The Amoral I Ching

[sooo]

They all seem to do it. We all seem to do it. But what is the Yi really saying to many of our questions, which we can't resist as interpreting as some sort of behavioral correction?

It's no secret to anyone who knows me that I'm a guitar tweaker. I'm always looking for some way to squeeze the last bit of tone and playability out of my axes. Without going into too much technical details, one of my guitars has a "floating bridge", which allows it to rock back and forth, creating a tremolo or mechanical vibrato effect. I'd become so used to setting this type of guitar up this way that it seemed almost sacrilegious to deck the trem by adding additional springs to the mechanism. But it just didn't have the feel or sound I wanted, so I put it up for sale on a guitar forum I'm active on.

Then I thought, well now, for so many years I've decked those bridges and threw away the trem arms. Why must it be all one way or another? Yet it was with trepidation that I considered that sacrilege. So I asked the Yi, what would be the result of decking that trem, losing the sexy effect of tremolo, but gain the stability to play double stops and not have the guitar go willy-nilly if a string breaks, and so forth? Yi gave me 60 - lines 3 and 4, changing to 43. I had to get past my tendency to interpret the reading as some mental adjustment and force myself to rid those implications from Wilhelm's rendering, and look at it mechanically, physically.

line 3: He who knows no limitation will have cause to lament. No blame. When the bridge is floating, it loses it's fixed position, it's limitation or restriction. hmm

line 4: Contended limitation. Success. Ah, so, by restricting the floating movement of the bridge, it's movement being limited; I will be contented with the result.

43: My voice. The context.

I broke out my tools and went to work, adding springs, readjusting string saddles heights, intonation and tuning. Then plugged it in and, VOILA! It played like a dream, gave the whole guitar a "spanky" Strat desirable quality, completely solved the wavy gravy motions, permitting double-stop bends and other techniques. My voice and style was found. I deleted my for sale listing and got lost in playing for an hour.

Purely mechanical, physical and pragmatic. Oh, and I do have another Strat that will retain its floating bridge. So, no galling limitation.

Some may say, well that's not so different from "Where's my credit card or car keys?" No, it isn't. But when our emotions are amped up, so can our interpretations be, and so are so many Yi texts written: "HE who knows no limitation.." That refers to me, personally, right? Okay, BUT it's up to me to limit that movement on the GUITAR.

This isn't to take away the important value of personal introspection and development, but even that requires limitation.

Just thought I'd share this.

 

[pocossin]

What would be the result of decking that trem?
60.3.4 > 43

Had the guitar rearranged itself as the result of physical forces, I'd agree that the event was amoral, but since it occurred through your enterprise and initiative, I think it is moral -- character building. Didn't you anchor the bridge by adding springs to it? I take 43 as you will have something to show.

 

[sooo]

What would be the result of decking that trem?
60.3.4 > 43

Had the guitar rearranged itself as the result of physical forces, I'd agree that the event was amoral, but since it occurred through your enterprise and initiative, I think it is moral -- character building. Didn't you anchor the bridge by adding springs to it? I take 43 as you will have something to show.

Such physical action is a purely subjective one. There are several threads, debates, arguments, as to whether it is better to float or to deck a trem, and it comes down to personal preference, and sometimes, such as in this particular case, which specific bridge design is in question, and what the player wants from that particular guitar. On another guitar of the same make and basic model (Stratocastor), the bridge design is different, and decking that bridge, which I've tried several times using three different methods, deadens the tone and sustain. The initiative is there either way, even more so if choosing to float the trem, as it is a much more delicate and subtle procedure, requiring several points of fine adjustments, alternative spring angles and so forth. What I did is also known as "slamming" as well as decking, and requires very little skill or finesse, though to do it best requires basic physics knowledge, but no personal character, other than the guitar's character, and I don't think morals apply to the guitar in either case.

43 can have more than one meaning here. I chose the one which LiSe speaks of, which she titles "The Speaking Staff", which I think describes the guitar very well, as it related to my question. Wilhelm's "Breakthrough" may also apply. I'd put "something to show" under 22.

