My I Ching reading for last week was Hexagram 36, Brightness Hiding, with no changing lines. And following the plans I’d already made for that week, which involved reaching out and making connections to others in various ways, I hit one technical road-hump after another. (Moral of this story: consider revising your plans in the light of your reading, however much you have invested in the schedule!)
So last Sunday when I cast a hexagram for the week ahead, one of my thoughts was, ‘How to get out of the world of Brightness Hiding?’
I received another unchanging hexagram: 44, Coupling.
‘Coupling, the woman is powerful.
No use to grasp the woman.’
So I entered the week on the alert for disruptive influences, things I couldn’t just build into my current plans. (The commentary says that this woman isn’t to be married because such a relationship couldn’t last.) I’ve noticed Hexagram 44 can herald the arrival of messages from the soul, or just messages from the real world, that shatter a constructed realm of abstractions.
I didn’t have long to wait for my ‘disruptive influence’. The owner of an excellent business forum I belong to issued me with a ‘six month challenge’. I said that’s great, but I already have a brand new six month plan, and there are only so many hours in the day! And he said OK, let’s see your plans.
So I posted them, and he challenged them quite fiercely and personally. The gist is that he feels my business should be about one specific area people need help with – like relationships, or career, or health. I probably shouldn’t even mention the I Ching at first, in the same way that in his work with small businesses, he doesn’t mention his Sufi lineage at first.
He has a great model that’s working very well for a lot of people, and he really wants to help me to fit into that model and find success in the same way. It’s just that it seems to me that the I Ching (and hence Clarity) doesn’t quite fit the mould.
Anyway – it didn’t take an interpretive genius to recognise the challenge of this alternative approach as the ‘powerful woman’ I couldn’t merely ‘grasp’ and incorporate into the way I’m already doing things. If I hadn’t recognised the 44-ish characteristics of the situation from the start, I wouldn’t have got into the conversation at all. I would have decided instead that I had plans to implement and no time to chat.
As I reflected on this, I’ve realised that the dynamics of the discussion could easily take on a ‘Brightness Hiding’ slant. None of the other participants see what I’m getting at, and there’s a very strong temptation just to back off and stop trying to express myself. Sometimes it’s easier to keep the light shining under a bushel, and sure enough, by staying ‘out there’ I have exposed myself to comments that feel a bit like personal attacks.
But if I’d ‘hidden’ earlier on, I would have missed out on the contributions that have sparked off all kinds of powerful realisations for me. A couple of these change the priorities in my nice, neat plan considerably, and one looks set to blow it out of the water altogether, and transform it into something altogether bigger and more alive. That’s the positive, creative potential in Coupling.
So it turns out that ‘escaping’ Hexagram 36 isn’t about not trying to connect with people, or about avoiding situations where different models and values make it hard to connect. Either of those reactions would still be very much within the realm of 36’s own strategies. Instead, Hexagram 44 challenges me to feel the force of these differences and be changed by them.
I suspect there’s much more to this that I’ve yet to see. How else could Coupling be a way out of Brightness Hiding? I’d welcome your comments…
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Hexagram 44, Coupling– an anthology. |
Hi Hilary
Actually, I don’t have the minutest cue what you are talking about, but this reading sure has put the hooks in me to try to figure out what the bleep it is. Incidentally, I do see a connection from “Brightness Hiding” to “Coupling.” Both have hidden undertones. In both there is an element of deception and hidden motives. This readng certainly does not give me the feeling they are “your” hidden motives, but somebody else’s.
“Owner of the business forum”? What the bleep? Two different directions for two different people. How important is this business forum? They have their direction, and you have yours. Is there middle ground in which they can develop?
I don’t have a clue here.
Gene
Somehow, I don’t feel you have really found the way out yet. That comes later.
Gene
Hi Gene,
Oops, sorry. I was only just getting a clue of what I was talking about myself when I wrote the post.
You start with a 36-ish situation: can’t reach out and connect successfully, those in power don’t see what you see, better keep your head down and keep safe. I had that last week dealing with the company that does newsletter management for me now. Then technology seemed to be 36-ing me in a big way – really frustrating.
