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Navigating the Forest of Changes

Daeluin

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When it comes to interpreting readings, things can become trickier when multiple changing lines are involved.

Or, when there is an unchanging hexagram we might not be clear on how to interpret it.

There are 4096 possible divination results, and any hexagram can change to any other hexagram, or not change at all!

The Forest of Changes is a work of poems translated by Christopher Gait that hail from around ~2,000 years ago that give answers for all 4096 possibilities.

I would like to draw more attention to this work and its value.

First, it is not exactly a commentary, and yet it is a commentary. It gives us an answer for a reading. From that answer we might get a sense of whether the reading is auspicious or inauspicious, but more than that it gives a flavor to the reading from which we can ponder on how it arrived at such a conclusion from the line changes involved.

This makes it quite valuable when it comes to interpreting a reading with more than one type of change involved.

Second, it brings with it a perspective on interpretation that is older than any other we have access to, as far as I am aware. Our received text comes from Wang Bi's tomb in the 200's, and we don't have much in the way of commentary from the Mawangdui escavation, though we do have more of a hint at the body of work known as the Apocrypha of Changes from there, that have since been lost. Those works seem to tap into how the principles of numbers were used, as in the reasoning behind why a 6 7 8 and 9 were used to determine what was stable or leading to change, which is the basis of the yarrow stalk method and the coin method derived from it. Alas, much of this information has been lost, and even the yarrow stalk method was but rediscovered, not passed down. So much of the perspective on the I Ching during the general Han era is shrouded in mystery.

Because of this, this work is also something of a double edged sword. Much is revealed in this work as to the perspective applied by its author(s), and too it comes from a much older tradition with its own social norms and approaches to life. Much like the received line statements and so on, this can make it challenging to decipher at times without careful consideration.

Third, it offers a tool for understanding how the structure of the yi was interpreted at the time. Because there are 4096 perspectives, we may find many patterns that are able to emerge that can be very revealing when we are able to make sense of them.

For example, we have a perspective on unchanging readings. We can compare the threads on unchanging hexagram accounts to what the Forest has to offer and see what may be gleaned from this.

And, sometimes we have line statements that would appear to advise not changing - so we can compare these with the Forest and see if the change represented by the Forest differs from what the line is talking about. 24 line 1 changing to hexagram 2 vs returning from not far away in relation to primacy and good fortune is a great example of this.

And, sometimes we receive a reading where two lines are changing, but each line statement says the opposite thing. Like in hexagram 30, line 5 is about remorse and weeping, and line 6 is about attacking in clarity. How do we navigate such an interpretation? The Forest provides a clear example, that when paired with a deep exploration of the dynamics within these lines of the hexagram gives a great deal of clarity to what is going on. But most of all it gives a great deal of perspective as to how this sort of complex change may be interpreted, the principle of it. Honing in on the principle behind how the Forest navigated changes like this helps inform us on more complex and advanced usage of the Yi divination, both as a window looking back, and as a tool for use now.

And that isn't the end of it. There are many type of patterns that may be explored. The Ten Wings describe quite a bit that is somewhat mysterious to work out. The Ten Wings, especially the DaZhuan, offer a philosophical perspective that has been added on to the original Zhouyi, and reveals how knowledge of use of the Yi had evolved and how it was used by a society that had a deep philosophical basis. This "philosophy" is the basis of a rigorous system of principles that provide the theories for the likes of Chinese Medicine's deep understanding of how the body works, and Chinese Astrology's systems of how the Celestial Mechanism works. Studying these things today takes quite a bit of working things out that don't seem to make sense... until it all starts to click. It is very much like discovering part of a rock formation left by an ancient civilization that makes no sense, until one is able to get a bird's eye view and realize it is one gigantic circle that has been somewhat scattered by time.

