Denying the evidence
One claims good faith despite overwhelming proofs. taoscopy.com
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.
↓ Line 1
Avoiding harmful influences leads to a blameless path.
↓ Line 3
Generosity and nobility of spirit are rewarded, beyond the reach of the small-minded.
↓ Line 5
Being open and honest while maintaining dignity brings good fortune.
↓ Line 6
Divine favor and alignment with higher principles ensure success in all endeavors.
↓ Oppression 47
Feeling trapped or constrained, yet resilience leads to inner growth. Embrace challenges to discover inner strength.
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
Line 1
Legge: The first line, dynamic, shows that there is no approach to what is injurious, and there is no error. Let there be a realization of the difficulty and danger of the position, and there will be no error to the end.
Wilhelm/Baynes: No relationship with what is harmful. There is no blame in this. If one remains conscious of difficulty, one remains without blame.
Blofeld: Having no contact with evil, he is blameless; therefore, even if he is involved in trouble, he remains without fault.
Liu: Avoidance of the harmful brings no blame. Awareness of difficulty -- also no blame. [This line indicates sadness and confusion but also that one can avoid them by being cautious.]
Ritsema/Karcher: Without mingling harm. In-no-way faulty. Drudgery by-consequence without fault.
Shaughnessy: There is no exchanging of harm that is not trouble; if in difficulty then there will be no trouble.
Cleary (1): If there is no association with what is harmful, one is not blameworthy. If you struggle, there will be no fault.
Cleary (2): As long as there is none of the harm that comes from association, this is not blameworthy. If one struggles, there will be no blame.
Wu: His disadvantage is having no association, but it is not an error of his doing. If he is aware of his difficult position, he will be blameless.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: Shows no approach to what is injurious. Wilhelm/ Baynes: If the first line of Possession in Great Measure has no relationships, this is harmful. Blofeld: This line means that we shall avoid any intercourse with evil. Ritsema/Karcher: Without mingling harm indeed. Cleary (2): The absence of harm that comes from association. Wu: His disadvantage is having no association.
Legge: Line one, though dynamic, is at the lowest part of the figure, and has no correlate above. No external influences have as yet acted injuriously on him. Let him do as directed, and no hurtful influence will ever affect him.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Siu: At the outset, no threats have been received and no challenges met. The man avoids harm by realizing the dangers caused by opulence and exercising appropriate restraint.
Wing: Although you possess a great deal, you have not yet been challenged in your position. Therefore, you have made no mistakes. Keep in mind that the situation is at its beginning and difficulties may lie on the road ahead. With forewarned awareness you can remain blameless.
Editor: The image suggests a situation of great potential which could be ruined through bad choices of action. Recognize the difficulty of maintaining your will under such circumstances. Wilhelm’s version of the Confucian commentary and Wu’s translations of both line and commentary don’t follow the other translators. Their interpretations seem anomalous unless the specific situation concurs.
There is merely a thin borderline between individuation as a conscious process and the disruption and dissolution of the personality -- breakdown or even psychosis -- which takes place when the unconscious gains the upper hand. (Hence also the closeness of genius and insanity and the danger of "short cut” methods of entering the unconscious, such as drugs.) The outcome of the confrontation with the numinous powers depends upon the attitude of the ego. E.C. Whitmont -- The Symbolic Quest
A. Despite difficulty, stay clear of anything which might threaten the Work.
B. Be very careful in your choices now.
Line 3
Legge: The third line, dynamic, shows us a feudal prince presenting his offerings to the Son of Heaven. An inferior man would be unequal to such a duty.
Wilhelm/Baynes: A prince offers it to the Son of Heaven. A petty man cannot do this.
Blofeld: A prince may win rewards from his emperor, but this is beyond an ordinary man's power.
Liu: A duke makes an offering to the emperor. The inferior man is unable to do this.
Ritsema/Karcher: A prince availing-of Growing, tending- towards heavenly sonhood. Small People nowhere controlling.
