The Shake.
Spiritual influence nourishing all.
The shake coming: frightening, frightening.
Laughing words, shrieking, shrieking.
The shake terrifies a hundred miles.
The sage not losing the ways of the spirit.
Ideogram: Excite and rain; outburst, shaking, and startling.
Structure: Two thunders 2 combine, thunder after thunder. One strong line under two weak ones press upward so violently that it arouses terror.
Time: Zhen appears in the order of trigrams in the east, marking
the spring equinox and the beginning of a new cycle of growth.
The unexpected shock of thunder
or earthquake causes fear and trembling.
From this action, comes that action.
From that action, comes this action – a thousand actions all come from
the first action. Positive energy bursts
from below and comes through.
The natural philosophy of the I Ching posits that the
harmonized cooperation of all nature arise not from a supreme authority external
to our being and universe but from the fact that they are parts of an ever more
comprehensive whole, a cosmic[1]
pattern. What parts obey are the
internal dictates of their own nature.
Thus, the innate alignment of all parts with the cosmic
laws of change gives rise to parts moving in harmony with the movement of the
whole.
Inward Shock
We have daily encounters of an inner shock that disturbs the flow of our
lives and causes us confusion. The
source of the disruption may come from a feeling, a thought, or memory, which
our mind constantly generates and which capture our attention.
If the shock disturbs our resting in presence within the whole, the experience
gives rise to feeling of separation from the whole, the existential fears of
abandonment and not existing. Sages have
the capacity to turn inward and release the experience of this energy within
awareness of the whole. Those who react
emotionally to disturbing shock direct their fear into world[2]
and act on their fears in ways that will drive them dangerously deeper into their
fears of separation.
Sages recognize feelings and thoughts as they arise, but they are careful
not to follow them. The wise simply drop
the story and hold the feelings within the awareness of the whole until their
energy releases into the experience of everything. The transient fear and confusion arising from
the sense of separation from the whole diffuses into awareness of the whole. The wise recognize the waves of feelings and thoughts
for what they are and manage them in ways that benefit all.
The wise know that the longer they ponder their feelings and negative
thoughts, the more they objectify them into something that they come to believe
is real. The sage discharges the emotional
core of this mind energy into awareness as soon as they become of aware of it and
fully recovers resting within the whole.
Shock of Destiny
The ancient Chinese saw the
unexpected, overwhelming shock that comes from the depths of our being as a manifestation
of the divine, a shock of destiny. We
may experience such a shock at different moments within our lives. This inward
pressing aspect of the spirit calls for us to transform our lives and release
our spiritual potential.
We cannot but fear this immediate
presence of the creative spirit as it contains enormous power. We fully experience the spirit alive within
us in the moment. The spirit leaves us
no choice as it inescapably stands before us and demands we come to terms with
it. We fulfill our destiny by how we
respond to the coming forth of the creative.
Just as thunder after thunder
reverberates, when we experience the unexpected power of the creative, feelings
and thoughts arise wildly, one reaction leading to myriad reactions and persisting
like the movement of resounding thunder.
Those dependent upon worldly concerns[3]
for meaning easily lose their bearing and mutely let fate take its course. The wise allow these creative shocks to
induce movement within their being. They
remain open to what they cannot see, what they cannot hear. Filled with reverence for the manifestation
of the sacred, sages search their hearts lest they harbor any secret opposition
to the Way of the cosmos.
The wise do not resist the shock
of destiny but flexibly move through it with an inner calm so to become equal
to the creative energy. Filled with the
living energy of the Tao, the mind rests peacefully in the center, tranquil and
undisturbed, yet sensitive and effective in manifesting the spirit in ways that
transform the world.
Only the wise stay devotedly on the path amidst the terror of a divine shock, persistently benefiting all and teaching others the Way of humanity. The wise use the experience of fear and trembling to shape and explore their destiny. They do not resist its great power nor avoid it, but they keep balanced and mindful of the greater whole. Such is the way to face fear of the sacred call of destiny and handle it well.
Fear and courage
Fear causes the energy of our
resolve to fade, leading to weakness and incapacity. We may fear what might happen to us if we do
nothing, or we may fear the consequences of our actions should we act,
trembling in fear inside and out. Anxiety erodes our resolve, making it
impossible to respond well to the situation.
If fear overwhelms us, then we cannot do what the creative calls us to
do. If we only fear, we then fully
expose ourselves to the brute forces cause and effect.
Sages overcome the danger of repeated shocks by holding fast to the spirit
and by avoiding inner agitation. The
wise do not remain numb and passive. Adapting to changing conditions requires
balance, which depends upon an inner discipline of self-control and a firm will
to adhere to the ways of the spirit. The
sage discerns the path to avoid the worst effects of the shock and acts in ways
that benefit all. The sage keeps the
greater whole in mind while gently managing the self. Thus,
fear does not cause the sage’s resolve to live the Way to waver. Decisiveness replaces fear.
