Two queries, same hexagram (almost)

[candid]

Greetings and welcome, Anonymous.

It is my position that the I Ching does not always provide us with an answer which is limited to our specific question. I believe that there are ?seasons? and cycles for each of us, and sometimes our reading reflects this. For you during the time of your inquires, it was a time of Approach (19), linked with the approach of spring.

A second consideration is that while ones question may pertain to the likely success of an action, that success isn?t always based upon our own profit or gain. Here, I?ll point out Wilhelm?s Image of 19:

The earth above the lake:
The image of APPROACH.
Thus the superior man (person) is inexhaustible in his will to teach (or serve), and without limits in his tolerance and protection of the people.

Note that this describes an outward action which is to benefit ?the people.? One could say: Love is its own reward, whether it?s the love of a friend, soul mate or lover - or love of anything for that matter. Expressions of love include tolerating, nurturing and protecting. The result of this kind of approach secures the likeliness of endurance within these relationships.

I hope you find this helpful and that you consider joining Clarity as a friend. We?d love to have you.

~Candid

 

[chris]

Hi 'Anonymous',

Try the proactive method as well.

From YOUR perspective:

(1) Is the situation one dealing with facts or values?
(2) Is it about what was/is/will be OR about what could have been/is NOT/could be?
(3) Are you responding to, or instigating things?

(1) is the base line and is yang for facts, yin for values.
(2) is the second line and is yang for what was/is/will be, Yin for what couldhavebeen...
(3) is the third line and is yin for you responding, yang for you instigating.

You will get a trigram. You can derive the top trigram in answering the same questions but from the OTHER's perspective (and you can ask subtle questions to derive this if need be) OR you can identify the eight hexagrams that have the trigram as base and reflect on those to identify the one that resonates the most.

To get into moving lines and so refine things, ask the above questions but add-in to each:

Q1 - add-in "dont know, but reflecting on the past suggests fact turning into values" This gives a Yang line changing into a Yin. "dont know, but reflecting on the past suggest values turning into facts" This gives a Yin line changing into Yang.

Q2 - add-in "Dont know, but reflecting on the past suggests what was/is/will is turning into could/not/could" This is a Yang line changing into a Yin. "Dont know, but reflecting on the past suggests could/not/could turning into was/is/will" This is a Yin line changing into a Yang.

Q3 - add in "Dont know, but reflecting on the past suggests I was instigating that is changing into responding" This is Yang changing into Yin.
"Dont know, but reflecting on the past suggests I was responding that is now turning into instigating" This is yin turning into yang.

With these additions a new format emerges in that you (a) create the base trigram based on the lines PRIOR to change. (b) create the top trigram based on lines AFTER change. This reflects the natural development of the patterns of meaning from bottom to top.

e.g. I have:

line 1 - yang
line 2 - yang into yin
line 3 - yin into yang

The hexagram is (top to bottom):

(6)yang
(5)yin
(4)yang
(3)yin
(2)yang
(1)yang

This is a refinement and useful but will be still be 'raw' in that you have not gone through all six questions - you can if you wish and so just use the changing lines etc in their traditional form. The point is that you will get a result 'closer' to home - the random toss hexagram will more than often reflect an ASPECT of the situation.

In ANY use of the I Ching what you get is a STRING of all possible hexagrams sorted in order from 'best' fit to 'least' fit.

The coin toss etc gives you ONE of these hexagrams and so not necessaryly the 'best' fit. The questions come closer to the 'best' fit BUT your personal biases in answering the questions can 'skew' the results!

Best,

Chris.
http://pages.prodigy.net/lofting

 

[hilary]

Hello Anon, and welcome,

While I don't want to repeat an old, old, old argument of mine with Chris, I'll just add one small comment on his perspective. Basically, what he says about his question system giving a better fit than traditional divination will be true if (and only if!) there is no power (God, spirit, cosmic order, call it/him/her what you will) who guides the fall of the coins and gives you a meaningful answer.

If that were true - if there really was nothing more to it than arid, random chance - then certainly Chris's system could be our best hope. There are other systems for getting a hexagram without trusting to whatever-lies-behind-chance, but FWIW, if I were ever to learn one of them, I think I might look into Chris's. (Chris, this is a back-handed compliment, I think!)

Probably you can guess at my own beliefs, but in any case they're not greatly relevant to your own search