Hexagram Fifty Lines Two and Five

When lines two and five of hexagram fifty change, the resulting hexagram is thirty three. At first glance there seems to be no relationship in themes between these two hexagrams, and yet there is in each at least one thread that corresponds. The second line in hexagram fifty retreats from those who are envious of him. They are envious of him because of his special relationship with the ruler in line five. Since the ruler protects line two however, those who wish him or her harm are not able to perpetrate their acts of disharmony upon him or her. The second line protects him or her self by remaining in the company of those who are close to him or her. The line says, "There is food in the Ting." Food is shared only with those who are close to us. After transformation, and the disarming of "the huns in the northern borderland, the territory won at such bitter cost," (hexagram sixty three line three and sixty four line four) we are able to return home (hexagram twenty four and thirty seven) to be with our families. As such we retreat from the outside world.

But the second line in thirty three has one person he does not retreat from. The second line does not retreat from the ruler in the fifth. The line says, "No one can tear him loose." We must have that kind of an attitude at one level in regards to maintaining that connection with the universal spiritual force. We must maintain that attitude in relationship to the Sage, the I Ching, and demand of it its messages to us, (in a respectful manner of course) not allowing any external agent, (those who are envious of us) from disrupting our communication with the I Ching (the food in the ting). In the same way in our relationships we must hold tight to those who love us and maintain in every way possible a good relationship to them. As it says in hexagram thirty seven, line five, "As a king he approaches his family." Those we share food with, the food in the ting, are those we should foster special relationships with and not let them go. They are of utmost importance to us. The commentary on live five in hexagram fifty says, "A man who is modest and approachable in nature." Naturally we are approachable in nature to our family. They are of the utmost importance to us and come before everything. Husband and wife much treat each other that way, so too an employee and employer, and so too our relationship to the sage, who feeds us spiritually from the I Ching. Notice that the fifth line of fifty is noted as holding on to something, just as the second line of hexagram thirty three. The fifth line of thirty three retreats however, in all friendliness just as the second line of fifty retreats from those who are not of his family, not out of anger, but simply because he knows those who are his own and those who are not. Once transformation has been completed in our lives, we know who we belong to and who we do not. We retreat from the latter, and cling to the former.