799788 · 34.2.3Hexagram 34

A store of power.

Line image

Innerly, in lines 1 and 6, we accept a passive phase of the life energy and our interpretation of feeling is accepting this as well (lines 5 and 2). As, however, we do not accept the quietness of outer activity there is a tendency to desire action (lines 4 and 3).

The balance of this structure is towards accepting the experience of inactivity which makes this the positive drive of the tao for we then see our desire for action as an avoidance of the experience our circumstances can give us.

Trigram image

The emerging flow is stilled (Ch’ien) and does not move in the outer space (Ch’ien); this gives a hope of activity to identity (Tui) which may at first look outwards for expression but then accepts it innerly (Chên).

The flow shows that the rejection by identity (line 4) of being in a passive state is overcome by the potential energy itself, and this gives the hexagram its common name “power of the great”; the inner is always greater than the outer in the sense that it contains more possibilities of being real. Here its effect is powerful.

The Chinese Oracle

The power of the great.
Continuance in the tao brings reward.

Comments

The tao, or existent pattern of the way, of this hexagram is our growing acceptance of the potential, inner, reality. This is both source and setting for our outer conscious reality, but if we name it we will mistake its nature which is that it is undefined, unmanifest; manifest it and this is not the tao.

The reward of continuing in allowing and accepting this is a great leap in our ability to experience, a great expansion of our sense of the real. This is the power of the great.

Manifestations

The pattern
He watches,
comes late into action
with the power of great potential.
For humans
Slowly absorbing experience.
Quietly relating inner and outer.
Great power for action
when we are ready.
In nature
The seed, with great stores,
awaits in tranquillity,
then bursts upon the world.
In forms we make
Powerful government knows
the flexibility of new ideas
woven between the mature.

Changing Lines

Line 1 goes yin

life force shows more change

Identity is looking for activity but our circumstances, the tao, provide none. The lack is so obvious that despite our natural urge to do something we have the possibility of restraining ourselves.

The Chinese Image
Power in the toes.
Advance brings misfortune.
Inner truth remains.

The toes lead our steps, but at present we should not be stepping, this activity is not sensing the inner truth but turning it into outer action. The truth of inactivity still remains to be discovered, but a leap in understanding such as this is not easily made.

Line 2 goes yin

intuitive feeling more active

Our feeling is of the life force and the life force is in its non-manifesting phase so we are feeling the great unknown. If we continue to open our feelings to the unknowable we shall find a sense of it that is not a definition, not even a defined feeling.

The Chinese Image
Continuance in the tao is good fortune.

If we define what our feeling is doing, however, we will manifest it and lose the direction of the tao.

Line 3 goes yin

outer world changes more

Where there are possibilities that are not yet manifest it is not the time to push ahead with action, it will not be supported by the life force so we will get stuck in a situation from which our own forcefulness will not allow us to escape. Action always lessens our awareness of possibilities for action and at present these are many and developing. This is a time for realizing the inactive as equally positive with the active and sometimes more appropriate.

The Chinese Image
The inferior man uses activity.
The superior man uses inactivity.
A goat butts against a hedge
and gets its horns entangled.

When we use activity we centre ourselves on this; the oracle image for this is inferior (narrowing). The wide way to experience is in not choosing so that more possibilities remain open to us.

Line 4 goes yin

accepting the outer state more

Here we recognize the stillness of the outer and can separate our identity from activity. In this way we are available to the possibilities that are arising.

The Chinese Image
Continuance in the way
brings good fortune.
Regret disappears.
The hedge separates
and entanglement ceases.
Power, the axle (or wheel-spokes)
of a large waggon.

The large waggon will carry many things at once. Our attention is not just at the rim of the wheel where action takes place but in the connections to the whole and so the entanglement with activity ceases.

Line 5 goes yang

less awareness of intuition

Our intuitive feeling is inactive; if we were concerned about this we would be involved, but here we let it be what it will.

The Chinese Image
He easily sacrifices the goat.
No regret.

The goat in this tao is the one who gets entangled (moving line 3); here we are free.

Line 6 goes yang

our inner being accepts less

In a tao of great possibilities yet to be realized we need to be aware of the emerging life force.

The Chinese Image
The goat carelessly butts the hedge and cannot go backwards or forwards.
No advantage.
Realizing the difficulties brings advantage.

If we are not aware of possibilities arising we cannot move with them as they arise, so we get stuck, unchanged; awareness of this brings our awareness of possibilities back again.