Point is, it was a physical answer, not a metaphysical answer, and I certainly do not see any implication of it building my character, though it does bring a certain amount of joy to me (43- lake above heaven, or joy from creativity).

But please interpret it any way which pleases your morals, Tom.

 

[Trojina]

This blog post made exactly the same point about some of our answers being without value judgement


http://onlineclarity.co.uk/answers/2014/09/30/when-yi-is-neutral/

an excerpt

All three examples I came up with were from lines where Yi’s original words were strictly neutral – no value judgements at all: 9.3, 17.2 and 28.5.


‘A cart losing its wheel spokes.
Husband and wife avert their eyes.’

‘Bound to the small child,
Letting the mature man go.’

‘Withered willow sprouts flowers,
Venerable woman gets an upright husband.
No blame, no praise’

It seems especially hard to talk about these lines without adding our own value judgements, even without noticing we’re doing it.


‘Withered willow sprouts flowers,
Venerable woman gets an upright husband.
No blame, no praise’

Yi clearly and specifically says no blame, no praise – that this is not a situation that can be judged. And yet it’s fantastically difficult for us not to judge. The older woman is not going to have children – so this renewal and rejuvenation isn’t productive, and unproductive things are bad. We even make unfavourable comparison between the withered willow’s flowers and the shoots of line 2: this may perhaps not be doing any harm, but it isn’t going anywhere; flowers may be nice, but they’re not productive. Which is, of course, not true – but in any case, who decided productivity was an absolute standard?

Beyond these lines mentioned where Yi actually offers no judgement one can, depending on the question, take any answer that way if it helps. Usually we are such a part of what we do that there will be an overlap. I recently asked about ripping lino out. The answer referred both to the practicalities of the actual lino and my place in terms of my interaction with the lino.

Answer was 16.1.6>21. The lino was ripped and beneath it was another layer of lino. Water was getting trapped between the layers...yuk. It had been that way for many years. I wondered if I ripped the top lino out what I'd find...? Maybe it would be better just to leave it as it was. It seemed a big job.

I asked about it and got 16.1.6>21 I took that as 'no need to make a song and dance out of it (16.1) get down to it and see what's there rather than fantasise about life beneath the lino (16.6). Wasn't sure about the 21. So I took it up, found old lino beneath and scrubbed it clean as possible.

It turned out however that there were a few leaks in the lavatory and in the outside pipe....and somehow it all came to light after I ripped the lino out. So the landlord came and fixed all the leaks.

My point in this fascinating tale of my bathroom flooring situation is..........I think aspects of the 16 were referring to me seeing removing the lino as this big task...of imagining scenarios about what lay under it etc etc. But the 21 showed a clear situation where something needed fixing. The landlord would never have been able to see the extent of the leaks properly or fix them if I had left the old lino there as the old lino hid water that was running down from higher level floor.

Removing the lino was in effect like biting through to get at the problem.


For the first time in years my lavatory does not leak. Was this a moral reading ? I see it as more about timely action or not. I think 16ish imaginings about what was under the lino and how hard it would be to take it up carry it downstairs, dispose of it and then tackle whatever was under it, got in the way of the 21, biting through that needed to happen to have a dry healthy bathroom floor situation.

 

[pocossin]

But please interpret it any way which pleases your morals, Tom.

I am unlikely to do otherwise. Even when a process (say, in remote outer space) has no human intervention, it follows the order of nature and is implicitly moral, since the order of nature gives rise to moral beings, in my thinking. If anchoring the bridge isn't a conventional procedure, then you took a risk and succeeded, and character has been shaped. You are more likely to take risks in other areas of life. Changing the guitar changed yourself. Symbolically a guitar is both phallic and feminine. You perhaps mean to compare guitar modification to the lost item queries that I so much enjoy but that some others strongly dislike, thinking it is a trivial use of the Yi, but in other areas of divination, like astrology, lost item searches are standard.

