Taoist I Ching 101

[gene]

Hi everyone

Tried to do this under divination discussion but the new conversation button didn't come up.

Just a few general thoughts about the holographic image of the first two hexagrams of the I Ching. I say that because the third hexagram is where it really starts, and the first two hexagrams are the rest of the book in condensed form. The last two hexagrams are the changes of the book in condensed form.

Much of our problems as humans comes about first of all, because we are indeed human, and then, how our minds naturally and understandably perceive all form and reality in the context of duality. First there was the Wu Chi, or the supreme oneness. This is where all religion in its purest form counsels us to return to. Not so the fundamentalist aspects of religion because fundamentalism too is caught in the illusion of duality, especially as it relates to good and evil. But the universal consciousness, in its oneness, in some indefinable way, for some indefinable reason, divided itself. It didn't really divide itself, it is still one. And yet, in consciousness, it divided itself into two parts. The earth is unique in that it has both one sun and one moon to reflect that duality. Man is not necessarily unique, but he, as possibly other creatures, have a left and right side of the brain, which with proper synapsis, and neuron networking works together, but each doing its own function in its own way. As long as there is duality, there is an inside and an outside, and the mind naturally and understandably divides itself between inside and outside. The natural result of this is that even our science (at least until quantum theory, and even then for some time) sees objects as inner or outer, and sees them as pure objects, not a construct of the mind. one other way in which pure consciousness divides itself is between space and time. If we understood properly the relationship between space and time we would I believe, understand the nature of light, and why no matter how fast an object is moving from which the speed of light is recorded, the speed of light still reflects the same measurement. (counting the speed of movement of the platform). In the I Ching we find a portion of this concept in the first two hexagrams, and hexagram one reflects time, being yang, and hexagram two reflects space. The yin is receptive, and so, space receives the light that is always, and eternally present within it. The nature of the light in relationship to the nature of space gives us the permutations as they are found in the changing lines. Yin therefore becomes passive and receptive, and yang becomes pure force, as time cannot at least in our perception, be stopped.

Therefore, in one sense, yang represents the left hemisphere of the brain, and yin the right. Both have their place and purpose, and both must work together.

But to keep this from becoming a book, just a note to say, that in its pure form, there is no yang, and no yin, except in relationship to each other. And in that relationship, is the unified whole, which the mystics, Christian, Buddhist, or Taoists, have been telling us we must and will eventually return to. When we do though, guess what, the universe disappears, for how can there be a universe without duality?

And hexagram 30 speaks of a net, as it relates to light, since the trigram li means light. A light that reflects everywhere, and becomes a web, or a net, in which matter is created as a holographic image. Hexagram 31 brings us to the second portion of the book of changes, and reflects relationships.

More on this later,
Gene

 

[megabbobby]

hex 30---

i know that's i ching 101,but i never really got all that 'net imagery'stuff before

much obliged

 

[gene]

The following is a paraphrase of the first five verses of genesis in terms relative to quantum physics. In no way is it a translation of any original language.

In the beginning the higher powers separated themselves into creative and receptive energy.

And the receptive power was without form and thereby created a vacuum. And darkness was the abode of the receptive power. And the Spirit of the higher powers created a frequency change in the matrix of the energy field, which led to a filling of the vacuum with light.

And the frequency was light, and it filled the receptive darkness.

And creative awareness recognized that light was a powerful mode of expression. And the concept of light was separated from the concept of darkness.

And awareness recognized the light as creative, and the darkness was recognized as receptive. Thus did duality become a reality.


When the creative and the receptive force are together, without separation, there is a constant orgasmic release among the two powers. The same can be said about the two powers after separation, however, after separation, there is also the potential for conflict. One way of looking at the creative and receptive powers, is that of a position of high pressure and low pressure. Low pressure becomes like a vacuum, and the high pressure comes rushing in. Nature abhors a vacuum because within a vacuum, there is no potential except the potential to attract a counterbalancing force. In other words, without the integration of the two complementary forces, there is no possibility for orgasm, and therefore, no power, other than the power of attraction. Since the concept of oneness includes the concept of the uniting of the two elementary powers as one power, enveloped in orgasm, there is the ultimate unavoidable act of creation. Creation that is, of a child of the creator?

