976776 · 58.1.3.6Hexagram 58

It comes!

Line image

Our outer world is active (line 3) and we are not concerned with this (line 4); although the emerging energy (line 1) is not active we accept and are changed by this in our inner being (line 6); meanwhile the feeling of our situation is quiet (lines 2 and 5). Because we accept the inner quietness and are not involved in outer activity the tone is unworried and feeling is relaxed. The only active lines are about outer activity and our inner being; here is the resonance of activity in the tao, it is at the edge of our awareness and not quite definable. This resonance is clarified by the common name of the hexagram, which is “joy”.

Trigram image

The life force emerges as a new energy (Tui) to be only lightly, hesitantly, manifest (Li). It passes structure in our identity (Sun) and gives new energy to our inner being (Tui again). Here is a flow which shows the indefinable quality of joy, our structure can nowhere grasp it, plan for it, or hold it when it occurs. It is a most spontaneous and inner experience where the bubbling of energy from the inner appears in our outer reality. It is an experience that identity can do nothing about except experience joyfully; to try to impose any structure upon it brings on such difficulties as we have with this tao.

The Chinese Oracle

Joy. Success.
Continuance along the way
is rewarding.

Comments

The reward of allowing the tao is joyousness, and is continuing along its way. It is a totally simple tao for identity when it is less separate because the joy is the experience of resonance happening; an energy not an object.

Manifestations

The pattern
The pre-form of activity
has joy.
The formed activity also
has joy.
For humans
He knows in his fibre
the power to create.
He knows in his body
the motions of creation.
How could he not
enjoy his creation?
In nature
A sunrise that excites the soul.
A day that satisfies it.
In forms we make
The prototype is ready.
The plan is made.
Harmonious with its outcome.

Changing Lines

Line 1 goes yin

life force shows more change

It is easier for us as identified beings to respond to the active phases of the life force, and this is especially true in this tao where our attention is on the inner being. Joy comes naturally at this time because there is activity outside for us to identify amongst.

The Chinese Image
Joy of inner wholeness.
Good fortune.

The life force becomes active and so supports our acting outwards. The inner being (line 6) accepts the life force and so we are centred and complete innerly so we act out without doubt.

Line 2 goes yin

intuitive feeling more active

Feeling the potential of the life force brings just that bubbling joy that knows that the outer form will be appropriate, so we are in harmony with it. This is spontaneous and unidentified feeling so it does not interfere with the flow of the tao.

The Chinese Image
Genuine joy.
Good fortune.
No regret.

Line 3 goes yang

outer world changes less

Here we are not allowing the spontaneous flow of the tao into outer activity, because of hopes, fears, and so forth, we are holding activity for the future and the energy of joy is converted into that of worry. This is an internal and repetitive flow instead of a flow through identity and it blocks our receptiveness to the life force, this can only enter where there is an emptiness to receive it.

The Chinese Image
Future joy.
Misfortune.

Joy cannot be in the future, it is existential or it is not at all. It cannot be planned, hunted and found, for then we have no room to receive it.

Line 4 goes yin

accepting the outer state more

In this tao it is vital to the flow that outer activity is spontaneous, so when we try to distinguish, plan, and manipulate our environment, the joy is lost and planning takes its place.

The Chinese Image
Calculating joys brings restlessness.
Discarding the error brings happiness.

Line 5 goes yin

more awareness of intuition

Intuitive feeling is inactive in this tao. To become involved in this inactivity, whether it be to identify with it or to question it, stops the flow of the tao. It is always true that even to observe we stop the flow.

The Chinese Image
Trusting in something
that is disintegrating
brings trouble.

The existential moment is always fresh; the happenings in it then disintegrate, as they have to as it is a flow of change, so if we attach ourselves to these happenings we cannot have joy in the existential moment.

Line 6 goes yang

our inner being accepts less

When the emerging life force is inactive (line 1) we tend to seek stimulation from the outer world; we miss the resonance between the inner and the outer when we do this, we own instead of taking part.

The Chinese Image
Alluring joy.
Secondary 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.

Nuclear HexagramHexagram 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.