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THE PARALLEL NUCLEAR PROGRESSION - Part One
This post will aim to illustrate the use of the parallel nuclear progression as a means of deepening our understanding of any given reading and (in Part 2) as a means of placing our readings within a wider metaphysical structure.
The Parallel Nuclear Progression is a progression whose meaning underlies that of the progression received in a reading. It is derived from the received reading and its meaning will tend to supplement/underlie that of the former. Thus we are presented with a progression that enhances our understanding of a situation at a more essential or fundamental level. It does not replace the received reading; it supplements, augments and underlies it.
Any hexagram contains implicitly within itself two further levels of hexagrams - the Nuclear Hexagram level, and the Archetypal Nuclear level, the nuclear of the nuclear.
For example Hex.37, The Family, contains the Nuclear Hexagram Hex.64, Before Completion, and the Archetypal Hexagram Hex.63, After Completion.
Hexagram 1, Ch'ien, retains the same hexagram at all three levels (the Manifest, Nuclear and Archetypal Nuclear) as does hexagram 2, K'un, and these will be discussed further in Part 2. There are sixteen nuclear hexagrams and, contained within the sixteen, four archetypal nuclear hexagrams. The four archetypal nuclear hexagrams are Hex.1, Ch'ien, Hex.2, K'un, Hex.63, Chi Chi and Hex.64, Wei Chi. They are very similar to, but not identical with, the four Timeless Hexagrams in Taoist Teaching. For the sake of brevity, this post will focus primarily on the nuclear level, although the processes involved apply similarly to the archetypal level. The structure of sixty-four hexagrams supported by sixteen Nuclear Hexagrams supported, in turn, by four Archetypal Hexagrams reveals the process of Convergence of Meaning. Any meaningful content held within a progression at the manifest level (a reading) will be mirrored by the associated progression at the nuclear level and, in turn, at the archetypal level. At each successive level the meaning of the original ‘manifest’ reading becomes further embedded in an increasingly convergent level of meaning, that is, a level of meaning whose essence encompasses a wide range of relative
meanings. As yin and yang converge the contained meaning becomes less and less relative and increasingly universal, less and less overtly manifest and increasingly implicit. At the Archetypal level we are dealing with a level of meaning that is approaching pure essence, a quantum level of universality that exists more in the form of universal potential probability rather than specific, relative, manifestation. In the sphere of human maturation this process can be observed with alarming simplicity. Let us say that two young boys start fighting, Boy A gets Boy B in an arm-lock and then proceeds to bend his middle-finger backwards until Boy B is crying and runs to his mother. He is particularly upset at the specific way Boy A twisted his arm and then chose his favourite finger to bend backwards. His interpretation of the meaning of the situation is very specific and highly personal. His mother is sympathetic to these particular concerns but is also aware that this is typical of the way boys behave when they fall-out. Her view incorporates both the specific (relative) aspects of the situation and the more abstract (universal) aspects of the situation. Meanwhile, Granddad, sitting throughout in the corner, has seen it ALL before. His view is almost entirely universal, a bent finger, a bent thumb, a twisted ear, a thump on the nose - they all exist as equal ‘quantum’ probabilities in a situation such as this, and they all carry the same essential meaning. He is seeing the situation in a highly generic, abstract sense gained from mature experience. Boy B’s perception of the incident is analogous to a reading at the Manifest level, the mother’s view is analogous to a reading at the Nuclear level, Granddad’s to a reading at the Archetypal level - the readings all carry the same, parallel, meaningful content, given at progressively more fundamental levels.
