Having business sense
One asks one's friends not to make any more concessions. taoscopy.com
Peace11
Harmony and prosperity arise when opposites attract and balance is maintained. Positive energies are in alignment, and collaborative efforts lead to growth and advancement. Embrace peace and cooperation for continued success.
↓ Line 4
Humility and sincerity in relationships bring harmony and trust.
↓ Line 6
Overextending or forcing issues leads to setbacks. Focus on internal matters and avoid aggressive actions.
↓ Wealth14
Abundance is present. Use your resources wisely and share generously. Celebrate success with humility and grace, knowing that true wealth comes from balance and integrity.
11 Peace
Other titles: Peace, The Symbol of Successfulness, Prospering, Pervading, Greatness, Tranquility, Prosperity, Conjunction, Major Synthesis, Hieros Gamos, Holy Marriage, "Yang supporting yin and going to meet each other. Good prospects for a marriage or partnership." -- D.F. Hook
Judgment
Legge: Harmony shows the inferior departed and the great arrived. There will be good fortune with progress and success.
Wilhelm/Baynes:Peace. The small departs, the great approaches. Good fortune. Success.
Blofeld: Peace. The mean decline; the great and good approach -- good fortune and success! [In the following hexagram (Divorcement), where the trigrams symbolize heaven and earth in what would appear to be their normal positions, that arrangement is held to be disastrous; whereas here, where they seem to be upside down, everything is propitious. This may be because heaven above earth is held to imply that the two are existing separately without the intercourse which is the root of all growth; whereas here their intercourse is so absolute that heaven is actually supporting earth.]
Liu: Peace. The small is departing, the great is arriving. Good fortune. Success.
Ritsema/Karcher: Pervading . The small going, the great coming. significance Growing. [This hexagram describes your situation in terms of prospering and expanding. It emphasizes that continually spreading this prosperity through communicating is the adequate way to handle it...]
Shaughnessy: Greatness: the little go and the great come; auspicious; receipt.
Cleary (1): The small goes, the great comes. This is auspicious and developmental.
Cleary (2):Tranquility … Getting through auspiciously.
Wu:Prosperity shows that the small stays outside and the great stays inside. It will be auspicious and pervasive.
The Image
Legge: The intercourse of heaven and earth -- the image of Harmony.The wise ruler models his laws upon the principles of heaven and earth, and enforces them for the people's benefit.
Wilhelm/Baynes: Heaven and earth unite: the image of Peace. Thus the ruler divides and completes the course of heaven and earth; he furthers and regulates the gifts of heaven and earth, and so aids the people.
Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes heaven and earth in communion. [The component trigrams illustrate the kind of close intercourse just alluded to. This is surely the only way of depicting it under the circumstances, for any mingling of their component lines would produce quite different trigrams having no reference to heaven and earth.] It is as though a mighty ruler, by careful regulation of affairs, has brought to fruition the way of heaven and earth. In harmony with the sequence of their motions, he gives help to people on every hand.
Liu: Heaven and earth are unified, symbolizing Peace. The ruler reforms and completes the way of heaven and earth; He observes the appropriate methods of heaven and earth to direct the people.
Ritsema/Karcher: Heaven and Earth mingling. Pervading. The crown-prince uses property to accomplish Heaven and Earth's tao. The crown-prince uses bracing to mutualize Heaven and Earth's propriety. The crown-prince uses the left to right the commoners.
Cleary (1): When heaven and earth commune, there is tranquility. Thus does the ruler administer the way of heaven and earth and assist the proper balance of heaven and earth, thereby helping the people.
Cleary (2): … So as to influence the people.
Wu:Prosperity results from the interaction of heaven and earth. The king uses the wealth of the nation to achieve the ways of heaven and earth and to support their designs, so as to bring the sentiments of the people to the center.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: Harmony shows the union of heaven and earth, and all things consequently united -- high and low, superior and inferior are all in accord. The lower trigram is made up of dynamic lines, and the upper of magnetic lines: strength is within, devotion is without; the superior man is inside and increasing, the inferior man is outside and decreasing.