Which brings us to hexagram three.

Gene

 

[bradford_h]

Hi Gene-
Not to compete with what you've written, but for future reference, here's a piece of Chapetr 3 of the Huainanzi, translated by A. C. Graham in a monologue entitled Yin-Yang and the Nature of Correlative Thinking.

When Heaven and Earth were not yet shaped, it was amorphous, vague,
a blank, a blur; call it, therefore, The Primal Beginning. The Way
began in the tenuous and transparent, the tenuous and transparent
generated Space and Time, Space and Time generated the Ch'i. There
was a shoreline in the Ch'i; the clear and soaring dissipated to
become Heaven, the heavy and muddy congealed to become Earth. The
concentration of the clear and subtle is easy, the concretion of the
heavy and muddy is difficult; therefore Heaven was completed first
and Earth afterwards.
The superimposed quintessences of Heaven and Earth became the Yang
and the YIn, the concentrating quintessences of Yin and Yang became
the Four Seasons, the scattering quintessences of the Four Seasons
became the myriad creatures. The hot Ch'i of the accumulating Yang
generated fire, the quintessence of the Ch'i of fire became the sun;
the cold Ch'i of the accumulating Yin became water, the quintessence
of the Ch'i of water became the moon; the overflow of quintessences
of sun and moon became the stars. Heaven received the sun, moom and
stars, Earth received the showers of water and the dust and dirt.

 

[candid]

Pretty cool, Gene. Sounds quite alike to the text that Brad offered. I too like your net image.

 

[gene]

Thanks Candid and Brad

I appreciate all the comments on here. Usually no one comments on this kind of work. I'll try to get to more of this as soon as possible.

Oh, and the Tao Teh Ching also has some passages that sound a lot like this too. I'll try to incorporate that as I go along.

Gene

 

[gene]

In terms of the net?

The first book of the book of changes ends with the pairing of the 29th and 30th hexagrams. Just as hexagram one is yang and hexagram two is yin, so in 29 we have yang and in 30 we have yin. However, the roles seem to be reversed somewhat. For hexagram 29 is dark and mysterious, while 30 is bright and joyful. This can be in one sense a reminder to us that within any yang, lies a touch of yin, and within any yin, lies a touch of yang. Here too, we have the story of duality. The mysterious 29th hexagram, and the bright 30th. In 29 one must remain faithful to pass through the danger. Often this is something that must be done alone. It is often part of a lesson we learn, and indeed the universe teaches us how to deal with things. Here the ?Superior man carries on the business of teaching." Often it is only in our deepest and darkest moments that we can really come face to face with ourselves, and see ourselves for who we truly are. Hexagram 30 however, is no longer a time of aloneness but a time of congregating with others. We go through our deep moments. We go through our ?dark night of the soul.? We come out the other end, and we congregate. Another way of saying it is, we NETwork.

This duality is also expressed in the makeup of our brains. We have a left side and a right side, literally two brains that function in many ways as one but have their own uniquenesses. The left brain tends to separate and analyze, while the right brain tends to associate, and find relationships. In the old Startrek tv series we had the character of Spock, who was basically also emotionless, and we had the character bones, who always seemed to be emotionally embroiled in some way. The synthesizer of these two polar opposites was the Captain, James T Kirk, who integrated both sides to come up with something that was a greater than the sum of the two parts. There are positive yang traits, and negative yang traits. There are positive yin traits, and negative yin traits. The same thing is true in terms of masculine and feminine traits.

We see the concept of duality in yet another way. It is described to us in terms of the separation of the book of changes into two mini books. There first ends with Chapter 30, which tells us about relationships, and the first hexagram of the second book, hexagram 31 brings relationships down to a more human level, and goes from there.

