Two Case Studies
In recent weeks, two users have independently shared their scenarios with me, to which the I Ching responded with Hexagram 64 – before completion. In the following text, I interpret the hexagram in relation to these two situations.
In hexagram 64 – before completion the two trigrams Kan (the water; lower trigram and second core character) and Li (the fire; first core character and upper trigram) alternate. The starting point is Kan, the water, and the ending point is Li , the fire.
Kan symbolizes our spiritual roots, a stable foundation of our individual existence that spans generations. Here lies our own intuitive wisdom of life lies here, our essence, but also the legacy of our ancestors, that stretches across generations. It is the soil in which we are rooted and from which we can grow and develop.
Many interpretations of the I Ching view Kan negatively, considering it dangerous. I understand why: Kan has a dynamic that is beyond our intellectual control. It is probably the proverbial cupboard full of skeletons. But I am pretty sure that there are just as many treasures in that cupboard. I suppose that both aspects are in balance, and we are definitely doing well in connecting with our primordial grounds. For all the actions that we initiate from this place, have a distinct quality, they feel right in a very special way.
The two users mentioned above describe very different life situations. I have tried to simplify their respective questions in relation to Kan, our primordial ground (the original questions are reproduced below).
- User A: What should I do – I feel like I am being lured into dangerous areas.
- User B: I want to live a righteous life – something is trying to keep me from the right path.
What actually determines our destiny, that is, the quality of our worldly experience? Being lured into dangerous realms or onto wrong paths seems like disturbing magnetism in a harmful direction.
In Eastern religions there is the concept of karma, the spiritual doctrine of cause and effect. What makes this concept interesting is the teaching of the emptiness of things (Śūnyatā) which, in a nutshell, states that the nature of all things is neutral.
It is our personal attunement (karma) that causes us to experience something in an either positively or negatively. An example: It starts to rain. The onset of rain is inherently a neutral event. However, our personal experience may be positive (“Great! My garden really needed watering.”) or negative (“Oh, I forgot my umbrella!”).
Our inner attunement is like the frequency dial on a radio: it determines what kind of music we will hear (or, analogously, what kind of experiences we will have in our lives). At the same time our inner attunement is an aspect of our basic nature and therefore intellectually elusive. Perhaps the best way to learn about our inner attunements is to pay close attention to what kind of destiny is unfolding before our eyes (just as we can deduce the frequency of the radio by listening to the music).
This brings us to Li (the fire; first core character and upper trigram). Li corresponds to the functional circuit of the small intestine in Chinese medicine and represents our ability to differentiate between the important and the unimportant. Inevitably, we have to sort through the abundance of life’s experiences. Otherwise we would descend into chaos. Li differentiates our thoughts, distinguishes facts, clarifies relationships and sorts emotions.
Our soul’s primordial ground (Kan), and especially our inner attunement, determine how we experience the essentially neutral events of our lives. We can only influence this destiny through the back door: by becoming aware of which karmic magnetisms determine our experience of the world – and gently counteracting them with the help of Li.
Temptations into dangerous realms, seductions into false paths are… hints. Hints that there are magnetisms within our own primordial grounds that are active here and now. We can follow those magnetisms. Or we can counteract them by consciously changing our focus and concentrating on what we want to achieve. Eventually, and over time, the old magnetism will fade.
In concrete terms, it could look like this:
- For user A, clarity in her own actions could be a good antidote to an obscure relationship.
- In the case of user B, being true to oneself does not necessarily mean giving in to the first temptation. After all, giving in to your own laziness and skipping your jog or indulging in a bar of chocolate is not proof of being true to yourself. Sometimes it may be the right thing to do. But more often than not, that indulgence is a lack of loyalty to yourself – and to your own principles. After all, no one goes jogging regularly (or gives up chocolate) because they always feel like it. Rather, it is because you have decided to do it for very good reasons, and you stick with it. Depending on your personal disposition, personal integrity is always an uphill battle against your own weaknesses.
Further Questions on Hexagram 64
- Detailed description of the situation A: A somewhat obscure relationship. The user has asked the I Ching what is the best thing for her to do in this matter.
- Detailed description of the situation B: In order to save his marriage user B has radically separated from a person who is very important to him. He loves his wife and his children. However, he cannot get this other woman out of his mind. He would like to be a good person, at peace with himself and the world. But right now he feels miles away from this ideal. The situation oppresses and tortures him. His question to the I Ching: “How long must I endure until this goes away? And how can I be faithful not only to my family but also to myself?”
- For the past 16 years user C has been involved in a very specific working, learning and social environment. For the past two years there have been signs that a new move is coming. If so, it would be a big change. The user asked the I Ching what the next cycle of his life would hold for him.
- One user writes: “For 4 years I have had very strong feelings for a professor of mine. I am convinced that she has feelings for me as well but so far she has always only ever been 100% professional. I asked the I Ching if it is in our highest good to be lovers after graduation.”
The current interpretation can be found here: https://www.no2do.com/hexagramme_en/878787.htm
