The Complete Book of Changes:

Transcription

1 Complete Book of Changes, Part 4: Hexagrams Douglass A. White, 2009 V907 1 The Complete Book of Changes: 周易 Translation with A Commentary on the Evolution of Consciousness by Douglass A. White, Ph.D. Part 4: Hexagrams A Delta Point Book Douglass A. White, 2009 All Rights Reserved

2 Complete Book of Changes, Part 4: Hexagrams Douglass A. White, 2009 V907 2 INNOCENCE 无妄天雷无妄乾上震下 The Images: Below heaven (QIAN) thunder moves (ZHEN) -- be with things in Innocence. The former kings therefore nurtured all things by making them flourish in their proper seasons. 象曰 : 天下雷行, 物與无妄;先王以茂對時, 育萬物 The trigram QIAN represents the creative energy that generates the illusion of time as reckoned by the apparent motion of the celestial orbs. ZHEN represents motion. Things move about and interact in cycles according to their seasons. These operate at various frequencies and amplitudes. Each has its cycle of waxing and waning. The kings nurtured by simply allowing things to flourish according to their seasons. This can be an effortless process, because each creation is just what it is. QIAN also is the creative energy that generates the illusion of space. Try walking outside under a clear night sky. As you move forward, the stars and planets will move with you even as you walk past buildings on the ground. When you move in a straight line, objects far away from you seem to hold still relative to you, whereas objects close by move past you faster as they become closer to you. If you rotate, the result is the opposite. Objects close to you move very slowly, but objects far away move fast, unless they are directly along the axis of your rotation. Most celestial objects appear to move faster than the speed of light when you spin. Contemplate this relationship between your motions and the sky above you in the light of relativity theory. You will discover that an Innocent and nearly effortless rotation by you is responsible for all these apparent motions of billions of galaxies ranging over billions of light years. This hexagram also explains the principles behind CD technology. The surface of the CD is like the sky (QIAN). The laser beam (ZHEN) that scans the CD is like your attention scanning the sky. The pits of data etched on the CD are like the stars in the sky. All the images and information that we can extract from the CD derive from our interpretation of the laser beam s scanning of a series of tiny pits, all of which are identical. Thus, the multiplicity of creations that we experience as reality is only our complex interpretation of an extremely simple process of scanning with an attention beam a sequence of pits and not-pits. There is either a pit impulse (ZHEN) or a pitless silence (nuclear GEN). The sequence of pit impulses and silent spaces builds a story (nuclear XUN) in the mind (QIAN). The relative location of the pits is something we decide with our Creative Will (QIAN). Then we externalize this decision and pretend that it exists out there. Innocence represents the recovery of responsibility for all the creations that seem to be out there. The contents of the CD collapses to become nothing more than whatever we decide to record plus how we

3 Complete Book of Changes, Part 4: Hexagrams Douglass A. White, 2009 V907 3 decide to interpret it. All the creations then become Innocent of any blame we might want to put on them. If we drop the decisions and interpretations, the whole house of cards collapses. We are left with a Creative Mind (QIAN) flashing thought impulses (ZHEN) within itself and pretending that they mean something. With true Innocence, we simply drop even this pretense. Innocence is source, progress, benefit, and integrity. That which is not correct has flaws. It does not benefit to go somewhere. 无妄 : 元, 亨, 利, 貞 其匪正有眚, 不利有攸往 Innocence naturally expresses all four phases of creation. What is not correct is not Innocent, because Innocence is a condition of not making any judgment about the correctness of things. Thus, there can be no incorrectness or flaws. Lack of Innocence is pretense. If a person lives by pretense, it does not benefit to go anywhere or do anything. If he tries to do so, he creates complexity and problems for himself. If the yang impulse in line one moves up to line two, thinking it is going somewhere, it creates KAN as the inner trigram, and the hexagram becomes Contention (6). The inner contradiction self-destructs when it touches its inner core creation and precipitates the impulse back where it came from, like rain falling back into the ocean from the sky. All interpretations of reality are flawed. Reality has no meaning. It simply is. Whatever is there to experience is something you put there to experience. Experience it. Nothing goes anywhere. ZHEN is motion, but the motion is inside the Creative Will, so it has no place to go unless it pretends to go somewhere. The Tuan Commentary: Innocence is the hard [yang energy] coming from outside and becoming the Master on the inside (9-1). There is activity (ZHEN) and strength (QIAN). The hard [line at the fifth position] is central and corresponds [correctly with line two.] Great progress and correctness constitute the destiny of heaven (QIAN). That which is not correct (lines three, four, and six) has flaws. It does not benefit to go somewhere. The going of Innocence -- where does it go? When the destiny of heaven (QIAN) does not assist, it moves on. 彖曰 : 无妄, 剛自外來, 而為主於內 動而健, 剛中而應, 大亨以正, 天之命也 其匪正有眚, 不利有攸往 无妄之往, 何之矣? 天命不祐, 行矣哉 This hexagram illustrates how an individual functions in the state of Unity Consciousness. All actions (ZHEN) occur spontaneously and Innocently as creative expressions of the Creative Will (QIAN). There is no effort, trying, or manipulation. In this way the Creative Will (QIAN) appears to be the fruit of action (ZHEN) and seems to exist as a phenomenon in the external world space here represented by the