 

[sooo]

I am unlikely to do otherwise. Even when a process (say, in remote outer space) has no human intervention, it follows the order of nature and is implicitly moral, since the order of nature gives rise to moral beings, in my thinking. If anchoring the bridge isn't a conventional procedure, then you took a risk and succeeded, and character has been shaped. You are more likely to take risks in other areas of life. Changing the guitar changed yourself. Symbolically a guitar is both phallic and feminine. You perhaps mean to compare guitar modification to the lost item queries that I so much enjoy but that some others strongly dislike, thinking it is a trivial use of the Yi, but in other areas of divination, like astrology, lost item searches are standard.

Because there is no right involved, nor wrong, there is no morality involved. When Leo Fender applied for his patent on the original design, his illustration showed how the bridge can sea-saw on what's called the knife, or edge, of the bottom plate on the bridge. However, since the early 50's, when this patent was approved, users employed their preference, their choice, depending upon their own style. There are actually three choices: 1) to rock or balance the bridge to move in both directions, providing both increased and decreased tension to the true pitch of a string or strings, 2) decking it so the flat plate of the bridge lies flat onto the guitar body, thus adding greater resonance from contact, but leaving enough loose tension to allow a down only motion, so the pitch could lower but not rise, which would allow for a diving effect but not a true tremolo (mechanical vibrato), or 3) they could flatten it so it is stationary and won't lift in either direction, either by inserting a block (which I've done before), or increasing the number of springs or spring tension under the bridge (which I've also done before). There is no right or wrong way, no violation of ethics; hence, as Trojina pointed out from Hilary's blog, "no blame". One could release the limited motion to delicately balance with an equal energy from the strings pulling on one side with the springs pulling from the other side. This is where maintaining accurate tuning makes this kind of setting a craft in itself, or they can choose to limit its motion to one direction only, or they can "slam" it flat, with enough tension not to lift in either direct, even when the player bends the strings using their fingers, which has been a common technique since the early 50's, as well as add vibrato to strings the same or similar as with most stringed instruments, such as a violin or cello - except that modern electric guitar playing sometimes bends a string as much a two whole steps, and then add vibrato to the pitch. Unless the bridge is tightly anchored to the body, that extra tension (energy) will lift the bridge, cause all the other strings to drop in pitch. If one wants to include an open string along with that bend, it will go seriously flat, making double stops of that sort impossible. Each way has its own benefit and limitation.

I think your idea of implied natural morality is interesting, and possibly even true within that context, however even using that idea of natural order doesn't apply, because the physics involved with this mechanical device has no natural order. The order is the order it is made to perform, according to the desire of the user. We're not changing the earth's orbit around the sun, we're merely manipulating mechanics to perform a desired function, like choosing to wear shoes with laces or wearing loafers. No blame either way, unless a law of some kind requires one or the other, such as wearing a military uniform. There are some militant guitar players who might agree with you in principle, however I am a "do whatever works for you" player. Both ways work for me, but there is a more modern design which works better for releasing this limitation for a tremolo effect, which I employ on another guitar. That design was developed long after the original designer, Leo Fender, died. That's called progress.

 

[pocossin]

I asked about it and got 16.1.6>21

Enthusiasm. It furthers one to install helpers
And to set armies marching.

I'd have spoken to the landlord before removing his linoleum.

 

[moss elk]

there is no right involved, nor wrong, there is no morality involved.

Of course, because the subject of your question involved no moral choice.

In situations where there is a moral choice to be made, (one that greatly affects peoples (or animals) lives, wellbeing, happiness, peace...etc) lies the other (and arguably most important) use of the Yi, in my opinion.

I'm not exactly sure where you are going with this but, all that I can see is that you've proven is that the Yi can be successfully consulted for questions with non-moral ramifications. I do not think that this fact that can be expanded to imply any non existence of situations that involve moral imperative.

Maybe you weren't going in that direction but, that is just how the flavor tasted to me.

 

[Trojina]

Enthusiasm. It furthers one to install helpers
And to set armies marching.

I'd have spoken to the landlord before removing his linoleum.

Don't assume I hadn't. I had already spoken to him about the linoleum several times over the last 2 years ! He kept promising to put me new lino in. He didn't care what I did with the old linoleum which was ripped anyway. I told him I don't need new lino as the same problem will occur since there is an existing layer of lino already.

