Categories for General

Thinking

My thoughts these days seem to crawl slowly ahead. Which to me feels like a good thing. They are moving ahead. Mostly about the videoclip i’m making right now. Which progresses very slowly, i confess. I don’t even know if i’ll be able to finish it this year. Yesterday i let that thought go. I might. But i’m not gonna say anymore i will.

I am happy. Very happy.

Salute!

Published on October 17, 2018 at 6:00 by

Treading

17. Sui / Following

above TUI THE JOYOUS, LAKE
below CHêN THE AROUSING, THUNDER

The trigram Tui, the Joyous, whose attribute is gladness, is above; Chên, the Arousing, which has the attribute of movement, is below. Joy in movement induces following. The Joyous is the youngest daughter, while the Arousing is the eldest son. An older man defers to a young girl and shows her consideration. By this he moves her to follow him.

THE JUDGMENT

FOLLOWING has supreme success.
Perseverance furthers. No blame.

In order to obtain a following one must first know how to adapt oneself. If a man would rule he must first learn to serve, for only in this way does he secure from those below him the joyous assent that is necessary if they are to follow him. If he has to obtain a following by force or cunning, by conspiracy or by creating faction, he invariably arouses resistance, which obstructs willing adherence. But even joyous movement can lead to evil consequences, hence the added stipulation, “Perseverance furthers” –that is, consistency in doing right– together with “No blame.” Just as we should not ask others to follow us unless this condition is fulfilled, so it is only under this condition that we can in turn follow others without coming to harm.
The thought of obtaining a following through adaptation to the demands of the time is a great and significant idea; this is why the appended judgment is so favorable.

THE IMAGE

Thunder in the middle of the lake:
The image of FOLLOWING.
Thus the superior man at nightfall
Goes indoors for rest and recuperation.

In the autumn electricity withdraws into the earth again and rests. Here it is the thunder in the middle of the lake that serves as the image–thunder in its winter rest, not thunder in motion. The idea of following in the sense of adaptation to the demands of the time grows out of this image. Thunder in the middle of the lake indicates times of darkness and rest. Similarly, a superior man, after being tirelessly active all day, allows himself rest and recuperation at night. No situation can become favorable until one is able to adapt to it and does not wear himself out with mistaken resistance.

Six in the second place means:
If one clings to the little boy,
One loses the strong man.

In friendships and close relationships an individual must make a careful choice. He surrounds himself either with good or with bad company; he cannot have both at once. If he throws himself away on unworthy friends he loses connection with people of intellectual power who could further him in the good.

Six at the top means:
He meets with firm allegiance
And is still further bound.
The king introduces him
To the Western Mountain.

This refers to a man, an exalted sage, who has already put the turmoil of the world behind him. But a follower appears who understands him and is not to be put off. So the sage comes back into the world and aids the other in his work. Thus there develops an eternal tie between the two.
The allegory is chosen from the annals of the Chou dynasty. The rulers of this dynasty honored men who had served them well by awarding them a place in the royal family’s temple of ancestors on the Western Mountain. In this way they were regarded as sharing in the destiny of the ruling family.

10. Lü / Treading [conduct]

above CH’IEN THE CREATIVE, HEAVEN
below TUI THE JOYOUS, LAKE

The name of the hexagram means on the one hand the right way of conducting oneself. Heaven, the father, is above, and the lake, the youngest daughter, is below. This shows the difference between high and low, upon which composure correct social conduct, depends. On the other hand the word for the name of the hexagram, TREADING, means literally treading upon something. The small and cheerful [Tui] treads upon the large and strong [Ch’ien]. The direction of movement of the two primary trigrams is upward. The fact that the strong treads on the weak is not mentioned in the Book of Changes, because it is taken for granted. For the weak to take a stand against the strong is not dangerous here, because it happened in good humor [Tui] and without presumption, so that the strong man is not irritated but takes it all in good part.

THE JUDGMENT

TREADING. Treading upon the tail of the tiger.
It does not bite the man. Success.

The situation is really difficult. That which is strongest and that which is weakest are close together. The weak follows behind the strong and worries it. The strong, however, acquiesces and does not hurt the weak, because the contact is in goof humor and harmless.
In terms of a human situation, one is handling wild, intractable people. In such a case one’s purpose will be achieved if one behaves with decorum. Pleasant manners succeed even with irritable people.

THE IMAGE

Heaven above, the lake below:
The image of TREADING.
Thus the superior man discriminates between high and low,
And thereby fortifies the thinking of the people.