4 Complete Book of Changes, Part 4: Hexagrams Douglass A. White, 2009 V907 4 outer trigram. This hexagram is the inverse of the Great Cultivation (26) and also contrasts interestingly with Following (17). Every creation is a manifestation of pure Creative Will displaying itself dynamically by creating an impulse (ZHEN) within itself. On the other hand, if you are not in Unity Consciousness, Innocence may lead you to pretend: I didn't do it. I'm Innocent. He did it! (i.e., a neighbor, an enemy, God, the Devil, a leader, ) When a person places praise or blame elsewhere than on himself, he baselessly abrogates responsibility and loses Innocence. The Will appears to be an external Source when I resist taking responsibility, and actions seem to just happen to me. Therefore: (1) things happen spontaneously and out of my control. Someone else makes decisions, and then things happen to me. (2) I am attracted to an ideal goal that seems external. I am drawn to idols. I revere them as representing great Wisdom (expanded LI). Compare Innocence to Great Cultivation (26). Some people teach a doctrine of original sin. Everything bad that happens to you is your fault, and everything good that happens to you is a gift from God. The only path to salvation is surrender to God. If you please God, he will do nice things for you. I have a good connection to God, and know what he wants. Do not do the things I say are bad. Do what I say is good, and I ll make sure God does nice things for you. If things still stay pretty bad for you, then that is your fault, because of your original sin. But if you do what I say, at least you ll go to heaven after you die, especially if you die doing what I tell you. Then God will do nice things for you there. Surrender to God is not Innocence. It is surrender to fear-based manipulation by serious pretenders playing a con game on people who enjoy pretending that they are victims and repenting bad guys full of guilt who want to punish themselves. A better solution for recovering Innocence is Palmer s Enlightened Justice Procedure : Admit to any transgression without making excuses; apologize; make reasonable amends; follow intuition to reorient yourself for the future. Punishment is a waste of time and usually just reconfirms the habit of pretense. The problem with Palmer s EJP of course is that it does not work unless a person really wants to do it. The challenge is how to get my ego to the point of admitting it did something wrong and then having the guts to make significant amends. My ego hates to do that and thinks of all sorts of tricky ways to get out of it. If pressed to the wall, it even admits to being habitually wrong so as not to have to make amends. How about you? 9-1. Going Innocently brings well-being. Imagery: By going Innocently you get your Will. 初九 : 无妄, 往吉 象曰 : 无妄之往, 得志也

5 Complete Book of Changes, Part 4: Hexagrams Douglass A. White, 2009 V907 5 In line one you go along Innocently on the path of life in search of better and better ways to express your Self. This is the Innocently natural tendency of life to grow (XUN). Each impulse of action (ZHEN) works together with a pause of silence, a gap, or space characterized by non-action (nuclear GEN). The outer trigram QIAN represents an ideal that appears to be externalized at this stage. You instinctively move (ZHEN) toward it. This externalization is an illusion that you create. That is why the text suggests that it does not benefit to go anywhere. The problem is not with what is out there. The problem is with your beliefs about yourself and what is out there. When line one changes, the inner trigram becomes KUN. This represents experience. You become more passive and simply experience. The hexagram becomes Stagnation (12). You experience that an external Will controls everything in your life. Having given away your Creative Will, you Stagnate, accepting whatever experience that the other Will out there, whoever it may be, decides to give you. You need to move toward greater acceptance of responsibility and stop Stagnating. If you just decide to go somewhere, then that is an exercise of your Will. So an Innocent deliberate action of any kind can also be a means to get your Will back. Practice doing deliberate actions even little inconsequential actions will do. Deliberately go somewhere anywhere, even if it is only a few steps (ZHEN). Such practice awakens and strengthens the Will. (RS, #2, Awakening the Will ) [If you act so Innocently as to] reap without plowing, or if you use a field without clearing it, then it benefits to go somewhere. Imagery: You reap without plowing, but you are not wealthy yet. 六二 : 不耕穫, 不葘畬, 則利有攸往 象曰 : 不耕穫, 未富也 The term zi-yu2 葘畬 means to clear a field by burning. Clearing and plowing a field is the usual way of preparing to plant a crop. However, traditional gatherers simply collect wild roots, fruits, leaves and berries that grow naturally in the environment. Hunting and gathering civilizations existed for tens of thousands of years in harmony with the environment. The tradeoff for that lifestyle was a low population density, nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyle, and very simple material possessions. Now population density has increased, and the level of technology and material goods has rapidly risen. However, throughout much of the planet, there is no longer enough undeveloped land for small tribes of hunter-gatherers to subsist. Intensive farming is the general rule. Many forms of wildlife are endangered or already extinct. Pollution, erosion, and expanding human infrastructure lead to a gradual loss of vitality in the environment. Line two illustrates the Innocence of

