An I Ching course customer who’s travelling abroad just emailed me this experience of his, and was kind enough to give me permission to share. It’s a very good example of how having Yi’s words in mind at the crucial moment can make a huge difference. And I also think it’s a perfect illustration of hexagram 47, line 5 –
‘Nose cut, feet cut.
Oppressed by the crimson sashes.
Then moving slowly brings release.
Harvest to use offerings and oblations.’
There’s embarrassment and hindrance to movement caused by oppressive officialdom. But approaching the situation calmly, slowly and with generosity brings release.
Here’s the story:
“I had asked a general question of “what should I be preparing for the most at this time?”. I was thinking of things like “economic collapse” “world war III”, etc. However, it answered with something like standing in front of officials and a man with a scarlet knee band being involved changing to 40. [Editor’s note: that’s 47 .5]
The next morning, my wife and a taxi driver had a conflict over 50 cents, and suddenly as we exited that taxi at a mall on our way to a day at the beach, we found ourselves (after taxi driver grabbed my wife’s backpack trying to pull her back through the mall door! – and I pushing him away from her) in front of him, and soon 4-5 police. 😉 One lady was apologizing to me, and telling me to be silent in front of the police.
I suddenly began to realize that Yi had told me beforehand about this very image! So I was calm, even though my wife was translating for me that we were being taken to the police station. I calmly but strongly told them that I demanded they call my national Embassy before taking me anywhere first. Suddenly, that ended the whole idea of me going anywhere but being kindly and politely escorted to the bus ticket window part of the mall, where we shook hands, and we continued onward our journey to the beach.”