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The chief result of having the trigram family, is to create the hexagram family, so that one can get back to the original order of the trigrams, also to gain more out of each trigram. One can take the abstract order, or the temporal order or the elementary order, which are diagrammed later in this essay. On the diagrams on those pages, one can see a certain structural relationship between the trigrams, and the members of its trigram family. By using the houses as developed by the trigrams, one can come up with the following diagram that is an idealization of the Abstract Order, as Lama Govinda ( 1981: 152 ) sees, after one has made some corrections in the numbering of the hexagrams.
Why bother with the traditional arrangement, and try to seek out the original order. The answer lies in the reasoning behind my answer on page seventeen --- that Fu Xi had a specific reason for his order of the trigrams, and the hexagrams. Finding the original order will deepen the understanding one has, as it will show up relationships between the hexagrams which one was not aware of, before. Furthermore, knowing the exact sequence which Fu Xi used, is of vital importance, if one is using the Yi Jing for prediction, and to do so accurately. « Of course, one could always resort to the trickery and misuse/abuse that the street fortune tellers use the Yi Jing for, but I am assuming that the individual who wants to utilize it for such is a superior person --- one does not consult it recklessly, but in open honesty. » On second thoughts, let me point out that that would be the ideal. If one were totally honest with one's self, one would be the SUPERIOR PERSON, the Yi Jing discusses and hence would not need to use it. If one has an idea of the original sequence, one could make some profound insights into the reasoning behind the order which King Wen placed the hexagrams and the trigrams.
However, the houses also show the sequence of emergence of consciousness in the individual, although not as clearly as the Abstract order does. It does show consciousness, and spiritual growth in greater depth --- because it has more variations with which to play. « And, I might add, I suspect that it is all a game, as far as the Yi Jing is concerned --- but not a game of how we do live « though that does come into play » but of how we ought to play. Does it really take itself seriously? »
The Fu Xi order shows the trigrams, with the procession of Heaven moving to Earth, to create existence, Fire moving towards water, with the idea of becoming aware, Thunder reaching out to wood, with the idea of increasing one's effectuation, by moving from the stimulating deed, to the evaluation through feeling. The final process is becoming aware, which is the move from the Lake, to the Mountain. It is passive sensory consciousness becoming active, still transcendental consciousness.
If one looks at the trigrams in the following order. « Here I am going to jump all the way back to where I discussed the five-element-theory-of-the-multiverse, and the cycles that are made manifest, with the trigrams. » There is a distinct relationship to the process of becoming the superior person, and gaining a greater degree of consciousness. To wit: The Creative and the Receptive are Universals, Thunder and Wood are Organic. Fire and Water are Elemental elements, and the Mountain and the Lake are Inorganic. In the five-element-theory cycles, Heaven and Earth were excluded because they are inherent in all other trigrams --- they are the yin and the yang. Together, they form a class of invisible transcendental forces, which is pure principle. More subtle is the fact that Thunder is inherent in all the other trigrams. It is latent energy, which stimulates everything. Thunder creates electricity which releases itself in lightning. The house of Thunder has its basic foundation as man between inspiration and sensitivity, tending towards reflection. It is the stimulating, the will, the deed: A part of the process of effectuation, in sensation and in will. It is the energy we have within, which we do not recognize as being from within. It is the Elan Vital whereby everything comes into play. Wood is the complementary opposite of thunder. Wood is creation, but it is the act created, creation after the fact. Thunder is also the act of creation, but creation before the fact. Hence, Thunder is inherent in all the other trigrams, but wood is not. Thunder is what is to be, whilst Wood is what has become.
Fire and Water are elemental, because they are found everywhere. Fire is bright, is warm and moves up. Water is dark, is cold and moves down. Fire is everything that Water is not --- hence they are elementals. The Inorganic group are thus termed, because the mountain just sits there --- it « Mountain » has as its major attribute, Keeping Still, and the Lake has as its major attributes Pleasure and Joy. It is an arousing mist, still, it remains peaceful --- there are no dynamics that Thunder has, or that Wood has, Nor is there even the tension which is present between the Creative, and the Receptive.
At the foot of the Mountain, the Lake;
The image of DECREASE.
Thus the superior Man controls his anger
And restrains his instinctsWilhelm/Baynes (1950/1977: 159)
A Lake upon the Mountain
The image of Influence
Thus the Superior Man encourages people to approach him
By his readiness to receive them.Wilhelm/Baynes (1950/1977: 123)
We can see here why the Inorganic trigrams have no Dynamics in them --- while they are concerned with ethical conduct, it is by non-doing that the ethics is achieved. The basic meaning is, I feel very obvious, and it is a useful exercise, for an individual, to look at the composite hexagrams, which for the Universals will be # 11 --- T'ai, and # 12 --- P'i. For the Organic trigrams it will be # 42 - I , and # 32 --- Heng. For the Elemental group it will # 64 --- Wei Chi, and # 63 --- Chi Chi. And the Inorganic group obviously is # 42 -- Sun and # 31 --- Hsien.
