Purpose, direction to creativity: 28.2,3,4 to 8

[Ni_ki_04]

Hello to all. I asked: please Iching, tell me where I should direct my creative energy, in which sector, to which purpose, in order to be happy and to do good for others too. I got: 28.2,3,4 to 8. .....I asked that because I still can’t understand what would make me really happy in my life and what would be the right path to follow. I’ll briefly tell you more about me and I hope I won’t make too many mistakes since English isn’t my mother tongue. Maybe I understand the meaning of the reading but I would really appreciate an insight from a point of view different from mine. .....Well: I graduated a few years ago and I have been working for a few years in a large company, but I’m not happy. I have long considered the idea of ​​leaving to specialize or to start a new training in a different field. Unfortunately the discomfort has often taken the upper hand, because I seem unable to take any step in any direction. I see many possibilities but I’m unsure about all of them. .....I feel almost ashamed admitting that lately I realized that in my free time I read less and less, I watched less movies, traveled less and less, decreased meetings with friends, until I often find myself sad and isolated in my thoughts, unwilling to focus on any particular subject or hobby. it’s not that I do nothing at all, but I often feel I’m missing vitality or passion (meaning?) in doing things. I often feel sad, and tired even if I don’t do a lot. So I find it difficult to act, to do even small things, or to make even small ideas concrete. .....Until I was in my twenties, I was a creative and curious person, and I think I still am, but over time I also lost self-confidence (maybe I never had much of it). The fear of time passing by also increased and, consequently, the fear of not making the right choices. A paradox: I tell myself that if I were sure of what I want to do, I would also be willing to take risks. But maybe I'm not so honest with myself about it. ..... So I'm having a hard time deciding in which direction is it worth making a change. I no longer understand what fascinates me, what can inspire me and when I’m just “building castles in the air”. I also realize that I’m probably overthinking and it’s possible that I tend to underestimate the skills and positive steps I have taken, but I still can’t get rid of this impasse. That’s why I asked the Iching for help and I would be so grateful if anyone could share his thoughts about it. .............................................................................................................................................................................................. The Judgment in 28 tells to move quickly, alone, “regardless of public opinion” and in “any direction”: Legge: Critical Mass depicts a weak beam. Under such conditions it is advantageous to move in any direction whatever. Success is indicated. .... Judgment: A stressful situation is best managed with a comprehensive strategy. (Or: in the chess game of life, one succeeds by planning several moves in advance.). The Superior Man serves The Work by going his own way, regardless of public opinion ............................................................................................................................................................................................... Line 2: A dry poplar sprouts at the root. An older man takes a young wife. Everything furthers. Line 3: The ridgepole sags to the breaking point. Misfortune. Line 4: The ridgepole is braced. Good fortune. If there are ulterior motives, it is humiliating. ............................................. Line 2 seems to address my question, suggesting that new ideas and new people different from me could help change old ideas and boost creativity. ........... Line 3 looks not so hopeful: I’m looking for advices but it in fact I find it hard to follow the right ones. Maybe I am doing a mistake forcing myself to do changes even if I don’t know what to do. Lately I also asked another question to the iching about a school I was interested into. I got 15.4.6 which seemed to encourage me to go for it if I really wanted to. Maybe is this one of the many advices I wasn’t able to listen to? ........... I find Line 4 confusing: good fortune but something else could cause humiliation… I also find a quote from Jung in the commentaries about being alone in order to understand one’s purpose. In notes I can read different interpretations: ........... Siu: "The man becomes the master of the difficult situation by refusing the assistance of weak men. He relies on his own strength of character." ........... Wing: "You can now find within yourself the strength and vision to achieve a successful outcome in your endeavors. Do not rely upon people or things outside of your Self for guidance. Dependence now on external things leads to humiliation." ........... Editor: "This is one of those maddening lines of which every translator renders a subtly different version. Some aren't even internally consistent: Legge's translation says that there will be cause for regret if the subject "looks for other help but that of line one,” which I take to mean: "Only line one is the proper source of assistance.” Inexplicably, his exposition then cautions against such assistance, as does his Confucian commentary. Blofeld's version is a tautology effectively removing serious warning from the line. The Wilhelm and Liu translations are least confusing and imply that we are protected as long as we suppress our lower impulses and maintain allegiance to a higher principle. In my experience, this interpretation has been most accurate."............................................................................................................................................................................................... Then, the hexagram changes to 8, Holding together. “Legge: Holding Together indicates good fortune, but let the querent re-examine himself by divination whether his virtue is great, un-intermitting and firm. If so, there will be no error. Those who are ready will then join him, but those who delay will meet with misfortune.It seems quite clear, yet I can’t get the message straight as a whole. 8 also suggests to do another cast…. What do you think? Thank you PS: I'm sorry but I can't do spaces to separate paragraphs :-/ If anyone knows why I'd be glad to edit the post to add them

