Action in Conformity to the Situation

A major key to understanding the commentary on hexagram two is the quote,"Applied to human affairs, therefore, what the hexagram indicates is action in conformity with the situation...It is not his task to lead-that would only make him lose his way-but to be led by the situation. If he knows how to meet fate with an attitude of acceptance, he is sure to find the right guidance...but learns from the situation what is demanded of him and then follows this intimation from fate."

First, let us understand that on a deeper level we see here again the need to create within ourselves a receptive mind open to the guidance of the universe. It is only through this means that we consistently know what the time period demands of us. Everything is a sine wave. A sine wave has frequency and modulation, and sometimes it is at a high point, sometimes low, and sometimes near the middle. The I Ching is a guidance system that tells us where we are in relationship to that sine wave. But to bring this down to the human level it is also necessary to know exactly where we stand in relationship to others. Females are much more attuned to this than men are. The idea that women are from Venus gives us a hint, as Venus rules Libra, the sign of the scales, balance, or social interaction. Women concern themselves with where they relate with others, and fit into the whole. Men do not do this so much. They do create a hierarchy though, of high to low. Their relationship to society is more of a vertical one, where for women, generally speaking, it is more of a lateral one. There is a bit of irony here though, that while women are not so inclined to create hierarchies, they tend to chose men who are higher on the hierarchial level. While men create hierarchies, the social status of women, especially financial, (their hierarchial level) is generally of less concern to them.

But enough said of male female relationships for the moment. There are bigger issues here. The hexagram reminds us that we must not try to go it alone. We need both the yang energies and the yin in order to act harmoniously and relate properly. While on the social level, men should display the more positive of masculine aspects, and women the more positive feminine aspects, on the spiritual level we must maintain balance between the two. The mind must become receptive to universal power in order to receive the answers to our daily questions and dilemmas. Without this our understanding of the I Ching, and all spiritual books, will never be very advanced, and the guidance we get will be minimal.

So, on the basis of that, we can go to hexagram three line three, and see a further definition of the things we are presently discussing. Hexagram three line three, being a yin line in a yang position says, "Whoever hunts deer without the forester only loses his way in the forest. The superior man understands the signs of the times and prefers to desist." In other words, the superior man is willing to be guided. It is a matter of hubris to think we can go it alone in this world. We do not consciously have the knowledge to guide us through the pitfalls that are found in life. The commentary says, "Fate cannot be duped: premature effort, without the necessary guidance, ends in failure and disgrace." If we think we can go it alone, we are only deceiving ourselves. We need a guide, and the I Ching is in many ways, that guide. In every line in the I Ching, the I Ching is talking about itself in its relationship to us.

Since the third line is yin, we can look at the prototype hexagram two to get a taste for its meaning. (Since it is in a yang place we can also look at hexagram one, but more on that later.) Line three in hexagram two says, "Hidden lines. One is able to remain persevering. If by chance you are in the service of a king, Seek not works, but bring to completion." First of all, there are "hidden lines." In other words, there is more to the story than meets the eye. Anyone who thinks they can always control things through the power of the conscious mind alone is sadly mistaken. It does not see all that exists. Its viewpoint is very limited. Therefore, we must develop our intuition as well, and allow ourselves to be guided. The commentary says, "He does not seek to have credited to himself things that stand accomplished, but hopes to release active forces;..." He does not seek credit for himself because he realizes he could never do the work without the help of the "forester." No man is an island. We are not totally on our own. We must recognize our place in the cosmos, recognize the "forester" (The I Ching itself) and give the credit to the forester, not our own limited abilities.