Case Study
A user has the following concern: “Why does the question of the meaning of life keep popping into my head, even though it seems to make no sense and I just keep going around in circles?” The I Ching’s answer: hexagram 61 – Inner Truth.
I had barely finished writing the text for hexagram 62 – Preponderance of the Small, when I received the above inquiry about the meaning of life. Yes, what is the meaning of our lives? Our lives, of course! Our lives that we often live so thoughtlessly. Our lives into which we constantly shout our questions. And in which, day after day, we find answers to these questions. Surprising answers that all too often take us by surprise: Because the question we originally asked has already slipped our mind…
The two hexagrams, 62 – Preponderance of the Small and 61 – Inner Truth, are like mirror images: The yin-lines of one become the yang-lines of the other and vice versa. Hexagram 62 – Preponderance of the Small is about disengagement, about letting go and reflecting on ourselves in order to grow from this position and ultimately take action. Hexagram 61 – Inner Truth, on the other hand, begins with our contact with the world.
In this sense, Dui, the lake, the first trigram of hexagram 62 – Preponderance of the Small, means opening the boundaries of our self and trustingly surrendering to the interplay of receiving (the external / environmental penetrates into our core) and giving (we express our inner self to the outside).
It is also fitting that Dui is the yin trigram of the phase element metal, which also includes the functional circuit (meridian) lung. The lung is our largest organ of contact (skin surface area: 1.5 to 2 m² compared to the surface area of the alveoli: 80 to 120 m²), through which we constantly communicate with our environment. Our lungs are the border between us and our environment. Every time we inhale, we open this boundary in order to take in non-self, i.e., foreign things, and every time we exhale we give our self to the environment.
So our breathing is the practical implementation of the principle of Dui: letting go and receiving. And that is why it is sometimes helpful to become aware of this principle, just for a few breaths, by sitting down, becoming aware of this-is-me and this-is-not-me, and then bringing these two realms of existence into exchange through breathing! Our breath, inhaling and exhaling, is the basis of our life, this is true in a very concrete way. An eventually, it is also true in a figurative sense: Our life is about bringing the two realms, the other and the self, into exchange.
Yes, what do we actually encounter out there in life? Just being aware of this makes a lot of sense… And depending on our personal level of maturity, we experience these encounters more or less unconditionally. The much quoted Beginner’s mind, the attitude of the beginner (or Shoshin in Zen Buddhism), comes to mind: open, curious, without prior knowledge or prejudice. Ready to engage fully in the encounter. Children sometimes have this attitude – as do spiritual masters.
As the hexagram progresses, Dui, opening, receiving, perceiving, leads to action and decision (Zhen, the thunder; first core character). Each decision separates things: into what is to be keept, and what is to be let go of (Gen, the mountain; second core character). All of these are important steps that will ultimately reunite us with our true selves and bring about inner growth (Sun, the wind / tree; upper trigram).
In the I Ching texts that were found in Mawangdui, China in 1972, this hexagram is called Zhong Fu – Return to the Center. This title can be taken literally: the hexagram has an empty center and is therefore a kind of black hole. But I think the title also makes sense in its metaphorical meaning: returning to our own center.
This time, however, image and judgment are of little help in understanding the hexagram. Perhaps this is because some secret (being revolutionary or critical) political messages were hidden in the texts. (See also: The Classical Interpretation Texts of the I Ching in the Textus Receptus)
Further Questions on Hexagram 61
- A user asks what the coming year will bring. The I Ching’s answer, hexagram 61 – Inner Truth, fits well with her life situation. She is learning to rely more and more on her inner voice and perception for guidance.
- One user writes: “I have been seeing a man on and off for about two and a half years. On the one hand, we are attracted to each other in a special way, but on the other hand, it doesn’t seem to be the right time for a relationship. Eventually we could meet and connect on a physical level very easily and lightheartedly, I as a woman would just have to give the signal. But within myself I’m not ready yet. So much old stuff overshadows my own joyful energy, I lack inner security.”
- One user’s question is: “How can I find my strength in my artistic work and enjoy it again?”
The current interpretation can be found here: https://www.no2do.com/hexagramme_en/778877.htm
