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Abundance55
Abundance and prosperity surround you, but be mindful not to let them lead to arrogance or distraction. Stay focused and genuine in the present moment to make the most of your opportunities.
↓ Line 1
Meeting the right person or opportunity brings success. There is no error in pursuing this path.
↓ Line 2
Obstacles obscure clarity. Perseverance and sincerity can overcome mistrust and lead to good fortune.
↓ Line 5
Opportunities and recognition are approaching. This brings good fortune.
↓ Critical Mass28
Embrace resilience during times of overwhelming pressure. Acknowledge the burden, make necessary adjustments, and seek support to prevent collapse. Balance is crucial for enduring success.
55 Abundance
Other titles: Abundance, Fullness, The Symbol of Prosperity, Greatness, Abounding, Richness, Prolific, Fruitful, Luxuriant, Zenith, Affluence, Correct Action, Lucid Behavior, "Generally means that one will have enough for one's needs with a little over. Does not mean large wealth as a rule." -- D.F. Hook
Judgment
Legge: Expansion of Awareness means progress and development. When the king is enlightened there is no need to fear a change. Let him be as the sun at noon.
Wilhelm/Baynes:Abundance has success. The king attains abundance. Be not sad. Be like the sun at midday.
Blofeld:Abundance -- success! The King inspires them. Do not be sad; it is fitting to be like the sun at its zenith. [Abundance in itself is often good; but it is generally followed by the waning of what was abundant; moreover, as we shall see, there can be abundance of darkness, or anything else unpleasant. (The Judgment itself) may be taken as an auspicious omen.]
Liu: Greatness. Success. The king attains greatness, without sadness; he should be like the sun at midday.
Ritsema/Karcher:Abounding, Growing. The king imagining it. No grief. Properly sun centering. [This hexagram describes your situation in terms of profusion and abundance reaching culmination. It emphasizes that exuberantly increasing things to their fullest is the adequate way to handle it...]
Shaughnessy: Abundance: Receipt; the king approaches it; do not be sad. It is proper for the middle of the day.
Cleary (1): Richness is developmental. Freedom from worry when the king is great is suited to midday.
Cleary (2):Richness is success; a king attains this. Do not worry. Take advantage of the sun at noon.
Wu: A sage king will attain abundance. There is no need to worry, for he knows the expedience of observing the midday sun.
The Image
Legge: The superior man, in accordance with this, decides cases of litigation, and apportions punishments with exactness.
Wilhelm/Baynes: Both thunder and lightning come: the image of Abundance. Thus the superior man decides lawsuits and carries out punishments.
Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes thunder and lightning occurring simultaneously. The Superior Man decides law suits and inflicts the necessary penalties.
Liu: Thunder and lightning coming together symbolize Greatness. The superior man judges lawsuits and imposes punishments.
Ritsema/Karcher: Thunder, lightning, altogether culminating. Abounding. A chun tzu uses severing litigating to involve punishing.
Cleary (1): Thunder and lightning both arrive, abundant. Thus do superior people pass judgment and execute punishment.
Cleary (2): Thunder and lightning both come in richness. Thus do leaders pass judgments and execute punishments.
Wu: Thunder and lightning come together; this is Abundance. Thus the jun zi decides the verdicts and exacts the punishments.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: The greatness of Expansion of Awareness is due to Movement directed by Clarity. Although the king has attained this state, he must still make it greater. But there is no need for anxiety -- let him be as the sun at noon: let his clarity shine on all under the sky. As soon as sun and moon reach zenith their light begins to wane. The intercourse of heaven and earth alternates between abundance and scarcity. It waxes and wanes according to the seasons. How much more so with men or spiritual forces! [Ritsema/Karcher translate "spiritual forces" [Kuei Shen] as: "The whole range of imaginal beings both inside and outside the individual; spiritual powers, gods, demons, ghosts, powers, fetishes." -- Ed.]
