Should I stay or should I go? Here's what the I Ching said...

[killing moon]

Dear friends,

In addition to freelancing throughout the week, I also have a weekend job. This means I basically work at least a little bit everyday.

I just got more stable work for during the week, and so I asked the I Ching, "What if I quit my job at xx (company I work for on the weekends)?"

I got 20 unchanging.

I can't figure out whether the I Ching means I should wait before making this decision (in other words, not quit now), or if quitting will give me the freedom to contemplate (something I don't time for now since I'm always busy).

How would you interpret this?

It's not a life-or-death situation, but I'm definitely unsure about what to do and also curious, as an I Ching student, about what the correct interpretation of the hexagram in this context would be.

I should add that I'm traveling without my I Ching in book form, so I played on this website instead. Is my exchange with the I Ching still legit?

Anyway, I would love to hear your thoughts on this. What do you think the I Ching meant?

Looking forward to your replies.

 

[Trojina]

I just got more stable work for during the week, and so I asked the I Ching, "What if I quit my job at xx (company I work for on the weekends)?"

I got 20 unchanging.

I can't figure out whether the I Ching means I should wait before making this decision (in other words, not quit now), or if quitting will give me the freedom to contemplate (something I don't time for now since I'm always busy).

How would you interpret this?

Well clearly it's asking you to do what it says, look, see, taking a proper look before committing to action.

It wouldn't be saying quitting would give you freedom to contemplate, that's way too far away from the question.

So it is common sense advice which it does give and it's likely what any friend would have told you. You need to think it through a bit more just to see what effects giving up the work might have in all areas of your life. So relax put your feet up and et your mind dwell on it all without taking any action yet.

 

[killing moon]

Thanks, Trojina. I trust your interpretation.

The thing that got me is that Hilary says the hexagram is always a direct answer to your question, and that's what confused me.

I appreciate you bringing me back down to Earth

 

[moss elk]

The thing that got me is that Hilary says the hexagram is always a direct answer to your question, and that's what confused me.

Nope, it's not always a direct answer,
it is always a response to the subject matter or dilemna or to you though.

Here are at least three very common kinds responses:
1-Direct literal (or coded metaphorical) answer.
2-An answer that is larger than your question that encourages you to 'think bigger' in order to solve the problem.
3-A mirror that calls you names when you are being silly: fool, charging horned animal, mr/mrs gloomy pants, the cock crowing to the sky, bossy one, complainer...etc

Here, I think your answer falls into category 2.

So many of our questions could be reworded into something like,
"What about this problem?"
It would ease a lot of tension headaches.

 

[Trojina]

The thing that got me is that Hilary says the hexagram is always a direct answer to your question, and that's what confused me.

I think Hilary does know there are indirect answers. I think maybe what she probably said was it's a good idea to start with the assumption you are getting a direct answer.

In this case I think your answer was direct any way. You asked 'what if I quit my job ?' and Yi said 'sit and think awhile before you do that'.

 

[Liselle]

I just got more stable work for during the week, and so I asked the I Ching, "What if I quit my job at xx (company I work for on the weekends)?"

I got 20 unchanging.

I can't figure out whether the I Ching means I should wait before making this decision (in other words, not quit now), or if quitting will give me the freedom to contemplate (something I don't time for now since I'm always busy).

It might be saying something like that... (but I'll second what Trojina said - once you quit, you can't un-quit, so give it some good thought first).

You asked, "What if I quit?" - what's down that road, what is a picture of my life afterwards?

'Seeing. Washing hands, and not making the offering.
There is truth and confidence like a presence.' (Hilary's translation)

Do you think this might be what it will feel like? You've washed your hands of the weekend job, and now what do you want to do with your weekends? There might be a period of "settling" time, until free weekends seem "true" and you feel "confidence" in them.

It reminds me of what people say when they retire, that for a while it just seems like vacation. Implication probably is that they feel like it's temporary, and they'll be going back to work. Then eventually they settle in and feel retired.

 

[Trojina]

You asked, "What if I quit?" - what's down that road, what is a picture of my life afterwards?

No she didn't ask that - this is what she asked

I just got more stable work for during the week, and so I asked the I Ching, "What if I quit my job at xx (company I work for on the weekends)?"

I got 20 unchanging.

IMO the whole notion of 'give me a picture of my life if...' isn't true. Yi does not show things that aren't going to happen, it's far more direct than that. If that road hasn't been taken yet it doesn't show a picture of that road.

 

[Liselle]

Also, by telling you what's down this road, Yi's also letting you know by exclusion that other things aren't (inability to pay bills, regrets, etc.).

 

[Liselle]

Trojina, I don't understand. Her question was, ""What if I quit my job at xx (company I work for on the weekends)?"

 

[Trojina]

Trojina, I don't understand. Her question was, ""What if I quit my job at xx (company I work for on the weekends)?"

Exactly but you said it was this

Liselle

You asked, "What if I quit?" - what's down that road, what is a picture of my life afterwards?