When we receive a reading we can derive from that reading the corresponding nuclear progression. By calculating the nuclear hexagrams of the opening and resultant hexagrams received in our reading we obtain a nuclear progression. For example, if our manifest reading gives us 37,3,5 - 27 the corresponding nuclear progression would be 64 - 2. The initial nuclear hexagram (Hex. 64) is derived from the opening hexagram (Hex. 37) by employing lines 2,3 and 4 to form the lower trigram of the nuclear hexagram, and lines 3,4 and 5 to form its upper trigram. At this stage we do not pay regard to whether a particular line, in the manifest progression, is moving or not; the impact of any moving lines is incorporated in the formation of the second hexagram. In our example we derive, from the opening hexagram, K'an below Li, producing the corresponding nuclear hexagram Wei Chi (64). A similar process applied to Hex. 27, the resultant hexagram, produces the nuclear resultant K'un (2). Hence we derive the nuclear progression Hex.64 - Hex.2.
Now this nuclear progression, (64-2), contains within itself the implication of moving lines. It could be written more specifically as (64,2,4,6 - 2). These implicit moving lines are a valid aspect of our interpretation but it is important to recognise that at the nuclear and archetypal levels we are seeking to understand the "Essence" of the hexagram, the convergence of its meaning as it approaches its non-relative source. Try to understand the derived nuclear progression as an underlying summary of the original reading (the manifest progression). The meaning of this summary runs parallel to that of the original reading but with added depth and clarity - hence it is called the "parallel" nuclear progression. It approaches the essence of the situation. As such, the ‘relative’ values (the implied moving lines) of any nuclear progression eventually become less and less a priority, in favour of the overall perspective of the encapsulating essence of the reading. Initially, however, the implied moving lines of a nuclear progression should be taken into careful consideration as one learns to recognise the parallel perspective.
The above reading, 37,3,5 - 27, will now be given in full as the first of two worked examples:
Example 1: Can this new research project with Steve actually work?
The Manifest Progression: 37,3,5 - 27
The opening hexagram, 37, sets the context of working within a close group of people (the Research Team) and the various dynamics that can interplay within such a group. A central structure within this hexagram is the balanced control of ego-self.
3rd Yang: When tempers flare up in the family, too great severity brings remorse.
Good fortune nonetheless.
When woman and child dally and laugh, it leads in the end to humiliation.
When the restless demands of ego-self become rampant, they must be controlled with direct firmness, which, even if it appears severe, will prove appropriate nonetheless. If one indulges the childish aspect of one's nature, humiliation will ensue.
The question to the I Ching reveals an agitated, anxious ego-self that is seeking confirmation and reassurance by posing a question about Steve. The I Ching is urging one to contain and control the anxious, rampant aspects of self and the line-resultant, Hex 42, demonstrates the considerable benefit that can be obtained from such control.
5th Yang: As a king he approaches his family.
Fear not, good fortune.
This line is further developing the reasoning expressed in 3rd yang. It assures one that one's qualities and abilities will be recognised and accepted. There is no need to be anxious or fearful. It urges one to approach the situation with an assured gentility, without fear or anxiety.
Hexagram Resultant: Hexagram 27, I, The Corners of the Mouth
This hexagram is urging one to "Pay heed to the providing of nourishment" - take care of our thinking processes and the conclusions and attitudes that they can lead to.
The Parallel Nuclear Progression: 64,2,4,6 - 2
The opening nuclear hexagram, Hex 64, Wei Chi, Before Completion, sets the context of unsettled agitation and the measures necessary in order to effect settlement.
2nd Yang: He brakes his wheels, perseverance brings good fortune.
One here at second yang is urged to brake any impulsive forward drive, fuelled by restless agitation, and to abide in lasting perseverance. The line resultant, Hex 35, Chin, Progress, urges one to proceed with devotion to truth and clarity.
4th Yang: Perseverance brings good fortune, remorse disappears.
Shock, thus to discipline the Devil's Country.
For three years, great realms are awarded.
This line often reflects a situation in which the will wavers and one is vulnerable to doubt and remorse. One is urged to remain persevering and to discipline the Devil's Country - the mundanity of acquired conditioning. The line resultant, Hex 4, Meng, Youthful Folly, is indicative of the repeated pattern of this learning process.
6th Yang: There is drinking of wine in genuine confidence. No blame.
