Categories for General

12. P’i / Standstill [Stagnation]

above CH’IEN THE CREATIVE, HEAVEN
below K’UN THE RECEPTIVE, EARTH

This hexagram is the opposite of the preceding one. Heaven is above, drawing farther and farther away, while the earth below sinks farther into the depths. The creative powers are not in relation. It is a time of standstill and decline. This hexagram is linked with the seventh month (August-September), when the year has passed its zenith and autumnal decay is setting in.

THE JUDGMENT

STANDSTILL. Evil people do not further
The perseverance of the superior man.
The great departs; the small approaches.

Heaven and earth are out of communion and all things are benumbed. What is above has no relation to what is below, and on earth confusion and disorder prevail. The dark power is within, the light power is without. Weakness is within, harshness without. Within are the inferior, and without are the superior. The way of inferior people is in ascent; the way of superior people is one the decline. But the superior people do not allow themselves to be turned from their principles. If the possibility of exerting influence is closed to them, they nevertheless remain faithful to their principles and withdraw into seclusion.

THE IMAGE

Heaven and earth do not unite:
The image of STANDSTILL.
Thus the superior man falls back upon his inner worth
In order to escape the difficulties.
He does not permit himself to be honored with revenue.

When, owing to the influence of inferior men, mutual mistrust prevails in public life, fruitful activity is rendered impossible, because the fundaments are wrong. Therefore the superior man knows what he must do under such circumstances; he does not allow himself to be tempted by dazzling offers to take part in public activities. This would only expose him to danger, since he cannot assent to the meanness of the others. He therefore hides his worth and withdraws into seclusion.

THE LINES

Six at the beginning means:
When ribbon grass is pulled up, the sod comes with it.
Each according to his kind.
Perseverance brings good fortune and success.

The text is almost the same as that of the first line of the preceding hexagram, but with a contrary meaning. In the latter a man is drawing another along with him on the road to an official career; here a man is drawing another with him into retirement form public life. This is why the text says here, “Perseverance brings good fortune and success,” and not “Undertakings bring good fortune.” If it becomes impossible to make our influence count, it is only by retirement that we spare ourselves humiliation. Success in a higher sense can be ours, because we know how to safeguard the value of our personalities.

25. Wu Wang / Innocence (The Unexpected)

above CH’IEN THE CREATIVE, HEAVEN
below CHêN THE AROUSING, THUNDER

Ch’ien, heaven is above; Chên, movement, is below. The lower trigram Chên is under the influence of the strong line it has received form above, from heaven. When, in accord with this, movement follows the law of heaven, man is innocent and without guile. His mind is natural and true, unshadowed by reflection or ulterior designs. For wherever conscious purpose is to be seen, there the truth and innocence of nature have been lost. Nature that is not directed by the spirit is not true but degenerate nature. Starting out with the idea of the natural, the train of thought in part goes somewhat further and thus the hexagram includes also the idea of the fundamental or unexpected.

THE JUDGMENT

INNOCENCE. Supreme success.
Perseverance furthers.
If someone is not as he should be,
He has misfortune,
And it does not further him
To undertake anything.

Man has received from heaven a nature innately good, to guide him in all his movements. By devotion to this divine spirit within himself, he attains an unsullied innocence that leads him to do right with instinctive sureness and without any ulterior thought of reward and personal advantage. This instinctive certainty brings about supreme success and ‘furthers through perseverance”. However, not everything instinctive is nature in this higher sense of the word, but only that which is right and in accord with the will of heaven. Without this quality of rightness, an unreflecting, instinctive way of acting brings only misfortune. Confucius says about this: “He who departs from innocence, what does he come to? Heaven’s will and blessing do not go with his deeds.”

THE IMAGE

Under heaven thunder rolls:
All things attain the natural state of innocence.
Thus the kings of old,
Rich in virtue, and in harmony with the time,
Fostered and nourished all beings.

In springtime when thunder, life energy, begins to move again under the heavens, everything sprouts and grows, and all beings receive for the creative activity of nature the childlike innocence of their original state. So it is with the good rulers of mankind: drawing on the spiritual wealth at their command, they take care of all forms of life and all forms of culture and do everything to further them, and at the proper time.

I just made a roundabout walk to the supermarket. I bought toilet paper, baking sheets, rasped mozzarella, salami, black olives, cream and black peppercorns. Today i’m gonna make pizza! I have a recipe for a fathead pizza, with almond flour, cheeses and an egg. And some salt. With a topping of salami, tomato and cheese. Maybe some sun dried tomatoes on top as well. I bought those last week.

I’ll make a photo!

I am leaving 1/3 of the pizza till tomorrow. I’m quite full now. Enjoy today!

A Sunday at home. A bit of sunshine in the morning. Reading Hyperion. It is quiet in this house. The living room is at the back. I look up into the trees. Some yellow leaves, but the tree right in front of my house still has many green leaves. A blackbird. Coal tits. Great tits. The past few weeks in the afternoon i saw parakeets flying around. They are lovely green. But not a very good song. More like shouting. I also saw a jay flying around a few weeks ago. At least i think it was.

Sometimes i hear the neighbours. Tapping water, talking a bit. In the evening i may hear music. Not that much though.

I love this place.

Today i made a walk into town, just like i said i would yesterday. I didn’t sleep too well, but i did woke up a bit later, around a quarter to eight. Slowly getting into winter time.

I did start thinking better thoughts once i was outside. The sun was shining. Halfway i thought i walk past the new Boymans building, which will open Friday. I will go inside once it is open, i’m sure. Curious to see it in full display.

It does take me more energy to keep myself on track. I don’t always get there. Maybe it is because i need to sort out myself. Yes, i think that is my main problem. I know i was always a bright child. In school i really enjoyed myself, from the lower school to art school. But even at the technical university i enjoyed myself. After that was when the hard part started. Working for the first five years was good. But i got slowly worse. Till i stopped. I didn’t want to do it anymore. I wanted to find my own way of living in this world. I still do. I still do!

I am not giving up. No way.

Almost four weeks i spend in this house here, where i am living now. It is not a peaceful experience. I do enjoy it, sure. But i am also aware of my money slowly but surely getting less.

It is not enough. Not yet. I’m still not bright enough to get it out of my mind and on this computer. Sometimes i feel this spark of something. Like early last week, after i got home from visiting my mothers. I felt different then. But it turns back to normal.

I look around here, right now. Part of me doesn’t recognize the place i am right now. Another part is already used to this place. There are so few things of me here. The barest minimum.

I walk around this house reading the titles of the books standing all around me. Some i like to read, sure. Still so many things to learn. It never stops, luckily.

Tomorrow i will make a walk. Rain or not. Maybe i walk to the library, get a new book. Young adult section. Ha!