Observing - Hexagram 20

Hexagram 20 – Observing Guan

Observing.

The moments between preparing for an offering and making it.

The influence of the accord between inner being and one’s actions.

 

 

Structure: 

·          Wind 6 above, penetrating.  Earth 5 below, receptive

·          Devotion below.  Gentleness above.

Ideogram:  Vision and a waterbird, which has an aerial view. 

Image:  The structure of the hexagram suggests an ancient Chinese watch tower, from which one has a wide view of the countryside.  When situated on a mountain, a watchtower also serves as a widely seen landmark.  The hexagram describes contemplating the consequences of actions and also being observed as an example. 

Time:  September – October, the 8^th month in the Chinese calendar.  The light-giving power retreats as the dark power increases.

The hexagram depicts an ancient Chinese sacrificial ritual, which opened with the emperor washing his hands and then invoking the spirits of his ancestor spirits by pouring a drink to offer them.  Upon completion of these ritual acts, he made the sacrifice.  The time between invoking the spirit and making the sacrifice was the ceremony’s most sacred, the moments of deepest inner concentration.  If the emperor expressed sincere piety, those who observed the ritual experienced awe and felt transformed.

The hexagram means to partly take by seeking to understand life through contemplation and to partly give by serving an example.  The sage seeks truth in knowing the cosmos[1]and then finds ways to manifest the Way of humanity[2] in the world[3], approaching life as a sacred ceremony. Sages are also objects of observation.  We can observe the influence of sages upon the world and apprehend how their virtues[4] have greatly benefited all and then follow their example. 

The strong in faith deeply observe and understand the uniformity of natural occurrences. Fathoming the meaning underlying the workings of the cosmos goes beyond recognizing the prevailing forces and extends to understanding how these forces interconnect with the whole and to each other.  Such an understanding gives the wise called upon to influence others the means of producing like effects.

We see holiness in nature as it conforms to changing conditions.  The sage through a deep resting within the spirit can apprehend the invisible and the sacred laws of life. Understanding the changes of the cosmos gives the sage called upon to influence others the capacity to do the same.  The sage, knowing cosmic law, foretells the consequence of actions and their predictions come true.

Sages express the Way of humanity within their own lives.  They use their knowledge of the Way to teach through example what they have come to understand. The unseen spiritual power of the sage influences without others being aware of how it happens. The sage reveals in it own being the Way of humanity, and others experience the influence and want to make it their path. 

We know others by observing their behavior.  The ignorant ruin and abandon themselves and willingly remaining in base folly without ever changing.  Those who only concern themselves with worldly concerns[5] persist in stubborn ignorance.  The selfish and small minded observe how the external world could benefit them, the lowest form of observation.

People who look outward from a subjective, self-referential standpoint cannot understand the motives of others. Such limited and confused observing does not reach far.  For those engaged in public life, such a narrow egotistical point of view causes harm. People who turn away from the path accept the false to be true and adhere to worldly concerns, injuring life and the Earth.

The wise preserve presence of mind in the midst of the world, reversing the disruptions of worldly concerns.  Deeply conditioned beliefs and patterns of behavior take time to undo, yet self-cherishing withdraws in the spirit’s presence.  Once we see and rest within the spirit, the influences of acquired conditioning and beliefs weaken.  The wise first honor the spirit and then act to reduce their self-cherishing.  Thus, with reverent sincerity, the wise obey the spirit and open to its influence.

Those to whom others look up must always be ready for self-examination.  Only by observing our influence upon others can we increase our self-knowledge and receive the needed feedback to learn from mistakes and avoid future ones.  When these effects have benefited others will contemplation bring the satisfaction of knowing we live the Way of humanity.

An observation that can see far requires clear knowledge and the openness to how things actually are.  Practitioners of the Way observe the great purpose of life. Profound contemplation transforms the seeker’s relationship to others and all life.  Once liberated from the dominance of worldly concerns, the sage contemplates the Way of humanity and realizes that acting to benefit all and the Earth achieves its highest life’s purpose. 

Line 1:  The line observes life without comprehension, yet it is not to blame as it is untrained.  Sages experience a situation as a dynamic connected whole and know how to respond to it in ways that benefit all.   Those on the path who fail to observe life as a sage become aware that they have lost the track.

Line 2:  People commonly have a subjective, limited outlook on the world.  They relate everything to themselves and cannot put themselves in another’s place to understand their motives.  For those who actively engage in public life, such a shallow, egotistic way of contemplating the world brings shame and harm.

Line 3:  The line accords with the time in advancing toward what benefits and withdrawing from what harms to keep with the Way.  It learns whether to advance or withdraw by observing the effects of its being upon others, whether we have harmed or benefited.  Through such reflection, we can discern the Way. 

Line 4:  The line contemplates and cares for the virtues of its society.  It benefits from supporting its leadership to benefit all.

Line 5:  The line views life as from a mountain.  Those who lead contemplate the influence they have upon others.  If the outcomes of its actions benefit others, the leader has a good influence and has no regrets. 

Line 6: The line has firm creativity in a high place.   Free of self-cherishing, the sage contemplates the laws of life and realizes that knowing how to become free of fault is the highest good. The sage has not yet forgotten the world and still has concerns for its welfare.

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[1] Cosmos is the sacred universe, the whole.

[2] The Way of humanity embodies the laws of Tao that govern the human being in relationship to the spirit, with each other and with the Earth. It is the path of love that creatively responds to the experiences of life in ways that benefit all.  Sages shape their experience through the human virtues of caring for all, moral discipline, justice, and wisdom to bring to life the spirit within the world, materializing the invisible.  Sages find their purpose and meaning by obeying the spiritual command to reduce inner faults and manifest the sacred within the world.  Suffering ends when we have the lived experience that the self and other are the same and experience expresses the sacred mystery.

[3] 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. 

[4] Virtues shape our behavior and align us with the spirit.  The Tao brings forth the good and great, which we experience as love. The Tao causes all life to develop and flow within natural limits, regulating and organizing love, which we call a moral discipline that benefits all.  The Tao transforms life so that each attains its true nature, a power that we call justice that ensures that all life has the means to achieve its potential according to its being.  The Tao harmonizes all life within interbeing, which we call wisdom, and separates what endures from what perishes.  The completed sage uses these virtues to shape the world.

[5] Worldly concerns:  Selfish individuals seek domination over others, wealth and hoarding of resources, indulgence of their pleasures, and the attention of others.  They cause others to suffer subservience, poverty, pain, and then the selfish ignore the harm they cause others.