42. I / Increase

rosada · Jun 4, 2008

42. I / Increase

_____
_____ above SUN THE GENTLE, WIND
__ __
__ __
__ __ below CHEN THE AROUSING, THUNDER
_____

The idea of increase is expressed in the fact that the strong lowest line of the upper trigram has sunk down and taken its place under the lower trigram. This conception also expresses the fundamental idea on which the Book of Changes is based.
To rule truly is to serve.

A sacrifice of the higher element that produces an increase of the lower is called an out-and-out increase: it indicates the spirit that alone has power to help the world.
-Wilhelm

Sparhawk · Jun 4, 2008

rosada · Jun 6, 2008

THE JUDGEMENT

Increase. It furthers one
To undertake something.
It furthers one to cross the great water.

Sacrifice on the part of those above for the increase of those below fills the people with a feeling of joy and gratitude that is extremely valuable for the flowering of the commonwealth. When people are devoted to their leaders, undertakings are possible, and even difficult and dangerous enterprises will succeed. Therefore in such times of progress and successful development it is necessary to work and make the best of the time. This time resembles that of the marriage of heaven and earth, when the earth partakes of the creative power of heaven, forming and bringing forth living things. The time of INCREASE does not endure, therefore it must be utilized while it lasts.
-Wilhelm

dobro · Jun 6, 2008

For me, a big question was whether the meaning is more 'to put more into the situation' or whether it's more 'you are being increased'. In the end, I decided that it can be either or both.

Whatcha think?

rosada · Jun 7, 2008

THE IMAGE
Wind and thunder: the image of INCREASE
Thus the superior man:
If he sees good he imitates it;
If he has faults, he rids himself of them.

While observing how thunder and wind increase and strengthen each other, a man can note the way to self-increase and self-improvement. When he discovers good in others, he should imitate it and thus make everything on earth his own. If he perceives something bad in himself, let him rid himself of it. In this way he becomes free of evil. This ethical change represents the most important increase of personality.
-Wilhelm

getojack · Jun 9, 2008

42: Yì

益

CCDICT definitions: [1] increase; add to; augment [2] in a higher degree; to a greater extent; more [3] profit; benefit; advantage

Dà Xiàng:
象曰‧風雷‧益‧君子以見善則遷‧有過則改‧
xiàng yūe: fēng léi. yì. jūnzi yĭ jiàn shàn zé qiān. yŏu guò zé găi.

xiang4: The image
yue1: says,
feng1: wind...
lei2: thunder...

Yì.

jun1zi: The nobleman,
yi3: accordingly,
jian4: meets with
shan4: kindness,
ze2: then
qian1: moves on.

you3: There is
guo4: transgression,
ze2: then
gai3: change.

rosada · Jun 9, 2008

THE LINES

# Nine at the beginning means:
It furthers one to accomplish great deeds.
Supreme good fortune. No blame.

charly · Jun 10, 2008

getojack said:
... 益 ...

Water over a Scrificial Bowl → Overflow ?

Charly

charly · Jun 10, 2008

rosada said:
THE LINES

# Nine at the beginning means:
It furthers one to accomplish great deeds.
Supreme good fortune. No blame.

利 li4 profitable / beneficial
用 yong4 to use / to apply
為 wei2 act as / to serve as / to become /
大 da4 big / large / great
作 zuo4 to do / to make
元 yuan2 primary / first / great
吉 ji2 lucky

PROFITABLE TO APPLY BIG MEANS [?]
GREAT FORTUNE.

Yours,

Charly

fkegan · Jun 10, 2008

hex 42.1>>20

An overflowing sacrificial bowl seems a great metaphor for the cornucopia--the magical horn that overflows with goodies.

The general structure is explained as hex 12 with the lowest Yang line having exchanged places with the lowest Yin place thus turning Standstill into Cosmic increase or Blessing.

As this first Yang line expresses and exhausts itself the timing of the hexagram changes toward hex 20 the example or clear model of what can be achieved and seen far and wide. In the commentary this requires a bit of special counsel as the lowest line is making a spectacle of itself for all to see, yet in this special timing that is appropriate since its actions originate in Divine gift.

