Scope of Questions
A number of inquies reached me regarding hexagram 03 – Difficulty at the Beginning. Here are some of them: Continue reading “03 – difficulty at the beginning”
Tag: Zhen → Kun
04 – youthful folly
Hexagram 04 – youthful folly is auspicious, the judgement states: “Youthful folly has success…” But that only is true as long as we follow the path of the DAO, the way of the world – rather than to forcing our way onto the world. Or, as most usual, hand control over to our autopilot: unconscious control mechanisms and automated action patterns that may have had validity long time ago but that may be meaningless here and now. Continue reading “04 – youthful folly”
07 – the army
These days – and just as this last question on the list below reached me – I have been thinking about the process of selfactualization. Our self, what-we-are, is a dynamic process that constantly evolves, progresses, “actualizes”, bringing our goals, our desires and intentions into harmony with the realities of life.
But let us first make it concrete. Here are various questions that reached me regarding 07 – The Army. Continue reading “07 – the army”
11 – peace
“I, I, all I!” – did I get the message? Did I hear this fine, clear, subtle voice… and the message it speaks to me, deep from within my heart? Let us listen again carefully: what does it tell me?
If I am honest, I have long understood the message. Maybe I did not want it to be true, hoping I misunderstood. But I did not misunderstand. The voice is there, and I have understood its message. Continue reading “11 – peace”
15 – modesty
Scope of Questions
- A user is very exhausted by the situation he is in at the moment: a lot of (creative) chaos, construction sites, everything is very demanding. He knows that he should let go of all kinds of things, but he doesn’t know where to start. He asks the I Ching for advice and receives hexagram 15 – Modesty as an answer.
- After a phone call with her husband a user got stomach cramps and vomiting. And suddenly she had the answer in her head: “You have to get a divorce.” Since then she feels deep inner peace, contentment – and no resentment at all. When she later consults the I Ching, the answer is hexagram 15 – Modesty.
- “Where does the poison in my life come from?” asks a user. “Does it come from the outside or the inside? What is the source of my blockages – and what is it that always gets me tripped up in the end?”
- One user describes his situation as follows: “We don’t feel very comfortable here in the village and in our house and wonder whether we should change. However, our daughter enjoys the location here very much.”
Some Reflections
Hexagram 15 – Modesty shows a person who rests in himself, is self-referential and concentrated. His environment meets him with openness, with an observing attitude. Out of this calm and meditative attitude the person acts, full of inner peace, and simultaneously clear and determined. This triggers a change in the environment, which may take on a surprising dynamic.
What exactly is the basic meditative attitude and the resulting action? In any case, it is not an action that is the result of cleverness of the mind. Rather, it has to do with presence, with being present in the here and now. The action itself can be small and unimpressive. But it is precisely the drop that will make the barrel overflow and thus trigger change.
The pivotal point is therefore one’s own (mental) presence, which fades out all distracting thoughts or feelings (anger, fear, grief), concentrates solely on this moment and acts according to spontaneous inspiration.
The current interpretation can be found here: https://www.no2do.com/hexagramme_en/887888.htm
19 – approach
We open ourselves to our environment – and become inspired… Not an easy task, if our head and mind are full. Ok, once again: we open ourselves, make ourselves empty and perceptive, curious, without prejudiced, without any prior knowledge. We listen carefully: What does the external world want to tell us? And all off a sudden: we perceive it – and are inspired! Nourished, fertilized, refreshed… connected with what previously was alien, non-familiar. From this contact with the external world a decision arises, followed by a long period of growth and materialization. Maybe it will take some time before we see results. But we need not do anything. Only trust: in our inspiration, in our decision. Continue reading “19 – approach”
24 – return
In earth’s dark womb something is happening: a decision (Zhen) has been taken and is now followed by a long phase of growth and materialization (Kun). I do not know which is harder: the decision, or the patience.