6 Complete Book of Changes, Part 4: Hexagrams Douglass A. White, 2009 V907 6 doing nothing (GEN) and accomplishing everything (QIAN). The middle position of this line in the inner trigram ZHEN suggests that you achieve the value of this state by going within rather than doing external work. Experience the subtler aspects of things, and then go beyond the boundaries to discover Source. All activity (ZHEN) exists within a context of inactivity (GEN). If you can bring your attention into direct contact with the inactive field within which activity occurs, then you will begin to display the characteristics of that level of efficiency in all your actions. One way to contact this field is through practice of the ancient technique of Ocean Awareness Meditation. Some other simple exercises that open awareness in this way are RS #11, Minding the Edges; #13, Restoring Attention; #26, The Expansion Exercise; The Avatar II Creation Exercises; The Avatar III Ultimate Process. These exercises must be done by deliberate choice, but in a very Innocent manner in order to be effective. That sounds contradictory, but pretense tends to sabotage the results. When line two changes, the inner trigram becomes DUI. You feel happiness. The hexagram becomes Behavior/Performance (10). This implies deliberate fulfillment (DUI) of something you have made your duty by placing the decision in the public space (QIAN). This recovers personal responsibility. Try the exercise, Acting as Aware Will (RS #4) The calamity of [naïve] Innocence is [like] a cow tied up by a native villager that is obtained by a wanderer, to the calamity of the villager. Imagery: That the wanderer gets the cow is the calamity of the villager. 六三 : 无妄之災, 或繫之牛, 行人之得, 邑人之災 象曰 : 行人得牛, 邑人災也 This yin line is too passive for its active and exposed yang position. Its energy is inappropriate. Too much Innocence without enough practical skills often leads to calamities in practical worldly situations. A local villager (QIAN) ties (nuclear GEN) his valuable cow (large LI) to a tree (XUN), and a wandering stranger (ZHEN) steals it. The cow is usually a symbol of KUN, passive experience. But here it represents the value of the attention (the expanded image of LI). Cattle are symbols of value to herdsmen and farmers and hence a focus of attention. A transitory object of perception (ZHEN) steals the attention (LI) from its true owner, the Creative Will (QIAN). This seems to create a big distraction. However, the Creative Will is always Innocent and never intentionally does anything wrong. Nevertheless, at this stage of practice you can make Innocent mistakes. The villager has created that he owns something that other people value, and then he has carelessly left it where a stranger can take it easily. The village farmer wants to maintain ownership of what he values, forgetting that he values owning it for its excellent market value, which

7 Complete Book of Changes, Part 4: Hexagrams Douglass A. White, 2009 V907 7 means others will also value it. If you want to own a cow and not share it with others who might also like to own a cow, then you must take measures to protect what you own that has significant market value from theft. Ownership is a pretense that brings with it complex social interactions. If you want to play the game of owning things of conspicuous market value, then you accept the complex of social consequences that it entails, including awareness of the rate of theft in your area. There is no point in the farmer getting angry about the theft of a cow that he did not protect against theft. He is simply fooling himself. When line three changes, the large image of LI becomes the smaller inner trigram of LI. This emphasizes the role of focused attention. The hexagram becomes Companionship (13). The villager and the wanderer share their value for cattle and are thus really Companions in this matter and should cooperate. This is the line of a person who creates himself to be an Innocent victim. The farmer could have stood by the road and given or sold his cow to a passing stranger, and people would have thought him generous or smart instead of a careless and stupid victim. Have you ever felt victimized? Study the Enlightened Justice Procedure and the exercises Self-Deception Signals and Transparent Beliefs in RS. Then explore what secrets an apparently Innocent victim may be holding in a hidden area of his attention even as he complains at how someone took advantage of him If you are able to maintain integrity [Innocently], you become without blame. Imagery: If you are able to maintain integrity, you become without blame because you definitely have it. 九四 : 可貞, 无咎 象曰 : 可貞无咎, 固有之也 In Cosmic Consciousness your purity and blamelessness are spontaneously maintained without any effort or manipulation. This is the beginning of true Innocence. Here there is no pretense, only deliberate, honest living. QIAN as the outer trigram represents the ideal expression of Creative Will. ZHEN is the dynamic impulse to reach that goal. At line four you are already entering the space of your ideal goal, although you are still at a low-level expression of it. When line four changes, the outer trigram becomes XUN. This suggests that a lot of growth and expansion occur. The hexagram becomes Increase (42). You effortlessly and Innocently grow at this stage in the same way that a tree grows from a seed. You express your inner nature and begin to attain the fruits of success During the illness of the Innocent, if you do not use medicine, you will have bliss. Imagery: You should not test the medicine of Innocence.

8 Complete Book of Changes, Part 4: Hexagrams Douglass A. White, 2009 V907 8 九五 : 无妄之疾, 勿藥, 有喜 象曰 : 无妄之藥, 不可試也 Line five of this hexagram is similar to line five of Joy (16). The illness is the cosmic stress felt by Vimalakirti. As long as there is suffering in the world, the Master suffers because of his compassion. There is no medicine that can remove this constriction on his big, expanded heart (the large LI image that spans from line one to line four.). Nevertheless the Master Innocently pursues his course of facilitating the enlightenment of students and eventually the suffering is transmuted into waves of bliss. The medicine of Innocence matches the illness of Innocence. No testing is necessary. One is the complement of the other, and they jointly cancel out. When line five changes, the outer trigram becomes LI, a sign of knowledge and wisdom. The hexagram becomes Biting Through (21). This situation suggests a wise judge who firmly Bites Through ignorance and suffering (the KAN nuclear trigram that appears) with his judgments. In his Celestial Consciousness the Master of line five is Innocent and pure. However, he is not yet able to perceive the creations (QIAN) in his reality as unbounded and infinite Source. He must assimilate them all as his own. His path to that ultimate realization is through the persistent awakening of Source in others. There is no medicine that can take his attention beyond the finest boundaries by any technical manipulation. After a certain amount of Innocent experience in the finest celestial state, he spontaneously realizes the Innocent and unbounded value of all creations (line six.) 9-6. Innocent behavior that contains faults benefits nothing. Imagery: The behavior of Innocence is the calamity of exhaustion. 上九 : 无妄, 行有眚, 无攸利 象曰 : 无妄之行, 窮之災也 The text of this line emphasizes the negative pole of extreme Innocence. When the sixth line changes, the outer trigram becomes DUI, a sign of happiness and pretty young girls. The hexagram becomes Following (17). In the negative sense line six here is like a person in high position or of advanced age who chases skirts. The top four lines form a large image of KAN. This suggests a lot of danger and ignorance. Line Six has placed itself above the Master in line five, and thus tends to ignore the Master s wise guidance even though the Master is close at hand. Ignorant Innocence goes about making mistakes without realizing it. This is of no use. It is better to be Innocently seeking the right path down low in line one, which is correct and takes action. The positive pole of this line represents the Wizard who has reached the ultimate stage of Innocence. He spontaneously lives the highest value of the ideal of Creative Will (top line of QIAN). He does little or nothing, but is

