One is heading towards an opening that one had spotted beforehand. taoscopy.com
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 4
Despite obstacles, meeting someone of like mind brings good fortune and clarity.
↓ Line 5
Opportunities and recognition are approaching. This brings good fortune.
↓ Obstruction39
Obstacle to progress; seek guidance.
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 4
Legge: The fourth line, dynamic, shows its subject in a tent so large and thick that at midday he can see from it the constellation of the Bushel. But he meets with the subject of the first line, undivided like himself. There will be good fortune.
Wilhelm/Baynes: The curtain is of such fullness that the polestars can be seen at noon. He meets his ruler, who is of like kind. Good fortune.
Blofeld: So great is the obstruction that the midday sun appears to him as a tiny star. Meeting a prince of equal rank -- good fortune!
Liu: The shield is so great that you can see the polestar at noon. One meets an ignorant ruler. Good fortune.
Ritsema/Karcher: Abounding: one's screen. Sun centering: visualizing a bin. Meeting one's hiding lord. Significant.
Shaughnessy: Making abundant his curtain; in the middle of the day one sees the Dipper; meeting his placid ruler; auspicious.
Cleary (1): Increasing shade, seeing stars at midday. Meeting the hidden master is auspicious.
Wu: He makes abundance of curtains. His house is so dimmed as if he could see the Dipper with the sun at noon. He meets with his equal partner. Auspicious.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: The position of the line is inappropriate. There is darkness and no light. The good fortune of meeting the first line means that action may be taken. Wilhelm/Baynes: The place is not the appropriate one. He is dark and not light-giving. This means action. Blofeld: The extent of the obstruction is indicated by the unsuitable position of this line. His seeing only a tiny star at midday implies nothing wherewith to lighten the darkness surrounding us. His good fortune in meeting a prince of equal rank indicates that action can now be taken. [We are obstructed by ignorance or stupidity and should not act until someone ready to help us appears.]Ritsema/Karcher: Situation not appropriate indeed. Shade, not brightening indeed. Significant movement indeed. Cleary (2): With abundant shade, the position is not appropriate. Seeing the stars at midday means it is dark and dim. Meeting the hidden master is auspicious in terms of action. Wu: Because his house is darkened, etc.
Legge: The first sentence of line four is the same as line two, until we come to the strange correlation of the two dynamic lines in four and one, and the issue is good. An alternative translation is: "He meets with the subject of the parallel line."
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Siu: The eclipse is decreasing. The man gets together with elements with which he has a natural affinity.
Wing: Although your position as been less than ideal, you will finally meet with the right elements to help you achieve your aim. Enthusiasm coupled with wise decisions lead to good fortune.
Editor: The essential image is one of ignorance (darkness) which is dispelled by an alliance or connection. Ordinarily one would not expect to take action when in the dark about the situation in question, but here action is advised in order to dispel the darkness. Because of the unusual correct correlation between two dynamic lines, the image suggests that a highly abstract, "intellectual" association may be called for here.
Nowhere is the basic requirement so indispensable as in psychology that the observer should be adequate to his object, in the sense of being able to see not only subjectively but also objectively. The demand that he should see only objectively is quite out of the question, for it is impossible. We must be satisfied if he does not see too subjectively. Jung -- Psychological Types
A. When you're in the dark, seek help: Take steps to clarify the situation.
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.
39 Obstruction
Other titles: Obstruction, The Symbol of Difficulty, Arresting Movement, Trouble, Obstacles, Barrier, Halt, Halting, Limping, Afoot, “Sit Tight—Don’t move” "One is surrounded by an underwater reef and should wait for assistance." -- D.F. Hook
Judgment
Legge: During an Impasse advantage is found in the southwest, disadvantage in the northeast. See the great man. Firm correctness brings good fortune.
Wilhelm/Baynes:Obstruction. The southwest furthers. The northeast does not further. It furthers one to see the great man. Perseverance brings good fortune.
Blofeld: Trouble. The west and the south are favorable, but not the east and north. [That is to say, if we try to forward our plans by proceeding in either of those directions, we shall get bogged down or lost. It could also mean that we should be driven to unvirtuous conduct.] It is advisable to see a great man. [We should seek advice from someone of lofty moral stature and profound wisdom.] Persistence in a righteous course brings good fortune.
Liu: Obstruction. The southwest is of benefit. The northeast -- no benefit. It benefits one to visit a great man. To continue brings good fortune.
Ritsema/Karcher: Limping, Harvesting: Western South. Not Harvesting: Eastern North. Harvesting: visualizing Great People. Trial: significant. [This hexagram describes your situation in terms of being weak, afflicted or hampered. It emphasizes that going ahead even though haltingly is the adequate way to handle it. (Sic) To be in accord with the time, you are told to: limp!]
Shaughnessy: Afoot: Beneficial to the southwest, not beneficial to the northeast; beneficial to see the great man; determination is auspicious.
Cleary (1): When halted, the southwest is beneficial, not the northeast. It is profitable to see a great person; innocence is auspicious.