Heaven and the lake show a difference of elevation that inheres in the natures of the two, hence no envy arises. Among mankind also there are necessarily differences of elevation; it is impossible to bring about universal equality. But it is important that differences in social rank should not be arbitrary and unjust, for if this occurs, envy and class struggle are the inevitable consequences. If, on the other hand, external differences in rank correspond with differences in inner worth, and if inner worth forms the criterion of external rank, people acquiesce and order reigns in society.

Published on October 11, 2018 at 6:00 by

A pleasant day

Nothing out of the ordinary really. I went to the shop Het kookpunt to look for a stand mixer. Way too expensive. After that i stopped by at home to change my shoes to slippers. It was a bit too warm to wear shoes. I stopped by the ice cream shop and sat outside eating my strawberry ice cream with whipped cream. Daniel came by on his bake. I yelled. We talked for a short while. Than i walked on to the Hema. No stand mixers there. Ooh well. I don’t really need one, i was only thinking about it. Past the supermarket and back to home.

And then ll the things i was thinking about while i was walking olong. The wind through the leaves. The sun shining on the water. The yellowing leaves. The eyes of people.

I did feel happy. I still do. Well, apart from what i am thinking about. Falling in love. Not yet. Not yet. Work. Work!

Published on September 27, 2018 at 6:00 by

Filming

Last week i had this day scheduled for filming. In the center of Rotterdam. It was difficult this morning. A bit sleepy. I still don’t sleep continuously. I do wake up regularly during the night. But i did go out. Around one o’clock.

It was partly clouded, but still lots of sunshine. I did wander around a bit. Went for the small park in front of the Laurens church. A family was sitting in the grass. Two small girls. The father had this bubble thing with which he made soap bubbles floating over my head. I filmed them for a short time. I walked to the Markthal, sat there on the low stairs for a bit. Filmed people walking by.

Towards the center. The thought came up to go into Donner, the main book shop in Rotterdam. Not sure, i hoped the rebuilding was done for a bit. Yes! I walked through the shop.

I bought a book. Kate Raworth‘s book Doughnut Economy. It is a year old. I remember seeing her on television went it was published. I did do a search for it in the library, but all books were lended out. So i bought this rather cheap English version. On my pile of books i want to read.

That is it for today. Back tomorrow!

Published on September 20, 2018 at 6:00 by

A memory

During the early 2000’s i remember having a talk with friends about the upcoming war on Iraq. I didn’t like Saddam Hussein, i remember saying. Like, i thought it was a good thing if he was removed. My friends were very much against the war. I didn’t know.

Reading The Shock Doctrine i am changing my mind. Right now. There were no good sides. There was no evil versus good side. It was all murky. Drab. Terrible.

The last three days i have been watching The Lord of The Rings trilogy. The good people are kind, friendly. They look human, the elfs, hobbits. The evil people have bad teeth, terrible skin. It is immediately clear who are the good ones and who are the bad ones. Sort of anyway. This world we live is not like that.

Reading The Shock Doctrine does shed new lights on past events. Many things i didn’t know anything about. Other things i was thinking differently about at the time.

It is staggering to see how influenced we all are by the news. By what other people say, write. Think and talk about.

Something to think about. Deeply.

Published on September 17, 2018 at 6:00 by

Clinging

37. Chia Jên / The Family [The Clan]

above SUN THE GENTLE, WIND
below LI THE CLINGING, FIRE

The hexagram represents the laws obtaining within the family. The strong line at the top represents the father, the lowest the son. The strong line in the fifth place represents the husband, the yielding second line the wife. On the other hand, the tow strong lines in the fifth and the third place represent two brothers, and the two weak lines correlated with them in the fourth and the second place stand for their respective wives. Thus all the connections and relationships within the family find their appropriate expression. Each individual line has the character according with its place. The fact that a strong line occupies the sixth place-where a weak line might be expected-indicates very clearly the strong leadership that must come from the head of the family. The line is to be considered here not in its quality as the sixth but in its quality as the top line. THE FAMILY shows the laws operative within the household that, transferred to outside life, keep the state and the world in order. The influence that goes out from within the family is represented by the symbol of the wind created by fire.

THE JUDGMENT

THE FAMILY. The perseverance of the woman furthers.