Shaughnessy: The duke uses aromatic grass to the Son of Heaven; the little man is not capable of it.
Cleary (1): The work of barons serves the son of heaven. Petty people are incapable of this.
Cleary (2): Impartial action gets through to the ruler. Small people, etc.
Wu: A duke has the honor of dining with the king. The little man is unworthy of the honor.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: An inferior man in such a position does himself harm. Wilhelm/Baynes: A petty man harms himself. Blofeld: The little man would only harm himself in the attempt. [This omen suggests that a great goal can be won only by someone very powerful or distinguished; others would be well advised not to attempt it.]Ritsema/Karcher: Small People harmful indeed. Cleary (2): Small people would be harmed. Wu: This will be unfitting to the little man.
Legge: Line three is dynamic in a correctly dynamic place. The top line of the lower trigram is the proper place for a feudal lord. He will humbly serve the condescending ruler in the fifth place. An inferior man in the same position, but without the virtue, would give himself airs.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Siu: The superior man places his property and talents at the service of the ruler and the public. The inferior man employs them for his own gain.
Wing: A superior-minded person will place his talents or resources at the disposal of his leader or his community. Through this type of open generosity he is benefited, for he is loyally supported in turn. A lesser man cannot do this.
Editor: This line is often received under painful conditions in which a sacrifice of some kind is demanded. Blofeld and Wu’s versions differ conceptually from the other translators, and may be considered eccentric unless the matter under question supports their interpretations.
Whether your task demands abject poverty of you or gives you the greatest wealth, you must always remember that nothing, absolutely nothing, ever or anywhere really belongs to you. On the contrary, everything is God’s property, and from his property you receive something only for your actual needs, corresponding to your task. Just as it's a matter of indifference to a canal whether more or less water flows through it, because the water doesn't belong to it, you too must regard everything fate gives you as something that comes to you from God, and something you must pass on. Elisabeth Haich --Initiation
A. Sacrifice your ego-autonomy for the good of the Work. This is impossible for one who has not advanced beyond his own narrow self-interest.
B. A superior man's meat is an inferior man's poison.
C. A difficult sacrifice is called for.
Line 5
Legge: The fifth line, magnetic, shows the sincerity of its subject reciprocated by that of all the others represented in the hexagram. Let her display a proper majesty, and there will be good fortune.
Wilhelm/Baynes: He whose truth is accessible, yet dignified, has good fortune.
Blofeld: His sense of confidence enables him to be sociable and well respected. A dignified bearing is an asset (literally, good fortune).
Liu: One is confident, sociable, and dignified. Good fortune. [Proud or aggressive actions will cause trouble. One should not be hasty but wait for the proper opportunity to act.]
Ritsema/Karcher: Your conforming: mingling thus, impressing thus. Significant.
Shaughnessy: His return is crossed-like, stooped-like; in the end it is auspicious.
Cleary (1): The trust is mutual. Power is auspicious.
Cleary (2): … It is fortunate to be awesome.
Wu: His sincerity matches the confidence the people place in him. His majesty matches the authority the people accord him. This will be auspicious.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: Her sincerity is reciprocated by all the others because it serves to stir and call out what is in their minds. Without a display of proper majesty they might otherwise feel too easy, and make no preparation to serve her. Wilhelm/Baynes: By his trustworthiness he kindles the will of others. The good fortune of his dignity comes from the fact that he acts easily, without prearrangements. Blofeld: His good fortune in winning the respect of others enables him to make changes without prior preparation. [This means that we shall be trusted even if we act unexpectedly.] Ritsema/Karcher: Trustworthiness uses shooting-forth purpose indeed. Impressing thus, having significance. Versatility and-also without preparing indeed. Cleary (2): Aspirations are aroused through faith ... Ease and freedom from preparation. Wu: His sincerity is to pursue what he sets out to do … Auspiciousness comes from simplicity and unpretentiousness.
