains. Something that 'Blitzkrieg' (lightning war) thunder may not be able to accomplish.

 

[charly]

Agree, Charly, wind/wood is strong, given time. And it is not really inactive, although it may seem so compared to thunder. Short term effects are small but if it endures it can move mountains. Something that 'Blitzkrieg' (lightning war) thunder may not be able to accomplish.

Hi, Martin:

Mao Zedong tells a story about ...

... an old man who lived in northern China long, long ago ... His house faced south and beyond his doorway stood the two great peaks, Taihang and Wangwu, obstructing the way. With great determination, he led his sons in digging up these mountains hoe in hand.

Another greybeard, known as the Wise Old Man, saw them and said derisively,
"How silly of you to do this! It is quite impossible for you to dig up these two huge mountains."

The Foolish Old Man replied,

"When I die my sons will carry on; when they die, there will be my grandsons and then their sons and grandsons, and so on to infinity. High as they are, the mountains cannot grow any higher and with every bit we dig, they will be that much lower. Why can't we clear them anyway?"

Having refuted the Wise Old Man's wrong view, he went on digging every day, unshaken in his conviction. God was moved by this, and he sent down two angels, who carried the mountains away on their backs.

Today, two big mountains lie like a dead weight on the Chinese people. One is imperialism, the other is feudalism. The Chinese Communist Party has long made up its mind to dig them up. We must persevere and work unceasingly, and we too, will touch God's heart. Our God is none other than the masses of the Chinese people. If they stand up and dig together with us, why can't these mountains be cleared away?

Mao Zedong (June 11, 1945)
From: http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/china/gov/speech.htm#The Foolish Old Man Who Removed the Mountains

A folktale once more told.

Yours,

Charly

 

[rosada]

Yes, with these insights now it seems inappropriate to translate wind/wood as some how being weak.

 

[rosada]

34.5
Six in the fifth place means:
Loses the goat with ease.
No remorse.

The goat is noted for hardness outwardly and weakness within. Now the situation is such that everything is easy; there is no more resistance. One can give up a belligerent, stubborn way of acting and will not have to regret it.

 

[dobro p]

Mules are stubborn.

Goats are impulsive. (I take that from western astrology, which puts Aries at the head of the astrological year, and says that one of its main traits is impulsiveness.)

Didn't King Wen ever see a donkey? Dunno. Bet he saw lots of goats though.

 

[rosada]

Seems to me there is a lot of caution in 34 to not force things, to not need to be first. Aries - ruled by The Ram - is the sign of initiating things. So 34.5 can be remembered as the line that says giving up the Ram, the need to initiate.
Capricorn is ruled by the goat. Capricorn is known for insisting that things be done in a strict, by the rules fasion. Perhaps "giving up the goat" can remind us that here at 34.5 we no longer need to be so rule bound.

 

[dobro p]

I think of initiating something as neutral - what you initiate can be positive or negative or neutral. But impulsiveness - acting immediately without reflection or restraint - is seen as negative by just about everybody who values wisdom.

It seems to me that the goats in the Yi are symbols of something weak and negative. That's why the stupid goat gets stuck in the hedge - impulsive butting. Why did the goat butt the hedge in the first place? It must either have been a very stupid goat, or the goat must have been trying to butt something else and missed and got stuck in the hedge. In either case, it was the impulsiveness that got it there, not stubbornness and not trying to start something.

But if you want to think of 34.5 as imaging freedom from stubbornness, that's okay too. You agree though that the goat symbolizes a negative trait, right?

 

[Trojina]

I always associate 34 with the sign of aries and the problems and strengths of Aries are those in 34 ie on the positive side alot of energy,drive and initiative, on the more negative side, insensitivity, blindness to important detail. Thats how the goat/ram gets stuck, not because he is inherently stupid but because his impulse to get where he wants to go ooverides other important considerations and blinds him to better, easier ways of doing things.

In 34.5 I don't see the goat as symbolising a negative trait just a quality that is no longer needed in this situation - and thats good news it means things are getting easier. Sometimes this stubborn blinkered determination is good and necessary, but here theres just no need for it.


Ever stubbornly pushed a door that said "PULL" lol

 

[rosada]

If I ever get around to my painting my I Ching Mural, 34 will be an illustration of a dance club or a skating rink or some such area where people have to line up to get in, but once you're in the whole experience is geared to supporting free movement.

 

[my_key]

34.5 - Your inner being develops to a level it balances more with the negative aspects of your outer shell. It allows you to feel comfortable and at ease with yourself. You can be who you need to be, act how you need to act at any particular moment, without feeling uncomfortable or guilty. You have discovered you.

Spiderman comes back from his self imposed exile. His demons are vanquished. He can live with having to forego the pleasures of Mary Jane. Is able to live with his perceived guilt for the death of Uncle Ben. Can even put up with his tacky new nano -uniform. He accepts all.

Mike

 

[rosada]

I had assumed 34.5 to be a positive line but have come across several interpretations that point out difficulties. For example, from The Portable Dragon,

34.5 The man has lost his alertness and strength because of the ease of his situation.

From Ruling Lines,

34.5 Preconceived ideas and assumptions are clouding your thinking and obscuring the guidance of your higher wisdom and inner authority. (Actually, I think this sounds like it is discribing a condition that is just passing. The "Preconceived ideas and assumptions" could be the "goat" that we are now losing with ease.)

Hmm...neither of these interpretations take into account the promise, "No remorse." I would think "No remorse" means we can release our uptight attitudes safely, or that our preconceived ideas are NOT going to override our higher wisdom.

 

[my_key]

34.5 Preconceived ideas and assumptions are clouding your thinking and obscuring the guidance of your higher wisdom and inner authority.

Hi Rosada
This seems to link nicely with my earlier post.
When you ditch all your preconceived ideas ( or do they mean ideals?) then you can truely be yourself - by that I mean the persona who you were meant to be, not the one that you have become. In many respects you have come to terms with your shadow ( loses the goat with ease?).

You can be who you need to be, act how you need to act at any particular moment, without feeling uncomfortable or guilty. You have discovered you.

As a consequence of becoming the whole you, you have accepted the responsibility of the power of the great. You are able to accept yourself as you are - the good, the bad and the ugly - and how you feel you need to behave in any circumstance - the good, the bad and the ugly - and by being able to accept all of this as you being who you are, you have no need / desire to feel remorse.

That's my sort of take on 34.5.
I think Spiderman agrees

Love and Hugs

Mike

 

[rosada]

Thanks Mike. I like how you made sence of "No remorse."