9 Complete Book of Changes, Part 4: Hexagrams Douglass A. White, 2009 V907 9 Innocently aligned with Masters (line five) and enlightened companions and assistants (line four). He follows bliss Innocently into the infinite. 26. < GREAT CULTIVATION (Procedure) 大畜山天大畜艮上乾下 The Images: Heaven (QIAN) is within the mountain (GEN) -- Great Cultivation. The Wizard therefore as much as possible knows former (GEN) words (DUI) and past (GEN) actions (ZHEN) to [Greatly] Cultivate his own power (QIAN). 象曰 : 天在山中, 大畜;君子以多識前言往行, 以畜其德 The text on the images suggests the idea of learning from the words and deeds of people in the past. This is the study of history as a means of learning how to do a better job and not repeat the same stupid mistakes again and again. Unfortunately, most people in positions of power do not take the time to do this, and so they insist on making the same mistakes as their predecessors, often excelling them in stupidity. Average people have even less attention on such things, so they simply follow the leader over the cliff again. The few people who put attention on history tend to get bogged down in the details and become academic eggheads. Not many people pay them respect. Lines three to six form a smaller version of Nourishment (27). The dynamic of this hexagram describes the process of deep meditation. The outer physical aspect becomes very silent (GEN), and the mind entertains very subtle thought activity (nuclear ZHEN). Learning to think at the level of seed thoughts is the real history lesson. You can learn intuitively how to read the akashic records (QIAN). This is a record of everything that has happened in the universe. All of the data of the universe is available just above the level of Source. From this level one may Cultivate the Great Creative Will (QIAN) that motivates creation from Source. Thus the attention is most effective at line two, in the middle of the Creative Will (QIAN). The text of the images for this hexagram gives strong evidence that Confucius and/or his disciples wrote at least this level of the text because it clearly echoes the language of The Great Learning (Da4 Xue2 大學 ) as well as language from the Appended Commentary to the Book of Changes. The Great Learning is the Procedure given by Confucius for the attainment of World Peace. The Confucian school apparently considered the Great Cultivation hexagram to be the model in the Book of Changes for The Great Learning. As such it is a key to successful living and to an understanding of the structure and interpretation of all the changes of the I-jing. Compare it also to Grace/Civilization (22). The Great Learning uses the image of a tree with roots and branches to represent the management of life. See Small

10 Complete Book of Changes, Part 4: Hexagrams Douglass A. White, 2009 V Cultivation (9) for more elaboration of this concept. The roots refer to the lines of the inner trigram and represent Personal Cultivation. The branches refer to the lines of the outer trigram and represent Achievements in the World. Great Cultivation is beneficial and integrating. Feeding those who are not members of your family brings well-being. It benefits to cross the Great Waters. 大畜 : 利貞, 不家食, 吉, 利涉大川 Feeding those who are not family includes, but is not restricted to, dinner guests, friends, clients, people devoted to the Great Cultivation, specially talented and wise people, and of course people who are hungry. Crossing the Great Waters means to move beyond the three yang lines of QIAN to the Master s position in the fifth place. The Tuan Commentary: The Cultivation is [Great] because the hard is strong and pure (QIAN), realizing its brilliant light and daily renewing its virtue (the expanded LI). The hard goes upward and esteems the worthy (by correspondence.) Being able to stop (GEN) in strength (QIAN) is a great correctness. Not merely feeding his family brings well-being. This means that he nourishes the worthy (QIAN). It benefits to cross the Great Waters because [line five] is corresponding with heaven (QIAN). 彖曰 : 大畜, 剛健篤, 實輝光, 日新其德, 剛上而尚賢 能止健, 大正也 不家食, 吉, 養賢也 ; 利涉大川, 應乎天也 The Great Cultivation represents the reverse viewpoint of Innocence (25). Innocence is a spontaneous expression of movement (ZHEN) toward an ideal creative goal (GEN and QIAN). The Great Cultivation is a systematic and deliberate Creative (QIAN) action (ZHEN) that contains (GEN) the Creative goal (QIAN) as its Source (line two of the inner trigram). It therefore is bound to succeed. Innocence does not have to succeed, because it lives within the goal. The Great Cultivation is a Procedure for success. A Procedure contains realization of its goal or purpose as a step of the Procedure, and thus it is very efficient and does not require much action. Innocence and Great Cultivation are very similar, and the former actualizes the latter. The Procedure contains the goal within it. Procedures that work are reliable. To use a Procedure, you assume the Goal of the Procedure as Source (inner QIAN trigram of Creative Will) with fully satisfied and certain belief in its fulfillment (inner nuclear DUI) and thus all action (outer nuclear ZHEN) is secondary to its attainment. However, you must handle all the secondary issues (action items in the Procedure) in order to be sure that the goal stabilizes (GEN) as a reality. If you follow the Procedure, attainment of the goal is assured. This makes Procedures very handy if you want to achieve a goal. A Procedure itself is not a living thing, but it is more silent and stable than a rock (GEN) and contains a great store (QIAN) of wisdom