This sort of thing helped me make sense of a statement found within the ten wings' DaZhuan 1: As for Qian, in its quiescent state it is focused, and in its active state it is undeviating. This is how it achieves its great productivity. As for Kun, in its quiescent state it is condensed, and in the active state it is diffuse. This is how it achieves its capacious productivity. (tl Richard Lynn)

This is not the only part of the DaZhuan where this idea of two stages of being are found. And here the Forest gives us material to explore these types of theories to see if they were being applied. For me, reading the different Forest poems regarding hexagrams 1, 2, 11, 12, and so on for where no lines are changing or all lines are changing reveals that indeed there is a pattern of interpretation that does appear to involve active and passive states of yin and yang. For me this is an enormous revelation and informs interpretation to the next degree, however it is challenging to share this work without others thinking I am applying some new system on top of the Yi. Well that would appear hard to say. Some scholars of the Zhouyi reject the philosophical perspectives entirely, as being projections on top of the core practice. So for them, indeed this would be a projection of philosophers onto the Zhouyi. For me I see it as an evolution of comprehension of what the Yi was revealing to those who worked with it, and rather than being a projection onto the Yi I see it as evidence of what they were learning and being taught by the Yi. To me what is important is not who is right or wrong, but how we are able to make use of it to inform complicated nuances within our deciphering of change.

And to this point I find that the Forest of Changes offers an invaluable service, to those who are curious to explore its patterns.

Many thanks to Christopher Gait for his work in translating all 4096 poems, and even more for his excellent footnotes detailing the many histories they tend to mention to aid in comprehension.

Here's to hoping that this work gains more attention (and sales) and use. I tend to refer to the Forest a bit when I am interpreting a reading, as a barometer of sorts to help see if I am completely off or more in resonance with a particular interpretation. And this helps me then dig a little deeper into my interpretation of the line statements. So I find it very well suited to interpretations in Shared Readings, and yet those in Shared Readings may be very unfamiliar with this work. So I'll add this thread to my signature to help introduce readers to this work.

I'd also like to welcome others to offer their own revelations and ways of working with this work. There seems to be much to learn and reflect on about it.
 

soshin

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Thank you for recommending the Forest of Changes and your interesting insights.

I'd like to point out - in a very mundane way - that guys who have the Amazon Kindle subscription plan get this book for free for the Kindle app.
 

LoopyLazuli

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Hello! Christopher Gait just released the updated Forest of Changes/Yi Jing translation. In it, he describes the Nanjing method of identifying the primary changing line to focus on in a reading.

He uses a method in which he added up the lines of the hexagram and then subtracted it from 55. It is the only example he gives. Does anyone know where the number 55 comes from? Is it the case that I would always use the number 55 (because the maximum math would add up to 54 for any hexagram)?

Im excited to explore this translation and curious about this method. A little bummed that there aren’t verses for unchanging, but agree with OP that this is a fantastic resource.
 

Daeluin

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@LoopyLazuli Yes indeed!

Does anyone know where the number 55 comes from?

The 3rd post in this thread has a link to a PDF with that information.

To me, multiple lines have meaning, and I use them. So I don't use the Nanjing method.

Hello! Christopher Gait just released the updated Forest of Changes/Yi Jing translation.

So this is not quite an updated translation as much as a completely new I Ching work. It removes the meaning from the original Forest of Changes by completely re-associating its verses according to the author's interpretation.

The problem with the Forest of Changes is that people find it difficult to decipher, and to many it makes no sense. In addition, Christopher Gait says that its poems are about 10% more negative, while the yijing itself is slightly positive in its statements.

So in this new book Christopher has created something new out of the old, based on his own interpretation of the hexagrams, but using the verses of the Forest of Changes to supply their meaning. It is a noble endeavor, and quite a work of passion! And it is no longer the received ordering of the Forest, which itself may have been modified along the way before it got to us.

I think the new work is great for those who seek to use it, however my interest falls in the original received Forest, which exists intact enough for me to make sense of it.

From my working perspective, many of the line statements are advising that we should not allow the line to change, but to withdraw our energies from going forward with that change, in order to end up with a positive outcome. The advice of the line statements is generally counseling which direction to go in, and is only negative if the negative change is unlikely to be avoided.

