Hexagram 26 - Accumulating the Great

Accumulating the great.

Harvesting: the proven core.

Not staying within.  Significant.

Harvesting:  enter the stream of life with a purpose

 

Structure 

·          Above is the mountain 4.  Below is the Creative power 1. Creative within the mountain.

·          Mountain presses down the rising Creative.

The trigram 4 images a mountain.  Ancient Chinese saw mountains enshrouded with mystery, the place where life and death pass into the other.  An electric charge seems to emanate from these sacred places.  Mountains accumulate, strengthen, and nourish life.

The trigram 1 represents the nameless, which we might call the Tao, the Creative, the spirit. The creative energy constantly surges outward in time, a perpetual flux of possibilities. In this hexagram, these energies rest and accumulate within the mountain and are shaped by it.

The Creative within the Mountain represents the process that tames the flux of the creative potential within our being by the strength of our virtues. Sages in meditation keep still like a mountain and remains aware of the spirit. By persistently turning inward toward the spirit, we develop the strength to stay with the sacred and not have our presence swept away by distractions. In this way we develop an ever stronger container in which to cultivate our spiritual path.  Keeping still, the wise hold fast to the spirit and accumulate the energies of the cosmos. 

The spiritual path is the refuge of those who follow it, providing them shelter and nourishment. The mountain collects and gathers about it the forces of life. By keeping still and collecting oneself, the wise develop their virtues.  Holding together with the ways of the spiritual path so strengthens our virtues that a daily renewal takes place. Coming to rest within the sacred presence opens us to our limitless spiritual being. When we can simply and openly rest within the spirit, we find our center, our home.

Everything depends upon overcoming our self-cherishing and hostility for others, the belief that we have dominion over all and willingly harm others to benefit from our entitlement.  When we let our harmful feelings shape our lives, we become an object among objects and subject ourselves to the chaos of external forces.   

Sages know that the sacred is within the moment, and they choose to bring the ways of the spirit into the world[1] to benefit all. We can live mindlessly, or we can exercise the slim claim we have to free will, the power to choose how to respond to what arises.  Only those who develop a stable awareness of the sacred moment can unfold their destiny and shape their lives by their persistent choice to follow the ways of the spirit and to live as a spiritual being. We test the strength and stability of our meditation vessel when we can remain centered with the spirit and act in the world without losing spiritual awareness. 

By developing the virtues of love, moral discipline, justice and wisdom, we root ourselves in interbeing and benefit all.  Shaping begins with the virtue of moral discipline, living within natural and moral limits and interacting lovingly with others.  Through the discipline of practice, we learn how transform our self-cherishing and hostility for others into what benefits all.

The virtue of love is the most important and inclusive aspect of the Creative and which inheres in all life.  Love links all the other virtues.  The human virtue of caring for all and the Earth reflects the Creative’s love.  Because we are led by love for the spirit, it becomes a pleasure to freely yield to the ways of the spirit. Such is the secret of the spiritual path that tames our spiritual and natural being.

The virtue of justice creates conditions through which each receives what accords to its being, what is its due and constitutes its happiness.  Sages further all beings to bring them into a just harmony with the path in ways that benefit all and the Earth. Thus, everything attains its proper place.

The virtue of wisdom actualizes interbeing, the harmony of all beings living on Earth in the ways of the spirit. Sages create the conditions for all life to attain their appropriate place and brings about all benefitting the sacred whole. The wise discern the Tao’s immutable laws of all that happens to bring about enduring conditions. 

It furthers us to take this path.  Spiritual beings enter the raging turbulence of creative possibilities and shape them into offerings. They acquire constancy in change. We care for all life as our well-being depends upon the well-being of the interdependent whole, the interbeing.

The end of suffering comes when we release the energies trapped by self-cherishing, hostility for others, and worldly concerns and harness their released energies to live as a spiritual being.  When we identify with the spiritual path and shape our lives accordingly, we move closer to the spirit. Sages respond persistently in ways that benefit all, clearly understanding their sameness with all and bridging the gap between self and other.

 Rather than shaping nature to fit our wants, the wise shape themselves to fit what nature needs. Sages obey the spirit freely and joyfully. Sages harmonize their feelings, thoughts, and actions with the spirit.  As they reduce their self-cherishing and hostility for others, they grow ever deeper into interbeing and lose their sense of self.  Interbeing loves and cares for well-being of all and the Earth, and all spiritual beings have that aim.

Sages stand firmly on the ground of reality and are bounded by its fierce laws.  Yet their being reaches deeply within and absorb the energy of the spirit.  Through the chaos comes the cosmos.

