968699 · 42.1.2.4.5.6Hexagram 42

Strength to accomplish challenges.

Line image

In lines 3 and 4 there is an active outer structure in which we are involved, it is supported by feeling but this feeling is not what we consider to be important (lines 2 and 5), it is what we do that has importance. Our inner being is quiet (lines 1 and 6), so here is a pattern of natural outer activity.

Trigram image

The emerging life energy is very forceful (Chên) and this flows freely in the outer world (K’un); identity contemplates this activity Kên without becoming over-involved, and Sun, in the place of our inner being, shows a maturing there.

This flow shows an advantageous time for outer activity because we are not too involved and we do not manipulate and make mistakes. Our inner being is supportive of the outer action and is maturing through the experience. This is an excellent situation for accomplishing what has been planned; its common name is “increase” or “gain”.

The Chinese Oracle

Increase.
Undertakings bring good fortune.
It is favourable to cross the great water.

Comments

Here the inner is increased by outer action. Changes are always involved in these increases so it is favourable to cross the great water—to change our approach to things, allow ourselves to see from new points of view. Widening experience and identity is increase.

Manifestations

The pattern
The flow of life seeks the high,
becoming firm yet gentle,
resisting indulgence.
In seeking the highest
the low is fulfilled.
For humans
Knowing he has power,
he accomplishes great tasks.
Not for himself
but he is strengthened.
In nature
On the mountain
the tree grows strong sinews
while nourishing the slopes.
In forms we make
Seeking the easy
weakens into difficulty.
Working in the difficult
grows an easy strength.

Changing Lines

Line 1 goes yin

life force shows more change

It is fortunate for our outer state when the life force is manifesting activity, it creates a balance of inner and outer activity so that the outer seems to move of its own accord, at other times we seem to have to push very hard to make the smallest movement. In this line our activity will feel right.

The Chinese Image
It is time for great works.
Greatest good fortune and no error.

Line 2 goes yang

intuitive feeling less active

Intuitive feeling is our first activity of distinguishing, we then define an attitude according to the feeling and so distinguish the feeling in terms of mind. It is advantageous in this tao that we should be free of mind attitudes and simply be in the flow, this gives freedom to the magic of the moment.

The Chinese Image
There is one who gives him very many tortoise shells and who would not be refused.
Long continuance in the way brings good fortune.
The king gives sacrifice to heaven. Good fortune.

Tortoise shells are artefacts of magic, and what the tao offers in this line is the magic of the life force providing our feeling with just what it needs. For this to be accepted we need to drop our way of identifying what is happening and then choosing (this is the mode that normally rules us, is our king); if this is not sacrificed the gift is not seen or felt at all. Learning to drop our personal activity takes this long perseverance and is the inner good fortune of the tao.

Line 3 goes yang

outer world changes less

It is more in tune with this tao to reduce our controlling of activity rather than to reduce the activity itself; our outer experience is food to the inner self. Here we make a move intending to do something about an overactive “I am” but “I am” doing it.

The Chinese Image
Unfortunate increase,
sincere and without blame.
Take the middle way and report
to the prince with your seal.

Our seal is that which identifies us and the prince is our identity (the outcome of our ruler which is the identifying process), so here we need to see how we are identifying ourselves, how we are choosing; the middle way is not to choose but to allow.

Line 4 goes yang

accepting the outer state less

Here we choose less amongst the strong flow of outer activity which is this tao; it is in keeping with this flow to go with the outer activity but not to manipulate it.

The Chinese Image
He walks in the middle and reports to the prince.
It is favourable to be an agent
in the removal of the capital.

The capital is the seat of government, the chooser, which is sacrificed in this tao to allow the magic of the life force. For symbols of the seal, the prince, and walking in the middle, see line 3.

Line 5 goes yin

more awareness of intuition

By accepting direct feeling of the life force we are becoming one with our intuitive feeling of this tao about increase.

The Chinese Image
If you come from the heart
and do not question,
greatest good fortune.
Genuine involvement
is the virtue recognized.

Questioning comes from the mind, flow from the feeling. The essence of the flow is to be genuinely in it, we cannot question a flow without stopping it.

Line 6 goes yin

our inner being accepts more

This is no time to get involved in inner stillness (line 1 is yang) when we are in a tao of nourishing outer activity.

The Chinese Image
He increases no one.
Someone strikes him.
He is inconsistent.
Misfortune.