I’m working out how 44 represents a way to turn that around. I have a different, un-Wilhelm-y understanding of 44: the new influence that arrives is not necessarily a Bad Thing, it’s ‘just’ unmanageable and very powerful. (OK, nothing about 44 is ‘just’ anything, but you know what I mean.)
I think the turnaround comes in choosing a different way to relate to the difficult, communication-blocking stuff. Not as a cause of injury and reason to hide, but as an irruption of reality and creative potential. The same situations could actually be seen either way; I get to choose.
The process with the email firm is carrying on in a similar way. They wouldn’t let me do what I planned, so I’ve accepted the unwelcome reality that my old list was – well – old, and found better ways to get going with a new one.
The business forum is one where I pay to participate. It’s really good – probably the second most helpful, supportive forum on the internet 😉 .
This is really intriguing to me! Can’t help but think and feel that you are being encouraged to let your light shine, in your own way… that’s authentic and meaningful to you.
I’ve personally found that when I’m in community, yet not in alignment with the community members’ values, beliefs, practices and /or processes…. and then I ask members or leaders of that community for feedback on my situation, I end feeling criticized, blamed, devalued, etc.
I think this happens because I’m literally not in alignment with the community,and because of that,their practices don’t work for me.
Sometimes the community tends to make “me” wrong because their practices aren’t working for me. Sometimes I’ve made myself wrong because their practices aren’t working for me. My pattern has been to then work their processes harder, yet I continue to flounder and don’t meet with the same success that they are enjoying.
I’m not blaming myself for choosing a community that doesn’t work for me… generally I engage because they are appealing in some way, I have a need that I’m looking to meet, maybe am looking for a specific type of knowledge, etc. Whatever the reason, no blame to either of us if it’s not working out.
I wonder if the person who gave you the feedback on how to work his model may not be seeing you and the value of your model.
I suppose it’s akin to a carnivore asking a herbivore for dietary advice/feedback. The commonality is both need food to survive… yet the type of food needed to survive is different between the two and what works for one, may be detrimental, if not harmful to the other.
Sometimes as women we don’t fully trust ourselves, our knowing. We often place authority in people and systems that we’re told are the experts… they know more than we do. Maybe they do, maybe they don’t. Maybe there is great value in the experts practices, maybe the value is small.
I guess with this whole rambling thing what Im trying to say is.. shine your light. Follow your unique path. Take what works, leave the rest behind because you arent obligated to meet the expectations of others when you are charting your map, even when your destination unknown.
(I am learning this as I go)
Hi Hilary
I have to go to work here in a minute, but let me say this for now. Sometimes I hear things like, well, it doesn’t mean that, it means this. Well, yes, there are many different aspects to it. I am aware of that. The W/B doesn’t have an exclusive on the truth. They aren’t mutually exclusive, however.
What I hear is two people going in two different directions, and I am asking myself, why? What does anyone hope to gain by going another direction? If it is too big, too unmanageable, well, do we really want to manage it? Or just go with the flow? I’m not suggesting an answer here. Reminds me of someone “treading on the tail of the tiger” though.
There certainly isn’t any criticism in this, but a whole lot of curiosity, which may mean I myself am treading on the tail and asking questions that are too personal. I hope not. I am just trying to understand it all.
Gene
I like what Gene says here: ‘Two different directions for two different people.’ Yes, I think it’s easy to buy into other people’s guru status (particularly if you’re paying for it), and forget that you too have opinions and directions. You’re been too influenced by someone else. ‘Something’ matters too much. That’s clear, without even taking the Yijing readings into account.
mm – it can easily happen, that I’m convinced of the ‘rightness’ of someone else’s model and try to pour what I do into the mould, whether it fits or not. I’ve been trying to find a balance between holding to my own chosen direction, and getting the full benefit of other people’s ideas. Work in progress…
Hilary
I’ve mentioned to you before that your natural tendency is to be bull headed. That may not seem like it, but it is a compliment. However, it is best to control our natural tendencies, rather than to be on automatic pilot. Choose the times when it is right, and overrule the tendency when it won’t work for you.
Gene
*grin*
Thanks for the compliment, then.
