I Ching explorations – Part 44 of 64
Heaven over Wind/Wood – The Creative over The Gentle
Situation
Wind blowing under heaven represents the penetrating and
far-reaching implications of an encounter between heaven and earth. Earthly elements rise up in the form of the
gentle wind and delicate wood to join with the powerful upward flowing energy
of Ch’ien – Heaven.
The lines of the hexagram illustrate this occasion. The bottom yielding line represents the dark
feminine force of Nature that is re-emerging.
Here, the dark meets the light; the feminine meets the masculine; the
weak and inferior meets the strong and superior; the yielding meets the firm. And, despite there being five firm/masculine
lines above the single yielding/feminine line, the I Ching cautions that
this is a delicate and dangerous situation!
Kou means to meet, join, couple, and copulate. It is an intense chance encounter that is
driven by earthly energy - a coming together of primal extremes through animal
magnetism.
“Here the
meeting of earthly and heavenly forces is of great significance, because at the
moment when the earthly force enters and the heavenly force is at its
height…all things unfold to the high point of their material manifestation, and
the dark force cannot injure the light force.” (Wilhelm/Bayne, p. 610)
Response
In general terms, the I Ching advises that in a
chance or unexpected meeting between inferior and superior entities, the
inferior can gain an advantage if underestimated by the superior. Because the inferior can increase only if they
are entrusted by their superiors with power, the appropriate response is for
the superior to curtail the inferior’s development.
W/B (p. 171) observes that:
“Although as a general rule the
weak should not come to meet the strong, there are times when this has great
significance. When heaven and earth come
to meet each other, all creatures prosper...the world is put in order.”
Alfred Huang (page 356) advises that:
“When
people encounter each other [for the first time], either they are attracted
[and anticipate a harmonious relationship]…or they reject each other [and
prepare for conflict]. AH goes on to say
that one should not assume that conflict is unavoidable, but to avoid conflict
one should adopt a conciliatory attitude, as expressed by the behavior of the
single yielding line approaching five firm lines.
Outcome
This is a momentous time.
When the paths of these fundamental primal energies coincide and both
parties meet halfway without ulterior motives, elements predestined to be
joined and mutually dependent come together and all benefit. If the respective parties meet with dishonest
ulterior motives, an imbalance in the relationship of yin and yang energies is likely
to occur.
Lines
The
first yielding line represents the re-emergence of yin energy such as occurs at
the Summer Solstice when the dark resumes its ascendance.
1. Don’t underestimate the apparently weak – halt it
immediately.
After
the first yin line, the individual lines depict encounters between the inferior
yin and one of five superior yang elements.
In the first situation, the yin energy is held in check.
2. The negative force is gently contained by good humor
and friendliness.
In the next firm line, one is advised to avoid the
temptations offered by the yin energy:
3. Don’t
be tempted to fall in with evil – avoid serious mistakes with clear vision.
In the next, the superior is advised to tolerate the
inferior so as to gain control:
4. Tolerate
and humor the negative by meeting halfway to secure help when needed.
The fifth line corresponds to a virtuous leader who understands
the laws of Nature:
5. Lead by virtuous example and the negative will
fall to your influence like ripe fruit.
Finally, when isolated at the top a proud superior will not meet
the inferior – no blame/no regret:
6. A
distant and aloof leader bears the dislike of the masses with composure.
Recap
This hexagram corresponds to a meeting of two fundamental
energies – the earthly yin which has unexpectedly returned, and the heavenly
yang in a position of superiority. The dynamics
of the encounter vary and the outcomes are uncertain.
The encounter is propitious if each party plays its role in
accordance with virtue and honesty in accordance with natural laws. Then, the yang elements have the proper
influence:
“Heaven is far from the things of
earth, but it sets them in motion by means of the wind. The ruler is far from his people, but he sets
them in motion through his commands and decrees.” (W/B, p. 171)
If the yang elements succumb to the yin’s advances, temptations,
seductions, and enticements; unanticipated and unfavorable situations result.
(I struggled to find an appropriate image for
this hexagram, and ultimately settled on an image of a man being exposed to the consequences of Pandora opening her box.)
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