Line 1:  The situation prevents advancing.  The strong want to advance, but the situation holds them firmly back.  The line would make a mistake if it forged ahead as that only would cause more danger. The line willingly stops and escapes calamity. 

Line 2:  The line keeps its balance in the midst of its growing strength and does not advance its strength further lest it lose its place of resting within the highest good.  It contents itself with waiting for its spiritual energy to accumulate for a vigorous advance later on.

The 5^th line restrains the line firmly, and its momentum cannot carry the line forward.  The line does not challenge the absolute superior strength of the 5^th line, and so no struggle takes place. 

Line 3:  The line confidently follows the spiritual path. Although keen to advance, the line does not presume on its talents or relations with the great sage (top line), but remains careful, prudent, and prepared. The line recognizes the difficulties in achieving its great purpose, but it resolves problems in ways that benefit all. In difficult times, it benefits to have a worthy goal for which to strive. 

Line 4:  The line easily controls and tames its wayward behavior when it first appears, the easiest time to do so and hence the joy.  The line nurtures its spiritual being by stabilizing its creative energy so it does not scatter.

Line 5:  The line has the responsibility to stop wrong doing.  It tames self-cherishing within itself and in the world by pulling outs its roots rather than combating them directly.  Firmness that yields to the nurturing of flexibility does no harm.

The troubles of the world cannot be overcome by force.  The wise watch for opportunities to grasp the root of the problem and transform it.  In this way the harmful forces stop by themselves without a struggle.

Line 6:  The time of obstruction changes into the time of dispersal.  The creative energy stored by shaping forces finds its way out into the world and achieves great success.  The principles of the spirit now prevail and shape the world.  With an open and unobstructed path ahead, the line changes and disperses what it has accumulated. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

[1] World does not refer to nature but to how people live within nature.  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. 

Joyful Interaction - Hexagram 58

Dui.

Growing.  Harvesting. Trial.

Dui:  an open surface; promoting interaction and interpenetration; pleasant, easy; responsive, free; unhindered opening, passage; the mouth; exchange, barter; straight, direct; meet, gather; place where water accumulates.

Action:  (Shou) – stimulate, rouse to action and good feelings; stir-up, urge on; exhort, persuade; say, tell, relate; cheer, delight; joyous, peaceful, restful.

Ideogram:  mouth and vapor - words and exchange.

Structure: 

·          Doubling of trigram 8, Dui, openly interact with others to share good feelings.

·          Two strong line with one open line above.  Empty without.  Fulfilled within.

Image: A lake which give joy and refreshes all life. 

True joy depends upon inner firmness and strength, which expresses itself with gentleness. A quiet, wordless, self-contained joy, desiring nothing from without and resting content with everything, remains free of all preferences.  This freedom harbors the quiet security of a heart fortified within itself.  Inner steadfastness and gentleness within the world[1] give rise to the Way of humanity[2].

The sage joyfully interacts with others while inwardly holding fast to the good, submitting to heaven while harmonizing with others.   Truth and strength dwell in the heart while gentleness reveals itself in relation with others, the right attitude toward the sacred and life, which makes it possible to achieve something within the world.  Intimidation without gentleness may achieve something momentarily, but the effect quickly fades. 

Those who harmoniously interact bring each other joy.  Rousing good feelings encourages others to follow and to accomplish the great as doubts and fears do not diminish the resolve to act.  Hearts won by friendliness willingly take all hardships upon themselves.  When the wise face difficulties with a glad mind and gentleness, others lose their fears.

True joy springs from within.  Those without an inner life look to the world for diversions, the idle pleasures that stream in from without.  They lose themselves more and more, overwhelmed by the pleasures they have attracted.  Sages surround themselves with conditions that support the Way.  They avoid temptations and the situations in which they tend to arise.  They have learned that to participate in such pleasures brings remorse and so do not permit their will to swerve off the path.

Practitioners of the Tao do not delight in indulging the senses nor worldly concerns:  gain, fame, pride, or victory.  They delight in benevolence, justice, and other enlightened qualities of the Tao and thus have real joy.  With a glad mind and joy in living the path, the wise fulfill their purpose.  True joy always develops from benefitting others and following the Way.

When we find delight in the Tao, then we can practice it. Joyfulness in following the path reaches into the world. The joy of realizing the way endures.  When inwardly we find such joy, we understand true joy and do not seek what the world offers, knowing worldly pleasures pass quickly.  Sages have joy when they manifest the spirit within the world. 

The world can never harm those who master inner dangers, embrace their fate, and joyfully dance with the living Tao. This helpless joy is the greatest power on Earth, the art of manifesting the good through action.