Gia Fu translated the name of hex 44 as “Chance Encounter” so it is not so much about the character of the woman, but about the circumstances of the introduction which is highlighted.
I work with the hexagrams, now, from the actual line patterns themselves. Hex 44 is 5 yang lines with only a yin line in the first place. Thus it is a hexagram of pure process which lacks a focus at its root. That would be an abstract process not connected to a specific set of circumstances.
I would apply that interpretation twice to the situation you describe. First, in terms of the advice you received to focus upon just one general area and gear yourself toward the general public, only later bringing up I Ching and Divination. Such is good marketing advice in general, but as you note totally inappropriate to you and your website. It ignores that you are not dealing with the general public but with that boutique niche of those seeking clarity in terms of the I Ching–folks aware of the I Ching and its Oracle. In those terms, the advice you received is not to be taken literally, but it is also not to be rejected totally.
Instead, accept the process, but ignore the exact details which come from your Sufi friends own process and have no place ‘married’ to yours.
The second way hex 44 answers your situation is as a reminder that visitors to a website come on a mouse click, they are a chance encounter that should not be presumed to be a immediate permanent involvement to you or your site. Instead, building upon your niche–Clarity concerning the I Ching–it reccommends that you offer I Ching clarity first and only a bit later steer folks toward your specific offerings and services. The end result would be advice specifically the opposite of your Sufi business mentor: respect your niche, not the general public; do not try to appear other than you are, stress the benefits for your visitor of the clarity your site offers and let them find the details of your services and offerings after they have appreciated that clarity.
Hilary–
I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you’ve provided this “garden” or field in which these kinds of questions can grow and flourish. I love the I Ching, and often feel that it speaks to me on many different levels, but realize, at the same time, how different the original was (with so much talk of war, seeking power and riches, etc.) from the way we may/do interpret it currently. For example, someone asked in another of your forums whether the I Ching recommended riches, power, etc. The consensus seemed to be that it didn’t, but I’ve found lots of references which seem to counsel that a person do such and such to get more, and cautioned against such and such to avoid losing face, power, status, wealth…Perhaps it’s a cultural thing, speaking to a certain historical time. Perhaps the commentary accreted in such a way as to accomodate for certain expectations or wishes. There are certainly passages that allude to wisdom being the highest virtue and wealth, however.
Back to 36, then. What does it mean, Brightness Hiding? LiSe suggests that it refers to using both dark and light to handle a situation. For example, my father, who worked as a carpenter and builder with his father and brothers during the Depression, said that a good carpenter has more than one hammer. So I guess that it might mean using any means at your disposal, multiple strategies, great skill, to react to a situation–maybe like deciding how much light to use when developing a photograph?
Karcher (Elements of the I Ching) seems to suggest that it’s better to “hide your light under a bushel” in order to keep others from blowing it out–that it’s better to deal with the “drudgery and hard work” angle of a problem and save your light for times when it will be better appreciated.
Cleary (The Taoist I Ching) suggests that the light and dark are used as in the alchemical process, knowing just when to use light, and then when to use the darkness, in order to arrive at the desired outcome. He says: What superior people see in this is that when practioners of the Tao are among the masses, if they use their illumination too much, they will startle the ignorant and amaze the worldly, easily bringing on abuse and slander, Therefor, superior people deal with the masses by acting unobstrusively, even though they are illumined.
As for 44, it seems that the woman in the situation obviously refers to you. You are the one with knowledge and power, and the one best not messed with:-).
As for not mentioning his Sufi lineage, he’s quite right to not do so. My father-in-law (from Afghanistan–killed by the Russians) was a Sufi, and I’ve done some studying in this area. Sufis are strongly cautioned against talking about their lineage, or even calling themselves Sufis. Its even suggested that a person who calls himself one, probably isn’t, or at the very least, doesn’t know what he’s talking about. Perhaps he’s the one who should be hiding his light a little more…
At any rate, what we do or don’t do, is so personal. People seem to get very competitive and bossy about the “right” way to do something, when it seems to me that we’ve got enough trouble and division to last us a life time (at least!). I think if we all worked as hard as we could, every day of our lives, there’s still be enough work to keep us busy until our last breath.