Legge: The written Chinese character denoting Expansion of Awarenessis the symbol of being large and abundant -- a condition of prosperity. In human affairs, prosperity often gives place to its opposite. The lesson of the hexagram is to show how the ruler may preserve the prosperity of his state and people. The component trigrams show Motive Force under the direction of Intelligence. A ruler with these attributes will not fail to maintain the progress and development of his kingdom. He is told not to be anxious, but to study how he may always be like the sun at its zenith, cheering and enlightening all.
It must be noted that a change has been introduced in this hexagram in explaining the symbolism of the lines. Normally, for two lines to have a correct relationship one must be female (magnetic) and the other male (dynamic). Here two dynamic male lines make a proper correlation in the first and fourth places.
In the Image, lightning appears as the natural phenomenon of which Clarity is the symbol in the lower trigram. The virtues of Clarity and Movement are required of the superior man in judging litigation.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Judgment: Don't grieve when the truth hurts: a loss of illusion is a gain in awareness. Once truly attained, enlightenment cannot be lost, it can only be increased.
The Superior Man acts with clarity by accurately evaluating cause and effect. [Or: The objective assessment of any contradiction is the road to comprehending it.]
The fifty-fifth hexagram is very intriguing in that it appears to have a misleading title in the original Chinese, which is usually translated as Abundance,Fullness, Prosperity, etc. All of the internal clues, plus empirical experience with the figure have convinced me that the title Expansion of Awareness is a more accurate description of the forces operating in this hexagram. Here is my reasoning:
First, the component trigrams of Clarity and Movement portray action directed by clear comprehension, as well as awareness itself in motion or expansion. The title of Abundance seems misleading because it suggests a relatively static condition, whereas the combined trigrams in the figure symbolize Clear Movement. These trigrams appear in reverse sequence in hexagram number twenty-one, Discernment, which symbolizes the act of comprehending -- a dynamic function of consciousness described in the Image here as a quest for justice: "Thus the superior man decides lawsuits and carries out punishments." (Wilhelm) Notice also that the message for the superior man in this Image is almost identical with that in Discernment:"Thus the kings of former times made firm the laws through clearly defined penalties." (Wilhelm) The ancient kings can always be taken as symbolic of archetypal forces (the "gods"), so their laws are those of nature, not of humankind. Interpreted broadly, both messages counsel us to: "Comprehend the law of Tao, or suffer the penalties of ignorance." Which is to say: "expand your awareness."
Second, note the message in the Judgment. Most of the translators render this by comparing the king at the peak of his power with the sun at the peak of its illumination at noon. The sun is the symbol of clarity and enlightenment, and the sun at its zenith therefore symbolizes a high point of awareness.
Third, notice that lines two, three and four depict an eclipse of the sun through its waxing, full and waning phases. This suggests ignorance gradually evolving toward comprehension, which is finally attained in line five. The progression in the hexagram is from ignorance to clarity, and then in line six, ignorance within clarity -- i.e., an image of one who remains obtuse while surrounded by the light of illumination.
Fourth, the combined trigrams of shock and light (thunder and lightning) suggest a sudden and numinous illumination: the sort of en-light-enment (expansion of awareness) described by Yogis:
Suddenly, with a roar like that of a waterfall, I felt a stream of liquid light entering my brain through the spinal cord ... The illumination grew brighter and brighter, the roaring louder, I experienced a rocking sensation and then felt myself slipping out of my body, entirely enveloped in a halo of light ... I was no longer myself, or to be more accurate, no longer as I knew myself to be, a small point of awareness confined in a body, but instead was a vast circle of consciousness in which the body was but a point, bathed in light and in a state of exaltation and happiness impossible to describe. Gopi Krishna --Kundalini, the Evolutionary Energy in Man
It is possible that the written character translated into English as Abundance has these associations in Chinese. Unfortunately, the title of Abundance itself does not immediately suggest in the English language the ideas that are integral in the symbolism of the hexagram.
Line 1
Legge: The first line, dynamic, shows its subject meeting with his mate. Though they are both of the same character, there will be no error. Advance will call forth approval.
