867966 · 62.2.4.5.6Hexagram 62

After reaching a level.

Line image

The two yin lines associated with feeling (2 and 5) are the dominant conscious ones, the outer (lines 3 and 4) being yang and the inner (1 and 6) being outside our awareness. So the activity of which we will be most conscious is feeling. There is a compliance with the life force shown in lines 5 and 6 so we do not take off on initiatives of our own and this is strengthened by the inactivity of our outer world and our disinterest in it.

Trigram image

This is a time for inner activity as shown by the Chên image for our inner being. The emerging energy is not seeking manifestation of activity but of stillness (Kên) and this gives maturity to our outer action (Sun) and a new way to be aware of ourselves (Tui).

The flow which comes from the bottom of the hexagram comes to a halt in the middle (outer reality) and then starts a new flow at the top; this is a movement which ends one mode of experiencing and prepares another. Our troubles with such a flow come from an identity which cannot accept its outer stillness.

The Chinese Oracle

Success of what is small.
Continuance in the way is rewarding.
Small things not great ones
should be entered into,
like bird song on the wing.
Remaining lowly brings good fortune.

Comments

The central part of the hexagram which symbolizes the outer is occupied by Sun and Tui, the gentle and the hopeful, the established and the new, and these are not the energy required for large outer activity.

The inner work being accomplished in this tao is done by the life force and does not show much in outer manifestation, so the little things that can be done become important and keep us away from blocking and diverting the inner flows.

Manifestations

The pattern
Action has given birth to stillness,
consolidation.
From this only small new movement
can arise.
A new start is preparing.
For humans
His ideas are formed.
Through these changes push their way
so he changes but a little as yet.
In nature
The wood of a tree
is solid and firm.
New growth from this
is a small part of the whole.
New growth comes from the root.
In forms we make
The establishment
is not the origin
of social change.

Changing Lines

Line 1 goes yang

life force shows less change

Widening our awareness requires the activity of the life force. Here, unfortunately in our experience, the life force goes into a tranquil phase and the tao of inner change is interrupted; outer activity is not a suitable vehicle for our energies in this tao so we shall do no good by trying to externalize. It is an experience of frustration we do best to witness rather than trying to correct.

The Chinese Image
The flying bird meets misfortune.

Line 2 goes yang

intuitive feeling less active

Intuitive feeling is the vehicle of identity in this tao, so we miss the flow when this feeling becomes less active and concern ourselves with more personal, psychological matters, trying to distinguish what the blockage is.

The Chinese Image
He passes by a reference to his ancestor and meets a reference to his past mother.
He does not reach the prince but meets the minister.
No error.

The ancestor and mother are records of past things, old ways of defining and feeling his reality; the prince is a new way of ruling, a new way of experiencing and we cannot reach this without intuitive feeling; we can only reach the minister who is the organizer of practical matters. There is no error because the cause of all this is not within our control.

Line 3 goes yin

outer world changes more

The tao (our circumstances) favours inner awareness and we avoid this by creating outer activity. When the pressure for change is from our inner reality yet this is transferred to a projection outside, there is a blockage of inner flow which shows itself in activity of our “personal unconscious” and this _will_ be heard, if we do not listen it will force its way into consciousness; accidents are formed in this way.

The Chinese Image
Unless he is very careful someone will strike him from below
(or behind, or an inferior position).
Misfortune.

Line 4 goes yin

accepting the outer state more

To become interested in peaceful outer activity (the yang line 3) gives direction without involvement but to become agitated about its inactivity would neglect the tao and deplete inner energies.

The Chinese Image
No error.
He does not pass him by but accosts him.
Activity is dangerous and continuing caution is required.

The danger of activity is becoming identified in it, making it important, we are aware of (we accost) this syndrome but identifying is a slippery customer.

Line 5 goes yang

less awareness of intuition

We do not wish to feel something; this means there is no flow of energy although the possibility of it is there.

The Chinese Image
Dense clouds from our western land but no rain falls.
The prince shoots and hits one in the cave.

Feeling is the release and flow symbolized by rain; here it is not released because identity is not allowing it; it comes from the west, where the sun sets, showing it to be a dying activity. The prince, our latest identity, has aimed his identifying into the inner darkness, the cave, and has hit something there; he does not know what he hit but he was probably afraid of it.