 

[pocossin]

my battle with shrews

This discussion of practical problems has inspired me. Shrews moved into my yard two years ago, and they destroy a landscape. They appear to be coming from the south-east and extending inland. A neighbor 500 yards west of me is now afflicted. The shrew here is like a pygmy mole, about the size of a large mouse but with a snout and a beautiful fur coat. (Species of shrews are highly variable.) Its tunneling makes a hill like a mole hill. They eats the roots of plants and root crops -- potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes. There is no legal fumigant, bait, or trap for this particular variety of the pest. I have tried home remedies. Diluted household ammonia injected into their tunnels seems to slow them down but doesn't kill them.

I asked: How to deal with shrews? I cast by finding a hexagram representative of the situation. In this case, hexagram 36 fits.

▄▄  ▄▄
▄▄  ▄▄ earth
▄▄  ▄▄
▄▄▄▄▄▄ 
▄▄  ▄▄ tunnel
▄▄▄▄▄▄

The inversion of this hexagram gives 35, which mentions a rodent in line 4, but I want to overthrow these critters. Passage ways in the earth suggest drains, so, ah ha! drain cleaner. I have just come back from putting drain cleaner in their tunnels. Results to follow.

 

[sooo]

Of course, because the subject of your question involved no moral choice.

In situations where there is a moral choice to be made, (one that greatly affects peoples (or animals) lives, wellbeing, happiness, peace...etc) lies the other (and arguably most important) use of the Yi, in my opinion.

I'm not exactly sure where you are going with this but, all that I can see is that you've proven is that the Yi can be successfully consulted for questions with non-moral ramifications. I do not think that this fact that can be expanded to imply any non existence of situations that involve moral imperative.

Maybe you weren't going in that direction but, that is just how the flavor tasted to me.

This isn't to take away the important value of personal introspection and development, but even that requires limitation.

Just thought I'd share this.

I thought it might be worth sharing, and gave the amoral emphasis because:

They all seem to do it. We all seem to do it.

I myself initially did it, saying to myself, oh... I shouldn't be asking Yi about this. It's too literal and petty, and not worthy of a factual answer from the Yi. I saved the page while going about other things, but I wanted to come back to it, sensing I was missing something. When I again approached it I said, now I'm going to apply this literally to my question, about the results if I choose to modify the guitar as described, and not only was I satisfied with the answer, it just made sudden literal sense, but as line 4 predicted: "Contended limitation. Success." was the result.

I think we often angst too much over answers that are neither intended to correct our thinking, ethics, morals or feelings. Sometimes we don't dig deep enough. Sometimes we dig too deep, going right past the obvious. I think this is a fundamentally valuable lesson and truth, for myself if for no one else. I thought it might be worth sharing. No need to dig deeper than that.

 

[Liselle]

Sooo, thank you for posting this. I ask many such questions (that is, practical ones, not ones about guitars), and I agree, it can be tricky to apply Yi's personal and sometimes flowery language to nuts-and-bolts matters. But it's so gratifying when I can decipher it .

On another guitar of the same make and basic model (Stratocastor), the bridge design is different, and decking that bridge, which I've tried several times using three different methods, deadens the tone and sustain.

The above sounds (to me) like a key to your question, and, possibly, why you asked the question to begin with? To make sure that changing the guitar in the way you did wouldn't have undesirable results?

I asked: How to deal with shrews?

Pocossin, won't drain cleaner and so forth just sink into the earth and poison the ground you're trying to grow the vegetables in? Am also feeling a bit squeamish on behalf of the little critters...but can understand they're destructive....

(I'd love to see what Yi would have to say about this if you just cast a reading, you know, in the normal way? Which you probably won't, and that's your business...)

 

[pocossin]

won't drain cleaner and so forth just sink into the earth and poison the ground you're trying to grow the vegetables in?