Wilhelm/Baynes: When a man meets his destined ruler, they can be together ten days, and it is not a mistake. Going meets with recognition.
Blofeld: On meeting a prince of equal rank, though he accepts his hospitality for ten days, he is not at fault -- progress is made in winning respect!
Liu: When a man meets a deputy ruler, there will be harmony between them for ten days. No blame. Setting forth will lead to progress.
Ritsema/Karcher: Meeting one's equal lord. Although a decade, without fault. Going possesses honor.
Shaughnessy: Meeting his consort's ruler; it is only the ten-day week; there is no trouble; in going there will be elevation.
Cleary (1): Meeting your director, even as equals there is no blame. If you go on, there will be exaltation.
Cleary (2): Meeting your partner, etc.
Wu: He meets with his matched partner. Although they are of the same kind, there will be no error. The meeting is favorable.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: If the subject of this line seeks to overpass that similarity, there will be calamity. Wilhelm/Baynes: More than ten days is harmful. Blofeld: Were he to exceed that time, he would invite calamity upon himself. [It is all very well to accept the hospitality of our equals, but accepting too much of it will ultimately lead to trouble.] Ritsema/Karcher: Exceeding a decade, calamity indeed. Cleary (2): If you carry the equality too far, there will be disaster. Wu: It will be perilous if he tries to outshine his partner.
Legge: Line one is dynamic in a dynamic place. His correlate is the dynamic fourth line, which would normally be deemed unfortunate. But here the text calls line four the mate of line one, and makes their belonging to the same category of no account. The lesson taught is that mutual helpfulness is the great instrument for the maintenance of prosperity, and the subject of this line is encouraged to go forward.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Siu: At the outset, the man meets his destined ruler and goes forth with his approval. Mutual helpfulness is required for continued prosperity.
Wing: Associating with someone whose goals are similar to your own will now bring you clarity and energy. It is not a mistake to continue in this close relationship until the project is complete.
Editor: For two yang lines to be in proper correlation seems to contradict the logic upon which theI Ching is founded, yet in this specific instance it is deemed correct. The image suggests the affinity of similar principles or categories. The Confucian commentary may be interpreted to mean that they remain united only to the extent that they are in accord. To make more or less out of the situation than the analogy warrants is to break the connection and lose the truth. Psychologically interpreted, the line can suggest a close connection between ego and Self.
Maturity and development demand a confrontation of the ego and the Self. The necessary adaptation of the ego is challenged by the Self's urge for the ego’s transformation. E.C. Whitmont -- The Symbolic Quest
A. Make a logical connection -- perhaps a highly "intellectual" conceptualization is in order. Focus on the principles of the Work to determine correct action.
B. When correspondences are legitimate, take advantage of them; however, don't make more out of such associations than the reality of the situation warrants.
C. For the moment at least, you are on the right track – this could change later.
D. Tentative or preliminary approval of the query at hand.
Line 2
Legge: The second line, magnetic, shows its subject surrounded by screens so large and thick that at midday she can see from them the constellation of the Bushel. If she goes and tries to enlighten her ruler who is thus emblemed, she will make herself to be viewed with suspicion and dislike. Let her cherish her feeling of sincere devotion that she may thereby move her ruler's mind, and there will be good fortune.
Wilhelm/Baynes: The curtain is of such fullness that the polestars can be seen at noon. Through going one meets with mistrust and hate. If one rouses him through truth, good fortune comes.
Blofeld: So great is the obstruction that the midday sun appears to him as a tiny star. To advance now would be to invite mistrust and various ills. However, confidence seems to be on the increase -- good fortune!
Liu: The shield is so great that you can see the polestar at noon. Undertakings will lead to suspicion and harm. Only truth can win the confidence of the ruler. Good fortune.
Ritsema/Karcher: Abounding: one's screen. Sun centering: visualizing a bin. Going acquiring doubt, affliction. Possessing conformity, like shooting-forth. Significant.
Shaughnessy: Making abundant his curtain; in the middle of the day one sees the Dipper; in going one gets a suspicious illness; there is a return leaking-like.
