Ascending step by step.
Creative impulse. Spiritual influence nourishing all.
Benefit from opening to the spirit within ourselves and that of others.
No doubts.
True principles. Correct wisely.
Structure:
· Gentleness, devotion below 6, movement above 2. Gentle devoted action.
· Wood below the earth. Wood in the earth grows upward.
Image: A tree gradually grows out of the Earth,
rising loftier as it matures.
A tree pushes itself up through Earth. This effort begins with the its hidden roots,
which ground the tree within the Earth and make growth possible. In a similar way, the sage remains rooted
within the spirit path, which began with the commitment to complete it.
The ascent to fulfillment depends upon an effort of will to
realize the ways of the spirit within our lives. We turn away from worldly
concerns[1]
by making the daily effort to do even a
little to benefit all and ridding ourselves of even a slight fault, becoming stronger
with persistence. The wise open to the spirit
within and master their self-cherishing and hostility for others.
Trees put out new growth during the spring and early summer,
not in the fall or winter. All
impediments to the spiritual path and doing what benefits all fall away in this
propitious time, and we can progress easily.
When favorable conditions emerge
for bringing forth what benefits all into the world[2],
we must take full advantage of this opportunity and set ourselves to work as
our efforts have the greatest chance of surviving the harsh conditions of the
world. The propitious time comes not from our own efforts but comes
as a sacred blessing. We are to have no
doubts about the success of our efforts.
Sages follow the example of the gradual growth of trees and
take small steps to make steady, imperceptible progress in their great and
joyous ascension. Being gentle and yielding are the conditions for
advance. Sages maintain their balance
while pushing upward by remaining mindful within quickly changing experiences,
cooperating with the wise, and unceasingly acting in ways that benefit
all.
The selfless bring what benefits all into the world by
adapting and yielding to what is
rather than forcing their will upon the situation in which they find
themselves. Inwardly obedient and
outwardly agreeable, external difficulties do not hinder those rooted in the
spirit. Adapting to the situation by bending
around what it cannot change makes it possible for a tree or a sage to keep pushing
upward and grow even in a most difficult situation. Only such calm, steady
progress that overleaps nothing leads us to the profound attainment of the living
the ways of the spirit within the world.
Line 1: This line represents the root from which the
growth and ascent draws strength. The
confident line pushes upward from its lowly position to the heights. Hidden roots connect the wise with the spirit,
which makes completion of the spiritual path possible. The sacred unites all
whose direction in life harmonizes with the spirit.
Line 2: Once the line has mastered its
self-cherishing and hostility for others, it dedicates itself to benefiting
all. Great joy comes from following the spiritual path.
Line 3: A strong line in a strong place confidently
presses forward to take advantage of the time.
All hindrances fall away, and the line advances. This easy progress might cause doubts, but
the wise do not yield to any misgivings as that would erode their resolve.
Line 4: The sage reaches the stage in in the
spiritual path that it enters the circle of those who foster the spiritual life
of the world. The sage’s significance
endures beyond time.
Line 5: The virtuous line ascends further, step by
step. The sage completes the spiritual
path and fulfills its great purpose.
Line 6: Increasing darkness and lack of clarity make
it impossible to clearly distinguish the path forward. Only the virtuous can advance in dark times
because of their unceasing rectitude. Even then, this untimely effort has
minimal benefit.
[1] Worldly concerns are the 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 believe themselves superior to others and express their self-cherishing through patriarchy, discrimination, and subjugation, willing to use violence to protect their rung within the hierarchy and to support the powerful. The selfish consume as much as they can and seek constant distractions for the pleasures they derive from their addictions.
[2] World does not refer to nature but to how people live within nature. The world – civilization, culture, history, society, beliefs, worldly influences – is embedded as a subsystem within the natural system.