She didn't ask for a picture of her life afterwards.

 

[Liselle]

Well...but isn't a "What if I...?" question asking for a prediction of what will happen? A.k.a. what's down that road, what the landscape will look like / feel like / be like?

I'm drawing a blank on what else it could be, sorry. You'll have to give me a hint.

 

[Trojina]

She's just saying

"What if I quit my job at xx (company I work for on the weekends)?"

I think that amounts to 'should I/shall I/what do you think ?'

It doesn't amount in my mind to 'give me a picture of what it would be like if ?


I've never in my life asked a question like this and meant 'give me a picture of..' because there s no picture there if it hasn't happened or won't happen.


If she meant 'give me a picture of' then she might take it that way but I don't believe in 'give me a picture of..' there is no picture if it isn't going to happen and anyway there is no more a simple answer than 20uc saying just pause and think is there.

 

[Liselle]

I definitely agree that "Should I" often underlies "What if I?"

Other than that, we can agree to disagree on what "What if I" means.

But yes, Killing Moon will probably come back and settle this for us.

 

[Trojina]

Yes I think I will go and lie in a darkened room with a cold compress pressed to my forehead and an iced drink. I'm over heating.

 

[Liselle]

But I just saw this that you added

IMO the whole notion of 'give me a picture of my life if...' isn't true. Yi does not show things that aren't going to happen, it's far more direct than that. If that road hasn't been taken yet it doesn't show a picture of that road.

It does if you ask it to, doesn't it? I mean, if I wanted to know how Aunt Betty would likely feel about a huge surprise birthday party in her honor (delighted, appalled), I wouldn't wait until I'd planned the whole thing and invited people to ask Yi about it.

I mean, I might not literally ask, "What if I" for that, in those exact words, but I'd still be asking about a road I haven't taken.

 

[Liselle]

Yes I think I will go and lie in a darkened room with a cold compress pressed to my forehead and an iced drink. I'm over heating.

I hope it was the other thread did that to you, not this one?

 

[Trojina]

Well Aunt Betty is real right now in relationship with you if present or not. There's already a real dynamic between you. That's different to me asking Yi to show me a picture of me if I did XYZ if XYZ is not going to happen.


Anyway maybe it was meant that way so...I don't know

 

[Liselle]

That's different to me asking Yi to show me a picture of me if I did XYZ if XYZ is not going to happen.

Oh, I think I see what you mean. I was assuming Killing Moon already thought it was at least feasible to quit, that quitting is an option she's willing to exercise. Not that she won't do it, regardless.

E.g. I won't ask Yi, "What if I set off for Montana tomorrow?" because I know I won't do that.

 

[Trojina]

Oh, I think I see what you mean. I was assuming Killing Moon already thought it was at least feasible to quit, that quitting is an option she's willing to exercise. Not that she won't do it, regardless.

E.g. I won't ask Yi, "What if I set off for Montana tomorrow?" because I know I won't do that.

Yes it's feasible to quit, I mean anyone can quit right, she can quit...but why would the answer be showing her a picture of herself after she had quit as 20uc when she didn't ask for a picture of her self after she'd quit she just floated it as a possibility to which Yi answered 20, sit and think a bit. It's simple IMO unless she did actually ask for a picture of herself of course.

 

[moss elk]

I just got more stable work for during the week, and so I asked the I Ching, "What if I quit my job at xx (company I work for on the weekends)?"

Going with the fact that it is unchanging, this is where I am more likely to consider the Image:

Go see how the new job is before you make your decisions. (doctrines)

You may not like it by week 3.

 

[Liselle]

Yes it's feasible to quit, I mean anyone can quit right, she can quit...but why would the answer be showing her a picture of herself after she had quit as 20uc when she didn't ask for a picture of her self after she'd quit she just floated it as a possibility to which Yi answered 20, sit and think a bit. It's simple IMO unless she did actually ask for a picture of herself of course.

Yi was giving her (imo) relevant information to make her decision by. It's what Yi does a lot, right? Gives a description, and then we're to figure out whether the description sounds good to us or not, in order to decide whether to do whatever it is.

...I do think 20uc is a bit trickier to fit than some? Not sure that's the phrase I'm after. I don't know which of us is "right," or maybe neither of us is. We each see the "form" of the answer very differently.

I really don't know. My interpretation (*gives it one last hug before it disintegrates*), isn't saying much, except maybe by exclusion (no mention of financial catastrophe, debilitating weekend loneliness, etc.). I don't think that's bad...if I was quitting a job, and all Yi had to say about it was that my free time will feel odd to me for a while, I think I'd be glad to hear it. But yours is a stronger answer, more advice-like.



M.E. makes a good point.

Going with the fact that it is unchanging, this is where I am more likely to consider the Image:

Go see how the new job is before you make your decisions. (doctrines)

You may not like it by week 3.

When Killing Moon comes back, maybe she (?) he (?) will tell us about his/her username, which is quite interesting.