But because of this, it makes perfect sense for the Forest to be more negative. The Forest shows what happens when lines do change. So for every line where the statement advises stopping the change, warning us not to go forward, we might expect a negative verse for the change actually happening.

So to me, the problems others find in the Forest validate the method that I use. And where there remains confusion, it is likely I do not yet fathom the underlying principle of change. Or in some cases perhaps the text is at fault. I am not ready to completely give up on the text however, as find what I do learn from it to provide much nuanced depth to the original line statements. But I applaud the endeavor and the effort that went into it!




Here's an example.

Hexagram 13, line 4:

(tl Cleary) Mounting the wall, unable to attack. This is auspicious.
(tl Field) Mount the walls, and they cannot be taken. There will be good fortune.

The line reveals an impasse. The change cannot go forward easily because one's advance forward is blocked or resisted. And yet because of the hexagram dynamic, this standstill can still be auspicious.

Liu Yiming's commentary (tl Cleary): Mounting obstinacy with obstinacy, others powerful and oneself strong, others and oneself cannot be of the same mind. This is likened to mounting hte wall yet being unable to attack. However, if one is firm, and yet able to be flexible, and does not try to force the issue when unable to assimilate, this too is an auspicious way of sameness with others. This is sameness with firmness and ability to be flexible.

So, unable to go forward, one operates with flexibility to harmonize with the other despite their differences. They agree to disagree. The line does not change, because one does not attack, due to the blockage. Because there is no transformational change here, 'sameness with others' can lead to an auspicious outcome when the issue is not forced any further.

But the Forest speaks of what happens when the line does change. So we can assume here the attack is pressed forward despite the blockage.

Quarreling and arguing,
Bickering ceaselessly.
Yin and Yang negate one another,
That 'East Wind' is blowing,
A household is divided,
Mother and child are left behind.


It is clear that the Forest is showing what happens when the issue is forced and the stalemate is pressed to the point where something gives and the line is forced to change.

It fully aligns with the principle being described. More than that it gives important context to the line statement, helping us to flesh out the full range of motion of the change. On one hand we see the blocked change, on the other we see the result of the forced change. Because of this we know how the line changes and where to look for its thresholds of change.

In the new work we have a translation, a commentary, and three verses.
Forest of Changes Yi Jing by Christopher Gait, hexagram 13 line 4:
Line 4

Zhou Yi:


Nine in the Fourth.
Atop the city walls.
The assault is turned back.
Good fortune.


This line is juxtaposed with the preceding line. At the cusp of victory. . .defeat for the enemy. One senses from the text that this is seen from the point of view of those inside a besieged town.

Merchant/Traveler

Natural disasters roam around,
By keeping on the move you can catch hold of good fortune,
Stay in one place and trouble can always come along.

Farmer/Shaman

Stretching the bow, winding up the crossbow,
Climbing the mountain path.
Though one meets with crouching tigers,
Who dares attack?

Noble/Scholar

Walls a thousand fathoms high,
Disaster shall not enter the gates.
A metal cage and a phalanx of iron,
Able to repel attacks from outside.
Assailing the southern heights,
The axles stop turning, the chariots turn back.

So the original Forest verse for 13 line 4 is replaced with three new ones. The new verses match the idea of trouble being resisted in an auspicious fashion when this line changes. This follows the modern conventional perspective where the line is not just active, but absolutely changing from yang to yin.

Because the line 'must' be changing polarity, the original Forest verse being negative despite the 'auspicious' line statement makes no sense, and therefore it must be changed. So the author has supplied three auspicious verses in its place.

My problem with the traditional method (of which the author here is simply following modern conventional practice), is that even though the line statement describes something being blocked, it is still assumed that the line changes. How can change happen when change is blocked?

