869798 · 31.2.3.5Hexagram 31

Coming out of himself.

Line image

Line 6 being yin while lines 3, 4, and 5 are yang shows that we are involved only with inner activity. We are absorbing the energy of the life force and this will show itself later. To do this we are feeling the life force (line 2) without identifying ourselves with this feeling, without using it in any way, so the feeling builds up. This structure shows an accumulation of energy which will later become an external force, and its common name is “influence” or “attraction”.

Trigram image

The life force seeks stillness (Kên) which creates outer structure, not flow (Sun), and a quietness of identity (Ch’ien). Our inner being looks to new activity (Tui).

The influence, that which is being attractive, is a hidden inner one not at present being noticed on the surface. This is not overt influence or pressure, and it shows itself on the surface as a reluctance to participate, a shyness that is awaiting a gathering of strength.

The Chinese Oracle

Influence. Attraction.
Continuance brings success.
Marrying a young girl is good fortune.

Comments

The young girl symbolizes new, fresh feeling, and to marry such feeling is to become one with it. Identity is in a potential phase (Ch’ien) ready to manifest something new; our inner being (Tui) is just opening to something new; we need to take this new fresh feeling into our very being, so continuing to build up this welcome to it brings success.

Manifestations

The pattern
When the shy gain strength
to meet the unfamiliar
needs are satisfied.
For humans
Time to take a hand
that is there.
Time to fulfil lacking.
In nature
When the lake is full
it flows out, watering the land.
In forms we make
Creating with joy is
finding that things fit together.
Mating.

Changing Lines

Line 1 goes yang

life force shows less change

When the life force is inactive we may seek the influence of outer activity, this will not be new fresh influence, this has to come from the inner.

The Chinese Image
Activity of the toe.

The toe is the leader of our steps and far from our centre. The influence symbolized is external and forceful.

Line 2 goes yang

intuitive feeling less active

In this tao of building up energy (confidence, relationship and so forth) we have a tendency to want to move, to release the stress in us which is building up, but we should not do this too soon, so in order to lessen the tension we feel it less.

The Chinese Image
Activity of the calves of the legs.
evil.
Abiding quietly. Good fortune.

The activity of the calves raises the weight of the body onto the toes so that we fall into a step. By restraining this first movement we prevent the step developing which would set a direction and so be narrowing to our choice (evil). In the same way with feeling, once it is defined we fall into its expression; here we are less active in the feeling and so abiding quietly, which is good fortune.

Line 3 goes yin

outer world changes more

In this tao there is no flow outwards. Here we create a flow of activity, and we do this for purposes, for desires to gain an end. This will dissipate the growing inner influence.

The Chinese Image
Activity of the thighs.
Following that which looks up.
Regret (or shame).

The thigh moves the body forward into the step, so here we are already in motion following either what we look up to or what looks up to us; either of these serves to justify our identified self, the existing and established self.

Line 4 goes yin

accepting the outer state more

Outer action is quiet in this tao (line 3 is yang) so the influence here is for identity to be involved in quietness. This is beneficial as it allows the inner influences to have attention.

The Chinese Image
Continuance in the way
brings good fortune.
Regret disappears.
Vacillation will not be followed
except by his closest friends.

Regret disappears because we are creating no action that we could regret, but we need to maintain this quietness and watch the natural tendency to activity.

Line 5 goes yin

more awareness of intuition

Our feelings are actively interpreting the life force, so to become involved here is to assist the influence of the inner life force outwards and so also the influence of the tao.

The Chinese Image
Activity of the muscles
on the spine above the heart.
No regret.

The spinal area is the central core of our body-being and is associated here to the heart which is traditionally the core of our feeling; it is feeling (line 2) that this line monitors.

Line 6 goes yang

our inner being accepts less

The emerging life force (line 1) is active; here our inner being is disregarding it. In a tao about the inner influencing the outer this is also disregarding the tao, so we remain on the outer surface of our being and unable to change our way of being ourselves.