The foundation of the family is the relationship between husband and wife. The tie that hold the family together lies in the loyalty and perseverance of the wife. The tie that holds the family together lies in the loyalty and perseverance of the wife. Her place is within (second line), while that of the husband is without (fifth line). It is in accord with the great laws of nature that husband and wife take their proper places. Within the family a strong authority is needed; this is represented by the parents. If the father is really a father and the son a son, if the elder brother fulfills his position, and the younger fulfills his, if the husband is really a husband and the wife a wife, then the family is in order. When the family is in order, all the social relationships of mankind will be in order.
Three of the five social relationships are to be found within the family-that between father and son, which is the relation of love, that between the husband and wife, which is the relation of chaste conduct, and that between elder and younger brother, which is the relation of correctness. The loving reverence of the son is then carried over to the prince in the form of faithfulness to duty; the affection and correctness of behavior existing between the two brothers are extended to a friend in the form of loyalty, and to a person of superior rank in the form of deference. The family is society in the embryo; it is the native soil on which performance of moral duty is made early through natural affection, so that within a small circle a basis of moral practice is created, and this is later widened to include human relationships in general.

THE IMAGE

Wind comes forth from fire:
The image of THE FAMILY.
Thus the superior man has substance in his words
And duration in his way of life.

Heat creates energy: this is signified by the wind stirred up by the fire and issuing forth form it. This represents influence working from within outward. The same thing is needed in the regulation of the family. Here too the influence on others must proceed form one’s own person. In order to be capable of producing such an influence, one’s words must have power, and this they can have only if they are based on something real, just as flame depends on its fuel Words have influence only when they are pertinent and clearly related to definite circumstances. General discourses and admonitions have no effect whatsoever. Furthermore, the words must be supported by one’s entire conduct, just as the wind is made effective by am impression on others that they can adapt and conform to it. If words and conduct are not in accord and consistent, they will have no effect.

THE LINES

Six in the fourth place means:
She is the treasure of the house.
Great good fortune.

It is upon the woman of the house that the well-being of the family depends. Well-being prevails when expenditures and income are soundly balanced. This leads to great good fortune. In the sphere of public life, this line refers to the faithful steward whose measures further the general welfare.

° Nine in the fifth place means:
As a king he approaches his family.
Fear not.
Good fortune.

A king is the symbol of a fatherly man who is richly endowed in mind. He does nothing to make himself feared; on the contrary, the whole family can trust him, because love governs their intercourse. His character of itself exercises the right influence.

30. Li / The Clinging, Fire

above LI THE CLINGING, FIRE
below LI THE CLINGING, FIRE

This hexagram is another double sign. The trigram Li means “to cling to something,” and also “brightness.” A dark line clings to two light lines, one above and one below–the image of an empty space between two strong lines, whereby the two strong lines are made bright. The trigram represents the middle daughter. The Creative has incorporated the central line of the Receptive, and thus Li develops. As an image, it is fire. Fire has no definite form but clings to the burning object and thus is bright. As water pours down from heaven, so fire flames up from the earth. While K’an means the soul shut within the body, Li stands for nature in its radiance.

THE JUDGMENT

THE CLINGING. Perseverance furthers.
It brings success.
Care of the cow brings good fortune.

What is dark clings to what is light and so enhances the brightness of the latter. A luminous thing giving out light must have within itself something that perseveres; otherwise it will in time burn itself out. Everything that gives light is dependent on something to which it clings, in order that it may continue to shine.
Thus the sun and moon cling to heaven, and grain, grass, and trees cling to the earth. So too the twofold clarity of the dedicated man clings to what is right and thereby can shape the world. Human life on earth is conditioned and unfree, and when man recognizes this limitation and makes himself dependent upon the harmonious and beneficent forces of the cosmos, he achieves success. The cow is the symbol of extreme docility. By cultivating in himself an attitude of compliance and voluntary dependence, man acquires clarity without sharpness and finds his place in the world.

THE IMAGE

That which is bright rises twice:
The image of FIRE.
Thus the great man, by perpetuating this brightness,
Illumines the four quarters of the world.

Each of the two trigrams represents the sun in the course of a day. The two together represent the repeated movement of the sun, the function of light with respect to time. The great man continues the work of nature in the human world. Through the clarity of his nature he causes the light to spread farther and farther and to penetrate the nature of man ever more deeply.

Published on September 7, 2018 at 6:00 by

Singing

This afternoon i sang along with my songs playlist. It felt good. I could hear my own voice clearly. Pronunciation is getting better it feels. I’m still not sure what song i will sing next. I have a couple on my list. It needs more time. To settle.

I also read some more. De utopie van de vrije markt written by Hans Achterhuis. I came along these clips from a Dutch television program VPRO Boeken (Books).

Enjoy your weekend!

Published on August 24, 2018 at 6:00 by