The modern method simply does not get itself involved in the fact that we are a part of the change and have choices to make that can contribute to the results. If something is blocked, but is also auspicious, perhaps it is auspicious because it does not change? Perhaps if it does change something negative happens? The Forest verifies this. It is very clear and simple. So I see no need to work with the new version, as there is much I can learn from the original. Especially since the original stands quite alone as the only resource of its kind like this.
 

surnevs

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Hello! Christopher Gait just released the updated Forest of Changes/Yi Jing translation. In it, he describes the Nanjing method of identifying the primary changing line to focus on in a reading.

He uses a method in which he added up the lines of the hexagram and then subtracted it from 55. It is the only example he gives. Does anyone know where the number 55 comes from? Is it the case that I would always use the number 55 (because the maximum math would add up to 54 for any hexagram)?

Im excited to explore this translation and curious about this method. A little bummed that there aren’t verses for unchanging, but agree with OP that this is a fantastic resource.
1+3+5+7+9=25 (the yang numbers)
2+4+6+8+10=30 (the yin numbers)
25+30=55
 

Daeluin

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Following the concept where some lines have a proclivity to not change, we come across some unusual dynamics that can be tested by the Forest of Changes.

Off the top of my head, I am thinking of hexagram 20 line 2 and hexagram 16 line 5. These lines provide a very good test of the principle involved in these changes.

Hexagram 20 line 2:

(tl Field): A clandestine Observation. Good omen for the young woman.

Commentary: Here, we see someone watching the sacrificial ceremony in secret. The character for "clandestine," kui literally means "peeping through the door." Since the women of the aristocratic household were confined to the inner chambers of the compound, the only way they could see what was going on elsewhere was by stealth. The counsel for this line is the recognition by the ancient diviner that such spying was a good sign for a maiden.

In order to follow this method, we need to track whether the line is changing or not and what the parameters of that change are. This is a yin line activating, and when yin activates it opens to become fertile, to receive. However that receptivity and opening are not what make yin transform to yang. The change from yin to yang happens when the fertility of the open yin gives birth following the culmination of yin's nurturing of the transformative process.

So here we can see a dynamic of spying and peeping without being seen. The activation and the opening of the principle are seen in this operation of yin. Information is received. However it is received in secret.

The other implication here is that if the women listened openly, it would not be a good omen, for they were expected to remain in the inner chambers. Being found outside of the inner chambers, listening in on things that weren't meant for their ears, we might see that yin indeed stimulates a transformation.

So this begins to inform us about the nature of this transformation of yin to yang.

(tl Cleary): Peeking observation is beneficial for a woman's chastity.

(Liu Yiming's Commentary, tl Cleary): When flexible yet balanced, even when in the midst of inferior people one is not influenced by them. But even if one is not influenced, when only cultivating one's own yin without seeking the yang of the other, one's vision is not far-reaching; it is like observing by peeking out from inside the door, not daring to go out the door. In women, it is beneficial for keeping their chastity, but when it comes to men doing work it is not advantageous. This is observation which is not far-reaching.

So here we see the narrow context of the line in application to a woman from an inner court opened up a bit. We are still tracking the dynamic of yin transforming to yang. And too it is pointed out the dynamic of "seeking the yang of the other", as here line two's yin is in association with line 5's yang. They can meet. However perhaps their meeting is not a good omen for the young woman's chastity. Now we see more clearly the dynamic where active yin opening into fertility and meeting with the yang of line 5 can lead to the transformation of yin to yang via a conception.

The fertility example is easy, and directly pointed to in the line statement. Field goes with 'young woman' while Clearly goes with 'woman's chastity'.

利 - li - favorable;smoothe;convenient / fluent;eloquent / advantage;benefit / profit;interest / do good
女 - nu - woman;female / daughter;girl
貞 - zhen - loyal;faithful / chaste;virgin;virtuous

But we can extrapolate beyond the procreative fertility dynamic to any sort of conception, especially mental. There is a dynamic here that suggests one has the potential to be exposed to something that transforms one's innocence. However, one is only peeking, like a child sneaking downstairs to catch a glimpse of the R rated movie their parents stayed up to watch. Or the witnessing of a crime or some other undertaking where to be seen leads to one's own involvement.