Here we fail to sacrifice the importance of identifying—we identify in the inner stillness—and we miss the middle path, the non-identified state. By trying first the outer and then the inner as our focus we are not being consistent and nothing is furthered; only a shock will change this cycle of choosing, for it fuels itself, so it is as if someone strikes him.

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 23

Solitude.

Line image

The only yang line is in the place of our inner being where we are not accepting all the free flow of the other lines. Our inner being is standing apart, separated from outer experience. Outer identification is not accepted.

Trigram image

All is freely flowing (K’un) until we reach our inner being where Kên shows silence and meditation on events, not participation.

The Chinese Oracle

Splitting.
No objective is favourable.

Comments

It is not favourable to have objectives when identity is divided from the inner self because all the directions that can attract us involve us more in the separate outer reality which is not being accepted by the whole personal self; any identification we make causes us to split further. There are however important chances of change and discoveries to be made in this tao about the way we are identifying.

Manifestations

The pattern
When inner reality
forsakes all outer activity
We contemplate in solitude.
For humans
When there are no bonds
things do not remain together.
In nature
To spin a cocoon
heralds inner change
and chrysalis.
In forms we make
Each into himself,
each unto himself,
leaves nothing to share.

Changing Lines

Line 1 goes yang

life force shows less change

Because our outer identifications are not being accepted by our inner self, the source, the emerging life force, withers away.

The Chinese Image
The leg of the bed breaks.
Not continuing in the way
brings misfortune.

The bed is where we enter the great unknown and sleep. Here the leg of the bed breaks, which is its connection with the rest of reality. Our identifications, our conscious interests, are somehow at variance with the way or out of tune with our circumstances, too narrowly based.

Line 2 goes yang

intuitive feeling less active

Here we become separate from the flow by ceasing to feel it. Feeling is our meeting with the flow so if we lose feeling in this tao we do not identify in the whole but only in the outer part.

The Chinese Image
The bed frame or edge is broken.
No continuance in the way.
Misfortune.

Here it is the bed frame, its structure, that comes apart. Our feeling of the life force is the base construction of our world reality; without a feeling of manifesting whole reality, our personal reality becomes isolated fragments. This feeling of whole reality we are lacking is the continuance in the way of the great tao.

Line 3 goes yang

outer world changes less

By decreasing outer activity we become more in tune with our inner being which has rejected our identifications out in the world.

The Chinese Image
He separates from all.
No error.

All our identifications are out there in the world, and here we discard them. In this way we separate ourselves from the factors that divided us.

Line 4 goes yang

accepting the outer state less

The most obvious danger in this tao about how we identify is our becoming too externalized and here we seem to realize this and cut off our involvement outside. As our being is at present concentrated in identifying, however, this now slips into identifying the boundary of the inner and outer self.

The Chinese Image
The bed and skin is split.
Misfortune.

The surface of the bed is the layer or skin between the outer reality—where we (identity) lie—and the inner; if consciousness penetrates this boundary it damages the function of identity in manifestation.

Line 5 goes yang

less awareness of intuition

In this tao our identifying leads us astray and our intuitive feeling which is the basis of our identifying is rejected by our inner being. Here our identity gives up following the feeling, seeing it as being in error.

The Chinese Image
A string of fishes.
Favour alike to being at court.
All is advantageous.

Fish are often used to symbolize our identifications (which nourish identity) in the uncharted waters of the whole reality. Here is a string of fishes, on a common thread and the fish are caught, so our identifications threaded together are captured. A court is where the ruler is ruling, and the ruler of identity is the identifying process, so here this act of catching identifications brings favour and advantage in every way.

Line 6 goes yin

our inner being accepts more

Here is a change in the separation depicted by the tao. The inner self witnesses and we have a possibility of realizing the tao, the experience of our self as separate from any identification.

The Chinese Image
A ripe fruit is not eaten.
The superior man has a carriage.
The inferior man loses his habitation.

To see whole we have to leave what we were doing, our identifications, however incomplete they seem to be; this ripe fruit could be eaten but we leave it. Wide-seeing superior man is carried in this, and allowing ourselves to be carried in our circumstances we find that there is more order in our lives, not less; if we do not grasp at life our inner needs take care of themselves. The inferior or narrow reality of chosen identifications has no place to be after this realization, he is not needed.