Line 1:  A quiet, wordless, self-contained joy desires nothing from without and rests content with everything.  The line remains free of all egotistic likes and dislikes.  In this freedom lies good fortune because the inner being rests within the quiet security of a heart fortified within itself. 

The line’s firmness and selflessness lead to harmonious joy.  The line uses these qualities to bring joy to others without preference or prejudice. 

With strength under control, joy comes forth naturally without effort.  When fulfilled, the sage’s flexibility does not damage its strength and naturally produces good results. 

Line 2:   The line has a close relationship with inappropriate pleasure, making it vulnerable to doubt and remorse.  However, the line’s strength, the sincerity of its nature, and its central position proves stronger than the relationship.  If trusts itself, remains sincere toward others, and meets with beliefs.

We often associate with the undeveloped who tempt us with inappropriate pleasures.  Such pleasure would bring remorse and no real satisfaction.  Pleasing such people would lead to regret.  The line recognizes this and does not allow its will to serve.  Because the line does not find such pleasure agreeable, other companions do not offer them to the line, removing all cause for request.

When their strength attains balance, sages harmonize but they do not imitate.  They please others without losing their firmness and balance and regret disappears.  Self-control causes regret to vanish as the line remains true to the mean and attains inner autonomy. 

Line 3:  True joy springs from within.  However, those who turn to the world for fulfillment will easily find themselves immersed within a stream of worldly pleasures. Most welcome this as diversions.  Those lacking an inner stability need amusement and will always find opportunities to indulge themselves.  They attract external pleasures by the emptiness of their nature, losing themselves more and more.

This line, at the high point of joyousness, lacks control.  The line allows attracted pleasures to overwhelm it.  It loses the way and descends as it gives up the real and delights in delusions. 

Line 4:  The line has no joy as it weighs its choices between different kinds of pleasures, undecided about whether to choose between indulging the self or cultivating the spirit.  The line recognizes that indulging the self brings suffering and turns away from such lower pleasures to strive for higher pleasures.  Once the line makes the decision and overcomes its inner conflict, it finds true joy and peace.

The line first carefully deliberates what to follow and then moves away from what harms towards what benefits all.  Then the line can partner with the 5^th line to carry out the Way of humanity and extend the blessings to others.  This is joy.

Line 5:  Line consummates the Way of humanity and experiences true joy.  The line holds the honored position, balanced and upright, achieving the way of humanity.

The line knows that its socially conditioned.  Its willingness to harm and the selfish is always near and easily entangles the unaware.  The sage fears such dangers and persists in undoing its social conditioning and strengthening its and others’ humanity. 

Dangerous elements always approach.  The line recognizes them for what they are and protects itself from them.  Disintegrating influences act slowly and bring danger.  Believing what the self says about arising experience disintegrates the firmness of the will.

The 6^th line, the plunderer, tries to dissolve the virtues of the 5^th line.  This line knows the danger of trusting a plunderer.  The line fears such seductive pleasure as it leads easily to confusion. However, those who remain self-satisfied, finding joy in strength but not in yielding, will lose in the end. 

Intelligent people can only receive benefit if they open their minds to the Tao.  If they presume upon their talents, if they like to be obeyed but hate to hear honest words, they then associate with the petty and avoid other intelligent people.  Their faults of the self-cherishing increase daily and their virtues decrease daily.  Others will not consider the haughty and jealous even if they have great talents. 

Line 6:  A vain nature invites diverting pleasure and suffers accordingly.  The pleasures of the world have such a powerful influence over those who lack stability that they sweep the unresisting along.  Such people have given up setting the direction of their lives.  What happens to them depends upon chance and external influences.

The line tempts others to pleasure – seductive joyousness.  Line does not apply to the person consulting the oracle but shows a situation confronting it.  We have the choice whether to indulge temptations.  Stay on guard against such dubious situations.

In other hexagrams at the climax, a change occurs.  This hexagram climaxes with even more pleasure.  The line does not know when to stop seeking pleasure and wants to prolong it. 

Line represents the joy of the weak who concern themselves with externals through outward appearance, clever words, pretending to be what they are not.  They seduce others and care not for their behavior’s consequences. 

---

[1] 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.

[2] The Way of humanity:  the path of love that creatively responds to the experiences of life in ways that benefit all.  Sages shape the energies of Creation through the human virtues of caring for all, morality, justice, and wisdom, harnessing the creative energies of the spirit so that they manifest the spirit within the world, materializing the invisible.  The sage finds happiness by obeying the command of heaven 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 arise from the sacred mystery.