Hexagram 51 The Shake

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.

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[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.