Cleary (1): Increasing the shade, seeing stars at midday. If you go on this way you will have doubt and affliction. But if there is sincerity and it is acted on, it will bring good fortune.
Cleary (2): With abundant shade, you see stars at midday. If you go, you will be afflicted by doubt. If sincerity is expressed, there will be good fortune.
Wu: He makes abundance of curtains. His house is so dimmed as if he could see the Dipper with the sun at noon. If he goes to meet with his correlate, he may be suspected. But if he lets his sincerity prevail, it will be auspicious.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: It is by sincerity that the mind is affected. Wilhelm/Baynes: One must rouse his will through trustworthiness. Blofeld: Presently people's trust will help us to accomplish our will. Ritsema/Karcher: Trustworthiness using shooting-forth purpose indeed. Cleary (2): Expressing sincerity means expressing intention truthfully. Wu: Sincerity can change the impressions of others.
Legge: The magnetic second line is in her correct place in the center of the lower trigram of Clarity. Her ruler is the magnetic and incorrect fifth line whose ignorance doesn't recognize line two's intelligence. If two tries to advance she won't be acceptable to the ruler, and will not be employed. The only way to be useful under such circumstances is to sincerely develop her inner light until it is recognized.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Siu: Intrigues have put a barrier between the chief executive desiring great works and the man capable of bringing them about. The courtiers have usurped the ruler's power. The man should not take energetic action, which will only lead to suspicion and dislike. He must depend upon his sincere devotion to move the ruler's mind in a less obvious way.
Wing: You lack influence in regard to the object of your interest. Obstacles not of your own making stand in the way of your progress. If you attempt to push ahead, you will invite envy and suspicion. There is a possibility of a fortunate outcome only if you are continuously sincere and truthful. Then your influence may reach.
Editor: The image of screens so thick that the stars can be seen at noon is psychologically an eclipse of consciousness by ignorance. The answer or solution is available, but you or someone involved in the matter at hand doesn't see it. Sometimes the line can hint at an estrangement between ego and Self beyond our ability to understand at the moment.
Never in any circumstances should one indulge in the unscientific illusion that one's own subjective prejudice is a universal and fundamental psychological truth. No true science can spring from this, only a faith whose shadow is intolerance and fanaticism. Contradictory views are necessary for the evolution of any science, only they must not be set up in rigid opposition to each other but should strive for the earliest possible synthesis. Jung -- The Symbolic Life
A. Clarity is obscured by ignorance and mistrust. Intelligence unrecognized is intelligence unused. Allow the situation to develop until the way becomes clear.
B. It is not always possible to understand what is taking place below the threshold of awareness -- hold to the precepts of the Work when you are uncertain of your role.
Line 5
Legge: The fifth line, magnetic, shows its subject bringing around her the men of brilliant ability. There will be occasion for congratulation and praise. There will be good fortune.
Wilhelm/Baynes: Lines are coming, blessing and fame draw near. Good fortune.
Blofeld: The variegated beauty of the sky after a storm now appears. Blessings [Unexpected or seemingly unmerited good fortune] and fame are won -- good fortune!
Liu: Glory will come, causing prosperity and recognition. Good fortune.
Shaughnessy: There comes a pattern, celebratory and uplifting; auspicious.
Cleary (1): Bringing beatification, there is glory; this is auspicious.
Cleary (2): Bringing brilliance, there is celebration and praise, etc.
Wu: If he could welcome his notable partner, there would be something to celebrate and praise. Auspicious.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: The good fortune is the congratulation that is sure to arise. Wilhelm/Baynes: It bestows blessing. Blofeld: Here, good fortune connotes the blessings already mentioned. Ritsema/Karcher: Possessing reward indeed. Cleary (2): There is joyful celebration. Wu: His good fortune depends on that there is something praiseworthy.