Cleary (2): When in trouble, it is beneficial to go southwest; it is not beneficial to go northeast. It is beneficial to see a great person. Correctness leads to good results.
Wu:Difficulty indicates that it will be advantageous in the southwest, but not so in the northeast. There will be advantage to meet with the great man. Auspiciousness will come with perseverance.
Hua-Ching Ni: The good direction is where there is no abyss or high mountains, like the Southwest, but not the Northeast. One should go to the great leader who can work with people in breaking through obstructions.
The Image
Legge: Water on the mountain -- the image of Impasse. The superior man turns around to examine himself and cultivate his virtue.
Wilhelm/Baynes: Water on the mountain: the image of Obstruction. Thus the superior man turns his attention to himself and molds his character.
Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes water upon a mountain. The Superior Man cultivates virtue by bringing about a revolution within himself.
Liu: Water on the mountain symbolizes Obstruction. The superior man reexamines himself and improves his character.
Ritsema/Karcher: Above mountain possessing stream. Limping. A chun tzu uses reversing individuality to renovate actualizing-tao.
[Actualize-tao: Ability to follow the course traced by the ongoing process of the cosmos... Linked with acquire, TE: acquiring that which makes a being become what it is meant to be.]
Cleary (1): There is water atop a mountain, halting. Thus do superior people examine themselves and cultivate virtue.
Cleary (2): Water on a mountain – trouble. Developed people examine themselves to cultivate virtue.
Wu: There is water on the mountain; this is Difficulty. Thus, the jun zi examines his own person to polish his virtue.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge:Impasse means difficulty, with the trigram of Peril up ahead. It is a wise man who can stop his advance at the first sign of danger. Advantage in the southwest means that the dynamic line has advanced to the central position. In the northeast, however, progress is halted. Seeing the great man insures progress and success. All of the lines except the first are in their appropriate places, suggesting the firm correctness in which the regions of the kingdom are brought to their natural order. Great indeed is the work to be done during an Impasse.
Legge: Impasse is the symbol of incompetency in the feet and legs involving difficulty in walking. Hence it represents a state of the kingdom which makes government an arduous task. The figure teaches how to perform this task under the prevailing circumstances.
The Judgment requires three things: the attention to place, the presence of the great man, and the observance of firm correctness. According to King Wen's arrangement of the trigrams, the southwest is occupied by the trigram of the Earth, and the northeast by the trigram of the Mountain. The former is the fertile lowland, the latter the mountain peaks; the former is easily traversed and held, while the latter presents obstacles. Thus the attention to place becomes a calculation of circumstances -- differentiating those that are promising from those that are likely to fail.
The great man is the correctly dynamic ruler in the fifth place, with the proper magnetic correlate in line two. However, favorable position and circumstances, and the presence of the great man do not relieve us from the observance of firm correctness -- this principle is consistent throughout the I Ching.
Ch'eng-tzu says: "We see here a steep and difficult mountain, on the top of which is water. Each trigram represents perilousness -- there is peril above and below. Hence it shows the difficulties of the state." The application of the symbolism is illustrated by the words of Mencius: "When our actions do not realize our desires, we must turn inwards and examine ourselves in every point."
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Judgment: Dissolve the polarities of an Impasseby seeking its most fertile integration. Use your will in harmony with the principles of the Work.
The Superior Man seeks his center and refines his commitment.
Lines two and five of this difficult hexagram show those who struggle with hardship; all of the other lines show images of an improper advance followed by a proper return to a former position. Ritsema/Karcher's characterization of the hexagram's overall meaning as an injunction to "(go) ahead even though haltingly is the adequate way to handle (the situation)" is anomalous and at variance with the general import of this figure. Legge's Confucian commentary is more in keeping with its meaning: "It is a wise man who can stop his advance at the first sign of danger."
Legge also chooses an excellent paraphrase of the role of the superior man in the Image with his quotation from Mencius: "When our actions do not realize our desires, we must turn inwards and examine ourselves in every point." In other words, the chances are good that the Impassemay be self-created, and when the ego introspects with care the reasons usually become apparent.
It is not unknown at a certain stage of development for the ego, overwhelmed with the enormity of the Work, to evade its responsibilities and vainly try to return to the bliss of its former ignorance. At such times it soon becomes clear that no matter what you attempt, success will be blocked: where others succeed with ease, it will take you five times as much effort just to break even. ThisImpasse is permanent until you reassume responsibility for the Work. The following quotation is an allegory of this condition:
Yahweh Saboath says this: Reflect carefully how things have gone for you. You have sown much and harvested little; you eat but never have enough, drink but never have your fill, put on clothes but do not feel warm. The wage earner gets his wages only to put them in a purse riddled with holes ... The abundance you expected proved to be little. When you brought the harvest in, my breath spoiled it. And why? It is Yahweh Saboath who speaks. Because while my house lies in ruins you are busy with your own, each one of you. Haggai 1: 6-10
In one way or another, the Self will attain its intent. To ignore this hard truth is to experience Impasse.