END OF PART I Moving Forward
1 GENERAL TEXT Nowhere is beneicial to go
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129 The Power of I Ching
the subject should be patient in waiting for a favorable chance to come.
hings in the world are always changing. Even if the subject stands still at a point in the road, the subject’s situation will keep changing: he aspects of the object could change and the situation of the subject also undergoes a natural change. (See Chapter 8.)
he text of “Use Yin” tells the subject that the yin line is like a red light at the intersection. Be patient, it says; wait at the stop line. he green light or green arrow will come soon, to guide or move the subject for-ward tofor-ward his or her destiny.
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Hexagram Ø:1 Deprivation (In Zhou Yi, hexagram 23)he title, Deprivation, means that the subject is deprived of proper rights in the relationship. In Chinese, the word for “deprivation” is “bo,”
meaning “peel of,” “exploit” or “deprive.”
Trigram Ø ( ), Earth (adaptability), is the subject; trigram 1 ( ), Mountain (stopping), is the object. he subject is kind and gentle, like the earth, but the object behaves in a way that is tough and arrogant, like a mountain standing in the way, depriving the subject of the freedom to move ahead. he subject should be clever and lexible, to take advantage of whatever small opportunities arise: If “there are a lot of ripe fruit and nobody eats them,” the subject should take “them away with a wagon.”
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GENERAL TEXTre-lationship is awful and bleak: “Nowhere is beneicial to go.” he subject should adapt to the bad situation, be patient, wait for a better time, and do nothing at this moment.
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STRUCTUREFigure 10.2 Structure of hexagram 0:1
Hexagram Ø:1 has two correct lines, yin 2 ( ) and yin 4 ( ); the others are in incorrect positions. he two middle lines and the two bot-tom lines are in conlict; the two top lines are complementary to each other. Hexagram Ø:1 is not favorable.
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TEXTS OF LINESYin 1
A bed with marred legs is rotting.
Staying on the current course is unfavorable.
Yin 1 indicates that the subject does not want to do something to im-prove the current situation in the relationship, so it remains like the rot-ting legs of a bed. A bed is necessary for everyone to sleep on at night, and legs are the important support for this needed rest. “A bed with marred legs” indicates that the subject’s yin action is the fundamental underlying cause of the bad situation.
his line is in an incorrect position and in conlict with yin 4 ( ). he yin action of the subject is unfavorable.
131 • THE POWER OF I CHING Dejun Xue
131 The Power of I Ching
Yin 2
A bed with a marred headboard is rotting.
Staying on the current course is unfavorable.
In China the headboard of a bed is separate from the feet that support the bed. It is used for people to lean on to rest. A marred headboard will not make the bed collapse, but makes people very uncomfortable and unable to relax. Yin 2 ( ) indicates that the subject’s essence is like “a bed with marred headboard.” he subject should make change to be more active and improve his or her essence by hard work, learning, or doing something to become stronger.
his line is in a correct position, but in conlict with yin 5 ( ). he yin essence of the subject is neutral.
Yin 3
A bed is rotting.
here is no blame.
Yin 3 indicates that the subject is pessimistic about the relationship.
He or she is gentle, adaptable, agreeable and respectful -- “there is no blame” -- but cannot do much to improve the situation, because the object is stubborn.
his line is in an incorrect position, but is complementary with yang 6 ( ). he yin attitude of the subject is neutral.
Yin 4
A bed with a marred surface is rotting.
It is unfavorable.
Yin 4 indicates the action of the object is yin. he object does not want
to improve the relationship, and even wants to retreat or terminate the relationship. he relationship is damaged severely by the yin action of the object. People cannot sleep on a “bed with marred surface.”
his line is in a correct position, but in conlict with yin 1 ( ). he yin action of the object is neutral.
Yin 5
Fish are swimming with a string.
Favored court ladies go with a king.
It is beneicial.
Yin 5 ( ) indicates that the object needs help from the subject, like the ish swimming with a string seeking food, or the favored ladies fol-lowing their king. hat the object needs the subject keeps the relation-ship from falling apart. he yin essence of the object beneits the subject.
his line is central, but in an incorrect position and in conlict with yin 2 ( ). he yin essence of the object is neutral.
Yang 6
here are a lot of ripe fruit, But nobody eats them.
A wise person moves them away with a wagon.
A foolish person is deprived of home By the fallen fruit.
Yang 6 ( ) indicates that the object’s attitude is a tree hung with a lot of ripe fruit -- tall and frightening, with a sweetness that can fall to the ground at any time. he object is arrogant, reckless and careless, which possibly leaves chances open to the subject. Whether this is good or bad depends on how the subject handles the opportunities. If the subject is
133 • THE POWER OF I CHING Dejun Xue
133 The Power of I Ching
smart, he or she simply collects the fruit with a wagon and moves away.
If the subject hesitates and lacks courage to take the chance, he or she will sufer, and be “deprived of home by the fallen fruit.”
his line is in an incorrect position, but complementary with yin 3 ( ) and supported by yin 5 ( ). he yang attitude of the object is neutral.
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Hexagram Ø:2 Closeness (In Zhou Yi, hexagram 8)he title, Closeness, is represented by the Chinese character, 比. he two sides of this character are the same, like a picture of two people sit-ting in line. Most commonly this character means “to compare,” but in the case of this hexagram, it indicates a close relationship.
Trigram Ø ( ), Earth (adaptability), is the subject; trigram 2 ( ), Water (diiculty and danger) is the object. While water can be changeable and dangerous, when it lows over the earth, it penetrates and moistur-izes the absorbent soil. So this hexagram symbolmoistur-izes a close relationship where the subject, Earth, beneits from the object, Water.
he subject accepts this beneicial help from the object, but the object has some diiculties in dealing with the subject. he subject should take the irst step to become close to the object, letting the object know what the subject needs.
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GENERAL TEXThe current situation is favorable.
he oracle suggests one should stay on the current course forever.
here is no blame.
Be close to those who were troublesome.
Acting too late is unfavorable.
he “oracle” mentioned in this text usually performed with a turtle’s shell, by observing the pattern of its cracks ater it has been baked above a lame.
In the current relationship, neither the subject nor the object wants to move the relationship forward. Both of them are humble, kind, grace-ful, and respectful. he subject is in a weak position, while the object is in a strong position. he subject beneits from the object, so the sub-ject should stay in the current situation, remaining close to the obsub-ject.
his close relationship is favorable to the subject. he subject should make an efort to maintain closeness even if the object is troublesome.
If the subject is too late in establishing intimacy with the object, the subject could lose the chance to have someone take care of him or her, and the situation will be unfavorable to the subject.
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STRUCTUREFigure 10.3: Structure of hexagram 0:2
In this hexagram, yin 2 ( ), yin 4 ( ), yang 5 ( ), and yin 6 ( ), are in correct positions. he two middle lines are in correct positions and complementary with each other. he other two lines are in incor-rect positions. he two bottom lines and the two top lines are in conlict with each other. Hexagram Ø:2 is neutral.