Frank

rosada · Jun 10, 2008

Continuing with Wilhelm's comments on 42.1:

The nine at the bottom stands for the common people.
In that the six in the fourth place, the minster, descends (it stands in relationship of correspondence to the first line), it enables the lower line to accomplish great things, because it does not selfishly retain for itself the grace bestowed on it from above. This line is at the bottom of the trigram Chen and therefore moves upward. Hence the great good fortune.
-Wilhelm.

rosada · Jun 10, 2008

Trying to get a handle on what this great good fortune that is bestowed on one, especially at this time before the beginning of Increase. I associate it with that wonderful sense of freedom and possibilities that comes when you've Decreased your obligations, cleared out your closets and your calendar. Interesting that the blessing comes from the fourth line, the position of the Teacher. I am reminded of what a blessing it is to have the time free to study the I Ching, so perhaps for me this line is encouragement to complete chores so as to have the time available to learn something new.

meng · Jun 10, 2008

dobro said:
For me, a big question was whether the meaning is more 'to put more into the situation' or whether it's more 'you are being increased'. In the end, I decided that it can be either or both.

Whatcha think?

Both. It's reciprocal. The way a river flows into a lake and flows out again. Or the way air comes into your lungs and flows back out again. Or the way the moon waxes and then wanes. Or the tides.

meng · Jun 10, 2008

Dobro, note the river-like quality in the card Luis posted?

dobro · Jun 10, 2008

Well, I suppose the line of people could be seen as a river, or perhaps the flow of rice from the store into people's individual containers could be seen as a river. But I see the image Luis posted as being one of 'increase' rather than 'flow'. Where do you see a river in that image?

I like the idea that the increase can be given or received, though. There's increase going on, and the questioner might be the agent or the recipient of it.

meng · Jun 10, 2008

dobro said:
But I see the image Luis posted as being one of 'increase' rather than 'flow'. Where do you see a river in that image?

Toward the end of the line are those who are experiencing decrease (empty bowl), while the front of the line is experiencing increase (full bowl). But they are in a moving line, moving toward increase, while those in front on the line, with full bowls, will consume their increase, and so are moving toward decrease. Don't want to get caught up in making this a social statement about haves and have nots, only to illustrate the nature of increase and decrease.

I think there's a fundamental principle (karma or whatever): giving of your increase, increasing others, is the way to maintain a state or condition of increase. If you hoard wealth only for yourself, you will become the target of thieves (and taxes!), Someone is likely to come up from behind and strike you. To maintain (or increase) a condition of increase, the increase must flow to those who need it, so that they will increase, and they in turn increase you, and so on. Giving your increase brings your own decrease for a time, but the time always reverses and your decrease becomes increase. The biblical tithing principle was also based on this. Whether it's monetary increase or decrease or another kind, a return of some kind is assured.

Tohpol · Jun 10, 2008

I see this hex as very much to do with exchange which facilitates flow. The Increase is part of a natural cycle but it seems to be very dependent on an accumulation that continues to grow precisely because it isn't energy - whether that be money or emotions - that is selfishly hoarded or given over to anticipation of some kind of reward. Yes, receiving but dispersing too decrease to increase/increase to decrease - exchange. And exchange is very much a "flow" between two entities when it's working well.

So, yeah what Bruce says makes a lot of sense to me when I look back on the occasions that 42 came up.

Topal

maremaria · Jun 10, 2008

This discussion about "flow" brings in my mind the image of communication vessels, although that image I have connect it with hex 58.

meng · Jun 11, 2008

topal said:
The Increase is part of a natural cycle but it seems to be very dependent on an accumulation.....

Pardon for stopping you in mid sentence, Topal, but it's a critical thing you've said: dependent on accumulation. There's a Bible verse which says ' the Lord causes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust alike'. That's absolutely true - increase comes to everyone. The noble one, accordingly, seeing good, makes improvements, when transgressing, makes corrections. That's what separates the just from the unjust. Anyone can stand in the rain, but how many will put out their buckets to receive it? And then, how many will offer it? It's work we do which sustains increase. Even when the tide of time withdraws it from us, we can know it will return to us, if we defer our appetite during the time of emptiness. So there is work involved with creating a momentum of increase.

I've worked with businesses that had an increase mentality, which developed a powerful "yes momentum". I've worked with another business that shared a building with the yes momentum business. Both businesses were compatible to share customer psychographics, and both businesses shared the benefit of floor traffic. Both did good work and sold quality products. The owner of business #1 was always upbeat, always expecting to kick ass. The owner of business #2 was a great guy who never expected great things, and great things never came.