No, I won't do any harm with the small amounts I am using. Household ammonia is used in homemade fertilizer.

http://www.ehow.com/how_7019964_do-use-household-ammonia-fertilizer_.html

The active ingredient in drain cleaner is sodium hydroxide. I am using the powder. To some extent it will act as a lime to sweeten the soil. I haven't used any drain cleaner in the garden yet but applied it to tunnels in the lawn. I don't want to use it in raised beds but around the edges of the beds should be okay.

Am also feeling a bit squeamish on behalf of the little critters...but can understand they're destructive....

Well, these little critters are somewhat venomous.

. . . Shrews are unusual among mammals in a number of respects. Unlike most mammals, some species of shrew are venomous. Shrew venom is not conducted into the wound by fangs, but by grooves in the teeth. The venom contains various compounds, and the contents of the venom glands of the American short-tailed shrew are sufficient to kill 200 mice by intravenous injection.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrew

They are called "shrews" because of their bad dispositions, I think. I am tolerant of little critter like snakes, turtles, lizards, frogs,etc., and relocate them if they become a bother. I have caught seven possums in a cage trap this year and have released six of them in the woods, and the seventh, a rather cute young possum was given to a visitor. I wouldn't be after the shrews if they didn't do so much damage or if I had a way to safely catch them.

 

[sooo]

Quote Originally Posted by sooo View Post
On another guitar of the same make and basic model (Stratocastor), the bridge design is different, and decking that bridge, which I've tried several times using three different methods, deadens the tone and sustain.

Lisa

The above sounds (to me) like a key to your question, and, possibly, why you asked the question to begin with? To make sure that changing the guitar in the way you did wouldn't have undesirable results?

Yup . I've been decking trems of both designs for decades. It was typically the first thing I'd do with a new guitar with a trem. I hated the suckers for their inherent weaknesses. All that changed when I (oh boy, trying not to get technical here) purchased an after-market trem block and short arm. In place of the usual wobbly long arm, which I never felt comfortable with, I got a shorter arm, and the insert prevented the usual wobbliness of the arm. Only then did I notice how the tone became warmer, richer, and I became a convert to floating bridge since that time, about 7 years ago. This was on the newer style bridge. On the vintage bridges, I still decked them. But this relatively new guitar had a vintage bridge with the upgraded parts. It came to me decked but you know how enthusiastic new converts could be , so afloatin' it did go.

I had it in my head,
like you said,
this guitar surely would go dead
if I decked that trem.
I resisted but unhappiness persisted,
I turned pale as I put it up for sale,
so pretty is she,
without her I didn't wish to be.
So I asked the Yi.
She sang like a bell,
I played her like a bat out of hell.
Now all is well.

 

[Liselle]

No, I won't do any harm with the small amounts I am using.

Oh, okay.

Well, these little critters are somewhat venomous [...]
They are called "shrews" because of their bad dispositions, I think.

Ah. Hence, "shrewish." Not feeling sympathetic anymore - besides which, your poor cat might be bitten, or even catching them might not be good for her if they're venomous.

 

[Liselle]

Sooo - nice poem!

I'm not really a guitar person, but that one of yours is attractive (not a skull nor painted flame in sight, blessed be). I'm glad everything worked out before a sale went through. Yay, Yi .

 

[goddessliss]

Well, these little critters are somewhat venomous.

. . . Shrews are unusual among mammals in a number of respects. Unlike most mammals, some species of shrew are venomous. Shrew venom is not conducted into the wound by fangs, but by grooves in the teeth. The venom contains various compounds, and the contents of the venom glands of the American short-tailed shrew are sufficient to kill 200 mice by intravenous injection.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shrew

They are called "shrews" because of their bad dispositions, I think. I am tolerant of little critter like snakes, turtles, lizards, frogs,etc., and relocate them if they become a bother. I have caught seven possums in a cage trap this year and have released six of them in the woods, and the seventh, a rather cute young possum was given to a visitor. I wouldn't be after the shrews if they didn't do so much damage or if I had a way to safely catch them.

Giant Destroyer Gopher Gasser! Smoke Bomb!

 

[sooo]

Sooo - nice poem!

