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Thoughts on 7.2 and the triple decoration

rosada

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Some while back we had discussion of what was this triple decoration the king bestowed? I had some thoughts this morning.

I like to study the sequence of the I Ching and make up a story line that connects them together. Today I was noticing that 5.6 refers to 3 guests arriving and that one should honor them. In the story I was telling myself I was thinking about
1.A seed,
2.Falling to earth,
3.Sprouting amongst the weeds and other plants.
4.The little sprout doing as best one can to develop in these circumstances.
5.Waiting and fearful of what might come before one has grown and sure enough at 5.6 3 uninvited guests, possibly dangers appear, a bee, a bird and a squirrel yet we are advised to honor them.
6. Negotiating on what they want, and getting agreement from them to wait until the plant has grown.
7.2 "The king bestows a triple decoration" Could this represent that when one is in the moment, on the battle field so to speak, the energy comes to solve all three (multiple) requests? The plant grows enough to provide flowers for the bees, a flat branch for the birds and nuts for the squirrel.

So ultimately I think 7.2 could be seen to mean that when one gets involved on site, on the ground floor the energy and insights come to solve problems and get energy flowing.
m2c
 

susieq777

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I received this line as my daily reading.

I went to the chiropractor yesterday and had adjustments in three vertebrae. Those areas are tender to the touch today but hopefully once they relearn how to be in their right place I will experience the increased nervous system flow that comes with that.
 

hilary

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7.2 is about orders rather than decorations, I think: the word used is ming, you are mandated to do something. I've always thought it simply means that you get a whole series of instructions: stay open to guidance (zhi 2), don't assume you've got the definitive version.

This is not a million miles away from your idea that the insights and guidance will come when you're on site and in the middle of the action.

One substantial clue to the three orders is in the paired line, 8.5:

'A demonstration of seeking union:
The king uses three beaters,
Lets the game in front go.
The city people are not coerced.
Good fortune.'

Three orders, three beaters: both come from the king, both show you which way to go... so maybe also both leave you uncoerced?

By the way, here's something about 5.6's 3 uninvited guests that I surely must have read first in Scott Davis' book:

If Hexagram 5 is waiting for rain (and it is... blog post coming...) then it has to wait until 9.6:

'Already rained, already come to rest...'

Specifically, it has to wait through the three uninvited hexagram-interlopers of 6, 7 and 8.

(Scott's discoveries have me wondering whether the three orders also correspond to hexagrams - but nothing leaps to the eye, does it?)
 

hilary

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(Scott's discoveries have me wondering whether the three orders also correspond to hexagrams - but nothing leaps to the eye, does it?)

...though come to think of it, if it says 'bestows ming three times' then the obvious thing to look for has to be occurrences of the word ming, doesn't it? And that is 'bestowed' in...

'The great leader has a mandate
To found a state and receive the households.
Don't use small people.'
(7.6)

'The bulwarks fall back into the moat.
Don't use the army.
From your own city, declaring the mandate.
Constancy means shame.'
(11.6)

'There is a mandate, no mistake.
Work with clarity, fulfilment.'
(12.4)

...and then not until 49.4,
'Regrets vanish, there is truth and confidence.
Changing mandate, good fortune.'

(and 56.5, and that's it.)

So there are three more 'orders' to come in this part of the story. Sometimes the order is to build, and sometimes everything you built has been levelled, but there's still a mandate to work with. (12.4 implies working in a ploughed field, which is probably what you're left with after 11.6...)

Is there anything in this? Not necessarily. Interesting to look, though.
 

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