But if one wets his head, he loses it, in truth.
At the end of being unsettled, one can effect settlement, but if one presumes upon unguarded settlement, if one becomes intoxicated by one's good fortune, one loses it.
The Nuclear Hexagram Resultant, Hex 2, K'un, The Receptive: The nuclear resultant is emphasising the passive nature of one’s role in this situation - "If the superior man undertakes something and tries to lead, he goes astray; but if he follows, he finds guidance." One is not urged to strike out here, but rather to allow the process of the Dao to unfold and reveal one's true path and direction.
The Manifest and Nuclear Progressions Taken Together:
The manifest progression, 37,3,5 - 27, examines the situation primarily from one's interplay with others. It reveals how a restless, agitated mind (conditioned mind) can, if unbridled, lead to open conflict. It goes on to reassure us that our fears are unfounded; that the successful co-operation we seek will be possible if we monitor the contents of our thoughts and attitude.
The nuclear progression, (64,2,4,6 - 2), examines the situation primarily from one's internal processes. One is urged emphatically to restrain restless agitation and to abide in a state of consolidated clarity. If we can maintain this approach, despite any unsettling factors, the outcome we seek will unfold. The process is described almost entirely in terms of cognitive behaviour - the controlled identification and adjustment of our mental dynamics will manifest in a successful conclusion.
These two progressions, the manifest and the nuclear, complement each other beautifully; the one describing an external sequence of events that points to internal processes, and the other describing those internal processes in detail. The internal underlies the external.
The Archetypal Progression ((63,1,3,5 - 2))
The archetypal progression, derived from the nuclear progression, gives ((63,1,3,5 -2)). Looking at this from a universal perspective, one might say that ((63 - 2)) gives the simple guidance that settlement is being unsettled and one is urged to abide in faith and allow the process to unfold.
First Yang: He brakes his wheels.
He gets his tail in the water. No blame.
First yang is describing the process of holding back from incipient unsettlement, and the danger of falling back into a hazard previously surmounted - He gets his tail in the water. The line resultant Chien, 39, Obstruction, represents difficulty and particularly the difficulty created by a distorted perception.
Third Yang: The Illustrious Ancestor disciplines the Devil’s Country,
After three years he conquers it,
Inferior people must not be employed.
Third yang is describing the process of having attained clarity and continuing in a state of agitated unrest that disturbs true settlement. The mid-point (2nd yin) of lucidity has the line-resultant of Hex.5 - which implies waiting for the correct conditions, and the correct perspective. One who rejects such waiting is propelled by ‘inferior people’ (inferior aspects of self) and arrives at Third Yang where he must engage in an arduous and sustained campaign of repelling disruptive unrest.
Fifth Yang: The neighbour in the east who slaughters an ox
Does not attain as much real happiness
As the neighbour in the west with his small offering.
Fifth yang is describing the process of exuberant settlement. True settlement demands an element of ‘no-mind’ - using emptiness to seek fulfilment. The neighbour in the east who makes an ostentatious display of acquiring settlement creates within the process the latent potential of unsettlement - of destroying the very thing he seeks. That which is full to excess only succeeds in destroying itself. The neighbour to the west, with his small offering, skilfully employs the modesty of emptiness to acquire the lasting value of true settlement.
If settlement can be established and maintained to the degree proposed by first, third and fifth yang, then the sublime success indicated in the hexagram resultant, Hex.2 K’un, will become manifest. As described in the Judgement of K’un, this is a position that requires one to flow with the unfolding situation, rather than take a dynamic lead, and in a western society this demands more self-mastery than any other path.
The Archetypal Progression clearly underlies both the Manifest and Nuclear Progressions outlined above. It reveals, at the root level, the cognitive processes that are producing the psychological structures described at the Nuclear and Manifest levels. This is not a situation that requires leadership in any external sense, but rather in an internal sense, where one is required to identify correctly the various dynamics at play, their inter-relationships, and exert the necessary self-discipline required to allow these dynamics to unfold and manifest.
