Different relationships

There are so many lines in the I Ching, and I would submit that in some ways, all lines in the I Ching discuss our relationship with our own higher selves and how that relationship is either blocked or in non working order, or else it is in good order. In hexagram forty eight line four it says, "The well is being lined." It amazes me how many different meanings any given line can mean. Often it can mean a situation has not fully developed yet, and no definitive answer can be given until the situation develops further. It can also mean that we have not yet fully developed ourselves or the nature of our relationship to our own higher self. Remember that all lines can relate to relationships; either relationships to ourselves, to our neighbors, to our interaction with society as a whole, to relationships with superiors or inferiors, or personal relationships of the most intimate kind. Hexagram forty eight line four can therefore mean, in terms of a personal relationship, that the relationship has not yet fully jelled, and there is no guarantee that the relationship will move to the next level. This of course does not begin to exhaust the possibilities of meaning coming from just this one line.

In hexagram eight we have an obvious reference to relationships of one kind or another. But all types of relationships follow a certain kind of pattern. The same type of principles of  relationship we have with a "significant other" is the type of principles in a relationship with our higher self. Just as we don't want to try to move too fast into a relationship of significance, we cannot too quickly develop a relationship with our own inner self. The stage has to be set. And both hexagrams thirty one and hexagram fifty three (as well as others) caution us against moving too fast into a relationship. It tends to scare the other person away. We have to under many conditions hold back for the time being until the time is right. Until the "well has been lined."

Sometimes a relationship simply is not possible. (Although it is always possible with our higher self if we proceed in the right way.) As such, hexagram eight line six tells us, "He has no head for holding together." In other words, the conditions aren't right for a relationship to develop. This is true on a personal and interhuman level, just as it is true on a deeper level in getting to know our higher self. We do not understand (head) the mechanisms for making a relationship work even within our own being. If the beginning is not right the the end cannot be right either. Relationships cannot develop too quickly. At the same time, if we hesitate too long we miss the minute of truth, the minute when the relationship can work.

Hexagram sixty one indicates also the way relationships work. But here the emphasis is not on the physical aspects of a relationship or the dynamics of male female relationships (actually, yes it does in a certain way, which will be discussed here.) But on the inner affinity necessary between two people to make the relationship work. The same principles that work within us for a relationship with ourselves apply with a relationship with others. There has to be an inner affinity of "like attracting like" in order to make it happen. Usually for men the original impulse for attraction is the physical beauty of the female, where for the female it is the success of the man that is an initial attractor. However, for a relationship to jell and continue it takes more than that. There must be an inner affinity between the two people. In a human relationship however, there has to be an awareness of each other and a mutual looking at each other in the sense of going the same direction. In line four though, the team horse does not look at its mate. This is because it has a job to do and cannot be distracted. In terms of our relationship with our higher self, this has got to be the way it is. We cannot be distracted in pursuing a relationship with our higher self and at all times must attend to our duty. In contradistinction to what I just said though, although the former applies too in it own way, in order to have a relationship with another, we cannot allow outside distractions to develop keeping us from pursuing and continually better relationship with our significant other. We cannot be dazzled by the beauty or the attractiveness of outside people, but must maintain strict discipline in pursuing the improvement of the relationship that we have and the desire to make it better. We must at all times attend to our duty. In this way we "limit ourselves" (hexagram sixty) to the pursuit of that which reinforces the value of the relationships that we have.

Line five of hexagram sixty one says, "He possesses truth, which links together." Falsehood will not enhance our relationships, this is true in interpersonal relationships as well as relationships with our own higher self. We cannot lie to our own higher self. It is impossible. It may be possible to lie to our significant other for a while and get away with it, but eventually it will destroy the relationship, not strengthen it. (I am talking about real deceit here, not little lies to not hurt someone's feelings). However, when both lines four and five of hexagram sixty one change, the resulting hexagram is number thirty eight. Herein lies the possibilities of misunderstandings and how to deal with them. We will get to that later.