Legge: Line five is the ruler's place, magnetic herself, but the ruler of the trigram of Movement. She can do little without assistance, but if she can bring into her service the talents of lines one, three and four, and even of two, her magnetic correlate, the results will be admirable. Nothing consolidates the prosperity of a country so much as the cooperation of the ruler and her able ministers.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Siu: The modest ruler assembles ministers of brilliant ability around him. Especially is he attracted to men who are sound of heart and sure of getting results.
Wing: Be receptive to the opinions of others. Invite counsel from the most able helpers you know. Such modesty brings unexpected good fortune and rewarding results for all concerned.
Editor: "Brilliant ability" refers to the lines of the lower trigram of Clarity which rise to assist and reinforce the central line in the trigram of Movement. Wilhelm refers to these lines directly; Blofeld calls them "variegated beauty;" Liu, "Glory;" Ritsema/Karcher translate it as "composition"-- ("a well-composed whole and its structure; beautiful creations.") Shaughnessy dubs it a "pattern," etc. – none of the translators use exactly the same term. Because this is the ruler's place, all versions implicitly refer to the imagery in the Judgment: "The king attains abundance. Be not sad. Be like the sun at midday." Note however, that everyone except Blofeld places this in the future: it seems to be a coming event. If this is the only changing line, the hexagram created is number 49, Metamorphosis,suggesting that an Expansion of Awareness may be in the offing: "Comes the dawn!"
For it is the function of consciousness not only to recognize and assimilate the external world through the gateway of the senses, but to translate into visible reality the world within us. Jung --The Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche
A. You are surrounded by forces of enlightenment and lucid action is possible. "Gather your wits about you" -- clarity approaches.
28 Critical Mass
Other titles: Preponderance of the Great, The Symbol of Great Passing, Excess, Great Excess, The Passing of Greatness, Great Surpassing, Great Gains, Experience, Greater than Great, Greatness in Excess, Dominance by the Mighty, The Passing of Greatness, Excess of the Great, Law of Karma
Judgment
Legge:Critical Mass depicts a weak beam. Under such conditions it is advantageous to move in any direction whatever. Success is indicated.
Wilhelm/Baynes:Preponderance of the Great. The ridgepole sags to the breaking point. It furthers one to have somewhere to go. Success.
Blofeld:Excess! The ridgepole sags. It is favorable to have some goal (or destination) in view. Success! [A glance at the hexagram will show that it is too heavy in the middle and too weak at the ends. A number of firm lines is generally auspicious, but there can be too much of a good thing!]
Liu: Great Excess. The ridgepole is crooked. It benefits to go anywhere. Success.
Ritsema/Karcher:Great Exceeding, the ridgepole sagging. Harvesting; possessing directed going. Growing. [This hexagram describes your situation in terms of your connection to a ruling principle. It emphasizes that pushing the guiding idea beyond ordinary limits and accepting the results is the adequate way to handle it...]
Shaughnessy: Great Surpassing: The ridgepole bows upward; beneficial to have someplace to go; receipt.
Cleary (1): When the great is excessive, the ridgepole bends. It is good to go somewhere; that is developmental. [When the ridgepole snaps, the whole house falls down. In the same way, practitioners of the Tao who promote yang too much, who do not know when enough is enough, who can be great but cannot be small, suffer damage to their spiritual house.]
Cleary (2): When greatness passes, the ridgepole bends. It is beneficial to have somewhere to go, for you will succeed.
Wu:Excess of the Great indicates a beam that warps. It will be advantageous to have undertakings. It will be pervasive.
The Image
Legge: The image of trees beneath a marsh forms Critical Mass. The superior man, in accordance with this, fearlessly stands alone, and stays retired from the world without regret.
Wilhelm/Baynes: The lake rises above the trees: the image of Preponderance of the Great. Thus the superior man, when he stands alone, is unconcerned, and if he has to renounce the world, he is undaunted.
Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes a forest submerged in a great body of water. The Superior Man, though standing alone, is free from fear; he feels no discontent in withdrawing from the world. [This is suggested by the component trigrams. Water is necessary for the nourishment of the trees, but too much of it can cause serious damage.]