This aspect of duality is also portrayed in the western sacred scriptures in the same way in that we have an old and a new testament. The old testament generally, and this is only a very general rule, not to be overly applied, describes the more masculine concept of a godhead, with a primary emphasis on justice, judgment, and penalties for violating the law, while the new testament, as a rule, on the surface at least, describes man?s relationship to a loving, caring, nurturing type of godhead that answers our prayers, and loves his children regardless, for the rain falls on the just and the unjust.

But the net has another meaning as well. Not only in terms of relationships, but in terms of the crisscrossing (see line 1, Wilhelm/Baynes) of the matrix or energy field that the universe is composed of . The Chinese have a saying that ?the wave of a hand changes particles throughout the universe, and it does so immediately.? In other words, there is no action without a counteraction. Or, we might say, everything is related to everything else. And as soon as you change one thing, it automatically changes everything connected to it (which is everything). This is an evening out process, partially described in hexagram 15 where, if the mountain is too high, it is brought down. If the earth is too low, it is raised. It is like a high potential area, rushing to a low potential. The tendency of the universe is to make things even, just as water seeks its own level.


Gene

 

[candid]

Is this 'net' image expressed in any one particular Chinese word/ideogram?

 

[candid]

I guess that's 30:

Gene, does the bird flying into the net fit into your imagery? If so, what represents the bird, or, what does the bird represent in your analogy?

 

[midaughter]

Dear Gene, Megabobby and Candid and all,

Hexagram 30 by its imagery is a mytical net that when thrown across the Invisible World reveals the future. it is the hexagram of divination and diviners, hence the name Clarity as the hexagram signifies clarity of mind, intellect and reasoning abilities. In ancient times, the hexagram stood for war and weapons (as in military strategy through divination), high spiritual and intellectual attainment). (taken mostly from Wilhelm Baynes, Book III, the commentaries.

 

[prynne]

Nets are made of knots...knots are only possible in a physics of three dimensions...3-0...our reality. Light caught in the net of time? Hex 30?

 

[midaughter]

Knots are also associated with Li. Historically knots have mystical implications: at every chakra there are knots of chi on both sides. Untying these knots through spiritual practice is the way to immortality.

Knots may be good or bad (see the interesting book The Shipping News) and also Quipus and Withches Knots.

for Prynne: The idea is interesting but the "net of Li" catches what is hidden and by clinging to it, covers it with light and reveals it (the future). As a Confucian idea, Li also clings to what is right and reveals it.

See:http://fortunecity.com/business/influence/1805/the_page_of_li__the_middle_daughter.htm

 

[prynne]

Yes.

 

[gene]

Hexagram one and two are the only two pure hexagrams. It is when the yin and the yang unite that we have the intermingling of the energies, and the ten thousand things are created. But since the ten thousand things are only yin and yang energy then they don?t really exist in physical form, except in the sense of illusion.

Forgive me for speaking blasphemy, but it is necessary to do so to make the point. Ultimately there is no God up in the heavens who looks down on us and sends us blessings. Ultimately is there neither a Satan who is constantly trying to harm mankind. Therefore there is no conspiracy and no evil in the world. As long as we as humans however, are in the world, we exist in the realm of duality. Instead of a pure force that consists of yin and yang as one complementary whole, we have a division, a separation of yin and yang which manifests itself as polarity. With polarity, there is up and down, there is forward and back. There is future and there is past. And there is good and evil. But, you might contend. You just said there is no god and no evil. Yes, but when the one pure neutral force of the universe is divided, it divides itself in every way. Good becomes unity and evil becomes separation. Since there is in reality no separation, there is no evil, only good. But the neutral force of God is in itself divided into halves and becomes a positive and a negative. In separation there is darkness as well as light. In separation we judge in our individual minds that which is good and that which is evil.