27 – providing nourishment
Scope of Questions
So far I received the following inquiries regarding hexagram 27 – Providing Nourishment:
- A user asks: “What I should do regarding a man, who I would like to know better?”
- For more than a year now a user is dealing with all kinds of challenges: selling her home, finding an apartment, a new job, a new partnership. She asks: “What else should and/or must I do?” She suffers from the situation’s uncertainty and constantly encounters blockades. And: slowly she feels very exhausted.
- Cooperating with a smug and manipulative colleague is putting a strain on a user. So far, she could protect herself and concentrate on her job’s core tasks. But her colleague regularly disturbs her. She refuses to engage in games or fall into her old patterns as a victim. How can she be true to herself and gain respect in her professional environment?
The current interpretation can be found here: http://www.no2do.com/hexagramme_en/788887.htm
36 – darkening of the light
Scope of Questions
- A user describes her situation as follows: “I feel lots of love for the children, the love for my partner, however, is gone. I wish it was different, but this is as things are now. I feel a great sense of duty towards my family.” Regarding this situation the user asks the following question: “How to proceed?” The I Ching responds with hexagram 36 – darkening of the light.
- A user asks the I Ging: “What does she want me to do?” Continue reading “36 – darkening of the light”
41 – decrease
Scope of Questions
So far I received various questions regarding hexagram 41 – decrease:
- A user asks: “Was it just my own thought … or did I really hear his voice?”*
- Another user would like to buy a nice condominium, but is not yet sure if he should do so. His question to the I Ching: “What happens if I buy the condo?”
- One user describes himself as a person full of mental blockades. However, these began to loosen up recently. His question now to the I Ching is: “How do I get closer to a new professional vision?”
- A user asks: “How can I fulfill my life path/soul path?”
42 – increase
Scope of Questions
In the context of hexagram 42 – Increase users share the following concerns with me:
- A user analyzes his current situation as follows: “Nothing is at stake and it was not an ego-driven decision of my will that made me come here.” This results in his question: “If nothing is at stake: How can I live here and now in the most pleasant way?”
- Another user asks: “Shall I build my consulting activities on the I Ching and use the hexagrams?”
- A user asks: “After a long search, a friend told me that a room will become available at her place. I accepted. But then she offered that we could also look for something new together. My question to the I Ching is: ‘Should I move in with my friend?'”
The current interpretation can be found here: http://www.no2do.com/hexagramme_en/788877.htm
46 – pushing upward
Scope of Questions
Several users describe situations and questions regarding Hexagram 46 – Pushing Upward:
- One user describes his situation as follows: “In my family, it is all about success and competition. And I always was the loser, the problem. On the occasion of his new beginning and moving into his own, new apartment, he asks the following question: “Under what star will I be living in this apartment?”
- A user writes: “About a year ago I met a man, who, like me, lives in a relationship. We understood each other extremely well and decided to be Platonic friends. But we both fell in love with each other. We were so naive..
My mind tells me: give him up! But it is hard to let somebody go you like so much. It all starts to hurt me.” - One user feels almost like pregnant with lots of different information which want to be put together into a meaningful whole. Her question to the I Ching: “How can this happen?”
- Another user asks: “There is a lot of bullying at my place of work, even nice colleagues are affected. What should I do?”
- A user asks the following question: “How can I act towards and with my art, get into a relationship with it?“ Again and again he found himself in conflict with his self and his art. How should he present himself and his art to the outside world without being identified exclusively through it or identifying himself with it too much? During the past years this dichotomy became so bad that he literally suffered from fear and panic attacks: of the expectations of others – and of his own expectations. He could make art only under immense inner pressure and in the meantime gained the insight that right at the very center of his creativity lies his worst (old) injury. All this stands in his way and hinders practicing his art freely and easily.
- One user asks, “Is my boyfriend cheating on me?”
The current interpretation can be found here: http://www.no2do.com/hexagramme_en/877888.htm