Legge: The Judgment refers to the structure of the hexagram, with the three dynamic lines below, and the three magnetic lines above. The former are "the great," active and vigorous; the latter are "the inferior," passive and yielding. In many editions of theI Chingbeneath the hexagram of Harmonythere appears hexagram number fifty-four,Propriety, which becomes Harmonyif the third and fourth lines exchange places. A situation in which the motive forces are represented by three dynamic, and the opposing by three magnetic lines, must be progressive and successful.Harmonyis called the hexagram of the first month of the natural spring, when for six months the forces of growth are in ascendance.
Canon McClatchie translates: "The Image means that heaven and earth have now conjugal intercourse with each other, and the upper and lower classes unite together."
Ch'eng-tzu says on the Image that a ruler should frame his laws to operate like the seasons, so that the people exist within the structure of a natural rather than an arbitrary order.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Judgment: Harmony depicts the waning of egotistical illusions and the waxing of true potential.
The Superior Man allows his inner virtue to rule the psyche.
Without changing lines, Harmony suggests a fruitful union of opposites and consequent state of balance in the matter at hand.
Wilhelm translates the opening phrase of the Confucian commentary as: "Heaven and earth unite." Blofeld renders it: "The celestial and terrestrial forces have intercourse and all things are in communion with one another." Legge has already called attention to McClatchie's version of: "Heaven and earth have now conjugal intercourse with each other."
This image is one of the most universal symbols produced by the human psyche: the sexual union of Spirit and Matter (heaven and earth). This is the hieros gamos or holy marriage of alchemy, the union of Shiva and Shakti in Hinduism, the conjoined male and female deities in tantric Buddhism, the syzygies of Gnosticism and the union of heaven and earth in the Kabbalah.
The notions of the couple and the sacred marriage held a very important place in ancient Chinese religious thinking. Every sacred power was twofold, male and female; but since only one half of the sacred couple was generally enclosed in any one sanctuary, the ritual was directed at reconstituting the whole... The complete being is male and female; since most men neglect or repress their feminine nature, they are out of balance; their male aggressiveness comes to the fore, and their whole vitality suffers. There can be no true Holiness without a prior revitalization of femininity. M. Kaltenmark --Lao Tzu and Taoism
Psychologically, the condition pictured by this hexagram is a metaphor for a high state of integration within the psyche. Here it is described in alchemical and Jungian terminology:
The hermetic vessel is oneself. In it the many pieces of psychic stuff scattered throughout one's world must be collected and fused into one, so making a new creation. In it must occur the union of the opposites called by the alchemists the coniunctio or marriage... (This union), in psychological terms corresponds to man with his feminine soul, the anima, or to a woman with her masculine counterpart, the animus -- the union in each case constituting the inner marriage, the hieros gamos by which the individual must become whole. M.E. Harding --Psychic Energy
To receive this hexagram does not necessarily mean that one has attained such a high integration, but it might indicate a step in that direction. The ultimate hieros gamos only occurs after all of the scattered and mismatched forces within the psyche have been brought together in correct alignment -- in I Ching terms, when all of the lines are in their proper places with proper correlates as imaged in hexagram number 63, Completion. Until this final union there are innumerable "lesser" conjunctions which must first take place -- a fact recognized in tantric yoga:
The final goal of the tantricist is to reunite the two contrary principles -- Shiva and Shakti -- in his own body. When Shakti, who sleeps, in the shape of a serpent, at the base of his body, is awoken by certain yogic techniques, she moves through a medial channel by way of the chakras up to the top of the skull, where Shiva dwells, and unites with him. The union of the divine pair within his own body transforms the yogin into a kind of "androgyne." But it must be stressed that "androgynization" is only one aspect of a total process, that of the reunion of the opposites. Actually, Tantric literature speaks of a great number of "opposing pairs" that have to be reunited. Mircea Eliade -- Myths, Rites, Symbols
The establishment of the " Kingdom of Heaven on Earth" is yet another metaphor for this process of psychic unification. Here is the Kabbalistic version:
It is by the establishment of the celestial on the terrestrial, or of heaven upon earth, that the house of the King (humanity) will become united and the King will rejoice thereat, for then the two kingdoms will become one and then the new and living way will become opened to those who make themselves susceptible and receptive of the Higher and Diviner life... When these two worlds become united and blended together they are symbolized by the union of the male and female, the one being the complement of the other. The Zohar
SUGGESTIONS FOR MEDITATION
Legge points out that many editions of the I Chingassociate hexagram number fifty-four,Propriety, with this figure. What do the changing third and fourth lines ofPropriety imply about the role of the ego in the Work? The traditional name forPropriety is "The Marrying Maiden" -- how does that relate to the concept of the holy marriage in Harmony? Compare the Judgments and Images of the two hexagrams and the role of the superior man in each. Note also the lesson implied when lines two and five in Harmony unite to make hexagram number sixty-three, Completion.