There are other hexagrams which should also be studied in depth -- the Receptive and the Creative, along with the Great Treatise on the First and Second Hexagrams. Appendix Four in Legge: 1971. It is included with the First and Second Hexagrams in Wilhelm/Baynes 1950/1977 in Book III. Blofeld ( 1968 ) puts his translation of the Wen Yen with hexagrams # 1 and # 2. Most of the interpretations of the Yi Jing in English, either ignore the appendices, or, where relevent, interpolate them with the appropriate hexagram.
Everything that has been discussed so far, is only a part of the Yi Jing. There is a specific place for each line, and this is what the Yi Jing really is --- the combination of the lines, not the trigrams, nor the hexagrams, nor anything else, but the lines. The Yellow Silk Manuscript commentaries just discuss the lines, or the names of the hexagrams. Trigrams and Bigrams are a Han Dynasty innovation.
The correct place for each line is
found in hexagram # 63 --- Chi Chi. Ironically there is an
inherent misfortune within Chi Chi, because everything is in
its proper place. Reading the text ( Blofeld 1965: 208 ) we
see this clearly:
After completion --- success in small matters!
Persistence in the righteous course brings reward.
Good fortune at the start;
disorder in the end
The lines serve further in highlighting this:
He breaks the wheel of the chariot
and gets the rear part wet --- no errorThe lady loses the blind from her chariot window.
She should not go in search of it,
for she will recover it in seven days.The Illustrious Ancestor carried out a punitive expedition
in Kuei Fang and conquered it after three years
men of mean attainments would have been uselessAmidst the fine silk are ragged garments
be cautious throughout the livelong day!In terms of benefits,
the neighbors gained less from sacrificing an ox
than the neighbor to the west gainedfrom carrying out the Spring Sacrifices His head gets wet ---- trouble!
It is typical of the Yi Jing that the more fortunate the
hexagram as a whole, the less fortunate the lines are,
and vice versa. To contrast with # 64 -- Wei Chi.
The Text and the lines show this. ( Blofeld 1965: 210-211 )
Before completion --- Success!
Before the little fox has quite completed its crossing
its tail gets wet.
No goal is favorable now.His tail gets wet --- disgrace!
He brakes the wheels of the chariot
righteous persistence brings good fortune.The crossing is incomplete,
so to advance now would bring misfortune
( yet ) it will be advantageous to cross the great river.Persistence in a righteous course
brings good fortune and absence of regret
The lustre of the Superior Man wins people's confidence
hence his good fortune.Those in whom the people repose their trust
may feast for themselves without doing wrong;
but if they allow their heads to get wet,
they forfeit that trust.
One can see here how the lines of the hexagram relate back to other lines, as well as the 'balancing' of the misfortune with good fortune, that is a part of every hexagram --- the more positive the hexagram as a whole, the more negative the lines, and the more negative the hexagram, the more positive the lines. Can one really say that a hexagram is positive or negative, then?
As stated earlier, the lines are the Yi Jing. Hence, they have a specific meaning in the hexagram; videlicet
A brief restatement:
Furthermore, the lines are also indicative of the following, as a result of where they are in the hexagram:
Or to relate them to a specific person
Or, as chess pieces
Or relating to various body parts:
| The Human Body | The Animal Body | |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Head | Head |
| 5 | Shoulders | Front Leg |
| 4 | Torso | Front Part of the body |
| 3 | Thighs | Back Part of the Body |
| 2 | Shins | Back Legs |
| 1 | Feet | Tail |
One ought not to approach the Yi Jing in a casual manner. This, I think, gave rise to the development of the lines, trigrams, bigrams and other aspects of hexagrams. To discourage a casual attitude to the Yi Jing. It encourages one to have a serious, legitimate question, which one con not, by one's own self answer. Or more accurately, one has not yet seen the answer within one's self. The Yi Jing simply points out the obvious to one, « unless one has asked a foolish question, in which case one will no doubt receive # 4 --- Meng, as one's answer. » Furthermore, may I point out that one's personal copy of the Yi Jing acquires a psyche of its own --- but one which reflects the zeitgeist of the individual, and it the Yi Jing tries to mould the individual to conform with its weltanschauung, by assuming that the individual is a already a superior person. IE: It gives positive strokes for when the person is already doing the right thing. It is a reflection of the individual, but the individual becomes a reflection of it.
A question should always be very clear and precise and concise. A sloppy question will bring forth a sloppy answer.
For those who use the Yi Jing as a tool for growth, they will
often come up with # 4, simply because they throw the
hexagram so often.
There is the tendency for one to
start to rely totally upon the Yi Jing, and hence, receiving
Meng, simply because one is acting as an immature person.
Quoting from Wilhelm/Baynes (1950/1977: 406)
Youthful Folly has success.
It is not I who seeks the young fool;
The young fool seeks me.
At the first oracle I inform him.
If he asks two or three times, it is importunity.
If he importunes, I give him no information.
Perseverance furthers.
The last line Perseverance furthers refers to the individual going within him/herself, for the answer, and not running to the Yi Jing with every little or big problem/question which they have.
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