The Chinese Image
Activity of the jaws and tongue.

With our jaws and tongue we express ourselves; here we give out our definitions about our situation instead of absorbing experience which is the function of this 6th line. Energy is dissipated if we constantly say what our reality is.

Secondary HexagramHexagram 40

Release from indecision.

Line image

Here is an absence of direct knowledge of the life force and an absence of interest in the outer world, lines 2 and 4 are yang while all the other lines are yin. Identity is aware of the quiet state of feeling (line 5) so we are not stressed either from inner feeling or outer activities.

Trigram image

The manifesting flow oscillates between K’an and Li and so does not have a direction; however the trigram about the inner being is Chên which has a decisive energy and great flow, this releases us from the indecision we have been in. The common name of the hexagram is “deliverance” or “release”; release comes from separating our being from the seeking and doing that was fuelling the see-saw.

The Chinese Oracle

Release.
The south and west are favourable.
If there is no activity to be accomplished
there is good fortune in returning.
If there is activity unfinished
a speedy end is favoured.

Comments

The south and west is where the sun traverses the sky as it goes from full activity to rest, so completing activity is favoured here if there is still something uncompleted.

Manifestations

The pattern
A new way leads out of
insecurity and vacillation.
Release from indecision.
For humans
Taking both.
Allowing tension through him,
not dodging it,
he comes to decision
and is released.
In nature
Torrential rain—mud.
Baking sun—rock.
Torrents again—mud.
Stress
between earth and heaven
flashes lightning and is no more.
Delicate tendrils, messengers,
can feel their way again.
In forms we make
Uncertainty of direction
is oscillation faster than complete action.
Taking both damps vibrations.

Changing Lines

Line 1 goes yang

life force shows less change

When beset with polarity we are in stress, choosing yet unable to make a choice and changing our choice even before putting it into effect. Here in this line the life force becomes quiet and this gives choice a rest.

The Chinese Image
No error.

It is the life flow emerging more quietly and lessening the stress, it is not our doing and cannot possibly be an error, but when beset by choice we are always overconscious of error.

Line 2 goes yin

intuitive feeling more active

Greater activity of our intuitive feeling enables us to find direction in the life force.

The Chinese Image
He kills three foxes.
One yellow arrow.
Continuance in the way
brings good fortune.

Yellow is an active colour (almost in the middle of our visible spectrum), applied to an arrow which indicates a chosen direction—we have chosen an active direction; this direction is between extremes, being given as “one” which is the whole or middle way of unchoosing. This direction ends the vacillation of choice which deprived us of identifying, in the same way a fox deprives man of his nourishment (three foxes because continual change of choice was the problem).

Line 3 goes yang

outer world changes less

To obtain freedom of flow identity needs to act out without identifying itself in the movement. Here in the line we seem to be confused about this and expect the life force to carry us out of stress without our taking part at all.

The Chinese Image
Riding in a carriage and carrying property he invites robbers.
Continuance brings misfortune.

We want to be carried yet we do not want to let go; not allowing activity is still controlling it.

Line 4 goes yin

accepting the outer state more

To become involved in outer activity is to make it our own; this gives entanglement, not deliverance. Only when we take ourselves out of the equation do we see that it balances.

The Chinese Image
Free yourself from your toes,
then the friend will come with trust.

The toes lead our steps and our steps are our personal way. The friend with trust is the life flow itself; willful activity causes the flow of circumstances to appear untrustworthy.

Line 5 goes yang

less awareness of intuition

We are no longer trying to discern the life force and so in a tao of release we allow it to be what it will.

The Chinese Image
The superior man alone
can free himself.
Good fortune.
Smaller men can only follow.

We cannot be released by following something, for we are attached to what we follow. It is necessary to be alone and open to be free; separating from attachment enables us to be free.

Line 6 goes yang

our inner being accepts less

Here identity chooses not to choose, which is release as the stress was in the choice.

The Chinese Image
The prince shoots an arrow,
kills a hawk on a high wall.
All is favourable.

