Case Study
A user asks the I Ching the following question: “Does he call me because he still feels the same way as I do? Is he just calling out of kindness? Is he calling me because he misses me as much as I do? Does he still have feelings for me?” The I Ching’s answer is 62 – Preponderance of the Small.
Actually I immediately had a vague idea about the interpretation of the hexagram in the context of the above question. But I could not put it into words right away. In the past few weeks I have learned a lot about a certain (Taijiquan) principle. And understanding this principle became a key for me to understand hexagram 62 – Preponderance of the Small.
But let’s start at the beginning. What is the relationship between Yin and Yang? They are opposites, of course. Yin is contraction, sinking, movement that obeys gravity. And Yang is dynamic growth, expansion, movement towards the sky. Yin becomes Yang – roughly speaking that’s the movement described in hexagram 62 – Preponderance of the Small. Initial detachment becomes clear determination.
Well, the hexagram’s starting point is detachment and letting go (Gen, the mountain; lower trigram). Sounds simple, but it is so difficult for most people. We have a natural tendency to hold on to things and thought patterns. They give us meaning, they create our identity. What happens when we let them go? We fear a gaping void, a lack of meaning, a loss of identity. And yet we are invited to let go. Why?
Recently, during a Taijiquan class, I experienced that letting go, withdrawing, sinking into my root is at the beginning of every new movement. My adequate (= in relation to my intended goal) release was followed by a truly effortless yet powerful raise. My upward movement felt as if there was a force supporting me, as if the ground was a kind of trampoline lifting me up.
The physical experience I had during Taijiquan class represents an active principle that applies to our entire lives: Releasing and sinking triggers effortless growth. It is as if the natural foundation of our entire human existence is a single, elastic trampoline.
And what would happen if we tried to stay at the top of the trampoline all the time? We would lose the effortless flow…
And so hexagram 62 – Preponderance of the Small begins with an invitation to disengage (Gen, the mountain; lower trigram). In the case of the user, this could be the many questions that deal exclusively with the well-being of another person. And which make her completely forget that she is the subject! What are her feelings? And what are her desires? Even if there were clear answers to her questions (“Yes, he loves you!” – “No, he just wants to be friendly!”), what would they mean? Should she make decisions based on those answers ? Those decisions would be unfree. And possibly inappropriate because thea don’t take her own feelings into account. What does she feel? Does she love him? Are her feelings deep enough for a serious relationship?
In this respect, the I Ching’s advice to detach is a very wise. The here-and-now focus is also expressed in the in the image saying, “Thus in his conduct the superior man gives preponderance to reverence. In bereavement he gives preponderance to grief. In his expenditures he gives preponderance to thrift.” This sounds almost like the words of a Zen master who says:” When I drink tea, I drink tea, and when I meditate I meditate. “And the user? Is the user – with her own thoughts, feelings, and desires.
As the hexagram progresses, Gen (the mountain; lower trigram) becomes Sun (the tree / wind; first core character): a momentum of growth that comes from our own center. Now that we have become aware of to our own inner self and reconnected with our essence, things begin to move without any effort on our part. And these things come into the light, become visible, begin to manifest in the world: Sun becomes Dui (the lake; second core character). Dui represents an opening from the inside to the outside. It allows the outside / environment to enter the inside and our inside to express itself to the outside. It’s about listening attentively to the echoes of our own actions / feelings / claims, while fresh impulses from our environment come to us.
The hexagram ends in Zhen (the thunder; upper trigram): a decision that finally pushes outward and becomes visible to all through clear action.
In his translation George Zimmerman points out that the original wording of the hexagram is: “Small Guo is Guo”. Guo can be translated as “transition” but also as “preponderance”. Therefore, he translates the whole hexagram as follows: “Preponderance of the Small represents a transition.”
Let us recall the developmental steps described in the hexagram: a relatively small action (disengagement) leads to a tiny shift in perspective (in the user’s case: Not the friend’s well-being but the user’s well-being is the focus) which leads to a big change (in the user’s case: Decisions and actions arise from her own state of mind). Isn’t this exactly what the original Chinese text describes? Can this development – the wings of a butterfly triggering an avalanche – be expressed in better words than “Small Guo is Guo.”?
Bibliography
— Zimmermann, Georg. 2007. I Ging – Das Buch der Wandlungen. Düsseldorf: Patmos.
Further Questions on Hexagram 62
- The exam period is beginning. A user wants to get the best grade possible on her final exam. However, she feels that she has not yet fully mastered the material. Should she postpone the exams? Her question to the I Ching: “Should I take the exams now?”
- A new neighbor has moved in and is constantly running an appliance that is disturbing the peace and quiet. It causes severe vibrations and noise, as if a moped is constantly driving up and down in front of and under the apartment. Neither the landlord nor the police take the complaints seriously, but the user does not want to mov oute. His question to the I Ching: “What will become of this situation?”
The current interpretation can be found here: https://www.no2do.com/hexagramme_en/887788.htm
