967877 · 37.1.2Hexagram 37

Nourishing relationships.

Line image

The activity here is in our intuitive feeling (line 2) and acceptance of an inactive outer world (line 4), so spontaneous feeling will be evident and it will be somewhat enclosed or protected. The common name of the hexagram is “the family” and it may refer to an enclosed unit of the external family or to our internal unit of different identifying parts in our personal self.

Trigram image

In the trigrams forming “the family” it is not surprising to find Li and K’an alternating and maturing at the top in Sun (Li is elemental female surrounded by elemental male and K’an is the converse). The energy flow is hesitant and with doubt as different elements try to merge together while keeping their separate identities, eventually maturing into a structure as a family does and also as our personal identity does.

The Chinese Oracle

The family.
The importance of the woman develops.

Comments

The central value of the female element is both growing and causing development in the whole, the family. It is the female attributes that become important, the feeling mode that creates the family as a unit, although of course the wife is central in the family also.

Manifestations

The pattern
Opposites alternate in harmony,
gently maturing.
For humans
The taming of fire made home.
The fire of opposites dancing together
becomes life rhythm.
The young and hesitant grow mature.
The fluid pattern of family life
grows firm, even rigid.
In nature
Sun and rain.
nature grows and ripens.
In forms we make
The ordering of things
so each plays its part
establishes order in the whole.

Changing Lines

Line 1 goes yin

life force shows more change

Activity from within is the essence and harmony in relationship, it comes from the shared reality and so is not in contest. Here it is activity that is shared and so helps to develop relationship.

The Chinese Image
The family is enclosed (regulated).
Regret disappears.

Enclosure separates the unit from the “other”, it creates the unit. The search for “the other” is satisfied so regret disappears in the relationship of complementary parts.

Line 2 goes yang

intuitive feeling less active

We are not looking for new feeling from the life force, not making feeling out of it but attending to daily matters.

The Chinese Image
She does not attend to separate matters
but to the preparation of food.
Continuance in this brings good fortune.

If intuitive feeling is active it is interpreting the life force to guide the growth of identity but here identity has all it requires within it (within the family) and attending to this brings the good fortune.

Line 3 goes yin

outer world changes more

Forming the whole, whether in family or personal self, requires activity to be within an enclosed structure. Here the activity tends to go outside.

The Chinese Image
When family members are at variance the confrontation may bring regret and danger but then good fortune.
If the woman and children do not take this seriously there is regret.

Confrontation comes when partners in relationship strengthen their separate role and relate outside. Only the separate can relate yet relating brings separate parts together, so confrontation is a basic need in relating; if, however, feeling does not take this fact seriously the structure of relationship is no longer enclosed and for the “family” this causes regret.

Line 4 goes yang

accepting the outer state less

Here we are becoming less concerned with a lack of outer activity, we are not looking for nourishment there because it already exists inside. This is to be centred.

The Chinese Image
Enriching the family.
Great good fortune.

The enrichment is from turning inwards so it is not about external wealth but the flow of internal relationships in feeling.

Line 5 goes yin

more awareness of intuition

Our intuitive feeling attracts our attention. There is a looking around for new identification which is threatening to the family.

The Chinese Image
The king’s influence comes to his family.
Do not be troubled.
Good fortune.

The king rules and holds the kingdom together, so here the worry of independent parts breaking up the unit of interrelationship is unfounded.

Line 6 goes yin

our inner being accepts more

The life force emerging into relationship (line 1) is yang, which is to say undefined energy, and here we are trusting in this, basing our being upon it. We trust the bonds which make the parts whole without questioning how or why, which lays the foundation for sound sharing of outer experience and makes it possible to share within ourself. It is necessary for sharing parts to recognize their common root—their part in it.

The Chinese Image
Sincerity.
Arrayed like a king.
Good fortune in the end.

Sincerity being within the family it grows an identity, we identify within it, and this is like a king because it rules the way we are; when the parts identify in the whole (in this case the family) they no longer need to be stating their separateness and this is the good fortune at the end of the formation of the family.