?But of the tree of the knowledge of duality thou shalt not partake, for in the day that ye partake, thou shalt surely attain the illusion of separation?? Notice that in these verses of Genesis, the woman has not been created yet, only the man. For it was not until the partaking of the illusion of separation could there be any male and female. (However, the fruit wasn?t actually eaten until after the separation of male and female, but the story is told in this way to give further hint of the secret, esoteric science here.)

So Adam and Eve partake of the illusion, and felt themselves separate from God. The first step after separation was to hide from God. Enter the devil. Was he really a devil? No. Upon separation there comes a little situation called the Ego. The universal Ego. For in separation or division, there must be a double, and in fact, a polar opposite. (I capitalize Ego, because I am talking about the universal Ego. The ego that sees itself as separate, and therefore tries to hide from God, and therefore takes many different forms, but ultimately is all the same ego, because separation itself is an illusion. This is the real devil, not some unique personality in the heavens opposed to God?s will, but the natural expression of the Ego of mankind, who has fallen into the illusion of separation, and feels wrongly that he has sinned by separating, therefore hiding from God.

After hexagram one and two, all of the following hexagrams have an element of imbalance, except hexagram 63 and 64, and even in 64, all the lines are in their improper places. Hence, as in Stephen Karcher?s mode, we have pairs, because ultimately all things, physical and/or nonphysical must balance. The even numbered hexagrams give balance to the odd, and vice versa, and the book as a whole balances out the changes, and indeed, the entire universe, physical and nonphysical manifestation.

 

[midaughter]

Gene: I like your thoughtful writings but I would add we must see hexagrams 1 and 2 as a process of interaction not separate entities:

This article written by the Sabian Master and member of some I Ching lists, Gene Johnson:

Western civilization is based on the Four
While the Chinese is on the Five.


The Western Number Four logic system:
The number four is the key number of geometry and mathematics, sciences which are the foundation of western civilization. The four is the progression from a dichotomy
(perception of simple contrasts, 'this' and 'that' ) to the double dichotomy ( 2 X 2 ) which produces the grid, the matrix for pattern awareness, cognition. Marc Jones in his Fundamentals of Number Significance, says:
"Multiplied by itself the TWO produces the grid that is perhaps the most common basis for diagramming and understanding all structuring, either by nature or by man in an imitation of natural development of any solid or tangible sort...The symbolization of pure number presents the FOUR as the case of the service to each other of two systems of coordinates such as time and position. "
Jones goes on to say " The FOUR always identifies a relationship in variation of occasion in connection with function, and this in practical everyday fact is what always can be seen to be the building operations or the simple maintenance responsibility through the whole spread of nature at large....the development and perfection of the cooperation between purpose and potential leading to the ends thus sought is the never deviating concern of any TWO emphasis . Thus in numerology it is the FOUR that is the fundamental fabricator in every sense of the term"

The Eastern Logic system of the number 5:
Jones says "the FIVE reveals the basic establishment of selfhood in its utterly ecstatic maintenance of an innate poise in the total context of all the swirling convergence's of reality of each special moment ...He adapts the sheer liquidity of the universe of flux to the ends in view of his own." Anyone who has ever attempted to discover the interface between the western "four elements" and the Chinese "five elements" will have an immediate appreciation of the nuances of the FOUR and FIVE and the ramification these have had on shaping the two cultures.
As has been noted oriental science/philosophy, particularly the Chinese, attends primarily to an "energy process' perspective while in the west the emphasis is on the manipulation of matter. Consequently the western "four elements" describe a fundamentally functional/structural reality. The Chinese "five elements", on the other hand, have nothing "substantial" about them at all, but are instead essentially "moving agents".

{This is how I would see hexagrams 1 and 2 - always moving, interacting, not static entities except in one's Western imagination}

Jones goes on to say: Another characteristic of the attitude of the FIVE is in its perception of CAUSE. Because the FOUR can plot everything, i.e., everything in its limited universe, it does not give reality to anything it can't connect with a cause. The FIVE, however, is at home in the swirling convergence's of reality and therefore does not waste a lot of energy attempting to sharply delineate chains of cause and effect. This is expressed by Buddha's doctrine of "interdependent origination" - any effect is the product of such a vast multitude of interdependent causes it is impossible to identify a given chain of causes with any certainty. (so hexagram 1 cannot exist without hexagram 2) they are totally interdependent energies.