11 Complete Book of Changes, Part 4: Hexagrams Douglass A. White, 2009 V (expanded LI) that can powerfully enable (ZHEN) Creative Will (QIAN). The key to developing a Procedure is the extension of perception to its limits (See zhi4 zhi 至知 in The Great Learning) by means of a systematic investigation of things (See go2 wu4 格物 in The Great Learning). A thing may be any creation. The thorough investigation of creations leads to perception of their orderly structure and function and the ability to handle them. The Great Learning explains in its first paragraphs that the management of the attention so that it can find a state of restful focus in the investigation of creations leads to attainments. These attainments begin with Cultivation of the Self and extend outward in stages that correspond to the six lines of a hexagram: (1) Sincere Intention, (2) Correct Mind, (3) Cultivated Body, (4) Harmonious Family, (5) Governed Country, (6) Peaceful World. Each stage of The Great Learning represents a domain over which you may achieve the power to express your Creative Will (QIAN). Each stage also requires certain Procedures and validating experiences in order to reach the next domain. Effective feeding of those beyond your own family on a large scale requires Mastery of domains five and six. Harry Palmer nicely outlines the steps up to the higher domains in the section on Building Skills in his Avatar Master's Handbook (Chapter 4). Harry Palmer outlines them as follows: (0) Confusion, (1) Struggle, (2) First Results, (3) Frustration, (4) Routine Performance, (5) Confidence, (6) Authority (Leadership), (7) Enlightenment. In terms of a hexagram in the Book of Changes, Palmer's (0) and (1) correspond to line one; (2) corresponds to line two; (3) and (4) correspond to line three; (5) corresponds to line four; (6) corresponds to line five; and (7) corresponds to line six. Suggested exercises to get from stage one to stage two include the ReSurfacing Exercises and other techniques to strengthen the will, manage the attention, set goals, clarify priorities, untangle conflicting intentions, and get honest. To get from stage two to stage three, diligently practice the Creation Exercises, meditation, and/or similar Procedures that integrate and expand the mind. To get from stage three to stage four, use the Avatar Creation Handling Procedure to erase problems and deliberately build the life that you prefer. To get from stage four to stage five, for example, take the Avatar Master's Course, do an internship with one or more experienced Masters, and take the Professional Course. Of course, the above is an example for illustration, and you may pursue any other professional development program of your choice. To get from stage five to stage six, become a Wizard and co-create with Companion Wizards and Masters an Enlightened Planetary Civilization living in World Peace. To express Creative Will (QIAN) spontaneously in every thought (LI), word (DUI), and deed (ZHEN) you need a full reservoir (DUI) of Creative Will (QIAN) within. This is always available as a silent (GEN) witness (LI) to activity (ZHEN). By bringing the activities (ZHEN) of a system to rest (GEN)

12 Complete Book of Changes, Part 4: Hexagrams Douglass A. White, 2009 V while maintaining expanded alertness (expanded LI), you Greatly Cultivate the inner Creative Will (QIAN) and a reservoir of relaxed bliss (DUI). GEN is the yoke of stillness that harnesses Creative Will for useful purposes. Procedures are extremely powerful tools for organizing details and getting things done. The Creation Handling Procedure mentioned above in the illustration is especially useful, because we can use it to handle any creation that you can imagine, including skill in the use of the Procedure itself and limitless enhancement of the imagination If you have discipline [to handle risk through Great Cultivation], you may benefit yourself. Imagery: Having discipline you may benefit yourself and not incur calamity. 初九 : 有厲, 利己 象曰 : 有厲利己, 不犯災也 The last character of the text on the line is usually read as 已 (yi3). I believe this is a transcription error for the character 己 (ji3). The former reading forces us to take li4 ( 厲 ) in the sense of danger rather than discipline. That results in the following: If you have danger, benefit stops. This is not necessarily a true statement. The character li4 means to sharpen an implement on a whetstone. The other character li4 ( 利 ) has a common meaning of sharpness and thus reinforces my reading of the text. It is a wise idea to move toward moderation and discipline rather than indulgence, but the ability to do so depends on the level of influence your Creative Will (QIAN) has on your life. Here you are at the lower level. The Creative Will is too far detached from your reality to be effective. You need to discipline yourself first to find out what really satisfies YOU (nuclear DUI) and organize your priorities accordingly. The best thing at this stage is to resolve to work on your self rather than getting involved with complex relationships. If you get too involved with others at this stage, you may just get yourself in trouble. To start off, set a clear and simple goal you would like to achieve, and then find some Procedures that may help you get to that goal, and explore their usefulness. When you find something that works, use it. When line one changes, the inner trigram becomes XUN, which suggests growth. It also creates a situation of considerable risk (the large KAN that appears). You need to discipline yourself to handle that risk. The hexagram becomes Spoilage (18). Some things may go bad at this point, and that is a risk you must take in order to move on to better things [The Great Cultivation here is like] a chariot [wheel] losing its spokes. Imagery: The chariot loses its spokes, but the center is without blame. 九二 : 輿說輻