This post will aim to illustrate the use of the parallel nuclear progression as a means of deepening our understanding of any given reading and (in Part 2) as a means of placing our readings within a wider metaphysical structure.
The Parallel Nuclear Progression is a progression whose meaning underlies that of the progression received in a reading. It is derived from the received reading and its meaning will tend to supplement/underlie that of the former. Thus we are presented with a progression that enhances our understanding of a situation at a more essential or fundamental level. It does not replace the received reading; it supplements, augments and underlies it.
Any hexagram contains implicitly within itself two further levels of hexagrams - the Nuclear Hexagram level, and the Archetypal Nuclear level, the nuclear of the nuclear.
For example Hex.37, The Family, contains the Nuclear Hexagram Hex.64, Before Completion, and the Archetypal Hexagram Hex.63, After Completion.
Hexagram 1, Ch'ien, retains the same hexagram at all three levels (the Manifest, Nuclear and Archetypal Nuclear) as does hexagram 2, K'un, and these will be discussed further in Part 2. There are sixteen nuclear hexagrams and, contained within the sixteen, four archetypal nuclear hexagrams. The four archetypal nuclear hexagrams are Hex.1, Ch'ien, Hex.2, K'un, Hex.63, Chi Chi and Hex.64, Wei Chi. They are very similar to, but not identical with, the four Timeless Hexagrams in Taoist Teaching. For the sake of brevity, this post will focus primarily on the nuclear level, although the processes involved apply similarly to the archetypal level. The structure of sixty-four hexagrams supported by sixteen Nuclear Hexagrams supported, in turn, by four Archetypal Hexagrams reveals the process of Convergence of Meaning. Any meaningful content held within a progression at the manifest level (a reading) will be mirrored by the associated progression at the nuclear level and, in turn, at the archetypal level. At each successive level the meaning of the original ‘manifest’ reading becomes further embedded in an increasingly convergent level of meaning, that is, a level of meaning whose essence encompasses a wide range of relative
meanings. As yin and yang converge the contained meaning becomes less and less relative and increasingly universal, less and less overtly manifest and increasingly implicit. At the Archetypal level we are dealing with a level of meaning that is approaching pure essence, a quantum level of universality that exists more in the form of universal potential probability rather than specific, relative, manifestation. In the sphere of human maturation this process can be observed with alarming simplicity. Let us say that two young boys start fighting, Boy A gets Boy B in an arm-lock and then proceeds to bend his middle-finger backwards until Boy B is crying and runs to his mother. He is particularly upset at the specific way Boy A twisted his arm and then chose his favourite finger to bend backwards. His interpretation of the meaning of the situation is very specific and highly personal. His mother is sympathetic to these particular concerns but is also aware that this is typical of the way boys behave when they fall-out. Her view incorporates both the specific (relative) aspects of the situation and the more abstract (universal) aspects of the situation. Meanwhile, Granddad, sitting throughout in the corner, has seen it ALL before. His view is almost entirely universal, a bent finger, a bent thumb, a twisted ear, a thump on the nose - they all exist as equal ‘quantum’ probabilities in a situation such as this, and they all carry the same essential meaning. He is seeing the situation in a highly generic, abstract sense gained from mature experience. Boy B’s perception of the incident is analogous to a reading at the Manifest level, the mother’s view is analogous to a reading at the Nuclear level, Granddad’s to a reading at the Archetypal level - the readings all carry the same, parallel, meaningful content, given at progressively more fundamental levels.