One day, business owner #2 called me, asking to see me asap. I drove immediately to his business. Bruce, he said, I'm going to have to cut way back. I asked him why, and he said that he couldn't hold on to his employees, the turnover, recruiting and training costs were killing him. Then,, looking at me with deep sincerity, he said, Bruce, I'm just a little guy. I looked back at him intently a long moment, and asked, Mark, who wants to work for just a little guy? He sat back, taking it in a moment, then a big smile transformed his troubled face. Leaning forward over his desk, he asked, Ok, what do we do now? So we put out pots, lots of them, to catch the rain - the foot traffic and customer relations. We adjusted our positioning statement, and doubled his ad budget. That was my increase for my own "yes momentum", and for giving my increase to him during his decrease, rather than spending my time and work only on business #1, which was already fat and in tall clover. Mark had a banner year, but he couldn't stay alive in an ever more ferocious market. Mark's way of increasing was to decrease - "If a man has recognized the necessity for union and doesn't feel strong enough to function as the center, it's his duty to become a member of some other organic fellowship." Wilhelm 8

rosada · Jun 11, 2008

I'm looking at 4.2.1 as being the prerequisite for Increase.

42.1 starts off
"It furthers one to accomplish great deeds." I see this as saying there is an innate desire in the human heart to do something great. Without this desire, as Bruce notes, there is no incentive to collect the rain, life goes on with good days and bad days but no motivation to improve, to Increase consciousness. I also think of a small child asking a parent for money. The inevitable response is, "What do you need money for?" with the implication that the child already has everything they need. In order to get the Increase the child needs to have a greater purpose than Self in mind and the most successful purposes tend to be ones that show how by being being increased, one will then be able to increase others.

The teacher in line 4 is said to be the influence that brings increase to line one. Frequently student loans are tied to the idea that upon graduation the recipient will then teach or do some sort of community service, something that insures the increase to self will bring increase to others too.

"Supreme good fortune."
Wilhelm comments, "GREAT GOOD FORTUNE IS PRODUCED BY SELFLESSNESS." As position one is the line of the common man, for one to be the recipient of good fortune at this point perhaps it is important to think of oneself as being very ordinary, to recognize that receiving good fortune is not a sign that we are special or uniquely deserving, that our good fortune is to be shared. Also I think of the axiom, "There is no limit to the good a man can do if he doesn't care who gets the credit."

"No blame."
Here's a powerful answer to a universal fear. How often have we been discouraged from improving our lot in life because we shouldn't put on airs? "Don't get above yourself!" 42.1 assures us if we share our good fortune there is no fault in enjoying it ourselves.

Looking at the over all sequence we are in here - 41. Decrease, 42. Increase, 43. Breakthrough - I'm seeing 41 and 42 as being the yin and yang of the 43. Flow. I don't want to jump too far ahead, but I do think it's useful for understanding 42 to look at it this way. 41 and 42 are the separate steps, and then as you get a handle on this you move up to recognizing it's all flow and to receive more one must give more. 43. says, "The superior man dispenses riches downward and refrains from resting on his virtue." That sounds very much like what we are just beginning to learn to do in 42.1.

Sparhawk · Jun 11, 2008

Interesting what other people see in that card I posted. What I see is a very socialist approach to "Increase"... The man in red is obviously someone in power, perhaps an official or prince, and is distributing goods to people in need, poor, too young, or unable to work. In this case is food/rice. So, the 'increase' is flowing top-down, government/feudal lord to people. It makes me think of what happened in the Sichuan province after the quake and the response it brought from the government. Contrast that with what happened in Myanmar, shortly before the Chinese quake, and the kind of response (or lack thereof) the government brought to its people.

meng · Jun 11, 2008

Luis, I can see that, yes. Government and people applications are very clear in 41 and 42.

rosada · Jun 12, 2008

0 Six in the second place means:
Someone does indeed increase him;
Ten pairs of tortoises cannot oppose it.
Constant perseverance brings good fortune.
The king presents him before God.
Good fortune.

A man brings about real increase by producing in himself the conditions for it, that is through receptivity to and love of the good.
Thus the thing for which he strives comes of itself,with the inevitability of natural law.
Where increase is thus in harmony with the highest laws of the universe, it cannot be prevented by any constellation of accidents.
But everything depends on his not letting unexpected good fortune make him heedless; he must make it his own through inner strength and steadfastness. Then he acquires meaning before God and man, and can accomplish something for the good of the world.

meng · Jun 13, 2008

Ten pairs of tortoises cannot oppose it. All guarantees on this product are conditional upon your agreement to do your share, constantly. The King takes note of it, and brings good fortune.

charly · Jun 13, 2008

rosada said:
0 Six in the second place means:
Someone does indeed increase him;
Ten pairs of tortoises cannot oppose it.
Constant perseverance brings good fortune.
The king presents him before God.
Good fortune.
...