The hawk sits on a high wall choosing what he will catch. High up is symbolically the head and a wall is a boundary and barrier, so we have been choosing from our position of defining which confines the choice; here the prince (identity) takes a direction (shoots an arrow) which kills the chooser.

Nuclear HexagramHexagram 44

Adapting to circumstances.

Line image

Here the life force is manifesting actively (line 1) and we are not feeling it, not involved in it, not recognizing what it is (lines 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are all yang). This unawareness is likely to lead us into misreading our situation.

Trigram image

The only trigram with any activity is that for the emerging life force, Sun, and we do not respond to this circumstance which comes to us in a rather rigid and formed shape. We cannot influence it because it has no changeability and we may not recognize its strength because of its gentleness. We need to remain alert and witness our desires rather than trying to fulfill them.

The Chinese Oracle

Sudden meeting.
The woman is powerful.
Do not marry.

Comments

The meeting is sudden because we are very unaware in this tao, like someone who is very short-sighted and suddenly recognizes something at close range. Feeling (the woman) is powerful and this feeling is emotional feeling that we have stored and now seeks activity, so it is not born out of our present circumstances but is triggered by them. It is useful to allow such feeling but useless to wed ourselves to it.

Manifestations

The pattern
The powerfully mature
has its activity.
Without being influenced
has influence.
For humans
He does not try to change
what is so formed,
but meeting it
he is so drawn
he must himself change.
In nature
The flow of oceans
does not yield to our swimming.
The place of planets
does not shift for our desire.
In forms we make
All forms have archetypes
they tend towards,
yet the archetype has no form.

Changing Lines

Line 1 goes yang

life force shows less change

Here the silence of identity (lines 4, 5, and 6 are yang) ignores the activity of the life force and it ceases to have influence.

The Chinese Image
The wheel is held by a metal brake.
Continuance in the way brings good fortune.
A lean pig leaps about.

The brake is applied; there is nothing we can do about it but follow our circumstances. Any attempt to get out of our circumstances will prove unfortunate so we need simply to experience where we are. A lean pig is an underfed pig and when we are under-stimulated we “leap about” to cause activity.

Line 2 goes yin

intuitive feeling more active

Feeling is our link between the undefined inner and manifest outer; here in this line new activity of feeling is occurring although identity is taking no notice.

The Chinese Image
There are fish in the tank.
It does not benefit the guests.
No error.

Our present identifications (the guests) are not noticing the nourishment available, but this cannot be error, it is just circumstance.

Line 3 goes yin

outer world changes more

In this tao we do not have a true picture of our circumstances and in this line we act out in circumstances of which we are ignorant.

The Chinese Image
No skin on his thighs.
He walks with difficulty.
Keeping alert he makes no error.

Line 4 goes yin

accepting the outer state more

If our increased involvement is with a sense of outer peace all is well, but this is likely to be a search for outer activity and if it is we will search and find none.

The Chinese Image
No fish in the tank.
Misfortune.

The tank which has or has not fish in it is our personal inner being and the fish are our personal identifications in this. Here there are no fish, the process of identifying is inactive in this tao, so if we expect something we are disappointed.

Line 5 goes yin

more awareness of intuition

Our intuition about our circumstances as shown by line 2 is inactive; by accepting this lack of interpretive feeling, we allow life to happen to us.

The Chinese Image
A melon wrapped in leaves is hidden.
Something falls from heaven.

The melons, the gourd family of fruits, have a multitude of seeds in the fruit casing, many possibilities. These possibilities are hidden within the fruit, the fruit is hidden in the leaves, it appears that nothing is there; then suddenly from this nothing (from heaven) there is a happening. This describes how life is when we do not anticipate it.

Line 6 goes yin

our inner being accepts more

By accepting the energy of this tao which flows through emotional channels there is a forcing of their recognition.

The Chinese Image
He approaches with his horns.
Regret but no error.

The way emotion forces its way into recognition is often uncomfortable and causes regret, but it is necessary for it to be expressed so this is not an error.