Line 6 goes yang

our inner being accepts less

We are now less involved in this tao of accepting the inner reality in which we only have a little show outside.

The Chinese Image
He does not meet him but passes him by.
The bird flies from him.
Misfortune.
Natural and intended hurt.

What we avoid meeting is the tao, the circumstances we are in; this splits our reality into outer and inner and the wholeness (the bird, which uses a polarity of wings together) leaves us. Inasmuch as we are aware of this it is an intended hurt, but our awareness is partial.

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 28

Rigidity.

Line image

In our inner being, line 6, we accept the activity of change that is available in our circumstances (line 1 is yin), but our intuitive feeling in line 2 is inactive and so is our outer world in line 3; identity is not interested in changing any of this (lines 4 and 5 are yang). This is a picture of stress where there is inner pressure for change but no response from the outer, manifesting self. It is too still, too rigid, has no flexibility.

Trigram image

The energy emerges formed and structured by the trigram Sun, is inactive throughout its manifestation as Ch’ien both for identity and the outer world, and has just a hope of change in Tui for our inner being. Here is a flow only at the very borders of our awareness, everything manifest is held rigid and cannot move, yet the activity of the inner is pushing it to move. When rigid structures are forced to change shape something gives way suddenly.

The Chinese Oracle

Excess.
The ridgepole sags.
Movement is favourable.
Success.

Comments

We recognize excess by the stress it creates, without stress excess is felt as abundance. So here we are in a situation of stress pictured as the ridge of a roof about to give way; the ridge is where the two sides of the roof meet, and the roof is what separates us from the elements—a picture of our duality which “protects” identity from being engulfed in the great unknown reality. This “protection” is threatened, and keeping the polarities of our choices apart is threatened when they become excessive, when we or our society becomes too polarized for the flow of manifestation to happen, for the flow of manifestation is interchange between polarities.

Manifestations

The pattern
From the inner there is no flow.
Action is all inactivity,
Making return a beginning.
For humans
When firm and inflexible,
the only way of moving is to break.
When so gentle it changes nothing,
the only way of living is to die
into a beginning.
In nature
The wood is too ripe for budding,
too rigid for change
until it returns to earth.
In forms we make
No longer supported, must fall.
Falling, finds support.

Changing Lines

Line 1 goes yang

life force shows less change

The stress in this tao is created by the force of the life energy from the inner acting upon rigid form in our lives (in ourselves). Here the activity is lessened and the stress limited.

The Chinese Image
Spreading white rushes underneath.
No error.

This is protection by the inner being, rushes are put under something to soften the contact, they are white because there is no selection in this action (white light is all-coloured light).

Line 2 goes yin

intuitive feeling more active

Here the rigidity itself is loosening, we are starting to feel the life force again and this is the beginning of new feeling.

The Chinese Image
The wizened willow tree
puts out new shoots.
An old man has a young wife.
All is favourable.

The old finds a way to flow again, and it was the lack of flow that caused the excess of pressure.

Line 3 goes yin

outer world changes more

In this tao identity has excessively structured duality; to act out from this projects the stress into our circumstances.

The Chinese Image
The ridgepole sags to breaking point.
Misfortune.

The ridgepole giving way is like our giving out the stress from within us, we give way to it and the consequences to our environment are unfortunate.

Line 4 goes yin

accepting the outer state more

What we are accepting here in this moving line is the inactivity of our outer world, so there is less stress because we are not struggling with our rigidity. This does not change the rigidity but makes it more manageable and may mask the basic problem.

The Chinese Image
The ridgepole has support.
Good fortune.
Reliance on weak support
is unfortunate.

Reliance on masking the stresses we have would be a weak support.

Line 5 goes yin

more awareness of intuition

Becoming aware of intuitive feeling that is inactive is to be more aware but not to have more feeling.

The Chinese Image
The wizened willow flowers.
The old woman takes a husband.
No praise. No blame.

This is widening awareness, opening up, flowering; then old feeling (from memory) comes to thought, to consciousness. These do not change things, the flowering does not change the tree and the old woman cannot have children, in other words there is no new growth.

Line 6 goes yang

our inner being accepts less

Here we give up the struggle and become unaware of the activity pushing us towards change. When we become unaware of forces they overtake us.

The Chinese Image
Fording a river, the water rises over his head.
Misfortune. No error.

To give way to the flow is no error, only uncomfortable; it overcomes the rigidity and so changes us.