 

[Trojina]

Here's one that has been left behind probably due to the density of the post. However the lack of paragraphs isn't your fault it's a problem all new comers have. Solution seems to be to try a different browser

Hello to all. I asked: please Iching, tell me where I should direct my creative energy, in which sector, to which purpose, in order to be happy and to do good for others too. I got: 28.2,3,4 to 8. .....I asked that because I still can’t understand what would make me really happy in my life and what would be the right path to follow.

Perhaps the first thing to do is to take the pressure off yourself for not yet finding the perfect place for you. The cast shows you are under a lot of pressure and you need to reduce that. Remember most of us bumble through life and the idea of one 'right path' isn't terribly realistic or rather if you believe there is one right path that you haven't yet found you are going to pressure yourself and feel even more unhappy. So line 3 is a warning here to take some of that pressure off yourself in whatever way you can.


Hexagram 8, what one is naturally drawn to. Ask yourself what you just feel naturally drawn to doing. 28.2 makes me wonder if an old interest might ignite again, something you enjoyed doing before ? People you enjoyed being with before ?

I’ll briefly tell you more about me and I hope I won’t make too many mistakes since English isn’t my mother tongue. Maybe I understand the meaning of the reading but I would really appreciate an insight from a point of view different from mine. .....Well: I graduated a few years ago and I have been working for a few years in a large company, but I’m not happy. I have long considered the idea of ​​leaving to specialize or to start a new training in a different field. Unfortunately the discomfort has often taken the upper hand, because I seem unable to take any step in any direction. I see many possibilities but I’m unsure about all of them. .....I feel almost ashamed admitting that lately I realized that in my free time I read less and less, I watched less movies, traveled less and less, decreased meetings with friends, until I often find myself sad and isolated in my thoughts, unwilling to focus on any particular subject or hobby. it’s not that I do nothing at all, but I often feel I’m missing vitality or passion (meaning?) in doing things. I often feel sad, and tired even if I don’t do a lot. So I find it difficult to act, to do even small things, or to make even small ideas concrete. …

Well please don't feel ashamed, you have nothing to be ashamed of. It sounds to be as if you are suffering a degree of depression at the moment and it is causing you to evaluate your self and your life negatively. Okay so you don't like your job but you did get a job and you kept that job so you have achieved more than many do.


It does sound like a time to shift the focus away from what you can achieve to just looking after yourself more. You are under too much pressure in your own mind. 28.3 shows the danger of this 28.4 shows at this stage it can be okay if you can just reduce pressure. I know you asked about what path to pursue but Yi seems to be more worried about your state of mind.

..Until I was in my twenties, I was a creative and curious person, and I think I still am, but over time I also lost self-confidence (maybe I never had much of it). The fear of time passing by also increased and, consequently, the fear of not making the right choices. A paradox: I tell myself that if I were sure of what I want to do, I would also be willing to take risks. But maybe I'm not so honest with myself about it. ..... So I'm having a hard time deciding in which direction is it worth making a change. I no longer understand what fascinates me, what can inspire me and when I’m just “building castles in the air”. I also realize that I’m probably overthinking and it’s possible that I tend to underestimate the skills and positive steps I have taken, but I still can’t get rid of this impasse. That’s why I asked the Iching for help and I would be so grateful if anyone could share his thoughts about it.

