35 - Progress

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Contemporary Interpretation

35 - Progress

Intuition separates the clear from the unclear.

Intuition separates
The clear
[integrate
what nourishes]
From the Unclear
[disengage
from what does not].

The Changes

yang yin yang yin yin yin

Upper Trigram: Li, Fire

2nd Core Character: Umgstalten

1st Core Character: Gen, Mountain

Lower Trigram: Kun, Earth

Information regarding the interpretation model

Classical Interpretation

Progress (35) signifies day.

The image

The sun rises over the earth: the image of progress. Thus the superior man makes his virtues shine brightly.

The judgement

Progress: The powerful prince is honoured with horses in large quantities. He is invited for audience three times in one day. Full text of Richard Wilhelm's 1924 translation by Cary F. Baynes

Dynamics of the Hexagram

The Changes: 35 - progress

Lower Trigram: Kun, the Earth

The following image is often chosen to describe Kun: soil in which a seedling is growing. Soil is unstructured matter: in soil a ... Read more seedling finds everything it needs to grow; dead plants decay to soil. Kun's meaning, however, goes beyond unstructured matter (such as soil): Kun is unstructured potential, including tangible and non-tangible matter.
When interpreting a hexagram, Kun points at the place which we are at, here and now. Kun invites us to calm down and to use this place / moment as a source of strength. Like a wave rolling back into the sea, its origin, focusing and drawing new energies. Hide

First Change: Kun → Gen, the Mountain

During the phase of growth (Kun), while something concrete emerged from unstructured potential, we may have noticed things that are ... Read more unnecessary ballast and block our energies. When Gen evolves from Kun, we can confidingly let go of ballast and entrust ourselves to earth's gravity. This way we not only release muscles and tendons, but our entire being. Hide

Second Change: Gen → Kan, the Water

Kan develops when a (broken) yin line is added (dark arrow; yin symbolizes receptivity). Gen's disengagement opened a path for ... Read more us to reconnect with our spiritual self: our own inner, intuitive wisdom, collected all along our path to here and now, ready to nurture us. Hide

Third Change: Kan → Li, the Fire

Li develops when a (solid) yang line is added (red arrow; yang symbolizes energy, activity). Head (Li) and gut (Kan) often ... Read more seem to strive into different directions. If we examine the issue carefully we may find the clue to the inner logic of own being: That what seemed to be contradicting unties to personal strength. Hide

Upper Trigram: Li, the Fire

Li (the fire) stands for our ability to differentiate facts, influences, emotions - in short: the world's fullness. Without this ... Read more ability to separate the "clear from the unclear", we would be lost in a chaos of diversities. Only by differentiation, thus distinguishing what is important and what is not, we can concentrate on the essentials and are able to act. Hide

The Path: Following the Changes

Did you find the I Ching's reply inspiring and want to penetrate it more deeply? Then download the worksheet and work with it! Below you find again the schematic representation of the hexagram as well as keywords and impulses regarding individual trigrams and core characters – all for you to use with the worksheet.

yang yin yang yin yin yin

Upper Trigram: Li, Fire

2nd Core Character: Kan, Water

1st Core Character: Gen, Mountain

Lower Trigram: Kun, Earth

Lower Trigram: my Starting Point

Upper Trigram: my Objective

My First Step: 1st Core Character

My Second Step: 2nd Core Character

Exemplary Experiences

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You can help the further development of no2DO by sending me the question you asked the I Ching and its response (the hexagram's name and number). Each hexagram's tendencies open up most clearly when examined in the context of a personal situation.

References and Connotations

This is a shortened version of the inter­pretation page. The full version is available on your desktop computer.