Legge: Line five symbolizes the ruler. Mild sincerity is good in her, and influences her ministers and others. But a ruler must not be without an awe-inspiring majesty.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Siu: The man and his people are mutually attracted to each other through unaffected sincerity. Benevolence on his part, however, must be accompanied by the proper display of majesty. Otherwise, the people will become insolent and lose their attitude of service.
Wing: Those whom you may influence are attracted to you through the bond of sincerity. Thus a truthful relationship exists. If you are overly familiar, however, attitudes may become too casual to get things accomplished. A dignified approach brings good fortune.
Editor: Psychologically, this line expresses the idea that the will of the ego to maintain the letter and spirit of the Work creates a climate of compliance among the other complexes within the psyche.
Whatever a great man does, that others follow;
Whatever he sets up as a standard, that the world follows.
Bhagavad-Gita 3: 21
A. A good example evokes virtue.
B. The ego is sincere yet firm with the psychic forces under its influence.
C. The image suggests a reciprocity of forces -- you get as good as you give.
Line 6
Legge: The sixth line, dynamic, shows its subject with help accorded to him from Heaven. There will be good fortune, advantage in every respect.
Wilhelm/Baynes: He is blessed by heaven. Good fortune. Nothing that does not further.
Blofeld: Those under heaven's protection enjoy good fortune and success in everything. [The top line of a very favorable hexagram is sometimes taken to symbolize heaven. Whoever receives (this line) may expect utmost success.]
Liu: One is blessed by heaven. Good fortune. Benefit in everything.
Ritsema/Karcher: Originating-from heaven shielding it. Significant, without not Harvesting.
Shaughnessy: From heaven blessing it; auspicious; there is nothing not beneficial.
Cleary (1): Help from heaven is auspicious, unfailingly beneficial.
Cleary (2): Good fortune that is a blessing from heaven is beneficial to all.
Wu: With blessings from heaven, there will be good fortune and nothing disadvantageous.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: Good fortune arises from the help of heaven. Wilhelm/ Baynes: The place at the top of Possession in Great Measure has good fortune. This is because it is blessed by heaven. Blofeld: The great good fortune presaged by this line is that of being specially protected by heaven. Ritsema/Karcher: Great Possessing the above: significant. Originating-from heaven shielding indeed. Cleary (2): A blessing from heaven. Wu: The blessings come from heaven.
Legge: Even the topmost line takes its character from line five. His strength is still tempered, and heaven gives its approval.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Siu: The man attains the fullness of blessings. He recognizes the bases for the favorable state of affairs, remains devoted in his actions, and honors the sage who exerted the beneficent influence.
Wing: Here lies the potential for great blessings and good fortune. Know how to keep things in balance; be devoted in your endeavors and openly appreciative to those who help you. In this way you might expect supreme success.
Editor: Of all the lines and hexagrams in the I Ching, this is one of the most favorable combinations that one can receive. If it is the only changing line, the hexagram of Wealth is transformed into the thirty-fourth hexagram of Great Power -- a most energetic combination of images.
I cannot define for you what God is. I can only say that my work has proved empirically that the pattern of God exists in every man, and that this pattern has at its disposal the greatest of all his energies for transformation and transfiguration of his natural being. Jung -- Letters
A. "God is on your side."
47 Oppression
Other titles: Exhaustion, The Symbol of Repression and Confinement, Adversity, Weariness, Confining, Entangled, Hardship, Depression, Tiresome Restriction, Dried Up, "Actions speak louder than words." -- D.F. Hook
Judgment
Legge: Oppression means that successful progress is still possible. The perseverance of the truly great man brings good fortune without error; but if he relies on words, no one will believe them.
Wilhelm/Baynes: Oppression . Success. Perseverance. The great man brings about good fortune. No blame. When one has something to say, it is not believed.
Blofeld:Adversity leading to success thanks to persistence in a righteous course; good fortune for the truly great and freedom from error! Though words be spoken, they will not inspire confidence. [`Great' refers to high moral qualities. This hexagram is of evil omen for most people, but success can be won through tremendous persistence in doing what is right.]