As I said I think the I Ching shows more care for you in the this answer than you making the right choice of pathway. Also the 8 as relating makes me wonder if you need to connect up again to supportive people ? I think it matters more now simply that you begin to feel better, less isolated, more supported. It's possible that somehow you are 'out on a limb' feel stranded. But that needn't go on that way. 28.2 makes me wonder if the revival of an old connection or interest might revive you.


I hope you soon feel better and that your life picks up again.

Line 2 seems to address my question, suggesting that new ideas and new people different from me could help change old ideas and boost creativity. ........... Line 3 looks not so hopeful: I’m looking for advices but it in fact I find it hard to follow the right ones. Maybe I am doing a mistake forcing myself to do changes even if I don’t know what to do.

I think it's a mistake to force yourself to do anything right now. Your priority is to feel less pressured, less worried, less strained. Perhaps take up some activity you enjoyed when younger to help reduce this sense of strain

Lately I also asked another question to the iching about a school I was interested into. I got 15.4.6 which seemed to encourage me to go for it if I really wanted to. Maybe is this one of the many advices I wasn’t able to listen to? ........... I find Line 4 confusing: good fortune but something else could cause humiliation… I also find a quote from Jung in the commentaries about being alone in order to understand one’s purpose. In notes I can read different interpretations:

It is an encouraging answer yes. There isn't anything to cause humiliation here. The cast shows that simply going for what you want, plain and simple, it's a very good cast for going ahead. Why not just take the next step ? Don't think too far ahead just take one step at a time in applying for the school and see what happens ?


Re books I recommend Hilary Barrett's (owner of this site) book which you can find a link to somewhere on the site. I say this because you can get a bit bogged down with multiple translations and commentaries and Hilary's is very direct and clear whilst not losing the fundamental meaning of things.



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Then, the hexagram changes to 8, Holding together. “Legge: Holding Together indicates good fortune, but let the querent re-examine himself by divination whether his virtue is great, un-intermitting and firm. If so, there will be no error. Those who are ready will then join him, but those who delay will meet with misfortune.It seems quite clear, yet I can’t get the message straight as a whole. 8 also suggests to do another cast…. What do you think? Thank you ���� PS: I'm sorry but I can't do spaces to separate paragraphs :-/ If anyone knows why I'd be glad to edit the post to add them

as I said all newbies have trouble with paragraphs here and we don't know how to fix it. It may help to use a different browser.


I think the 8 in your reading calls attention to all those things you naturally belong with. You don't literally need to ask again, it's more that hexagram 8 is calling attention to your reasons for asking.


your 15.4.6 changed to 56. Maybe the school is in another place ? Would it be good for you to move to another place ?

 

[Trojina]

As you liked this post Mary I got a notification so I checked out what it was, an old thread from 2018 where the person never returned.

I can't help but feel sorry for myself. I wrote out all that and the person never even returned, indeed it seems they are no longer a member. I don't get how some people are so wasteful of other people's time.

Ni Ki 04 you totally wasted my time so thanks a bunch for that. Maybe she should put her creative energies into just not disregarding other people's time. She's left now so she won't see that but this kind of thing really pisses me off. She didn't even bother to press the 'thanks' button.

Perhaps we should really put in less to responses unless we know a person is actually interested in a reply. You can check back by the profile to see if a person ever returns to threads to acknowledge responses. If they don't don't answer them. Time Wasters ! This will have happened to everyone who responds here at some point. Why bother with such people.

 

[marybluesky]

I'm sorry you feel bad Trojina.

I liked your answer as I had the same cast this morning and the interpretation was helpful to me.