Line 4
Legge: The fourth line, magnetic, shows its subject fluttering down -- not relying on her own rich resources, but calling in her neighbors. They all come not as having received warning, but in the sincerity of their hearts.
Wilhelm/Baynes: He flutters down, not boasting of his wealth, together with his neighbor, guileless and sincere.
Blofeld: Running to and fro, kept from riches by those around him, he does not cease to put his trust in them. [He runs to and fro in his anxiety to be of service, whether people reward his kindness or not.]
Liu: One strives with a cheerful manner, not boasting of riches to a neighbor. One has full confidence without fear.
Ritsema/Karcher: Fluttering, fluttering. Not affluence: using one's neighbor. Not warning: using conforming.
Shaughnessy: So fluttering, not wealthy together with his neighbors; not warned about his return.
Cleary (1): Unsettled, one is not rich, along with the neighbors, being loyal without admonition.
Cleary (2): Unsettled, not prosperous, one works with the neighbor. Sincerity is exercised, without caution.
Wu: Carefree like a flying bird, he is not in a position to accumulate wealth, but rather to share his affection with his neighbors. He is free from anxiety, for he has the confidence of others.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: Both she and her neighbors are out of their real place where they are. This is what they have desired in the core of their hearts. Wilhelm/ Baynes: All of them have lost what is real. He desires it in the depths of his heart. Blofeld: His running to and fro and his lack of riches are due to his idealism. He preserves his faith in others because in his heart of hearts he WANTS to trust them. Ritsema/Karcher: Altogether letting-go substance indeed. Centering the heart desiring indeed. Cleary (2): Being unsettled and not prospering are both due to loss of the real. Exercise of sincerity without caution is the heart’s true desire. Wu: He is destined to remain empty … Because his willingness to share comes from his heart.
Legge: The subjects of the fourth and other yin lines of the upper trigram are not to be seen as opponents of the yang lines in the lower trigram, but as their correlates. They are of one heart and mind to maintain the state of Harmony, and humbly and readily yield their power to the yang lines below. Chu Hsi says that the upper lines "have lost their substantiality." As magnetic lines, their proper place is below.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Siu: The man of high rank joins with the lowly in an atmosphere of spontaneity and mutual confidence.
Wing: The important thing now is that you are sincerely united and communicating with people who are your superiors. Pay no thought to ultimate rewards but maintain a steady course toward your aim. Use the help of others, if offered.
Editor: None of the translations of this line say quite the same thing, yet the meaning is clear enough when interpreted in relation to the symbolism of the figure as a whole. This is the first magnetic line of the hexagram, and the message is stated in terms of a female sexual response. She doesn't rely upon her "rich resources" -- she doesn't use her magnetic power aggressively, but willingly surrenders to dynamic initiative. Psychologically this means that Eros defers to Logos, emotion to reason, ego to Self, or whatever the situation at hand suggests is a proper subordination of one principle to another.