Secondary HexagramHexagram 57

Where is identity?

Line image

In line 4 we accept the outer quietness of line 3; in lines 5 and 2 we ignore the lack of activity our intuitive feeling has; in line 6 we also ignore the emerging life force. There is very little activity in this structure; the outside, where our interest is centred, has no activity so we will be feeling a lack of progress.

Trigram image

The emerging flow of the life force (Sun) is reflected by our inner acceptance (also Sun), both being maturing and structuring. With the outer world hardly active (Tui) and our response here hesitant (Li) it is the inner maturing that is the main influence. When we make inner structure in reflection of the tao it widens the focus of our identity.

The Chinese Oracle

Gentle penetration.
The small succeeds.
It is an advantage to have a direction
and see the great man.

Comments

The gentleness of the emerging tao penetrates our being and there is very small show outside. To have a direction, and so not to be searching for one, allows this to proceed smoothly; to see the situation widely (the great man) prevents us getting entangled in our doing, our direction. This is an inner tao where inner influences penetrate identity and it needs a quiet environment.

Manifestations

The pattern
The mature,
more knit together,
starts to fragment,
then returns to wholeness.
For humans
He sees his flame.
His independence kindles him.
Separation knows a lesser reality
and clings
to its part in the whole.
In nature
Creation has separateness.
It hungers for wholeness.
Taking part is this food.
In forms we make
The part serves the whole
when it knows it is itself
yet inseparable.

Changing Lines

Line 1 goes yang

life force shows less change

Without change from the emerging life force, our own inner changes are smaller, more gradual; when the life force is in an active phase we are moved more quickly, more actively.

The Chinese Image
Advancing and retreating.
Continuance like a warrior
is advantageous.

The warrior does not give up when there is a need for retreat, he is firm, alert, and not indulgent; then he is ready for advance when conditions permit.

Line 2 goes yin

intuitive feeling more active

Submerged parts of the personal self need experience through feeling when they have been unable to manifest in consciousness; this is so even though that consciousness may have a bad opinion of them. No part can be left out when we seek wholeness; how could it be otherwise?

The Chinese Image
Under the bed.
Many priests and magicians.
Good fortune. No error.

The bed is where we lie to sleep, so under this is under the sleep consciousness; identity cannot reach this directly, its distinguishing mode is not suitable, but priests and magicians work at the borders of awareness; bringing these forces out is good fortune and no error.

Line 3 goes yin

outer world changes more

Outer experience is not the cause of identity but its projection, if it is increasing then identity is increasing its separation from the whole and entering the outer world more.

The Chinese Image
Penetration is repeated.
Regret.

Here is habit. There is bound to be regret sooner or later when we repeat continually. In this tao about the penetration of identity by the inner we are distracting ourselves and missing what is on offer.

Line 4 goes yang

accepting the outer state less

Here we are able to let go our involvement in outer matters; we find that inner change brings nourishment and a widening of horizons.

The Chinese Image
Regret disappears.
Three kinds of game are caught.

Three stands for change and the change is in the kind of game or mode of being that we can catch. This is a real inner change, not an outer show, so the regret disappears.

Line 5 goes yin

more awareness of intuition

Intuitive awareness of the life force feeds identity with feeling to identify amongst; in this tao it is inactive (line 2 is yang) so here identity becomes aware of feeling that is in its quiet phase and pays attention to it.

The Chinese Image
Continuance in the way brings good fortune.
Regret disappears, everything brings advantage.
Not a beginning but an end.
Three days before and three days after.
Good fortune.

To recognize the tranquil as worthy of notice is the beginning of the end of the separateness of identity, so continuing brings good fortune, regret disappears together with separate ambition. Everything brings advantage as nothing is rejected—this is the process of change, the middle of it, three days before it and three days after.

Line 6 goes yin

our inner being accepts more

The life energy acts of itself in our dissolution as a separate whole, so how can this be furthered by our taking a hand? It is a trick of mind reality to lend a hand here, the outcome of which can only be the perpetuation of mind in the identified form.

The Chinese Image
Under the bed.
He loses his valuables and his axe.
Continuing brings misfortune.