When we receive a reading we can derive from that reading the corresponding nuclear progression. By calculating the nuclear hexagrams of the opening and resultant hexagrams received in our reading we obtain a nuclear progression. For example, if our manifest reading gives us 37,3,5 - 27 the corresponding nuclear progression would be 64 - 2. The initial nuclear hexagram (Hex. 64) is derived from the opening hexagram (Hex. 37) by employing lines 2,3 and 4 to form the lower trigram of the nuclear hexagram, and lines 3,4 and 5 to form its upper trigram. At this stage we do not pay regard to whether a particular line, in the manifest progression, is moving or not; the impact of any moving lines is incorporated in the formation of the second hexagram. In our example we derive, from the opening hexagram, K'an below Li, producing the corresponding nuclear hexagram Wei Chi (64). A similar process applied to Hex. 27, the resultant hexagram, produces the nuclear resultant K'un (2). Hence we derive the nuclear progression Hex.64 - Hex.2.
Now this nuclear progression, (64-2), contains within itself the implication of moving lines. It could be written more specifically as (64,2,4,6 - 2). These implicit moving lines are a valid aspect of our interpretation but it is important to recognise that at the nuclear and archetypal levels we are seeking to understand the "Essence" of the hexagram, the convergence of its meaning as it approaches its non-relative source. Try to understand the derived nuclear progression as an underlying summary of the original reading (the manifest progression). The meaning of this summary runs parallel to that of the original reading but with added depth and clarity - hence it is called the "parallel" nuclear progression. It approaches the essence of the situation. As such, the ‘relative’ values (the implied moving lines) of any nuclear progression eventually become less and less a priority, in favour of the overall perspective of the encapsulating essence of the reading. Initially, however, the implied moving lines of a nuclear progression should be taken into careful consideration as one learns to recognise the parallel perspective.
The above reading, 37,3,5 - 27, will now be given in full as the first of two worked examples:
Example 1: Can this new research project with Steve actually work?
The Manifest Progression: 37,3,5 - 27
The opening hexagram, 37, sets the context of working within a close group of people (the Research Team) and the various dynamics that can interplay within such a group. A central structure within this hexagram is the balanced control of ego-self.
3rd Yang: When tempers flare up in the family, too great severity brings remorse.
Good fortune nonetheless.
When woman and child dally and laugh, it leads in the end to humiliation.
When the restless demands of ego-self become rampant, they must be controlled with direct firmness, which, even if it appears severe, will prove appropriate nonetheless. If one indulges the childish aspect of one's nature, humiliation will ensue.
The question to the I Ching reveals an agitated, anxious ego-self that is seeking confirmation and reassurance by posing a question about Steve. The I Ching is urging one to contain and control the anxious, rampant aspects of self and the line-resultant, Hex 42, demonstrates the considerable benefit that can be obtained from such control.
5th Yang: As a king he approaches his family.
Fear not, good fortune.
This line is further developing the reasoning expressed in 3rd yang. It assures one that one's qualities and abilities will be recognised and accepted. There is no need to be anxious or fearful. It urges one to approach the situation with an assured gentility, without fear or anxiety.
Hexagram Resultant: Hexagram 27, I, The Corners of the Mouth
This hexagram is urging one to "Pay heed to the providing of nourishment" - take care of our thinking processes and the conclusions and attitudes that they can lead to.
The Parallel Nuclear Progression: 64,2,4,6 - 2
The opening nuclear hexagram, Hex 64, Wei Chi, Before Completion, sets the context of unsettled agitation and the measures necessary in order to effect settlement.
2nd Yang: He brakes his wheels, perseverance brings good fortune.
One here at second yang is urged to brake any impulsive forward drive, fuelled by restless agitation, and to abide in lasting perseverance. The line resultant, Hex 35, Chin, Progress, urges one to proceed with devotion to truth and clarity.
4th Yang: Perseverance brings good fortune, remorse disappears.
Shock, thus to discipline the Devil's Country.
For three years, great realms are awarded.
This line often reflects a situation in which the will wavers and one is vulnerable to doubt and remorse. One is urged to remain persevering and to discipline the Devil's Country - the mundanity of acquired conditioning. The line resultant, Hex 4, Meng, Youthful Folly, is indicative of the repeated pattern of this learning process.
6th Yang: There is drinking of wine in genuine confidence. No blame.
But if one wets his head, he loses it, in truth.