13 Complete Book of Changes, Part 4: Hexagrams Douglass A. White, 2009 V 象曰 : 輿說輻, 中无尤也 The image of spokes connected to the hub of a wheel occurs several times in the text on line two, because this position is in the center of the lower trigram. This is a logical place for the hub of a wheel. Lao-zi (11) points out that the usefulness of a wheel resides in the empty space at the center of its hub. How can there be any blame in emptiness, especially when it offers to be very useful? The hub transfers the force from the ground that comes through the rim to the spokes, to the axle, and so on to the carriage. When the text says that the carriage loses its spokes, it does not necessarily mean that the wheel is broken. The spokes come together and terminate at the hub. Beyond that point is just an emptiness into which the axle is inserted. The Creative (QIAN) use of this emptiness is the Source of the possibility of riding in a carriage. This central link of Source is the critical point in the entire technology, and must be well constructed and maintained. This is a good metaphor for the meditation Procedure. GEN is the carriage, QIAN is the wheel, line two is the hub where the spokes converge, DUI is the lubrication of the axle and hub where they meet, and ZHEN is the motion of the carriage. Good maintenance procedure suggests stopping the carriage from time to time to lubricate the hub. This ensures a smooth and trouble-free ride. Line two is about finding the key point of a procedure and putting attention (LI) there. The character 說 here should be read tuo ( 脫 to divest), and plays on shuo speaking, which is what the wheel does when it squeaks to ask for lubricant. The hub is the mouth of the wheel, and the trigram DUI represents the mouth. DUI also has the sense of happiness. The well-oiled wheel gives a smooth ride. There is sexual innuendo in line two, and line two corresponds to the genitals. When line two changes, the inner trigram becomes LI. This suggests putting the attention (LI) on inner Source. The hexagram becomes Grace (22, Civilization, Culture). The basis of civilization is the ability to bring the attention (LI) deep into silence (GEN). The ability to hold the attention on one point is most powerful if that point happens to be the Source of Creativity, which it is in line two. Grace is also the hexagram for Tradition. This suggests that there is an important history of the Masters of the Great Cultivation. This history is well worth studying A good horse pursues quickly [because of his Great Cultivation.] It benefits to maintain integrity throughout hardships. In daily practice of driving a chariot and defense techniques it benefits to have somewhere to go. Imagery: It benefits to have somewhere to go, because [the lines] above cooperate with your Will. 九三 : 良馬逐, 利艱貞 曰閑輿衛, 利有攸往 象曰 : 利有攸往, 上合志也

14 Complete Book of Changes, Part 4: Hexagrams Douglass A. White, 2009 V QIAN here represents a good horse as a symbol for the Creative Will. This steed is powerful and quickly moves the chariot of the physical body (GEN). Pursuit indicates that there should be a goal (QIAN) to any movement (ZHEN) and not just random activity. Why bother with random activity unless it fully satisfies you? This is a clear hint that the universe is purposeful and not random. For example, if you flip a coin to decide heads I go to the movies, and tails I stay home and watch TV. The coin toss is random, but the decisions as to what heads stands for and what tails stands for are not random. Line three represents regular practice of a routine in life. The routine is not just going back and forth to the office. When people pretend to live life by a routine, their lives have only the purpose to stay alive for awhile and a deep Stagnation settles in. Eventually life comes to an end, and they discover they spent it simply treading water. The image of LI suggests daily practice for renewal and progress ( 日新 a key phrase from The Great Learning). The attention manages things. So the practitioner should persevere with his practice even through hardships. Driving the chariot suggests skillful use of the body and the sense organs. The chariot is a tool for going somewhere and also a powerful weapon. The large LI image is also the symbol for weapons of offense and defense. It takes practice to develop skill in the use of any Procedure. When line three changes, the inner trigram becomes DUI. This suggests you gain satisfaction as your proficiency improves through practice and the handling of hardships. The hexagram becomes Decrease (41). When a body of water (DUI) is allowed to stand still (GEN), its impurities gradually Decrease. Mud (DUI) settles to the bottom [The Great Cultivation here is like] the headboard on a young bull. It brings the well-being of Source. Imagery: Six in the fourth [position] brings the well-being of Source and has joy. 六四 : 童牛之牿, 元吉 象曰 : 六四元吉, 有喜也 The image here suggests the taming of a young bull by placing a headboard on his horns so he will not gore anyone. This headboard is a small limitation that does not hamper his freedom of movement, but prevents him from hurting others. Line four is the stage of Cosmic Consciousness, so Source is available as background support all the time. This is a Source of quiet (GEN) joy (DUI). From this point on a person is naturally in tune with his creations and will not do anything contradictory to harm them. The image of the young bull suggests the inner QIAN trigram. Line four is the headboard on his horns. The trigram GEN is the prevention that results. ZHEN suggests the bull's dynamic action. When line four changes, the outer trigram becomes LI. This suggests that the attention is strong. The hexagram becomes