Liu: The lake rising over the trees symbolizes Great Excess. The superior man, when isolated, is undisturbed. If he has to retreat from society, he feels no regret.
Ritsema/Karcher: Marsh submerging wood. Great Exceeding. A chun tzu uses solitary establishing not to fear. (A chun tzu uses) retiring-from the age without melancholy.
Cleary (1): Moisture destroys wood in excess. Thus superior people stand alone without fear, and leave society without distress.
Cleary (2): Moisture destroys wood. Developed people, etc. [Only when sustained by the power to stand alone without fear and avoid society without distress can learning be firmly rooted and development have a proper basis; then it is possible to refine and support the mediocre.]
Wu: Marsh covers over wood; This is Excess of the Great. Thus the jun zi stands alone without fear and withdraws from the world without melancholy.
CONFUCIAN COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: Excess is weakly supported at either end, with weakness in both the lowest and topmost lines. The dynamic lines are in excess, but two of them are in the central positions. The trigrams of Flexibility and Satisfaction indicate that there will be advantage in moving in any direction whatever -- there will be success. Great indeed is the work to be done during this extraordinary time.
Legge: Extraordinary times require extraordinary skill in their management. The figure shows two magnetic lines at top and bottom, with four dynamic lines between them -- giving the image of a great beam unable to sustain its own weight. Lines two and five are both dynamic and central however, and from this and the attributes of the component trigrams a good auspice is obtained.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Judgment: A stressful situation is best managed with a comprehensive strategy. (Or: in the chess game of life, one succeeds by planning several moves in advance.)
The Superior Man serves The Work by going his own way, regardless of public opinion.
Wilhelm titles this hexagram Preponderance of the Great. I prefer R.L. Wing's paraphrase of Critical Massas more evocative of the figure's meaning in modern terminology.
In Critical Mass four dynamic lines lurk inside of the hexagram, weakly contained at top and bottom by two magnetic lines. This energetic concentration could explode in an unpredictable release of force, and hence the Judgment tells us to move now (remember: non-action is also action) to avoid unwanted consequences. (Often the outcome is predictable – be prepared to just walk away if and when that is your best move.)
Legge’s translation of the Judgment is:
"...It is advantageous to move in any direction whatever. "
This is a different message than Wilhelm's:
"...It furthers one to have somewhere to go."
Legge’s version implies an almost hysterical flight from danger while Wilhelm's rendition suggests prior intention and planning. The latter interpretation is definitely what is meant here, as confirmed by Cleary’s Buddhist commentary:
When the transformative path is flourishing, contaminations easily arise; it is best to set up guidelines and regulations. When meditation work is advanced, ignorance is about to dissolve; it is best to exercise the mind skillfully.
Coupled with Cleary’s translation of the Image as: “Developed people stand alone without fear, avoid society without distress,” the idea is that one should follow one's best intuition and ignore popular illusions, political correctness or inner fears. (Psychologically: conventional thinking, socially conditioned reflexes, knee-jerk responses, etc.). During a time of Critical Mass, pay close attention to direction from the Self to preserve the Work. This is not the time to follow the crowd. Sometimes this can mean that you are obliged to go it alone – one of the Work’s frequent tests (Cf. line 6):
The Gulf is something that has to be leaped, and leaped alone, stripped of all hindering burdens, in faith ... It is thus one of the crisis points of spiritual progress because of the great temptation to turn back from the unknown to the apparent safety of known things, and to succumb to this temptation is to lose all the fruits of past endeavor. G. Knight -- A Practical Guide to Kabbalistic Symbolism
SUGGESTIONS FOR MEDITATION
Compare the Judgment and Image of this hexagram with those of hexagram number 32, Consistency.
Anthony: We must regain modesty through the effort to rid ourself of strong elements that cause us to press forward. The strong elements may exist in someone else, causing them to assault us with their fear, mistrust or doubt. Strong refers to impetuous movement to resolve what is ambiguous … We can meet the challenge by remaining detached and letting things go through their changes … To be truly rich is to remain modest; to be truly powerful is to remain reticent.