23. Po / Splitting Apart

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-- -- above KEN KEEPING STILL, MOUNTAIN
-- --
-- --
-- -- below K'UN THE RECEPTIVE, EARTH
-- --

The dark lines are about to mount upward and overthrow the last firm, light line by exerting a disintegrating influence on it. The inferior, dark forces overcome what is superior and strong, not by direct means, but by undermining it gradually and imperceptibly, so that it finally collapses.

The lines of the hexagram represent the image of a house, the top line being the roof, and because the roof is being shattered the house collapses. The hexagram belongs to the ninth month (October - November). The yin power pushes up ever more powerfully and is about to supplant the yang power altogether.
-Wilhelm

L

IC+

23 Splitting Apart
Pruning, Cutting-Back
In a context of devotion we utilise discernment.

"PO : flay, peel skin; remove, uncover, degrade, split, slice; reduce to essentials; slaughter an animal. The ideogram : knife and carve, trenchant action."ERANOS p293

Some pairs:

In the binary sequence hexagram 23 pairs with hexagram 02.
This pairing of 02 and 23 reflects the dominating aspects of pure yinness in the context of differentiating and integrating. Thus the pure integrating nature of hexagram 02, its focus on dual-mindedness, on drawing-in another/others through devotion to, absolute trust in, another/others is complemented by the differentiating element expressed through hexagram 23 where the unconditional devotion of 02 become conditional with the focus in 23 on 'pruning', on cutting-back the 'weeds' that have grown around one's faith to restore the 'core' elements of that faith, to make them the standards upon which we 'rest' (and so the analogy in 23 to stripping a bed where the bed is a symbol for our beliefs, for what we rest upon).

At the LOCAL level we are dealing with an octet of hexagrams with the EARTH trigram as base. In this sequence hexagram 23, the focus upon pruning, 'opposes' hexagram 45, congregating (and so exaggerating to celebrate). More so, the exaggerated sense of celebrating one's faith (45) is reflected in a more balanced format through the continuous removal of 'weeds' that can gather around one's faith (23).

In the binary sequence hexagram 23 opposes hexagram 43.
This pair deals with concepts we find in gardening where 23 reflects a focus on pruning, identifying the 'true' word, and 43 reflects a focus on seeding, 'spreading the word', use of cuttings etc.

In the traditional sequence hexagram 23 pairs with hexagram 24.
With this pair, just as 23 prunes, and does so from within the belief, so 24 returns to the belief. Both reflect 'coming back to'.
RETURN TO FAITH:

23 : return to the faith - through refurbishing, pruning; 23 refurbish, prune, comes out of a context described by hexagram 24 - returning

24 : return to the faith - through come back to; 24 returning comes out of a context described by hexagram 23 - pruning


In the traditional sequence hexagram 23 opposes hexagram 42.
Just as 23 focuses on CUTTING-BACK to get the 'pure' expression, so 42 focuses on augmentation(ADDING-TO) to bring-out the 'pure' expression.

The generic properties of hexagram 23 reflect the mixing of the generic properties of hexagram 02 with the generic properties of hexagram 24.

A combination of total devotion (02) with a focus on returning to the 'true' path (24) is reflected in the pruning focus of hexagram 23.

From XOR

27-ness:
- the infrastructure of 23 is describered by analogy to 24 - the generic focus on 'returning' through 23s particular focus on pruning. The 'simple' form of 23 is covered in the label "Housekeeping", we tidy things up (or else there is an opening for collapse, the last bastion of order collapses!) , the exaggerated form is in high energy priest/priestess intensly focused on removing the chaff from the wheat that is the 'true faith' etc etc

24-ness:
- 23 begins with, keeps coming back to, a state described by 27 -a focus on some new beginning or re-beginning (skeletal forms etc) and the quality control issues of what to put into or maintain that structure.

48-ness:

- 23 has its source of nourishment described by analogy to 57 and its focus on cultivation and being influencial.

etc etc etc - full summary of XOR perspectives (getting the IC to describe itself) for 23 at:

http://members.iimetro.com.au/~lofting/myweb/lofting/x100000.html

Chris.

'Stripping away.
Fruitless to have a direction to go.'

(Since so far we have two commentaries and a picture... I thought we might have the words, too. )

23, looking to the trigrams, all earth in 5 phase/element perspective. Nucleur trigrams also earth.
The only one is mountain, with a personal perspective of earth.
Looking to the 5 duograms 4 of them are old yin, and one of them the top one is young yang.

So there is a personal perspective that will last some while. Especially regarding communication.
23 is also the expression of a lot of change and the start of a lot of new things, only on more mental parts there will stay things the same.
In 23 we learn what we have to take with us for going to a next phase.

Good one, Bruce.

I took this picture two years ago. Just added the hexagram. Now, the bird in your picture looks like a pigeon. Is it? This one is a "carrion crow".

Bruce's bird looks like a singing blackbird to me.

Actually, it's LiSe's shot. Nice one, I think, and fitting 23. Reminds me of the uneaten fruit.

Good one, Luis.

yes, it is a blackbird. I wish you could hear it singing, it was beautiful, sitting there, in the quiet of the evening.

LiSe

Luis, I really like your shot, but am not getting a 23 feeling from it. Not sure what feeling it is. Maybe the dark side of 36? mm, 54? 47? Something ominous about it. Not sure... maybe the darker side of 23.

bruce_g said:

Luis, I really like your shot, but am not getting a 23 feeling from it. Not sure what feeling it is. Maybe the dark side of 36? mm, 54? 47? Something ominous about it. Not sure... maybe the darker side of 23.