But by only peeking, by only witnessing - and thereby protecting one's integrity in some fashion - one is able to avoid involvement even as they might be able to gain from this hidden exposure to the yang of the other. Perhaps one comes to understand more about the world of violence or sexuality, before one needs to experience these things first hand. Thus there can be benefit to only peeking.

Liu Yiming however suggests that this is fine for the innocent, but what of people who are already in the world doing things? Perhaps in some cases such exposure enables one to also benefit from such an exchange with the yang of the other.

In this we get a sense that peeking here is perhaps not simply the advice, but is also the proclivity. In such a position we might be timid or meek and unwilling to step forward into affairs that are beyond ourselves. And such things may be more than just related to violent actions. We can be 'chaste' when it comes to higher knowledge as well, ignorant of the secrets of the workings of the world, of spirituality, or politics, of observations (20) that come from higher positions in the hexagram.

But it is not often easy for the naive and innocent to meet with lofty sages and scholars. It is not easy for the uninitiated to discover secrets outside of circumstances of luck.

In the case of the woman's chastity, these days we talk a lot about how women dress. And whether dressing in a revealing way should be seen as something that entices men to be predatory. The conclusion seems to be that yes men are attracted to women, and that in our society we are working to teach men to contain their own energies rather than teaching women to hide.

We can extend the same analogy to the kidnapping of children. The child is innocent and perhaps wandering alone through a mall, exposed and vulnerable. No longer just 'peeking'. Does this put them at risk of attracting a kidnapper?

The answer in both cases seems to depend upon the environment, including the moral standards within society that are being upheld. In some cases if the innocent have something that others desire, then there can be an attraction of the yang of the other in a negative type of exchange.

However, on the flip side, if the the yang of the other is uninterested in the innocent yin in line 2, then that yin can work to expose themselves to the yang, to put themself out there in a way that ensures they are seen.

This is also not uncommon in regards to sexuality, where young women/men attempt to attract the attention of teachers or bosses, etc. The type of exchange fits the principle of the hexagram. On one hand there is innocence, and it is being exchanged for experience that is held by someone in a loftier position. This directly relates to what the commentary says about having 'a far-reaching vision'. Young people in these situations are seeking something greater than what is at their disposal.

But again, this need not apply only to romantic endeavors.

The example that comes to mind is related to the Monkey King in Journey to the West (tl Anthony Yu).

In the beginning, Monkey learns of a sage who is able to teach secrets of immortality, and so goes to become a student of this teacher. However, when the teacher seeks to reward Monkey's diligence by offering various subjects to learn about, Monkey denies them all, inciting the anger of the teacher, who comes and raps him three times on the head with his ruler then closes the front doors.

Monkey is not displeased however, and sees it as a secret message to come to the master's back door at the 3rd watch to receive the secret teachings. At first the master is upset, but upon hearing Monkey's explanation, he becomes pleased and reveals the secret teachings.

This example also exists in real life, where Wang Liping, a modern daoist master, was teaching in China. There was a break during the class for resting, and one of the students decided not to rest and instead found the master in the garden. Asked why he was there, he explained the story of Monkey and thought that he might be able to learn more from the teacher. It probably important to note that he was humble in his approach and explanation, and was able to find a rare timing for this exchange to occur. Such rewards do not come of presumption that comes of greedy desire that is not in a flow with natural timing. But in the end Wang Liping was pleased and the student went on to learn much from him and become one of his assistants.

In both cases, both students were part of a class that was expected to follow orders that kept their yin and the yang of the teacher separate. And in both cases the students found a special way to meet with the yang of the teacher for a transformative exchange.

So after all of this talk, what of the Forest of Changes?

For hexagram 20 with line 2 changing (20 to 59):

Raising robes to ford the stream,
The deep water soaks the cloth.
Luckily a boatman happens along,
And disaster is averted.