15 Complete Book of Changes, Part 4: Hexagrams Douglass A. White, 2009 V Great Possession (14). This indicates your attention is now supported by your Creative Will established in Source. This is the most valuable Possession you can have. The headboard keeps you from self-destructive behavior, so it is not really a limitation. Position four is a young bull, because of relative inexperience in the world [The Great Cultivation here is like] the tusk of a gelded boar. This brings well-being. Imagery: The well-being of six in the fifth is having a celebration. 六五 : 豶豕之牙, 吉 象曰 : 六五之吉, 有慶也 Fen2 shi3 豶豕 is a gelded boar. A wild boar needs his tusks to root for food. They are also formidable weapons (the extended LI represents weapons) when he uses them to defend himself. The Master (line five) is like a skillful park ranger who knows how to tame a dangerous boar without removing his tusks that he will need to obtain food. He simply gelds the boar. The gelded boar can still dig with his tusk, but will not attack others. Line four refers to stopping a negative situation before it develops. Line five deals with the handling of hard-boiled characters that are like bombs that need to be defused. Only highly skillful people can safely handle such delicate problems successfully. Compare this line with line five of Biting Through (21). The imagery of a wild boar is a bit confusing here, because that imagery suggests KAN, but there does not seem to be any relationship of that image to this hexagram, even when the line changes. Some commentators refer to a principle they call semi-imagery to resolve the issue. In this case we can consider lines five and six to be the lower portion of a KAN trigram. The space above line six is undefined. Thus it may be either a yang line or a yin line. If it is a yin line, then the boar's image appears, since the animal associated with KAN is a pig. However, the possibility that line seven is actually a yang line gelds the image into a virtual boar. Also, there is a pun here. The Chinese character for the gelded boar contains the character for the hexagram Grace/Civilization (22). It is easy to see that the hexagram Grace is contained within the hexagram for Great Cultivation. The outer trigram is GEN, and the top four lines form a large image of LI. Thus the implication is that the Great Cultivation is a Procedure that automatically brings about a Great Civilization. Perhaps the KAN boar image hides in the lower nuclear trigram of the hexagram Grace. To get from Great Cultivation to Grace requires changing line two, the line for the genitals, and hence leads to the gelding of the boar to make it behave more Gracefully. When line five changes, the outer trigram of Great Cultivation becomes XUN. This suggests growth. The hexagram becomes Small Cultivation (9), which sets up the conditions for a sequence of evolutionary

16 Complete Book of Changes, Part 4: Hexagrams Douglass A. White, 2009 V steps. A Wise Master understands that any Great Cultivation is made from many Small Cultivations that accumulate to form the greater result, just as a building is made from many bricks. Domesticated pigs originally were wild and dangerous. But they were bred to join in as part of human civilization and the domesticated boars no longer have large tusks. In the near future genetically modified pigs will participate in a much higher role than just as a source of food. This is the process of rapid uplifting of consciousness. Genetically modified pigs will eventually acquire higher intelligence and perhaps even learn to fly, answering in a way the humorous question of whether pigs have wings. Dolphins are a form of aquatic pig with a very high intelligence and remarkable mastery of the aquatic environment [Great Cultivation] carries the highway of heaven and brings progress. Imagery: When you carry the highway of heaven, the Way is greatly proceeding. 上九 : 何天之衢, 亨 象曰 : 何天之衢, 道大行也 The text focuses only on the positive pole of interpretation for line six in this hexagram. The Great Cultivation can take Civilization to the level of Heaven on Earth. When the top line changes, the outer trigram becomes KUN. This is the highway of heaven. The hexagram becomes Peace (11). The end result of the Great Cultivation is World Peace. QIAN is the symbol of heaven. The highway in heaven is the Milky Way. The image suggests the Milky Way in the sky and the path of sages in human affairs. The great Wizard, established in Unity Consciousness, carries the responsibility of maintaining the tradition (GEN) of the technology of enlightenment (expanded LI) and deliberate living (QIAN) for all to follow (ZHEN) and enjoy (DUI). This is the ultimate goal of the Great Cultivation and any effective Procedure. A Procedure is a tool for deliberately exercising the Creative Will to shape the world. Ironically, absolute bondage to infinite, eternal being (KUN) brings Peace and means perfect freedom to progress however you prefer in the relative world. From Unity you appreciate all relative progress in terms of the absolute "Heaven" that is the Higher Self and also the most refined region of the relative world. The suggestion here is also that the Procedure of the Great Cultivation is transmitted across the Milky Way and from galaxy to galaxy through the cosmos from the level of undefined awareness (KUN) stimulated deliberately by the Creative Will (QIAN). As our civilization spreads out among the stars we will confirm that in our interactions with other galactic cultures.

17 Complete Book of Changes, Part 4: Hexagrams Douglass A. White, 2009 V X NOURISHMENT 頤山雷頤艮上震下 The Images: Below the mountain (GEN) there is thunder (ZHEN) -- Nourishment. The Wizard therefore is careful in his words and speech, and limits his eating and drinking. 象曰 : 山下有雷, 頤;君子以慎言語, 節飲食 The text brings up imagery of the mouth, not because the trigram DUI appears, which it does not, but because the hexagram as a whole has the shape of a large mouth chewing, swallowing, or speaking. GEN represents the motionless skull, and ZHEN represents the jaw moving below it. The moving lower jawbone works with the motionless upper jawbone to perform the functions of a mouth chewing and swallowing Nourishment in the form of food and drink. On the other hand, the mouth may be speaking, in which case sounds of speech come out of the mouth. This is also the hexagram for vehicles. The passengers (KUN) sit in the motionless seats (GEN) above and the vehicle moves along (ZHEN) by some mechanism below. Nourishment (Corners of the Mouth, Jaws) [through the Jaws] integrates and brings well-being. When you contemplate Nourishment, [the Jaws] by themselves seek to fill the mouth. 頤 : 貞吉 觀頤, 自求口實 The integration of the Jaws is demonstrated through chewing food. Put food in the mouth, and the Jaws start to chew. This begins the assimilation of the food. The Tuan Commentary: Nourishment [through the Jaws] integrates and brings well-being. Nourishing correctness brings well-being. Contemplating Nourishment means contemplating what you Nourish. By themselves [the Jaws] seek to fill the mouth means contemplating self-nourishment. Heaven and earth Nourish all things. The sages Nourish worthies and thereby the people. Great is the season of Nourishment. 彖曰 : 頤, 貞吉, 養正則吉也 觀頤, 觀其所養也;自求口實, 觀其自養也 天地養萬物, 聖人養賢, 以及萬民;頤之時大矣哉! This hexagram resembles a great open mouth. The integrated interaction of the component trigrams shows how progress and Nourishment come from cooperation between activity and rest. The static upper jaw (GEN) and the active lower jaw (ZHEN) cooperate to chew food (KUN). This represents the supplying of Nourishment to the body (KUN). By alternating rest (GEN) and activity (ZHEN) we evolve step by step (the yin lines) through experiences (KUN). Nourishment is a symmetrical hexagram and forms a pair by complementary inversion with Great Excess (28). Also relevant are Inner Confidence (61) and Excess of the Small (62).