Our actions in the world reflect
our feelings and thoughts we have for the arising experience. If we feel agitated, then our actions will
further agitate the situation. Fear of others leads one into greater danger.
Those who have learned within their hearts what fear and trembling mean
have developed inner capacities to safeguard themselves against any terror
produced by outside influence. They have
a profound inner seriousness from which all outer terrors glance off
harmlessly. Sages remain composed and
reverent in spirit as they remain calm within the agitation caused by outer
movement.
Awareness of an injustice without acting to remedy it ends
in being traumatized by the destructiveness of selfishness in the world. Fear of catastrophic outcomes immobilizes
those who stare too long into the abyss. Anxiety erodes our resolve, making it
impossible to respond well to the situation.
The wise respond to injustices by finding others of like kind to discern
the path that benefits all.
Action as a practice
When a shock comes, the wise carefully choose a beneficial response
and then put their plan into action.
What we do in the world manifests our inner attainment. Action tests our practice.
As soon as we act, everything
changes. We must stay alert and quickly
adapt to an unfolding, dynamic process of change while persistently preserving
a loving presence and abiding with the ways of the spirit. The wise are equal to the shock by yielding
to it and allowing the creative energy to move them into effective action. They
ride on the fierce and perilous forces of the shock, facing their fears and
moving through them to fulfill their destiny.
Within the world, once we act there is no way to undo our
actions. Yet in the time that calls for
action, and we must not waver. The wise
have faith in the path and the skills they developed through practice,
cooperating with their partners to transform what harms, and giving generously
of their resources. They accept the consequences of their actions, learning
from their mistakes and to act more effectively next time.
The sage uses the difficulties of
the world’s affairs to cultivate virtue.
All spiritual development occurs in the midst of activity. No detail is too small as the sage knows to
thoroughly attend to whatever it does.
Through compassionate action, sages find ways to extend their blessings
into the world.
Sages experience the shocks of destiny as a blessing and
move with the sudden burst of creative inspiration. They have curiosity for this sacred
experience and to explore where the shock carries them.
Line 1: This line is the source of the powerful shock, which causes all to fear and tremble. The sage moves through its anxiety and returns to presence. The sage keeps the greater whole in mind while managing the self. Our actions in a fearful situation manifest our inner attainment. Action tests our practice.
Line 2: The shock endangers
the line, and it loses much. If the line
should resist, it would have even greater losses, the loss of the Way. We should not chase after material things to
avoid their loss in the midst of the shock.
The line retreats inwardly to
heights inaccessible to the threatening forces.
The shock only endangers it externally, just as a thunderstorm causes a
momentary shock. The line accepts its
losses without much worry, knowing that when the time changes, it will get back
what it lost. Once the shock passes and
normalcy has returned, it can act again.
Line 3: The line revives its
courage and strength by following spiritual
guidance to overcome its weakness and moves toward what benefits all. The wise are equal to the shock by
yielding to it and allowing the creative energy to move them into effective action.
Line 4: The strong line is caught fast in the mire of conditioning. It does not respond energetically to the
moving times. When shaken and
frightened, people like this cannot rouse themselves and act vigorously on their
own. They remain stuck and lose the
creative opportunity.
Line 5: The weak line in a strong place remains centered on the good. It does not deviate from the right way. The line experiences repeated shocks with no
breathing space between them, but the shocks cause no loss because the line stays
in the center of movement and does not get tossed about.
Sages overcome danger of repeated shocks by holding fast to the spirit and
by avoiding inner agitation. Adapting to
changing conditions requires balance, which depends upon an inner discipline of
self-control and a firm will to adhere to the Way of humanity. Thus, fear does not cause the sage’s resolve
to live the Way to fade.
Line 6: The
height of inner shock robs the line of reflection and clarity of vision, making
it impossible to act with presence of mind.
The line sees the effects of the shock on others around it and withdraws
in time. The sage keeps still until it
can restore composure and clarity. The
line can do this only if fear has not yet overwhelmed it.
Inside and outside is fear alone,
which causes uneasy movement and unsteady observation, weakness and
incapacity. Those who end up only
fearing cannot get far.
[1] Cosmos is the sacred universe, the whole.
[2]
World does not refer to the Earth
but to how people live on Earth. The
world – civilization, culture, history, society, science, economy, education,
technology – is embedded as a subsystem within the natural system. People create their world through the choices
they make.
[3] Worldly concerns are the amoral ways in which the selfish willingly harm others for self-benefit and then ignore the suffering they cause. Selfish individuals seek power and domination over others and willingly use violence to do so. The selfish accumulate wealth through the unlimited exploitation and ultimate destruction of people, other life forms, and the Earth. The selfish seek the attention of others. The selfish consume as much as they can and seek constant distractions from facing the harms they caused others, all life, and the Earth.