I'm not really a guitar person, but that one of yours is attractive (not a skull nor painted flame in sight, blessed be). I'm glad everything worked out before a sale went through. Yay, Yi .

haha! skull and flames and pointy guitars

No, that one of mine is called a partscaster or a Frankenstrat. Made of all premium custom parts, assembled and set up by a luthier, no name on the headstock. Has more value into it than one can ever get out of it. Old fashioned nitrocellulose lacquer rather than the modern polyurethane finishes that look like they've been dipped into a vat of plastic. A nice piece. Thanks for the cheer.

 

[pocossin]

Giant Destroyer Gopher Gasser! Smoke Bomb!

Thanks. I didn't know about this product. Wood chucks are about eight miles west of me, and when they arrive I could use such a product. I have not found on the internet that any fumigant works for shrews. Their tunnels in lawns are at the upper level of grass roots and so probably do not contains fumes well.

 

[Liselle]

haha! skull and flames and pointy guitars

Yes, exactly. Ugh!

 

[RindaR]

hmm, I wonder if the rat-like /insectish things in Yi were venomous?

 

[sooo]

hmm, I wonder if the rat-like /insectish things in Yi were venomous?

Could you be anymore cryptic?

But seriously, I'm curious what you mean by that. Also wonder if it's what I've been wondering.

 

[RindaR]

sorry, I don't remember offhand the name of the little critter- has been discussed at length here before.

 

[RindaR]

ok, I am not totally nuts... (well, ymmv) here is what I was thinking about:

http://www.itcn.nl/serendipity/archives/88-The-mole-cricket.html

so this mole-cricket is confusing, and I think the Gopher-Gasser would not help with Tom's critters.

 

[sooo]

Ah, thanks, Rinda. I wonder if what you referred to is the 5 skilled squirrel in 35.4? Flying is certainly a skill for a squirrel.

 

[RindaR]

Yes! that's the one. ...also a skill for a guitar player!

 

[sooo]

Player, hacker, wanker, lol... as a player I'm more of the latter. But music, as you know, can be defined in many ways, not so different from being proficient with the Yijing. There are scholars, theorists, and fools who divine well. Again, I fall into the latter category. Some can do it all, but from my experience they indeed are few. Somewhere between a five skilled rodent and a one trick pony is where I aim.

Product development, testing, and marketing is also an area that's similar. Better not to try and do it all, which is the shortfall of 35.4. I'm presently testing and researching the market for an amp speaker manufacturer. I believe they've created a real winner, with a lot of nudging and encouraging on my part. Testing a prototype, a particularly good 10" speaker, is a thrill. Already have won a few customers for a product that won't be available until mid Jan. No money involved but I do get to keep the prototypes, which is cool in itself. Also nice that they value my opinion and demos. But as a skilled player... m'eh.

 

[anemos]

Product development, testing, and marketing is also an area that's similar. Better not to try and do it all, which is the shortfall of 35.4.

Got 35.4 this morning . Never quite understood this line but I saw it as you said. i.e. doing many things and need to decide to which I should concentrate.

 

[rosada]

I asked the I Ching What are morals?

31.2.5.6 - 37
Morals are the speed bumps of life.
I'm thinking along the lines of when you know what you're doing you can sail along without banging your calves but if you haven't mastered the course then it's better to slow down and see how others in the vicinity are handling things, study, talk, and then proceed.

 

[sooo]

I asked the I Ching What are morals?

31.2.5.6 - 37
Morals are the speed bumps of life.
I'm thinking along the lines of when you know what you're doing you can sail along without banging your calves but if you haven't mastered the course then it's better to slow down and see how others in the vicinity are handling things, study, talk, and then proceed.

I'd interpret that as morals are what the mores say they are (line 6). One family says it's right for a father to kill his daughter if she's an infidel of that cultural mores. Another says homosexuality and adultery are punishable by death. Another has an extremely liberal view, to approve terminating human life while in the womb. Line 5 says morals are a pain in the neck. "Since the movement is not self-governed, it bodes ill." - Wilhelm 31.2 commentary

Ethics is quite different. I think the Yi teaches ethics, but those who interpret (including Wilhelm and the others) inject their own moral standards. And then tarrying brings good fortune, until your own inner conviction can influence you.