Secondary HexagramHexagram 51

Shaken in his being.

Line image

Line 6 is yin while line 1 is yang, so we change innerly in this tao but not from the activity of the emerging life force. The outer world (line 3) is active, while line 4 shows us to be ignorant about this outer activity. When our outer world is the centre of activity and we ignore this we are likely to meet the unexpected and to be unprepared. “Shock” is the common name of the hexagram.

Trigram image

The strong surge of energy in Chên is met by the immovable Kên. This flow is a severe jolt to the being, which, in its established peace is quite unprepared for such force; it resists and then succumbs (K’an), only to recover again as we recognize and co-ordinate a new reality.

Shock occurs when new experience appears too fast for our co-ordination to deal with it. Feeling cannot come up with a feeling and there may be rejection and disorganization (panic) or withdrawal of feeling (numbness). All this may be fleeting, as when we meet someone suddenly in a doorway, or profound. All this feeling cannot move outwards, cannot be identified, so it moves in our inner being (Chên at the top).

The Chinese Oracle

Shock (thunder), success.
Shock then laughter.
Frightening tumult for 100 miles around.
He does not spill the sacrificial vessel.

Comments

Shock by its nature is sudden and short, followed by relief and laughter. 100 miles around is symbolic of it going the whole distance—it is total in us. The sacrificial vessel is ourself (as in the Ting, hexagram 50), we do not go outwards in shock, we centre very severely, so the self or sacrificial vessel is not externalized, spilt. The movement of the energy in our inner being can make changes there and this is the success the tao offers.

Manifestations

The pattern
The world is shaken
to its foundation.
Unparalleled relief
must follow.
For humans
Shock follows shock
until his reality
itself is shaken.
Then he will laugh from his belly
at his alarm, at his escape,
at his relief;
and examine his weaknesses.
In nature
Lightning tears the air
and all beasts cower.
Strikes at the earth
and they tremble.
Its thunder rolls away,
uncovering the sun
and beautiful normality.
In forms we make
Authority stamps,
shaking its power;
and withdraws,
creating order.

Changing Lines

Line 1 goes yin

life force shows more change

Here we react to shock immediately by stirring our inner peace into activity. We are alert and not taken much off our guard, or the shock is such that it is quickly recognized; either way it is quickly followed by relief.

The Chinese Image
Shock roars
then speaks smilingly.
Good fortune.

Line 2 goes yang

intuitive feeling less active

This is the numbness reaction to shock. Feeling cannot co-ordinate and so does not function, creating a strange separateness but this will pass.

The Chinese Image
Shock signals danger.
He loses his valuables
and climbs nine hills.
He should not go after them,
in seven days he will have them again.

The danger of overload is a danger to our ability to distinguish what is happening to us, a danger to identity itself. When we cannot distinguish because of shock we lose all of value because confusion has no values.
Over nine hills is nine times up and down again, a vacillation about the number nine, which is 3 × 3 or symbolically change which is changing—all is confusion as we try to follow the change but cannot. But it all comes back again at the end of the process, the seven days. This symbolism just describes the shock syndrome.

Line 3 goes yang

outer world changes less

With shock, action becomes confused; but it is action that leads out of shock so instinctive action is an effective outlet; it also involves acting without caution.

The Chinese Image
Thunder (shock) is impetuous;
reacting likewise is not harmful.

It is necessary to move to get out of shock and our lightning-like reflexes operate, knowing in their own way what is needed; but here we control this and do not move.

Line 4 goes yin

accepting the outer state more

Here we are taking possession of the action of shock, using it for our purposes, conscious or unconscious. This is a misunderstanding; shock is by its nature spontaneous and although we may serve our purposes by this means we narrow our reality.

The Chinese Image
Shock in mud.

In mud we get stuck and here we get stuck in shock, using it, entangling with it. Allow shock and it flows out, try to define or use it and it stays.

Line 5 goes yang

less awareness of intuition

This fifth line is our recognition of intuitive feeling. Here the shock to feeling causes withdrawal from it—yet we cannot withdraw successfully from something so evident.

The Chinese Image
Shock comes and goes repeatedly.
Danger.
Nothing is lost and things need doing.

The danger is that we are distracted from outer action needed in response to the shock, “things need doing”. We are wildly seeking but nothing is lost so we need not seek.

Line 6 goes yang

our inner being accepts less

This line of our inner being does not accept the shock, it is a matter for our outer coordination to deal with it.