Under the bed is the unconscious drive where identity is trying to lend a hand, in here our identifications are lost (valuables and axe) but we do not lose our separateness; instead of going through a cycle by letting it change us we seek its source, return to the womb.

Nuclear HexagramHexagram 64

Incomplete change.

Line image

Here the personal self has withdrawn from both inner and outer activity (lines 4 and 6) and we are in the peace of inactive feeling (lines 2 and 5). This uninvolvement and quiet feeling comes at the end of a cycle of involvement and the common name of the hexagram is “before completion”.

Trigram image

In this flow the energy is hesitant in our outer expression and inner being (both Li) so we will be unsure how to express in a situation that is somewhat empty and confusing. The emerging energy is low (K’an) and so is the energy in our identity (also K’an) which pictures our situation at the end of something we have been involved in, the energy has run out but it is not all completed yet and we are hesitant to invest more energy in it.

The Chinese Oracle

Before completion.
Success.
Little fox. Crossing the ice. Tail in the water.
No chosen direction is favourable now.

Comments

No chosen direction means not starting something new—for to do that we choose. The tail is in the water because the crossing is not yet complete and it is by keeping our choosing mind frozen that we can complete what we have been engaged in (when this becomes liquid the tail gets wet). So the success is in completing (the crossing) and the little fox is he who is learning to take advantage of his circumstances.

Manifestations

The pattern
Change is not complete.
Only part is changed.
Change is still to come.
For humans
He starts out into opposition.
He is so changed
he opposes no more.
In nature
Water enters fire,
evaporates,
leaving fire.
In forms we make
When existing orders
change their challengers
partial change occurs.

Changing Lines

Line 1 goes yang

life force shows less change

Here we are not moving sufficiently with the tao we are in; the drive in the tao diminishes before we have completed our transition out of a habit-reality.

The Chinese Image
The little fox gets his tail wet.
Disgrace.

We are in transition so it is essential to keep moving, if we stop to consider our position we get submerged in where we are and the transition ceases.

Line 2 goes yin

intuitive feeling more active

With our intuitive feelings active we are more aware, and to be more aware when in transition means witnessing, not being involved in action; we just feel our situation.

The Chinese Image
He brakes the wheels of his carriage.
Continuance in the way brings good fortune.

We stop our outer movement; it is this that carries us in the world and so is our carriage. Transition continues here while the old way of moving is stopped, so continuing with this is the way through.

Line 3 goes yang

outer world changes less

If we stop movement during transition we may start off in a new direction to save ourselves the effort of inner change.

The Chinese Image
The movement is not complete.
New directions are unfortunate.
The advantage comes in crossing the great water.

Change in our mode of being is not complete so to start any new movement now will be moving from our old motivations and endanger the change that is nearly complete.

Line 4 goes yin

accepting the outer state more

When a change is happening in our identifying pattern our old motivations turn up all sorts of new activities to keep themselves in being; these are the stumbling blocks to change.

The Chinese Image
Continuance in the way brings good fortune.
Subduing the land of Kuei (the land of the devils) took three years and great rewards were gained.

We have to continue through the change (three years symbolically is a cycle of change) continually preventing old and habitual ways from keeping their footholds. Before completion means that we are on our way in a process of change and to complete the transition we must persist.

Line 5 goes yang

less awareness of intuition

Our intuitive feeling is quiet in this tao; we have needed to accept this quietness also so that new action did not arise. Now we are further along the path of change and do not need this vigilance.

The Chinese Image
Continuance in the way brings reward.
No regret.
The attraction of the superior man has effect.
Good fortune.

The transition has passed its doubting phase where we were subject to going back to the old ways. We now have confidence in the wider experience which is the reward of transition.

Line 6 goes yin

our inner being accepts more

The life energy of this tao moves to create change, and here we go with the movement, identifying in it. We need to be careful of this identifying.

The Chinese Image
Confidence and feasting is no error.
If his head gets wet confidence is lost.

Confidence and over-confidence; in the first we trust providence and in the second we trust our heads.