In every exposition of the Perennial Philosophy the human soul is regarded as feminine in relation to the Godhead, the personal God and even the Order of Nature. Hubris, which is the original sin, consists in regarding the personal ego as self-sufficiently masculine in relation to the Spirit within and to Nature without, and in behaving accordingly. Aldous Huxley
A. The image suggests the voluntary surrender of power and position to create a higher alliance of forces.
Line 6
Legge: The sixth line, magnetic, shows us the city wall returned to the moat. It is not the time to use the army. The subject of the line may announce her orders to the people of her own city; but however firm and correct she may be, she will have cause for regret.
Wilhelm/Baynes: The wall falls back into the moat. Use no army now. Make your commands known within your own town. Perseverance brings humiliation.
Blofeld: The wall has tumbled into the moat; do not put up a fight, but just maintain order in the village. Although this is the right course blame cannot be avoided. [We shall be blamed for not being more aggressive even though circumstances more than warrant our failure to be so.]
Liu: The wall collapses into the moat. Do not use force. Make announcements to the people in your own town. Continuing brings humiliation.
Ritsema/Karcher: The bulwark returned tending-towards the moat. No availing of legions. Originating-from the capital, notifying fate. Trial: abashment.
Shaughnessy: The city wall falls into the moat; do not use troops; from the city announce the mandate; determination is stressful.
Cleary (1): The castle walls crumble back into dry moats. Don’t use the army. Giving orders in one’s own domain, even if right, there will be regret.
Cleary (2): … Announcing order in one’s own locality is shameful, in spite of correctness.
Wu: The moat around the city wall has dried. No military action is advisable. The local authority has given conflicting orders to the townspeople. The people should be persevering, but even so they may still feel humiliated.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: The governmental orders have long been in disorder. Wilhelm/Baynes: His plans fall into confusion. Blofeld: This signifies a troubled destiny. Ritsema/Karcher: One's fate disarrayed indeed. Cleary (2): Order is in disarray. Wu: The orders have been contradictory.
Legge: The course denoted by Harmony has been run, and will be followed by one of a different and unhappy character. The earth dug from the moat had been built up to form a projecting wall, but it is now again fallen into the ditch. War will only aggravate the evil, and however the ruler may address good proclamations to the people of the capital, the coming evil cannot be altogether averted.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Siu: The government has long been in disarray. Despite all proclamations to the contrary, ill fortune is at hand. War will only aggravate the situation. The subject should submit to fate, keep inwardly free, and ameliorate the harm done to those nearest him. The bad time will pass.
Wing: A decline has begun. It is of the external world, and nothing can be done to hold it back. Such attempts will bring you humiliation. Instead, devote your time to strengthening your ties with those close to you.
Editor: A walled city is a concentration of similar elements in one place. Within its walls dwell all of the factors which go to make up whatever it is that the city represents-- perhaps an attitude or belief. For example: suppose I believe that the world is flat. All of the thoughts, feelings, attitudes and emotions which contribute to this belief live in "the city." If I have an experience which strongly challenges my belief--say, a photograph taken of the earth from outer space which definitely proves that my belief in a flat earth is incorrect--then one could say that the "walls of my city have collapsed." Now I could fight this and say that obviously the outer space photograph is a fake--I could try to maintain my belief regardless of all the evidence to the contrary. However, the realistic response to the situation would not be to "use the army" (defend the indefensible), but to just let the dust settle--inform the people in the city (the now outmoded thoughts and feelings) that the situation has changed and that the best response is to sit tight and see what emerges from the rubble.
A community's conviction system is its castle, a walled city to protect it against alternative interpretations of the great and unknown reality in the midst of which it must somehow live. B. Bruteau --The Psychic Grid
A. A distinction is dissolved, a belief is shattered. Don't fight it -- let it be. Change is in process and confusion prevails -- control your emotions and maintain order within the psyche. Despite turmoil, take no action -- allow the transformation to complete itself.
14 Wealth
Other titles: Possession in Great Measure, The Symbol of Great Possession, Sovereignty, Great Having, Great Possessing, The Great Possessor, Great Wealth, Abundance, Having What is Great, "Often means things other than material possessions or achievement. Count your blessings for they are many." -- D.F. Hook
Judgment
Legge:Wealth means great progress and success.