Liu: Oppression. Success. Persistence. Good fortune for the great man. No blame. If one indicates with words only, no one will believe.
Ritsema/Karcher:Confining, Growing. Trial: Great People significant. Without fault. Possessing words not trustworthy. [This hexagram describes your situation in terms of restriction and distress. It emphasizes that turning inward through accepting enclosure is the adequate way to handle it...]
Shaughnessy: Entangled: Receipt; determination for the great man is auspicious; there is no trouble. There are words that are not trustworthy.
Cleary (1): Exhaustion develops the righteous. Great people are fortunate and blameless. If one complains, one will not be trusted.
Cleary (2): Exhausted but coming through successfully, upright great people are fortunate and impeccable. Mere words are not believed.
Wu: Hardship indicates pervasion and perseverance. There will be good fortune for the great men. No error. But their words do not make impressions on people.
The Image
Legge: An abyss beneath the marsh that drains its water -- the image ofOppression. Thus the superior man will sacrifice his life to attain his purpose.
Wilhelm/Baynes: There is no water in the lake: the image of Exhaustion. Thus the superior man stakes his life on following his will.
Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes a marsh in which no water (appears). The Superior Man risks his life to carry out his will.
Liu: The lake with no water symbolizesOppression.The superior man would give up his life to achieve his purpose.
Ritsema/Karcher: Marsh without stream. Confining. A chun tzu uses involving fate to release purpose.
Cleary (1): A lake with no water is exhausted. Therefore superior people use life to the full and achieve their aim. [When people lack purpose their path is at an end. Therefore they use life to the full to achieve their aim… Using life to the full means to get to the end of conditioned life; achieving one’s aim means to achieve the primordial life… Using the temporal to restore the primordial, ending false life and establishing real life, producing being in the midst of nothingness, seeking life within death, getting through an exhausting impasse, is like a lake without water again being filled with water.]
Cleary (2): …Developed people accomplish their will by living out their destiny. [Developed people only live out their destiny; they do not willingly try to avoid following and accepting it. Being strong and balanced, they are able to be joyful even in danger; this is the will that is up to oneself. Developed people intend to accomplish their will and do not vacillate just because they run into problems.]
Wu: The marsh has no water; this is Hardship. Thus the jun zi is prepared to dedicate his life to fulfill his commitments. [A marsh devoid of water is like a man deprived of his intellectual pursuits. This is unacceptable to a jun zi. He would rather fight to the end than surrender to idiocy.]
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: In Oppressionwe see the dynamic lines covered and obscured by the magnetic. We see the attribute of Perilousness in the lower trigram going on to Cheerfulness in the upper. Who but the superior man is still able to advance although straitened by circumstances? The central position of the dynamic lines explains the good fortune of the great man who is firm and correct. As regards speech making, to be fond of argument or persuasion is the way to be reduced to extremity.
Legge: The written Chinese character of Oppression presents us with the picture of a tree within an enclosure. "A plant," according to Williams, "fading for want of room." "A tree," according to T'ai Tung, "not allowed to spread its branches." The image conveys the idea of being straitened and distressed, and the hexagram indicates how skilful management may relieve it.
The two central places in the figure are occupied by dynamic lines, but line two is confined between one and three, which are magnetic; and line five (the ruler), as well as four (his minister), are covered by the magnetic sixth line. These conditions indicate the repression of good men by adversity. The K'ang-hsi editors imply that "actions and not words" are what are required in the case.
Perilousness is the attribute of the lower trigram, and Cheerfulness that of the upper. The superior man, no matter how straitened, remains master of himself, and pursues his principled intent. The idea of speech making is found in the upper trigram, one of the attributes of which is the mouth, or speech, as well as Pleased Satisfaction. The pleading of the oppressed party still tries to make others pleased with him.
Literally translated, the first sentence of the Image reads: "A marsh with no water is Oppression." Chu Hsi says: "The water descending and leaking away, the marsh above will become dry."
