Hexagram 60 Jie: Limitation, Discipline

Limits and discipline.

Spiritual influence nourishing all

Bitter discipline not permitting benefiting all.

 

 

 

Structure: 

·        Water 3 above lake 8, water within a lake.  A lake can only hold so much water before it floods.

·        Danger over joy.  Capable of joy in danger, warding off danger by joy.

·        Water above and below.  Water held together by a lake. 

 Natural Limits

The eye cannot capture how water flows over a rocky stream, yet each drop precisely follows the laws of nature.  The dramatic dance of trees swaying in a great wind and the wheeling of stars overhead follow the rhythms set by the same laws of heaven and earth.  Diverse lifeforms spread around the planet constrained by ecologic limits.  All life expresses its genetic potential uniquely within limits set by nature.  

Underlying movement and change, we discern natural laws. People are subject to the laws of humanity, which limit and regulate human behavior and interactions.  Sages stay close to basic needs and harmonize with nature. Boundaries and limits partition a whole while preserving its essential unity.

Exceeding natural limits causes harm and ultimately leads to destruction.  Over time we have learned many of the natural and moral laws from the suffering caused by ignoring them. The wise willingly accept these limits and live joyfully within the Way of humanity.[1]

Virtues as limits

Learning how to live on Earth with each other in ways that benefit all is the human challenge, especially in our time. Cultural conditioning separates us from interbeing with the spirit and caring for all of creation.  A spiritual practice, the Way of humanity, overcomes self-cherishing and ill-will so that we know we are all the same and align our lives with the spirit.  The sage does not exceed fixed limits and knows where to set them to avoid the extremes of too much or too little. 

Within the human realm, the virtues[2] of love, a moral discipline, justice, and wisdom regulate and organize the Tao’s love. The sage uses virtue to perseveringly shape the ongoing flux of creative energies and to manifest them within the world[3].  As fundamental law, virtues restrain and limit our behavior, but for sages, virtues are the very the music of their lives.  These virtues are not a set of rules imposed from outside, but the immanent tone and rhythms sages creatively use to make visible their love in ways meaningful to others. 

The world conditions what has form, but not the formless.  It can condition self-cherishing images, feelings, images, and thoughts, but not those of the selfless.  The wise adapt to changing conditions, but the spirit never changes. 

Consequences of exceeding limits

Our dissatisfaction with what is and our willingness to harm to get what we want impede the way. The suffering we cause comes from going too far beyond basic needs to the point that we deprive others and harm all. Everyone needs shelter, but the selfish build mansions.  Everyone needs food, but the selfish let others starve while they feast.  We need to defend ourselves, but the selfish use force to get what they want. 

The foolish ignore boundaries and indulge their harmful feelings and thought, often with fatal outcomes. Life motivates us to stay within natural and moral limits by imposing ever greater levels of suffering until we finally exert ourselves to put an end to our reckless behavior and return to the Path.  The first time that we intentionally harm others or ourselves for self-benefit, life administers a mild penalty as a warning to halt in time on the path of wrong-doing. Yet when we persistently ignore a life lesson, we suffer increasingly severe consequences. 

Self-discipline

Limits are troublesome as they constrain us from doing whatever we want.  Many find limits and discipline troublesome as they constrain us from doing whatever we want.  Yet the meaning of life dissolves for those who try to capture unlimited possibilities within their lives.  People achieve significance through setting limits, the backbone of a virtuous life.  Freedom comes from limiting our behavior to natural laws, moral discipline, and duties we have voluntarily determined for ourselves.  Those who play with life never amount to anything. 

Self-discipline begins with learning and natural limits out of their sense of duty, to the mandate of the spirit:  to care for all life and the Earth in ways that benefit all.  Those with established virtue know the basis of what harms and what benefits.  Self-discipline keeps us within these limits.  Knowing limits, the wise do not exceed them and make restitutions when they realize that they have ignorantly exceeded them.  We discipline ourselves and others to maintain a balance between too much and too little. 

The wise learn to persist in the spiritual path by adapting to the situation. They stop when they approach a limit, advance when time comes to advance, and get out of danger without bringing on more danger.

Sages maintain their self-discipline even in unfavorable situations, flexibly keeping to the spirit and not letting difficulties disturb the mind or affect their resolve.  The situation may be dangerous, but they are not in danger.  The situation may be in the hands of others, but sages know that they alone can fulfill their destiny to benefit all.  Pleased with the limits set by the Tao and aware of the aim of life, sages abide in contentment and with a glad mind.  They use moving through dangers of self-conditioning and the selfish to nourish joy and use joy to guard against dangers.

Learning Discipline

The undeveloped must learn the seriousness of life.  Parents have the responsibility to limit their children to deter harm and to develop self-discipline and good habits.  Parents and other spiritual guides set behavior limits to let the confused know to be careful and to encourage them to develop their morality.

Discipline reduces our harmful behavior and increase the beneficial.  Yet before renouncing a behavior or starting a new one, we need to carefully consider our motivation and how such a discipline would benefit us and others.  We learn from spiritual friends how to best get rid of problem behaviors and develop good habits.  The way of discipline requires firm strength balanced with love. 