At the end of being unsettled, one can effect settlement, but if one presumes upon unguarded settlement, if one becomes intoxicated by one's good fortune, one loses it.
The Nuclear Hexagram Resultant, Hex 2, K'un, The Receptive: The nuclear resultant is emphasising the passive nature of one’s role in this situation - "If the superior man undertakes something and tries to lead, he goes astray; but if he follows, he finds guidance." One is not urged to strike out here, but rather to allow the process of the Dao to unfold and reveal one's true path and direction.
The Manifest and Nuclear Progressions Taken Together:
The manifest progression, 37,3,5 - 27, examines the situation primarily from one's interplay with others. It reveals how a restless, agitated mind (conditioned mind) can, if unbridled, lead to open conflict. It goes on to reassure us that our fears are unfounded; that the successful co-operation we seek will be possible if we monitor the contents of our thoughts and attitude.
The nuclear progression, (64,2,4,6 - 2), examines the situation primarily from one's internal processes. One is urged emphatically to restrain restless agitation and to abide in a state of consolidated clarity. If we can maintain this approach, despite any unsettling factors, the outcome we seek will unfold. The process is described almost entirely in terms of cognitive behaviour - the controlled identification and adjustment of our mental dynamics will manifest in a successful conclusion.
These two progressions, the manifest and the nuclear, complement each other beautifully; the one describing an external sequence of events that points to internal processes, and the other describing those internal processes in detail. The internal underlies the external.
The Archetypal Progression ((63,1,3,5 - 2))
The archetypal progression, derived from the nuclear progression, gives ((63,1,3,5 -2)). Looking at this from a universal perspective, one might say that ((63 - 2)) gives the simple guidance that settlement is being unsettled and one is urged to abide in faith and allow the process to unfold.
First Yang: He brakes his wheels.
He gets his tail in the water. No blame.
First yang is describing the process of holding back from incipient unsettlement, and the danger of falling back into a hazard previously surmounted - He gets his tail in the water. The line resultant Chien, 39, Obstruction, represents difficulty and particularly the difficulty created by a distorted perception.
Third Yang: The Illustrious Ancestor disciplines the Devil’s Country,
After three years he conquers it,
Inferior people must not be employed.
Third yang is describing the process of having attained clarity and continuing in a state of agitated unrest that disturbs true settlement. The mid-point (2nd yin) of lucidity has the line-resultant of Hex.5 - which implies waiting for the correct conditions, and the correct perspective. One who rejects such waiting is propelled by ‘inferior people’ (inferior aspects of self) and arrives at Third Yang where he must engage in an arduous and sustained campaign of repelling disruptive unrest.
Fifth Yang: The neighbour in the east who slaughters an ox
Does not attain as much real happiness
As the neighbour in the west with his small offering.
Fifth yang is describing the process of exuberant settlement. True settlement demands an element of ‘no-mind’ - using emptiness to seek fulfilment. The neighbour in the east who makes an ostentatious display of acquiring settlement creates within the process the latent potential of unsettlement - of destroying the very thing he seeks. That which is full to excess only succeeds in destroying itself. The neighbour to the west, with his small offering, skilfully employs the modesty of emptiness to acquire the lasting value of true settlement.
If settlement can be established and maintained to the degree proposed by first, third and fifth yang, then the sublime success indicated in the hexagram resultant, Hex.2 K’un, will become manifest. As described in the Judgement of K’un, this is a position that requires one to flow with the unfolding situation, rather than take a dynamic lead, and in a western society this demands more self-mastery than any other path.
The Archetypal Progression clearly underlies both the Manifest and Nuclear Progressions outlined above. It reveals, at the root level, the cognitive processes that are producing the psychological structures described at the Nuclear and Manifest levels. This is not a situation that requires leadership in any external sense, but rather in an internal sense, where one is required to identify correctly the various dynamics at play, their inter-relationships, and exert the necessary self-discipline required to allow these dynamics to unfold and manifest.