So here we have all of the elements represented:
  • The danger of the situation, in that one is treading where one shouldn't, where one is out of their place.
  • Normally people wouldn't ford a stream that wasn't safe to ford, but would stay away. But this line is changing, where it normally would not change - normally it would only peek across to the other side from safety and keep things auspicious.
  • However, one is able to meet with the yang of the other, in the form of the boatman.
  • This is described as being lucky, meaning it is not a sure thing but requires a special circumstance to make it happen.
  • And the whole story is able to convey that danger is also possible and not to always expect that in such an endeavor to expose one self that a positive outcome is always bound to happen.

So while the line statements of the Zhouyi give a particular perspective on the principle involved here, it is a perspective that shows how yin is more likely to simply be peeking in this sort of dynamic. Like how a shy child might hide behind their parent when introduced to their adult friends.

The Forest shows what happens when this line changes, and more fully fleshes out the principle involved, showing us the other side of it, so we can extrapolate in between. Field's commentary missed it. Liu Yiming's commentary provided the principle, but the Forest helped us understand that principle and explore it more fully. Without the Forest verse, the principle could be attacked and refuted. With the Forest verse it is hard to make sense of it any other way. Thus it helps to verify the principle and the full extent of its application.

In the new work, Forest of Changes Yi Jing, Gait chooses 3 verses for this line that all involve restraining action that comes from an element of fear.

Again, the conventional method simply assumes the line is changing polarity, but makes no attempt to explain or demonstrate how yin is supposedly changing to yang.



Hexagram 16, line 5:

(tl Field) (no oracle, just prognostication and observation): Omen of illness. It will be long, but the patient does not die.

Commentary: The ancient diviner who obtained this line must have had reason to suspect the onset of illness. Fortunately, the prognostication for illness is that, although protracted, it will have a good end. You should take all precautions to avoid contagion.

(tl Cleary): There is a persistent illness, but one never dies.

Commentary (Liu Yiming, tl Cleary): Being flexible and yielding without firmness, keeping to quietude in solitary silence, empty without fulfillment, is like having an illness and being incapable of enjoyment. However, if flexibility is properly balanced, even if one cannot bring about happiness one still does not get to the point of bringing on misfortune; though one has illness, one never dies. Not dying and not living, keeping to one principle alone, resting in a small vehicle, even if true yang is in view, one cannot have it oneself; this is sticking to indifferent emptiness, in which there is no joy.

This line even more clearly has the image of the line being unable to change. The whole hexagram is about the power of the yang line in the fourth position having the ability to transform yin to yang by its position's ability to leverage excitement.

However, line 5 is unable or unwilling to change. It is able to open a little, but is unable to follow through, prevented some how from curing its illness. The commentary suggests that even if the true yang is in view, one cannot have it oneself. The true yang here is home in the 5th line here, and it is what this line would transform into if its yin changed to yang. But Liu Yiming calls this 'sticking to indifferent emptiness' - even though there is the potential to heal, one does not push through into the healing because for some reason one is indifferent about it and rooted in remaining yin. It is suggested that if one is able to open a little, even if one cannot change the yin to yang, one will still be able to live without dying and stave off death.

Here again Liu Yiming reveals the principle related to yin changing to yang. And it is revealed how there is a resistance to this line's change.

So if we are imagining this line actually changing to yang, we might expect that it is extremely positive. We are able to accomplish the manifestation of the true yang, from a position of an illness that will not heal.

Can the Forest of Changes verify this prediction?

When line 2 changes, hexagram 16 becomes 45:

In the middle of the plains there is pulse,
Waiting for the cooking to complete.
Inviting many friends to partake,
Acquiring the great things sought.


In the notes Gait notes the first line is from Book of Songs 196:
In the midst of the plain there is pulse,
And the common people gather it.
The mulberry insect has young ones,
And the sphex carries them away.
Teach and train your sons,
And they will become good as you are.

and the third line is from Book of Songs 177:
Ji-fu feasts and is glad;
Great happiness is his.
In returning from Hao,
Distant and long had been our march.
He entertains and feasts his friends,
With roast turtle and minced carp.
And who are there?
There is Zhang Zhong, the filial and brotherly.