 

[midaughter]

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply I disagreed with you but was just adding to what you said.


My mistake below:
"Gene: I like your thoughtful writings BUT I would add we must see hexagrams 1 and 2 as a process of interaction not separate entities:"

I mean, I meant to omit the 'BUT' to 'AND'

You have such a good hold on Taoist thought, I think. Best, Mary

 

[midaughter]

Dear Candid: the bird meant to snare or catch. As an analogy from WB when hunting with nets for game, it was the custom to allow part of the net to remain open, giving the game a chance and perhaps an early sense of respect for our ecosystem. I have seen a very early discussion of the wisdom of keeping the mesh large enough to allow the young to escape.
Also the size of the mesh in spiritual terms meant that a person's spiritual destiny was decided by whether or not one was 'caught' in the net, especially the net of hexagram 30, meaning by destiny a diviner of the Yi.

Heard you were leaving, you're always welcome around my way.
Mary

 

[gene]

Hi Mary

I appreciate the input. And on the subject, yes, a process of integration. The entire book of changes is about how that process became separated in effect, and how it unites all back together again. In the process of the interaction of yin and yang, all things are created. In perfect union, balance, and harmony, there is naught but one neutral force with yin and yang perfectly balanced so that there is no separation, not even the recognition of a polar opposite. As long as we have the recognition, we have a phenomenal world that imbalances itself in relationship to the parts but not to the whole, and in so doing so is constantly attempting to rebalance itself, hence we have the changes.

Just a nutshell view.

Thanks,
Gene

 

[gene]

In any given hexagram the ruling line is usually #5. There are exceptions to this as we look at the nature of a hexagram. Hexagram one is no exception to this. When the fifth line changes we have hexagram #14. Hexagram one is a hexagram of pure potential. The various lines tell us when and how to access and/or utilize that potential. Line five tells us the time is now. As Stephen Karcher said, This begins a fertile time. When yin and yang integrate there is the manifestation of all that exists in the phenomenal universe. This gives us, ?possession in great measure.? Since hexagram 14 is imbalanced, it shows us that the universe can only be balanced against the backdrop of a non material consciousness. The integration of the two forces leads us to an abundance of wealth and a universe full of material possessions. Just one drop of yin in a field of yang creates manifestation. First, ?One becomes two, then two becomes three, and three becomes the 10,000 things.?

In order for hexagram fourteen to be balanced, it needs to associate with hexagram 13. Hexagram 14 is about material, and other possessions, hexagram 13 is about our interaction with and relationship to the world of phenomenon. Since in the world of phenomenon we see material objects, as appearing to be, by the illusion of separation , separate from ourselves, therefore there becomes a natural tendency to compete for the goods and services. As long as we have this illusion, in one sense or another, we can compare ourselves with line 3 of hexagram 13. ?He hides weapons in the thicket.? For just as we desire goods and services in the same way that others desire them, we perceive in others the same competitive desire that we ourselves have. We project out onto others our own fears and strivings. As hexagram 38 line 6 says, ?First he bends the bow, then he loosens the bow. We see our companions as having the cravings and misgivings that we ourselves have and project them out into the universe. It is only when we come to understand the basis of our misgivings and misunderstandings, that we can loosen the bow, and as in hexagram 13 line 4, you cannot control or attack. It is through our understanding of the proper basis for relationships that we create a perfect world in which harmony is the norm.

