What does 元亨利贞 really mean?

[Taomeow]

56 minutes ago, ChiDragon said:

 

Very good. If I stack 坎 on top of 艮 to make a hexagram, it will make an image with water on top of the mountain. How would you interpret this hexagram?

What is it telling or suggesting us?

 

It gives a STATIC image of hexagram 39.  The I Ching is the Book of CHANGES.  I.e.  the whole point is to use it in a way that reveals the DYNAMICS of changes.  

 

In order for hexagram 39 to "tell or suggest" anything at all to me personally (or to the person I'm performing the divination for), I need to present a particular situation and the I Ching will "translate" it into a blueprint of the configuration of energies or time and space that form it for me right now (including my own but not limited to my own.)  Toward better understanding that blueprint I will present the situation in the form of inquiry, i.e. divine my best course of action (or inaction) in this particular situation -- either toward what I hope for it to develop into, or in order to avoid the outcome I don't want it to develop into. 

 

So if I draw this hexagram in a divination, this one specific hexagram out of 64, I will take it as the closest approximation of the situation I'm asking about.  In the course of the divination I will determine if I've got any changing lines (learn how, it's easy).  If yes, I will have to look at the resulting second hexagram - - the situation into which mine is changing if I take this course of action or inaction.  Next I will have to analyze the overall hexagram 39 image and the specific place and significance of the changing lines, their position and its implications.  (Learn how, it's not easy.)  Strong or weak, supporting or threatening my intended course of action, promising success or warning to expect failure unless I change it.  I will ignore all other lines in the hexagram because they are not related to the situation (and  if I don't ignore them I might get confused with contradictions -- say line 3 promises success and line 6 guarantees failure.  I need to know which one is about me right here right now, not all possible outcomes for anyone in any similar situation at any different time.)  However, if I get no changing lines, I will read and contemplate the hexagram as a whole, and expect the situation to remain the same in the foreseeable future no matter what I do or refrain from doing. 

 

If there are changing lines, after studying the initial hexagram's image and the significance and meaning of the changing lines, I will move on to analyzing the second hexagram obtained, the one into which the original hexagram changes.  Here the likely future outcomes are foreshadowed, giving hope or warning.  I will focus on the overall image and contemplate that.  And then I will consider the overall picture and decide upon the course of action I was inquiring about.  

 

A static study of the I Ching outside the process of obtaining changes in a divination is akin to studying the phone book.  Remember those?  The Yellow Pages?  Lots of valuable information...  and no meaning to you personally whatsoever, or anyone else -- unless they need to look up a particular phone number.  (Except the I Ching, in a concentrated, not immediately obvious form behind the visible form, is way bigger than the Yellow Pages -- waaaay bigger...  but to comprehend how big you need to "look up" just one number for starters, and try making a call to see if that number works.)    

     

[ChiDragon]

47 minutes ago, ChiDragon said:

What happens during the running path of the water along the hills. What happens to the people who are living on the hills?

Please read the question  carefully. This is a pure study of the hexagram before the application of divination. The first step is to understand the fundamental concept of some basic hexagrams. Please keep in mind that the invention of Yijing was not intended for the purpose of divination.

Edited 3 hours ago by ChiDragon

[ChiDragon]

1 hour ago, 心神 ~ said:

 

Well, the descending water collects into a pool. Possibly connects to other streams of water. So it gathers and collects resources and support.

 

That is the positive side of the event. What about the negative side of it?

[心神 ~]

1 hour ago, ChiDragon said:

What happens during the running path of the water along the hills. What happens to the people who are living on the hills?

 

I suppose the people are either nourished by the waters or flooded by them, depending on the force and flow of energy and activity, or water.

 

14 minutes ago, ChiDragon said:

That is the positive side of the event. What about the negative side of it?

 

Maybe a draining of resources, a sudden drop. Since water is connected to emotions, maybe an overflow of emotion or impatient action that leads to quick descent and loss.

 

[Taomeow]

48 minutes ago, ChiDragon said:

Please read the question  carefully. This is a pure study of the hexagram before the application of divination. The first step is to understand the fundamental concept of some basic hexagrams. 

 

I'll give you something to read carefully when I have the time and inclination.  You may be sorry you've asked.  

 

 You know how to read modern Chinese.  That does not translate into the study of the I Ching. 

 

51 minutes ago, ChiDragon said:

 Please keep in mind that the invention of Yijing was not intended for the purpose of divination.

 

 You can read modern Chinese but for some reason refuse to apply the skill to the study of the I Ching.  

 

 "Please keep in mind" that, YES, the original Zhouyi (the I Ching as it existed around 1100–1000 BCE) was created explicitly and exclusively as a divination manual. This is the consensus among virtually all serious (rather than pop) Chinese scholars today (Li Xueqin, Liao Mingchun, Liu Dajun, etc.) and is supported by hard archaeological and textual evidence. 

Which I would provide if you were paying attention.     

  

 

[ChiDragon]

Okay, now we have 8 trigrams to symbolize the phenomena that was observed from nature. However, there was no written language in the ancient past. Therefore, only symbols were used as images to express some simple ideas. In our case, people saw water running down from top of the mountain. So, the water trigram was placed on top of the mountain trigram. Along the running water, it destroyed everything in its path. People see danger in water, hereinafter, people will be fear of water is dangerous. The hexagram also suggests that going the mountains is dangerous. When it was used in divination, the first thing they see is danger ahead. 

Edited 1 hour ago by ChiDragon

[ChiDragon]

12 minutes ago, Taomeow said:

You know how to read modern Chinese.  That does not translate into the study of the I Ching. 

I will not argue about this with your preconceived idea. So, peace!

[Taomeow]

1 hour ago, ChiDragon said:

I will not argue about this with your preconceived idea. So, peace!

 

Not "preconceived."  Experiential.  I'd rather you don't argue with me about anything (key words "you" and "me," not you and anyone else or me and anyone else) but that's up to you of course.       

[Cobie]

 

17 hours ago, Nungali said:

 

Juicy !   Have you read it ? 

 

( I'll tackle it later  )  

No, I just looked at the intro, and a bit of the beginning. It’s all a bit outside my knowledge area. I was hoping someone else would comment. Looking forward to your analysis. 

 

I remember Awaken claiming Xia China was in the Nile delta. There’s a Dutch guy (van Praag) suggesting Daoism was started by teachings from Jews living in China. I really don’t have the knowedge to comment, but feel rather sceptical.