So here we do have a positive omen. It seems to give nod to the indifference of line 5 from opening its yin to receive the yang medicine, in the first line. Here it shows that in the middle of the plain (in the middle of the vast emptiness) there is a pulse of energy, and the common people gather it. This is also very similar to the notion of hexagram 24's return, which involves the culmination of yin that leads to the return of yang. The plain is like a vast yin, and the pulse is like the yang that exists for one to gather.

Once gathered, we wait for the cooking to complete. This too is a nod to the need for incubation of something before it gives birth. After yin opens to receive the seeds of yang in fertilization, it then incubates what it received so that it gives birth in the ultimate transformation of yin to yang. In this case, once medicine is fully received, it needs time to take effect, time for the cooking to complete.

Next we are referred to a poem about a happy feast after a long march, where many friends are gathered to partake. The imagery suggests that the march was challenging and difficult, hence the rejoicing and celebration among close friends.

Here it seems to be suggesting that the threshold of transformation was crossed. The yin turned to yang. The medicine did its work, the great journey was accomplished and now the celebration can commence.

And the final line 'acquiring the great things sought' seems to suggest that now that one has accomplished an unlikely transformation, what one desires is able to be achieved.

So this verse of the Forest seems to be very on point. It captures the element of the difficulty of the transformation, in how the medicine is hard to find and the march is long and challenging. And it captures the success that comes from actually achieving the transformation.




The Forest of Changes Yi Jing has 3 verses. The translation used is: In divining about illness. Persevering without dying. The others suggest that the illness is what persists / is long. But persevering without dying could be taken as recovery.

So the verses chosen do go into recovery, like the original verse, but the message is inconsistent. In one the change happens of its own accord. In the next is described many bushes covering a mountain - since we know the enemy is concealed, who wants to confront them? In the last it comes of a prayer where one pledges one's life to a god on behalf of another, who recovers.

I can see why from this translation we go straight to the idea of recovery, though the second verse seems confusing. Perhaps it is the enemy who is able to persevere via their hiding? But all in all these verses fail to cater to the indifference of this line to change and the idea of that being what creates the long illness.

This seems to come down to the translation.

貞 - zhen - loyal;faithful / chaste;virgin;virtuous / verb;archaic - to practice divination
疾,- ji - disease;sickness;malady;illness
恆 - heng - persist(ent);constant;perseverance / long-lasting;enduring;perpetual / prevalent;ordinary
不 - bu - not;won't;not-want-to
死 - si - die;be dead

Gait doesn't seem to take the illness as being what is long lasting, but instead speaks to the perseverance of the subject. Thus, for this line changing, we are given verses about the perseverance of the subjects through various conditions of illness/adversity.

This isn't a perspective I see in other translations/commentaries. And again the issue comes from not just the translation, but from an understanding of the principle of change in operation within the hexagrams.

Line 5 is normally the ruling line of a hexagram. However, in 16 line 4 is the ruler. Thus line 5 is not in a position of authority and has difficulty in making the change happen. This is what leads to it's difficulty in transforming to yang. The Forest has to give an answer for what happens when this line changes, so we get the positive result about recovery after a difficult journey, but it is not a likely change to happen. Perhaps the nuances of the poem are hinting at various special elements that are required to make this change happen as well. It is not exceedingly clear, but it does feel to me like it is speaking very much to the principle involved with this line's change. And thus it is very helpful in navigating the principle.



This became a bit more lengthy than I had anticipated.

I figured given the new work, it might help to share more examples of my own of how the original received Forest of Changes can be used to uncover deep meaning of the principles of the line changes.

Especially for these lines that have difficulty in changing, the Forest shows what happens when they do change, and so we get a much clearer perspective on the operation of such lines, a validation the method of following the operation of change rather than assuming transformation, and a validation that the Forest makes sense if we can tap into the principle it is speaking to.
 

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