The Chinese Image
Shock creates disorder and terrified eye movements.
Advance brings misfortune.
His neighbours are shocked
but not he himself, no error.
The neighbours criticize him.

The outer boundary of self, the identified self which has many facets, are the “neighbours” who are disoriented, not the inner self, they look around with frightened eyes for some help but get none and feel let down.

Nuclear HexagramHexagram 43

A peak of accumulation.

Line image

The life force emerges and manifests without activity (lines 1, 2, and 3) and although we accept this stillness in our inner being (line 6) we are not accepting inactivity in our feelings nor in our outer world (lines 5 and 4). So there is a certain amount of stress here towards action, as though we wish to break out of a confined situation; we are watching the emerging life force for signs of movement. The common name of the hexagram is “resolution” or “breakthrough”.

Trigram image

All the trigrams are Ch’ien except the top one and nothing is manifestly active except that the inner is preparing activity (Tui). This flow is beautiful if we are at peace with it, but has dangers and is stressful if we are not; there is energy building up and our outer identity has no role in this, so the danger is from aspects of our identity trying to force the issue in order to gain expression.

The Chinese Oracle

Resolution in proclaiming the truth
at the king’s court. Danger.
Announce it to your own city.
Do not carry arms.
To have direction is favourable.

Comments

The king’s court is peopled by aspects of our identity because we, as identified beings, are ruled by the identifying process, our king. It is necessary that they all know what the situation is so that they do not “carry arms” or try to force their way. If we have direction then we are not looking for one and then the danger does not arise.

Manifestations

The pattern
The power of the creative
withholds action,
building up such a store
it brims over.
For humans
The time of accumulation
reaches its peak.
The time for movement approaches.
Do not squander it
there is power enough.
In nature
The lake has risen,
it must flow out
and water the land.
In forms we make
When the rich and powerful
do not notice
the poor and weak,
catastrophe threatens.

Changing Lines

Line 1 goes yin

life force shows more change

The first sign of inner movement is not the time to make outer action. We should not be too eager or we shall not have the support of the life force and whatever we do will be superficial and unsatisfactory.

The Chinese Image
To set out with a show of strength and then fail is a mistake.

Line 2 goes yin

intuitive feeling more active

Activity is identity’s chosen role; here we feel the inactivity of the life force and fear for our ability to act.

The Chinese Image
Warning cries at night.
Armed, no fear.

In the darkness (activity is the “light” of consciousness) there are calls for light, for activity to avert extinction of our ability to identify, but we are armed with the light of the tao—the movement will come when it comes, we need not fear to miss but we will stay alert, that is how we are armed.

Line 3 goes yin

outer world changes more

Here we are not peaceful enough to withstand the anticipation of the tao and we create outer activity which will divert the life flow.

The Chinese Image
Powerful cheekbones.
Misfortune.
The superior man is resolute
and walks alone splashed with mud.
They speak against him
but he is blameless.

The cheekbones enable us to read determination in another’s face; here there is this power of self-will which is misfortunate in this context because no amount of it can be effective and it produces stress with no flow for its relief. The wide-seeing superior man is just going about his business, not trying to push things, and this is correct in our present circumstances.

Line 4 goes yin

accepting the outer state more

Here we are involving our identity in outer inactivity, which is to say we are worried about it and consider it a problem to be solved; this is an impatience for activity and is not supported by the life force.

The Chinese Image
His thighs are without skin
and walking is difficult.
If he would be led like a sheep
all would be well, but what
is said is not heard.

The muscles of the thigh carry us forward, and here there is no support from the life force if we go forward. If we were following the life force we would not have this problem.

Line 5 goes yin

more awareness of intuition

Our intuitive state is inactive (line 2) so here we become aware of this lack of feeling. This has dangers in this tao because unless we can persevere with quiet feeling, our interest will arouse desire for active feeling; if we create activity with desire we will miss the next movement of circumstances.

The Chinese Image
Ground-clinging plants.
The middle way is free of blame.

The middle way is neither identified outside nor inside, it is non-identified, clinging to the real or wholeness or earth. Staying with what exists, not searching, is the advice contained here.

Line 6 goes yang

our inner being accepts less

This whole tao is a watching for potential to be manifest and this sixth line is the watcher of the emerging life force; if we cease to be alert it will catch us by surprise and we will be out of step with it.

The Chinese Image
No warning.
Misfortune.