Anthony: Our belief in the ruling power as beneficial is shaken by doubt. This lack of steadfastness is a problem because it obstructs acceptance and its corrective power. We often receive this hexagram when we feel tired. The oppressiveness of doubt exhausts our inner resources.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Judgment: With enough will, success can be won. "Actions speak louder than words.” (i.e., The answer lies beyond the realm of reason and logic -- intuition furthers.)
The Superior Man stakes everything he's got on his will to succeed.
In Oppressionwe have the image of a dry lake bed. Anyone who has ever seen alkali flats in the desert can easily understand this metaphor for Oppression -- almost nothing can live in such an environment. The following hexagram, The Well, is an upside-down image of Oppression depicting the opposite case of an unending source of nourishment flowing from deep beneath the surface of the earth. (A comparison of these two figures will reveal a great deal about the meaning of each.)
To be under Oppression then, is to be cut off from all sustenance -- although there is water down below, it is presently inaccessible, and there is no nourishing flow of inner forces to the surface. This is a common, inevitable and potentially defeating experience for anyone doing serious inner work:
People who try to practice the Tao can all keep steadfast when they are in easy circumstances, but many of them waver in determination when they are in difficult or perilous situations. They may change their minds because of the pressures of making a living, or they may slack in determination due to illness; their spirits may flag because of old age, or they may stop work because of obstruction by some obsession. All these are cases in which people do not exert the mind of Tao and are hindered by exhaustion, so they ultimately do not attain the Tao. T. Cleary – The Taoist I Ching
Obviously, this is a dangerous situation, and we are told how to cope with it in the Confucian commentary, where it is observed that the lower trigram of Peril goes on to the upper trigram of Cheerfulness. These two trigrams are found in reversed sequence in hexagram number sixty, Restrictive Regulations, where a cheerful attitude is described as absolutely essential for the furtherance of the Work. The observations made there also apply here, and we see the superior man thereby enabled to advance under conditions that would utterly defeat lesser individuals.
This Cheerfulness cannot be underestimated. When it comes naturally and isn't forced, it is a gift of grace. Suddenly one is enabled to face the most incredible hardships with a light heart. It isn't that you no longer care -- you still do the best you can to further the Work, but you do it with bemused detachment.
The one thing the Jewish mystics never lost sight of was the suffering experienced in the arena of the profane. They did not retreat from this suffering, but sought instead to find meaning in it by living it. This is the core of mysticism. The temple in which the sacred marriage takes place is the world. C. Ponce -- Kabbalah
Lines 2 and 5 specifically mention sacrifice: an important concept in theI Ching. Sacrifice is mentioned in lines 17:6, 45:2, 46:2, 46:4, 47:2, 47:5, 63:5, and in the Judgment of hexagram 20. Note that in each case sincerity is specifically cited as essential to success.
Sincere 1: marked by genuineness: as a: free of dissimulation: not hypocritical: REAL, TRUE, HONEST...
Very often, the “sincerity” of our sacrifices involves following the dictates of the Work whether we fully understand them or not. Much that takes place in the Work is incomprehensible to ego consciousness; for example, changes often occur within the psyche which we only experience as strange dreams. Yet somehow, perhaps months later, we suddenly realize that we no longer act in a certain way or have lost interest in something that used to be of compelling importance. Our sacrifices are necessary for these changes to take place, even if they don't immediately make sense to us.
"With sacrifice shall you nourish the gods; and may the gods nourish you. Thus nourishing one another, you will obtain the Highest Good. "The gods, nourished by sacrifice, will bestow on you the enjoyments you desire." He is verily a thief who enjoys the things that they give without offering to them anything in return. The Bhagavad-Gita
Each of Cleary’s Taoist (1) and Buddhist (2) commentaries provides valuable insights into how much courage is required to follow the dictates of the Work at its more advanced levels. Take comfort that others before you have persevered and survived: “Developed people accomplish their will by living out their destiny.”