{"id":1014,"date":"2012-03-16T16:34:19","date_gmt":"2012-03-16T15:34:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/?page_id=1014"},"modified":"2025-07-07T17:42:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T15:42:09","slug":"kan-the-water","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.no2do.com\/synopse\/en\/trigrams\/kan-the-water","title":{"rendered":"Kan, the Water"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What does Kan <\/em>represent?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Kan,
Kan, the Water<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Kan<\/em> represents our primal trust and unconscious resources. It signifies the very foundation from which we, as beings who act and shape our world, derive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The challenging aspect of this situation is that this, our own primal foundation, contains elements that are beyond our conscious grasp. As the name suggests, unconscious contents lie beyond our everyday awareness. These unconscious aspects of our being can encompass our own experiences and knowledge, but sometimes they may also knowledge external or even transgenerational contents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, impulses and inspirations arise from Kan<\/em> and guide us towards decisions and actions without our complete understanding or conscious recognition of their origin and purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Impulses and Inspirations from the Unconscious<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Possibly, this is why many interpretations of the I Ching<\/a> perceive Kan<\/em> as negative and dangerous: Kan possesses a self-dynamic that our intellect cannot fully control, if at all. The negative judgment of Kan<\/em> might stem from the desire<\/a> to control the unconscious, which is ultimately impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if we let go of the attempt to control unconscious contents through our conscious awareness and accept the unconscious for what it is – something beyond our conscious knowing – Kan<\/em> can become a valuable resource. When we simply follow our intuition and inspiration, our actions often acquire a unique quality that feels right and harmonious in a special way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our Unconscious Shapes Our Perception of the World<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In fact, Kan<\/em> harbors a further intriguing aspect: the realization of how profoundly our own primal foundation, our unconscious, influences our perception of the world. It is true that externally, I encounter my environment – a world seemingly separate from myself. However, what I see, what presents itself to me, is heavily influenced by my own inner disposition. I perceive the world that I encounter through the lens of my own unconscious, as if wearing glasses on my nose. My glasses, on my nose.
What happens when I become aware of these glasses?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the sequence of King Wen’s Later Heaven<\/a><\/em>, Kan<\/em> is associated with the functional circuit<\/a> of the Kidney (possibly also the Bladder). The Kidney (KI)<\/a> functional circuit in Traditional Chinese Medicine also refers to our ancestors. This could explain why certain contents of our unconscious can trace back through multiple generations. Relevant quotes to deepen the points discussed here can be found on the page Phase Element Water: Kidney<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the Path of the Dao: What is Really Happening?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the model<\/a> of Follow the Path of the Dao<\/a>, Kan<\/em> represents one of the two test point<\/a>s. A test point is a pivotal moment where a movement abruptly changes direction, and its dynamics may be challenging to control. In the context of the model, Kan<\/em> shifts the focus from the relationship with oneself to the relationship with the world, revealing the extent to which internal integration has already developed and matured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Questions for self-exploration could include, for example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n