I Ching Philosophy

[chrisjswanson]

Hey Everyone,

 

I've been exploring the real world for a bit, but stopped back by the Bums to share a short article I wrote on some (speculative) ideas regarding the I Ching. Love to hear your thoughts, friends.

 

By recognizing the polarity expressed in two hexagrams with only a one line difference, one understands the meaning of that line in the context of the arrangement of all remaining lines. By learning the meaning of a line in the context of every possible arrangement, one knows the true meaning of the line's position, and the mind sees now 32 situations of universal expression, each of which is in an ongoing state of alternation between yin dominance and yang dominance. - Proceeding, one then takes each of these 32 situational expressions and finds polar hexagrams made from the alternation of the next line. Studying these polar hexagrams once again shows the meaning of the line in question, now not just in the context of the arrangement of the remaining lines but also in terms of the previously understood line, which is now seen to represent the current state of alternation of yin and yang for that position. All possible arrangements studied again will reveal the true meaning of this next line / position, and reduce the situations of universal expression that one perceives to 16, each with an awareness of the alternation of yin and yang principles in the two positions that have been studied previously. - Another iteration of this process will reduce us to 8, and yet another iteration to 4 perceived universal expressions. These are (in King Wen's sequence) #1 Initiating, #2 Responding, #63 Already Fulfilled, and #64 Not Yet Fulfilled. Note that this end point implies a path of study and understanding which does not move bottom up or top down, understanding one line "truly" at a time. That procedure was explained as such for clarity of concept. In fact there are countless paths to this end. - The final pair of Initiating and Responding shows the primal duality of Heaven (Upper Cannon). The final pair of Beginning and Ending shows the primal duality of Mortal life (Lower Cannon). These two pairs taken together forms a final pair, Heaven/Immortal and Earth/Mortal. - The ability to resolve this last duality into simply another alternation of yin and yang principles is built through the process of understanding the lines that has lead to this final point. That ability is also the final step to transcending mortality (seeing Earth within Heaven and Heaven within Earth). For when one knows that Immortality and Mortality are simply two sides of the same coin, one is no longer imprisoned within a perceived separation between the two. - Peace + Love to all Life, recognized as such or otherwise. -

 

peace+love

Chris