Wilhelm/Baynes:Possession in Great Measure. Supreme success.
Blofeld: He who possesses much -- supreme success!
Liu: Great Possessions. Great Success.
Ritsema/Karcher: Great Possessing, Spring Growing. [This hexagram describes your situation in terms of your relation to an overriding concern or central idea. It emphasizes that organizing all your efforts around this idea is the adequate way to handle it...]
Shaughnessy: The Great Possession: Prime receipt.
Cleary (1): In great possession are creation and development.
Cleary (2): Great possession is great success.
Wu: Great Wealth is primordial and pervasive.
The Image
Legge: Fire over Heaven -- the image of Wealth. The superior man represses evil and nurtures virtue in accordance with the benevolent will of heaven.
Wilhelm/Baynes: Fire in heaven above: the image of Possession in Great Measure. Thus the superior man curbs evil and furthers good, and thereby obeys the benevolent will of heaven.
Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes fire in the heavens. [When the trigram for heaven is above, whatever is below may be separated from it; when it is below, it indicates fusion or intermixture with what is above. The significance here is that the splendor of a very great man lights up the heavens.] The Superior Man suppresses those who are evil and upholds the virtuous. Most gladly he accords with heaven and carries out its commands.
Liu: Fire over heaven symbolizes Great Possessions. The superior man suppresses evil and honors virtue, and thus follows the will of heaven and waits upon destiny.
Ritsema/Karcher: Fire located above heaven. Great Possessing. A chun tzu uses terminating hate to display improvement. A chun tzu uses yielding-to heaven to relinquish fate.
Cleary (1): Fire is in the sky;great possession.Thus does the superior person stop evil and promote good, obeying heaven and accepting its order.
Cleary (2): … Leaders obey nature and accept its order by stopping the bad and promoting the good.
Wu: Fire above and heaven below form Great Wealth.Thus the jun zi suppresses the evil and promotes the good; he abides by the will of heaven to enrich his life.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge:Wealth shows the magnetic line in the central ruler's place, and honored by the dynamic lines above and below. The figure is composed of the trigrams of Strength and Clarity. The central line of Clarity responds to the central line of Strength, eventuating in timely action. This indicates great progress and success.
Legge: Wealth means "great havings," and symbolizes a kingdom, family or individual in a state of prosperity. The danger in such a position arises from the pride it is likely to engender. Here however, everything is against that: the place of honor is occupied by a magnetic line, so that the ruler will be humble, and all the dynamic lines will respond to her with sympathetic allegiance. The ruler's seat is in the central position of the trigram of Clarity, and hence her strength is directed by intelligence, and all her actions are timely, like the seasons of heaven.
Fire above the sky shines far -- symbolizing the vastness of the territory of wealth. To develop virtue and repress evil is in accordance with the will of heaven, which has given to all men a nature fitted for goodness.
Cleary (2): All states of being have this essence inherent in them and are indeed made of this essence, but all states other than that of complete enlightenment are out of harmony with this essence in some way. Buddhahood is when you accord with this essence.
Wu: As the sun shines brightly high in the sky, both the good and the bad will be exposed. The responsibility of the jun zi is to discriminate between them. He acts in accordance with the nature of goodness (the will of heaven) to enrich his life.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Judgment: The greatest kind of Wealth accrues from furthering the Work.
The Superior Man manages his forces in accordance with the goals of the Work.
Wealthis the inverse of the preceding figure, Union of Forces. If the thirteenth hexagram depicts a process of uniting, the fourteenth might be seen as the completion of that process. To have one's inner forces correctly united is indeed Possession in Great Measure, which is the title that Wilhelm gives to this figure.
It is emphasized in the Image that this Wealth must be administered in accordance with the "benevolent will of heaven,” which is to say: the principles of the Work must always guide one's choices if one is not to lose equilibrium and become pauperized by illusion.
The superior man considers a rich possession of moral principles to be honor, and peace in his person to be wealth. Chou Tun-I