18 Complete Book of Changes, Part 4: Hexagrams Douglass A. White, 2009 V Nourishment resembles a greatly expanded LI trigram, and therefore is also symbolized in the text with the image of the magic tortoise, the bearer of the knowledge of how to expand the attention. (See RS # 26, The Expansion Exercise.) The tortoise represents the silence of deep hibernation at the midwinter solstice, the time for all the senses to be withdrawn from their objects (line six). However, the life force remains lively deep within (line one). The hexagram combines the images of Splitting Off (23) and Return (24). Because the mouth is so large, the expanded wisdom (LI) inspires the sagely wizard to speak words that Nourish people in the same way that food and drink do. However, as with food and drink, he must exercise moderation in his speech [You lose the Source of your Nourishment.] You abandon your Spirit Tortoise and look at me with your Jaws drooping. This is unfortunate. Imagery: Looking at me with your Jaws drooping is also not worth valuing. 初九 : 舍爾靈龜, 觀我朵頤, 凶 象曰 : 觀我朵頤, 亦不足貴也 This line represents a person who commits himself to initiating an action that results in the loss of his own Self-Nature, his inner Source of Nourishment. That is an illusion, since the Self-Nature can never be lost. However, you can not tell that to a person who really believes that he has lost it. The hexagram as a whole resembles a large mouth. The lower trigram is the lower jaw, and the upper trigram is the skull and upper jaw. When the bottom line changes, it appears that the lower jaw drops off forming a KUN trigram. That is an experience! The hexagram changes to Splitting Off (23), which also suggests the idea of something dropping off or splitting away. Hence the Jaw droops or drops off' -- perhaps in surprise. The image of Nourishment also is a greatly expanded LI. The tortoise is associated with LI, and this is a giant tortoise, representing a magical power or great wisdom. In ancient China the tortoise was valued as a sign of longevity and its plastron (lower shell or lower "jaw") was used for divination by gouging a small channel and then applying heat to the channel until a crack appeared. The direction of the crack indicated the omen. A drooping crack would suggest a negative fortune. See also Increase (42), line 6-2, and Decrease (41), line 6-5, for similar tortoise imagery. These two hexagrams are the closest in structure to Nourishment. When line one changes, the giant LI tortoise disappears. The suggestion here is not to abandon your Spirit Tortoise just because of a particular omen. The action (ZHEN) and rest (GEN) of the Jaws chewing is a surface level phenomenon. The Nourishment (the nuclear KUN images) takes place on the inside. This is the perspective that you gain from actual experiences (KUN) rather than just information (LI). But the wisdom of the

19 Complete Book of Changes, Part 4: Hexagrams Douglass A. White, 2009 V Great Magic Tortoise is to become a great package of secret and sacred information that holds the technology (LI) for handling (ZHEN and GEN) any experience (KUN). So move inward for some direct experience Nourishment comes from the summit. If you do not get experience of Nourishment via the hill, your campaign will lead to misfortune. Imagery: For six in the second to go on a campaign leads to misfortune, because your behavior has lost its proper category. 六二 : 顛頤, 拂經于丘頤, 征凶 象曰 : 六二征凶, 行失類也 This central line of the lower trigram represents a student who finds Nourishment from visiting a reclusive teacher (line five) who lives on a mountain (GEN). The mountain is quiet, and it embraces unbounded awareness (the nuclear KUN trigrams). Experiencing the view from the summit by gaining the teacher's lofty perspective gives the student an expanded vision (huge LI) that allows him to establish himself in Source Awareness. If you just go off on an active campaign (ZHEN) without first establishing such a foundation, then you will probably encounter misfortunes. When line two changes, the inner trigram becomes DUI, which is the inner happiness experienced when the student enters the stillness (GEN) of the meditation she learns from the reclusive Master (line five). The hexagram becomes Decrease (41). Whether Decrease is fortunate or unfortunate depends on your perspective. Thus, proper perspective is important at this point. Here it refers to Decrease of activity as you explore the bliss (DUI) of silence (GEN) with expanded attention (big LI image). In that case it is a fortunate Nourishment of Receptive Awareness (KUN). There could be a pun here on the word for hill and the given name of Confucius If you negate [the principles of regular] Nourishment, your integrity will meet with misfortune and remain non-functional for ten years. This benefits nothing. Imagery: You are non-functional for ten years because your Path is greatly disaligned. 六三 : 拂頤, 貞凶, 十年勿用, 无攸利 象曰 : 十年勿用, 道大悖也 If you try to engage in continuous exertion (the extreme top line of ZHEN) without taking rest (not yet into the GEN trigram), you will lose balance and lack Nourishment. The strain will wear out the body (KUN). This is the line promoting regular practice of a routine that Nourishes one or more aspect of life. The basic structure of a routine consists of alternating periods of activity focused on a target project, interspersed with periods of rest or recreation with the attention