Gene

 

[midaughter]

Dear Gene: Another layer of meaning for Hexagrams 1:5 = 14 is the exact process of obtaining immortality. The two dragons (one of heaven swirling counterclockwise and earth, spinning clockwise) there interact and the earth dragon must change its spin(through inner alchemy to heavenward (counterclockwise). they ascend heavenwards together (both the earth and heavenly souls of the person - it can be done voluntarily in one's life thereby leaving only an earthly shell) The resulting Hexagram 14, is that fire going to heaven (immortality), also representing at the top line a great teacher or immortal.

sun

 

[gene]

Hi Mary

I agree with you. I haven't got to this aspect of it yet, and I'll have to admit, I didn't understand these lines exactly the way you describe them, but they do fit in with the overall view of my cosmology. I have talked about this types of things just a little bit in the past, but it takes a lot of behind the scenes knowledge to understand the I Ching in this way, and I have never found a book that describes these things in any depth. Hopefully, I will be able to touch on this subject more later.

Thanks for this input. This is really helpful.
Gene

 

[candid]

Mary,

Sort of like fishing with a barb-less hook. 30 as sportsmanship. Interesting thought. You know the rabbits out here either willingly offer themselves as food or they are suicidal. Haven't figured them out yet. Probably nature's bounty. The coyotes don't seem to mind.

Thank you kindly for your invitation. I'm monogamous to a fault. LOL ..silly, I know. We'll see how it goes. Thank you.

 

[jte]

Mary, above you wrote:

"The two dragons ... interact and ... they ascend heavenwards together ... The resulting Hexagram 14, is that fire going to heaven ... a great teacher or immortal. "

Out of curiosity, how would one know if such a dragon is around and interacting with a person? Are there indicators? And how would one go about communicating/interacting with the dragon from above and/or "doing" the internal alchemy?

This might require a longish answer, but I'm interested. Perhaps you could point me to a reference or something?

- Jeff

 

[RindaR]

Sounds a lot like kundalini... ??

Rinda

 

[Sparhawk]

Rinda, now that you mentioned kundalini, ahem, did you notice you have an androgynous tree in your backyard? Of course, you've mustn't known about that...

Geeze, I'm telling this to a therapist...

Luis

 

[RindaR]

Luis, you sweet man! you noticed! Many leaves have fallen - compost for new life, but the tree is strong and beautiful.

Rinda

 

[gene]

Jeff

Since there hasn't yet been any answer to your question...

This is not a matter of dragon's flying around. The dragon is a symbol for life force, or energy, or, as yoda would put it, the force. It is always around. The trick is to augment it and this is done through certain spiritual practices, developing within one's self a force, or energy, that the Chinese call chi, or qi.

Every line, or verse, in the I Ching can be understood on many different levels. In one sense, the flying dragon can refer to one's life force becoming increasingly activated, til it rises from the lower tan tien, an area that can be ruffly translated as the second chakra,and activates the upper tan tien, which is the combined pineal and pituitary gland unitary system. This roughly translates into, as Rinda said, Kundalini energy.

More on this later,
Gene

 

[jte]

Thanks, Gene, I'd be interested to at least have a look. And no, I don't take dragon literally, at least not in terms of a physical entity.

- Jeff

 

[midaughter]

Oh lordy Jeff, sorry for not answering your question-this has been a cooking and family week-american Thanksgiving. I will probably give a short answer and then answer with more detail. I always ask about spiritual teachers: 14:6 is the best reading, then you know that person is an authentic dragon (read WB) Ni always says that one should engage in selfless giving and the immortals will come to one who is ready (but as you can see above, there are few dragons around)Its an open-up-your-eyes sort of thing. Often this 'dragon' will touch you clairvoyantly but also beware that other less worthy types may have this ability. In this you can depend on the Yi to tell you if the teacher is worthy. Use the soft left hand, keep open, kind and compassionate-then you will 'sense' immediately when a dragon is around. Actually I think the immortals often are pounding on the door. saying "wake up! there are great ideas awaiting your recognition of them!"

If you want to hear more, let me know. Mary

 

[jte]

Sure, Mary, I'd be interested in hearing more. If you like, send an email - up to you. Thanks and hope you had a great T-day!

- Jeff