Rosada:

Chinese text, [W/B]:

或huo4: maybe / perhaps / might / possibly [INDEED]
益yi4: benefit / increase [INCREASE]
之zhi1: 's / him / her / it [HIM]
十shi2: ten / 10 [TEN]
朋peng2: friend / companion / group [PAIRS]
之zhi1: 's / him / her / it [OF]
龜gui1: tortoise / turtle [TORTOISES]

弗fu2: not [NOT]
克ke4: able to // to restrain / to overcome [CAN]
違wei2: to oppose / to separate / to go against [OPPOSE] [IT]

永yong3: forever / always / perpetual (ly) [CONSTANT]
貞zhen1: divination / omen // perseverance [PERSEVERANCE]
吉ji2: lucky / good fortune [BRINGS] [GOOD FORTUNE]

王wang2: king [KING]
用yong4: to use / to apply
享xiang3: sacrifice // enjoy [PRESENTS] [HIM]
于yu2: breath / exhale / at / to [BEFORE]
帝di4: supreme ruler / emperor / / god [GOD]
吉ji2 / lucky [GOOD FORTUNE]

Syntax problem:

The use of 之zhi1is not clear, it generally means that the second term belongs to the first:

益yi4: benefit / increase [INCREASE]
之zhi1: 's / him / her / it [HIM]
十shi2: ten / 10 [TEN]

Ten of increase → increasing by ten

朋peng2: friend [PAIRS]
之zhi1: 's / him / her / it [OF]
龜gui1: tortoise / turtle [TORTOISES]

Friend's turtle → turtle of friend

Semantic problem:

朋peng2 generally means friend, modern character depicts two moons (omen indeed), but originally two strings of cowry shells (precious things / oracles / money / women). In bronze characters I believe that there are three main types (1):

two strings of something, maybe cowries
a male shaman with the two strings
a female shaman with the two strings

Maybe peng means the shaman's brotherhood and the turtle indeed belongs to it. I believe to remember that Legge sometimes translated GUI as diviner (methonimy: the instrument for designating the user). Diviners that belong to a brotherhood, guild or clan.

Note that the strings have three cowries each → two trigrams ?

Shamans costumes used to have many magic things hold down like pendants: bells, tusks, mirrors, cowries ...

It remain some problems like to know whot the Turtle is.

Yours,

Charly
_____________________
(Sears: ChineseEtymology
http://www.chineseetymology.org/Cha...aspx?characterInput=朋&submitButton1=Etymology

meng · Jun 13, 2008

http://www.yijing.nl/candid/hexagrams/42.htm

rosada · Jun 13, 2008

My personal experience with 42.2 this week:
At the Seniors' Meeting House they passed out coupons to buy fresh vegetables!

charly · Jun 13, 2008

rosada said:
My personal experience with 42.2 this week:
At the Seniors' Meeting House they passed out coupons to buy fresh vegetables!

Rosada:

As it's written in Mencius, to eat is one of the two things that make human nature. To eat vegetables is more healthy for humans althoug ancestors prefer meat.

Maybe 42.2 is warning us about what is preferable for common people, certainly different from VIP interests.

I believe the turtle is a vegetarian animal although it could be carnivore sometimes. Kings always report (and sacrifice) to Supreme Power, generally his own carnivore ancestors.

Yours,

Charly

rosada · Jun 14, 2008

At first I was kinda disappointed with the results of the day, I mean for "Increase" and "Good fortune" I was anticipating something a bit more glamorous than vegetables. However, as I have contemplated the situation I have come to realize that Good Food is one of of Heaven's greatest blessings and being given a fridge full of fresh veggies is powerful encouragement to take up and continue a healthier life style (Constant perseverance brings good fortune.) So while my initial reaction was to judge this Increase as "small" I am now thinking 42.2 points to receiving something small, something you can handle, something you can persevere with that over time results in Good fortune.

Would vegetables tie in somehow with what you mean by something for the common people, Charly?

rosada · Jun 14, 2008

Six in the third place means:
One is enriched through unfortunate events.
No blame, if you are sincere
And walk in the middle,
And report with a seal to the prince.

A time of blessing and enrichment has such powerful effects that even events ordinarily unfortunate must turn out to the advantage of those affected by them. These persons become free of error, and by acting in harmony with truth they gain such inner authority that they exert influence as if sanctioned by letter and seal.

42. I / Increase

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