867796 · 31.2.5.6Hexagram 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 50

Integration.

Line image

With lines 3 and 4 both yang the outer world is not our concern just now and the active life force emerges unseen by line 2 and does not change our inner being—line 6 is yang also. Line 5 is actively accepting the quietness of our intuitive feeling so this is the activity that we experience, turning inwards to our feeling and separate from the world.

Trigram image

The life force emerges as structure, as the trigram Sun, and the flow that takes place here is between our identity and our inner being; our identity is expectant of change in the image of Tui and our inner being hesitant in accepting it, having the image of Li. Transition and hesitation lead to an inner ferment or, more gently, an inner dialogue, about changing the firm structure of Sun. These are fundamental issues for us.

The Chinese Oracle

The cauldron.
Greatest good fortune.
Success.

Comments

The Chinese used a great rotund cauldron for cooking the sacrifice, called a Ting. We have a phrase “into the melting pot”, meaning to put our previous ideas into complete reconsideration, and this is the symbolism of the Ting, the sacrificial vessel; greatest good fortune because we are made anew; success because change is brought about when existing structure is sacrificed.

Manifestations

The pattern
Steady unwavering preparation
makes enlightenment possible.
For humans
He persists constantly
in melding together
his life’s ingredients.
This alchemy
transforms his awareness.
In nature
The bird carefully chooses
when building its nest
in which to nurture its young.
In forms we make
Continuous interaction
of individuals in society
nourishes an awareness
of the whole.

Changing Lines

Line 1 goes yang

life force shows less change

The emerging life force ceases to provide new activity for us to identify. Interaction goes on within us (the Ting) acting upon itself; our attitudes change.

The Chinese Image
The Ting is turned upside down
to remove decaying matter.
A concubine for the sake of sons.

To have sons, a re-birth of our line, we must mate. To clear out old ways we have we must invert the sacrificial vessel. In both these we change our judgement of rules as to what is important—that the sacred vessel should be venerated no matter what it contains, or that to take a concubine is an indulgence. This is the root of changing ourselves, we no longer assume what we have previously taken as our law.

Line 2 goes yin

intuitive feeling more active

When feeling is active there is activity within the Ting, for it is we who are the sacrificial cooking pot in this tao. It is within, not dependent upon the other, an internal fermentation which will produce a new compound of ourselves. In this we resolve problems that have seemed insoluble.

The Chinese Image
The Ting is full.
The others are in trouble
and cannot harm me.
Good fortune.

For “the others” some translators have used “the enemy” and others “the comrades”; the important idea is that this is an inner state undisturbed by what goes on outside.

Line 3 goes yin

outer world changes more

Our particular inner activity in this tao is not related to outer activity, hence the image of it going on within a pot, so the increase of outer activity in this line is a distraction from the tao, a misunderstanding of it.

The Chinese Image
The handles of the Ting are changed.
Progress is stopped.
The fat of the pheasant is not eaten.
Regret ends with the coming of rain.
In the end good fortune.

When we embark on outer action our movements are governed by outer factors (we change the outside of the Ting) and the inner changes (the fat of the pheasant) are not experienced. Rain produces new growths, so progress, the lack of which we regret, returns when conditions become suitable again.

Line 4 goes yin

accepting the outer state more

In this tao we have an inactive outer reality; If identity becomes involved there we remove our support of the changes going on within.

The Chinese Image
The legs of the Ting break.
The prince’s meal is spilled
and his person soiled.
Misfortune.

The Ting has three short legs upon which it stands, supporting it off the ground, the world, and these symbolize our connection with the outer. In this line we reject our separation from the outer reality and so start projecting our reality upon it which has the image of spilling ourselves.

Line 5 goes yang

less awareness of intuition

Here we become less involved in the inactivity of intuitive feeling (line 2); as we cease to judge it and so tie it down we can move with the tao (our circumstances) once more.

The Chinese Image
The Ting has yellow handles
with gold rings.
Continuance in the way
brings good fortune.

This change enables the movement of the Ting to be active (yellow handles), we are centred in our inner self and outer value (gold) is one with eternal value (the rings). Continuing with this brings good fortune, which is remaining centred so that, in the image, we carry our Ting always without spilling it—without identifying ourselves outside.

Line 6 goes yin

our inner being accepts more

To be involved in the emerging life force here is to actually be the change that the tao represents; we do not accomplish change, we are changed, we become change itself as our mode of being.

The Chinese Image
The Ting has rings of jade.
Great good fortune.
Everything is favourable.

Jade has the illusive quality of perfection, of just-so-ness, a quality that cannot quite be captured in words and if so captured does not sing. This quality is similarly undefinable here where we are so centred that we are the centre.

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.