Something Very Short

Not much about the I Ching in this post. Just a few short notes, hope to get going again tomorrow or a day or two.

I have been very interested in world events for some time now. There was much debate about whether the Month of December in 2012 would bring some drastic changes. Some thought it was the end of the world. When nothing of particular, (seemingly) importance happened on that day people just ascribed it to the lunatic fringe. Nothing could be further from the truth. It had real significance and still does, and this whole thing is not over. The world is about to experience turmoil like never before. But it won't happen tomorrow or the year after. It is a gradual thing. We are starting to experience it.

The gist of it is this. We are entering a new era. And those who understand the nature of the world and how it works, have a fairly good idea, though not exact, of how things are playing out. The world's elite, the international bankers, the upper level master masons, those controlling behind the scenes are playing us for fools. And it doesn't matter which country you live in or how educated you are. You have been lied to and reality is not anything like what we are taught in schools. Those of us living in the United States are aware of the news that came out about Obama Care, and how the architects of the program have stated that they purposely lied to the American people about how it worked and what it would cost because we are too stupid to know what is good for us. As "snake oily" as that comment is, there is some truth to it in the sense that we have always been lied to, and believe the lies we are told. It has always amazed me, that when we in the west elect our leaders, on the one hand we know they lie, on the other we listen to what they say, and tend to believe them, and vote for our candidate thinking he or she is going to make change, and nothing ever changes. It is because they are counting on the gullibility of the American public.

Well, if you don't live in the west don't think you are not affected because the same thing is true in your country, whether you vote for your leaders or live in a totalitarian state. You are still being lied to. And your leaders think the common folk are unbelievably stupid just as ours do. This world is ruled by a Luciferian principle, whether there is any Lucifer or not, it amounts to the same thing. The elite lie to us about everything, and laugh about it, just like they did with Obama Care.

I will not get into this any further at this time. I just want to mention and recommend a book or two that relates to "esoteric" Christianity, and other "esoteric" systems as well. One book I would recommend is "End Times and 2019. For 2012 was the beginning of this seven year system. If anyone doubts this, it has been documented in main stream magazines and news that the United States intends to start microchipping its population in the year 2017. See what the book of Revelations, starting with chapter 13, has to say about it. Other books might be books written by David Flynn, such as "Temple at the center of time." Or the book by his brother, Mark Flynn, "Labrynth." You might find them interesting.

More on hexagram forty eight

It was mentioned that when hexagram forty eight shows as a secondary hexagram (and also hexagrams four and twenty), it can indicate that the lesson has not been fully understood. Hexagram forty five line five carries a similar theme, but here it is a general statement that the I Ching's teachings are not readily perceived. The line says, "Supreme and enduring perseverance is needed, then remorse disappears." If we do not spend time meditating on the lines and commentary in the I Ching, we will not be able to perceive truly and perfectly the message that is presented before us. It is only when we calm our mind, for only in a state of calmness can we "perceive the laws of the universe." (See hexagram fifty two). But such does not come easily. It is not in the first reading usually that we get the answer. It must be meditated upon until a deeper stratum of our being is reached, (the rope must go all the way down to the well), until we really have a grasp of the meaning of the lines and precepts within the constructs of the I Ching. (The same is true of any other sacred book.) It is only by persevering that we achieve any meaning answers from the I Ching. It is only in persevering in the right, in love, and awe and respect, that the great laws of the universe permeate our mind and produce within us fresh insights. In hexagram twenty nine the light lines are trapped between two dark lines in each trigram. On the one hand, the darkness creates a greater contrast to the light, on the other, the light cannot be readily seen until the lessons of the teacher (the I Ching) are practiced over and over again that the light begins to shine within the darkness. We cannot perceive real spiritual truth until the mental ground of our being has been prepared. (See the parable of the sower who went forth to sow in the gospels). The seeds only produced in the ground that was fertile. Our minds must be fertile.