Click to expand...

Hey, why am I not surprised at your lighter take of 23?

Yes, the darker side of 23, I'll say, if you take the view that a carrion eater is a bad omen. On the other hand, there are few better examples of "natural" stripping than vultures.

L

chuckling... hey, I can be dark sometimes! Ok, how's this for 23: Thank you, M'am, may I please have another?

For me the image of a half packed suitcase comes to mind, not neat, things just thrown in and with with things hanging out of it, not sure why. I guess if you have to leave you only take what you think will be essential, and theres certainly a sense of loss, of sacrifice (in my mental image that is) Its like the foundations are crumbling and you need to get out fast, (maybe thats a little 28, yet 23 has that feel about it for me)

23. Saturn (Mountain) over Neptune (Earth)

Neptune and Saturn are opposites in the sense that Saturn creates and maintains form/structure while Neptune dissolves it.
In this hexagram it is like Saturn tries to maintain form (or at least boundaries) in the face of dissolving Neptunian forces, it tries to keep Neptune inside its structures, so to speak. But the Neptunian forces are often too strong. Form collapses. The dikes break. Flood ..
This is not necessarily a bad thing, though. Perhaps the form was outdated, perhaps it had become a prison, and when it disappears the soul, the spirit, the essence is free again.


"You only possess what you cannot lose in a shipwreck"
(Sufi saying)

"What is real cannot be threatened, what is unreal doesn't exist"
(A Course in Miracles, I changed the wording a bit )

THE JUDGEMENT

SPLITTING APART. It does not further one to go anywhere.

Was just noticing the change lines necessary to make 22 become 23.
The I Ching version of "Don't drink and drive"?

23 Would not be good to go anywhere.
22.3 After a charming dinner party...
22.1 leave the carriage and walk.

THE IMAGE

The mountain rests on the earth:
The image of SPLITTING APART.
Thus those above can ensure their position
Only by giving generously to those below.

'There isn't anybody below me' is what i think to this. Who does Yi mean ?

The way I interpret 'caring for those below' is, leaving high-mindedness, big ideas or mental platitudes, and tending to a weakened or injured body and soul. It isn't a high place, but a necessary place. It's a humbled state, which allows returning to essence: that which lies within and without appearances.

bruce_g said:

The way I interpret 'caring for those below' is, leaving high-mindedness, big ideas or mental platitudes, and tending to a weakened or injured body and soul. It isn't a high place, but a necessary place. It's a humbled state, which allows returning to essence: that which lies within and without appearances.

Click to expand...

Isn't that more like 15?

getojack said:

Isn't that more like 15?

Click to expand...

I see 15 more as equalizing extremes, balancing the load; which is also where the idea of teamwork comes in.

Btw, I think "modesty", as we typically use the word, does not describe 15 well. Or, if the word modesty is used, it is more than simply being humble. Someone with no talent who gives no effort may well be humble, but so what? But, when someone with great ability is humble, that is true modesty. Then humility balances greatness. The greatest example of 15, imo, is someone who makes something difficult look easy, and let's the work speak for itself.

IC+ image

"[With devotion comes discernment]. A Mountain approaching the earth : Stripping (Reduce to essentials). [Using the liberal use of thought to quiet the devotion below]."

I get the idea of someone in a high place giving to those below, not out of some inherent idea of social welfare, but in order to ''ensure their position''. IOW, if they don't give generously to those below, those below will rise up and strip away their bed, their clothes and their home. So it seems to be more a preventative measure when things are going badly.

FWIW, I agree with Cleary's interpretation of the string of fishes in line 5 being the three humble lines of the Earth trigram below. If you have nothing, then you can't help but be humble. The one in the palace's position in line 5 mercilessly uses this to his advantage.

Trying to put a positive spin on 23 here...What if Grace indicates The Moment of Grace, the vision seen from the mountain top, and now - having recognized what is true and what is possible - 23 begins the return to group conciousness and the work to be done to live your vision even if no one else sings along?
I have just returned home from my visit to the folks in Pasadena. I had lots of fun doing things I never can get people interested in doing here in Lyle. Playing Scrabble for instance. In my Mother's senior residence it's an established routine that Scrabble is played every night. Here in Lyle, few of my friends even own a Scrabble board. If I am to "maintain my position" that Scrabble is fun, I will have to do alot, maybe even "give generously to those below", ie. buy my neighbor a gameboard.
Anyway, I see 23 as being about what happens after one has had a vision, and then how the old perspective appears to challange, undermine the new. You've been to Paris, how to bring it back to the farm? You know the I Ching works, but how to share it? 23 says the first step is to give.

Rosada, That's how I've always seen it...

Rinda

Again, that would be 15... not 23. I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree. (Getojack splitting apart from the Memorizing the I Ching thread)

bruce_g said:

The way I interpret 'caring for those below' is, leaving high-mindedness, big ideas or mental platitudes, and tending to a weakened or injured body and soul. It isn't a high place, but a necessary place. It's a humbled state, which allows returning to essence: that which lies within and without appearances.

Click to expand...

Yes possibly - you mean deal with your bases, your base security level, this is no time to worry about appearances. Also seeing it more from Jacks perspective it reminds me of that saying 'be nice to those you meet on the way up you might need them on the way down'

BTW I don't find 23 especially grim unless its an outcome I really don't want in regard to that question. In fact sometimes I'm pretty pleased to get it - it can be a relief to get rid of alot of things. I don't think I seeit as especially weak always either, your essence is left and thats all you ever really had anyway - least now you know what you're made of