Union

All through the I Ching we have the message of union or unity and how it can be brought about. We see this right at the beginning: And in hexagram three the first attempts at union are made, for here is the beginning of all things. When yin and yang split, there is at once an attempt to reunite. Was it "Peaches and Cream"? who sang, "Reunited and it feels so good, reunited cause we understood..." This is one of the deepest messages of the I Ching. How we can reunite. This issue involves many levels but the principles are basically the same on each level. On one level we reunite the yin and the yang within ourselves, on another we reunite with our soul mate, on another we reunite with the family we belong with, and on another we reunite with our leaders, and society as a whole. Finally we reunite with the sage and then reunite with the eternal one, the source of all. The I Ching, as well as all other truly sacred scriptures is an oracle that in metaphorical and allegorical terms teaches us how to do that.

So in hexagram three we see this evolution taking place on a core level. From mistrust to "hitching the wagon." Or getting hitched, to our soul mate, to our divine inner self, on each level. The first line tells us we cannot do it alone. We need a helper. That helper on one level can be our true spiritual guide, the Sage that is so often talked about in the I Ching, or the superior man, the I Ching itself. The inner part of us that is the real I, that is what I am talking about. The problem in line two is that we have learned to distrust others. But why do we mistrust others? Because when our minds are not clear and we are walking about in the dark, in the illusion of a materiTal world, we cannot trust even ourselves. From here we walk about as if "in a dark forest" thinking to ourselves all the time that we are not blind, hence we do not need any helper, especially not from some mystical inner world. But because of allowing ourselves that illusion, we reincarnate over and over again, never remembering who we are. But the fourth line says, "an opportunity to make connections offers itself. Neither false pride nor false reserve should deter us." The third line sees no need for a teacher. In its arrogance it says, "We are not blind." We need no teacher. The fourth line, in contradistinction, says, "Strive for union." The fourth line sees the potential for a connection, especially with the fifth line, the one in authority. The fifth line recognizes the problems, but here, although he has good will toward others, unity is still not fully achieved, because now, although he no longer has to deal with his/her own distrust, he/she must deal with the mistrust of others. He realizes the rational behind this, thus does not attack full force, but works toward developing mutual confidence.

The same thing happens, in respect to the fifth line, in the way the Sage, the I Ching, the eternal Father/Mother, teaches us. It realizes our lack of faith and understanding. It recognizes the blind spots in our thinking, and rather than forcing its brand of teaching on us, allows for the life experiences offered an individual according to one's own karma, to allow us to be brought to a place of acceptance and humility in life, so that we may be taught.