Again, my deepest thanks for your generosity and kindness at providing us this forum to share ideas.
Nancy
Hi Nancy
It’s axiomatic that there are no bad hexagrams in the Yi. Every hexagram and every line refer to a fundamental aspect of the total reality – and a lesson in humanity!.
It’s part of the backstory of hexagram 36 that it may represent a situation where all one can do is ‘veil one’s light yet still shine’. As such, immediate escape may be neither possible nor desirable.
Banshanzi says “Conditions have their own order which doesn’t come from human effort; one should accord with what is natural, calmly awaiting direction… If the teaching is inactive in public, one should hide and conquer the mind to commune with the celestial; once the teaching goes into action publicly, outward effort corresponds. If it is in accord with the celestial and corresponds to human need, effort and activity should be carried out as much as possible. Success depends upon the firmness and stability of the mind.”
In that context, hexagram 44 might represent something seductive or flirtatious which lures you away from the glimpse of essential emptiness that points you to the fundamental root.
(Sorry, Hilary and Nancy – i’m new round here and misread the blog and thought Nancy had initiated the thread. Anyway, I’m sure I’ve found an online community that isn’t about correcting other people’s mistakes, but rather contributing insights which others might find helpful)
A recent experience of hexagram 36 for me was that light below the earth can signify hidden treasure! ie that the true treasure is within, or even that it is in inner emptiness. By contrast, the treasure of 44 is outward – and maybe just a little bit flawed or overly beguiling. Enjoy the encounter, but don’t dwell on it.
Dear Halim,
Your response was very comprehensive, thoughtful, and well-considered. You, Gene, Steve, Frank and Hilary have given us a lot to think about. I also drew this 36 three days ago, and have been rewarded with a lot of things to think about.
Sorry for the redundant “lots to think about”. It’s late and it’s been a long day.
Thank you Frank, Nancy and Halim!
Frank – I appreciate the idea of a first-time visit to the site as a ‘chance encounter’ in itself. The interesting challenge for me, now, is to reach out to people who haven’t heard of the I Ching – or if they have, are nervous/ suspicious of divination and unaware of what’s possible.
Nancy, about “whether the I Ching recommended riches, power, etc” – hm, I missed that at the forum. I would respond, “When? And to whom?” It’s an oracle, not a moral treatise; all I’ve seen it recommend is truth to yourself and the nature of the time. At times the message is ‘Don’t be small-minded, see beyond your personal gain’ – and at times it’s ‘Never mind being noble, do what you need to to survive.’ (Thinking of 35.4 and 15.5, for instance.)
I like your ‘multiple strategies’ take on 36. Not having to share everything with everyone all the time – just because you see it, doesn’t mean everyone else has to. But also I’m sure this hexagram has asked me a couple of times whether I’m being all that bright myself…
Halim, who is Banshanzi? What you quote – is that written as commentary on 36, or ‘just’ a really good fit?
Lots of thought-food, indeed. Especially since I was just given 36 again, as second hexagram when asking about handling Seasonal Affective Disorder…
Hi Hilary, Perhpas try a high doseage of vitamin D for SAD. Studies showing the benefits of the sunshine vitamin are cautiously buried (the power of the skin care industry), but vitamin D is crucial to strong bones, and as a cancer preventative. It can also help in depression. Recommended dosages of this vitamin are set very low, and there important studies that show that high dosages of vitamin D (preferably through contact with direct sunshine) is far more crucial to our well being than previously attributed.
Thanks for the suggestion. Can you point me to a source that would put numbers on that ‘high dosage’ recommendation? No crisis, though. So far the light therapy lamp sitting beside my monitor is doing a sterling job and the underside of the duvet has lost some of its attraction!
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd9n9mxb_31f3zpvh&btr=EmailImport
Hi Hilary,
Please tell me if this google doc does not open for you, or I can send you the attachment the the email you tell me to.
Sincerely,
Hollis
Thanks! I don’t have permission to access the Google doc, but I clicked a link to send a request for permission, so you should get that.
Permission sent, hope you receive it.
Got it – very interesting – many thanks!