The wise know how to adapt to change and do not cling to painful disciplines.  We need to set limits upon our limitations and observe due measure.  Every limitation has its value, but a limitation that requires persistent effort entails a cost of too much energy.  Natural limitations succeed because they are the Way.  We avoid consuming ourselves on vain struggles beyond our capacities by applying our efforts wholly to what is possible for us to achieve.

Discipline should not degenerate into a drill as it has a humiliating effect and cripples power.  Like removing the training wheels on a bike when no longer needed, the wise do not hold onto a discipline once their behavior has changed for the better.  Holding onto a discipline despite the situation damages the character as the focus remains on the discipline rather than our growth. Sticking with the same discipline once the desired effect has been achieved restricts our beneficial development.

Society has laws to restrain the conduct of those not on the path.  Through education and development, the sage voluntarily adheres to the Way of humanity, that which makes right relationships possible within our interactions and in the world. 

Spiritual Guides

To guide others and to develop their virtues, teachers set clear penalties and prohibitions to let the student know to be careful and avoid harm.  They first setup laws, then remove the restrictions as they progress.  Wise teachers gently encourage students to develop their virtues while overcoming the conditioned self.

Teachers persevere in their instruction until the student masters the points one by one.  In teaching others, everything depends upon consistency.  Only through repetition can the pupil master the teachings.  Just as water flows on and on, the sages make use of practice and repetition in teaching.  Teachers gradually develop their guidance, making clear presentations and subtle indications, leading students further until they penetrate reality deeply and have no doubts.

The sage leader brings about a group that works well together by providing a process in which everyone feels fulfilled.  Nothing binds people more firmly together than the deeply rooted virtue of morality because it appears to everyone as something worth achieving for themselves.

Sages develop others by teaching the virtues of caring, justice, wisdom, and moral discipline. The wise find spiritual friends who help them learn the Way of humanity.  Today, we can learn from many spiritual guides by reading their teachings.  Students of the I Ching approach it as the great sage with whom they can interact. Ultimately, the teacher is life itself, and the devoted student learns virtues and discipline from the experiences of life. 

Limits to limits

Excessive and painful discipline cannot endure when it inflicts severe limits on self and others, causing injury and rebellion.  We need limits within our practice, but we need to avoid going to the extreme.  When discipline becomes painful there is no sweetness – only bitterness.  Our attention stays on the pain rather than the pleasure of developing a better way of living.  Imposing suffering and servility on ourselves does not give us joy but rather harms our body and spirit. 

Hypocrisy, imposing limitations on others without applying them first to ourselves, provokes resentment and resistance.  The path of limitation requires us to model wanted behaviors so that others can emulate them. We make the limitation desirable to others by our own feelings of contentment and joy in living a disciplined life.

Pleased with our situation and focused on their duty to benefit all, the wise are at peace wherever they are.  They use difficulties to nourish joy and use joy to guard against danger.  The situation may be up to others, but living the Way of humanity is up to us.  Whether in adversity or comfort, the wise remain on the path.  This is how discipline is developmental. 

Line 1:  The line wants to undertake a great effort but finds itself confronted by insurmountable limitations.  The line knows where to stop and does not go beyond the limits of its capacities.  It knows that self-cherishing and ill-will blocks selflessness and capacities to work with others. 

Line 2:  It is good to hesitate so long as the time for action has not come but no longer.  The wise quickly seize the moment when the time for action comes.  Once they have removed obstacles to action, anxious hesitation will lead to regret because of the missed opportunity.  Once full, a lake finds an outlet.  The time to go forth has come.  The wise do not hold back with hoarded resources as hesitation brings remorse. 

Line 3:  The weak line at the top of joyousness neglects necessary limits and loses the inner path.  Those bent only on self-cherishing and having their way easily lose their sense of necessary limits.  The unbalanced and disoriented line strives for externals and loses its spiritual path.  It craves happiness without knowing that true joy requires discipline.  The weak do not know enough to have discipline.  Those who live beyond limits will suffer.  The undisciplined lament a situation brought about by themselves.  They have nobody else to blame.

Line 4:  The line imposes restrictions first to itself calmly and gently, without force. We have stability when we contentedly live within natural limits and with others, accepting the Way of humanity.  

Every limitation has its value.  Contented limitation arises from developing stability in persistently practicing what benefits all.  We struggle if we go beyond natural limits, causing us and all to suffer from our transgressions.  A discipline that requires persistent efforts will not provide benefit. 

Line 5: The line imposes limits upon itself and others in an agreeable manner.  Those with inner mastery can keep a glad mind even in a dangerous situation.  The line models the discipline of the strong who remain adaptable.  Others naturally emulate such an example so that whatever they undertake together succeeds.  In this way, the line extends its spiritual blessings to benefit all. 

Line 6:  People will not endure severe restrictions.  The more severe, the more unavoidable is a reaction. 

A tormented body will rebel against excessive asceticism that imposes a persistent and systematic ruthlessness against oneself.  Yet at times, such ruthlessness proves the only means to remedy self-cherishing, which otherwise would make the line vulnerable to irresolution and temptation.

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[1] The Way of humanity embodies the laws of Tao that govern the human beings, both in relationship to the spirit and with each other. It is 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.

[2] 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, separating what endures from what perishes.  The completed sage uses these virtues to shape the world.

[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.