Hexagram sixty three line three says that, "Long, drawn out struggles must be reckoned with." The struggle is within ourselves. In order to see the light we must meditate and work to understand the metaphorical and metaphysical meanings of the lines. It is only when we are willing to struggle for the answers that the come, and in coming we are allowed to "See the Illustrious Ancestor," In other words, we see the real meaning behind the words. But line five of sixty three says that real seriousness is lacking, and as long as it lacks, our "rope does not go all the way down to the water." We lack seriousness when we look for superficial answers, and having found them, give up any further search thinking we have received the full measure of "water from the well." In that sense we only "shoot fish." And/or our "jug breaks." In this case, as in line four, "The king is not clear minded." His words are only superficial and do not reach to the heart of the problem.

If it were simply a matter of intellectual learning, the teacher (I Ching) would not have to repeat the lesson over and over again, but hexagram twenty nine speaks of the necessity of repetition by the teacher, otherwise the material is not made ones own, and does not have the life giving properties of water.

The Trouble with Forty Eight part two

Just one really quick thing I forgot to write. Part of the charm of hexagram forty eight is its commentary saying, "May fail to penetrate to the real roots...and remain fixed in convention." This is really, really important. Because if we fail to get to the heart of the matter we tend to believe whatever we were brought up to believe; whatever our schools teach us, or our governments or our churches or our psychiatrists tells us. There then becomes no critical thought. We just "follow the conventions."

Now, critical thinking does not guarantee us of any success either. Once again, as in hexagram fifty two, understanding the laws of the universe only come about when we are at deep peace and calm, and no longer affected by the "hustle and bustle" of life. This is because we are looking for spiritual truths, not just intellectual science or religion or philosophy or what have you. We want to go down to the deepest stratum of spiritual teaching, brought to us by the I Ching or other sacred book which has an intelligence of its own beyond human capacity, and can direct its teaching specifically to the individual under timely circumstances when it is most favorable to pass that particular teaching to the individual, and when the individual is most receptive to it.

The trouble with hexagram forty eight

Actually, there is no real problem with hexagram forty eight, except in some contexts. As a secondary hexagram, or the hexagram derived from the changing of lines, hexagram forty eight could at times be telling us that we are "not getting it." The reason we don't get it is that we don't go far enough down into the well to find the real answer. We see spiritual things from a superficial angle only. The commentary in Wilhelm/Baynes on this hexagram says, "We must go down to the foundation of life. For any merely SUPERFICIAL ordering of life that leaves its deepest needs unsatisfied is as ineffectual as if no attempt at order has been made." (At this point, does anyone see why I use only the Wilhelm/Baynes version when using the I Ching for spiritual growth?) How often is our reading and understanding of the I Ching superficial or even misinformed? I would say 100% of the time. It is not enough to just get a simple answer to a simple question with the I Ching. For if it doesn't change us then it doesn't change the circumstances under which we asked the question either. And even if we get some good advice and follow it, it will leave us feeling as in our "deepest needs are still unsatisfied." We have not gotten the real answer, because our rope does not go far enough down.

There are other hexagrams that deal with this same problem although in a slightly different way. Until we get into the upper trigram we are viewing things in a very superficial way. In hexagram twenty it is often that we do not properly perceive the teachings of the teacher, or that we do not have a sufficient basis for understanding to really understand the true meaning. In several places in the I Ching it tells us that until we can truly calm our mind we cannot understand the laws of the universe. (See hexagram fifty two for one example.) The problem is discussed also in hexagram four, but here the emphasis is one the immaturity of the one attempting to perceive, and teaching alone is not enough, but life experience is what is really needed. It is one thing to have head knowledge of a subject, it is another to experience it and through "repetition of the material" make it a part of our inner being. When hexagram forty eight appears, it is possible to think we have gotten to the truth when we have not. In this case we need to take the advice of hexagram twenty one, and "bite through" til we get to the heart of the message. For when we think we understand, usually we do not.