A reader emailed me to ask for some comments on ‘perseverance furthers’ and what it meant in the context of the Yijing. So I thought the best response might be to provide an excerpt from the Yijing course, where I talk about yuan heng li zhen. Li is ‘furthers’, in… Read more »Perseverance furthers
Not for the first time, someone’s written to ask me what it means that there’s ‘advantage in the southwest’ for her. So here’s a summary of one thing it means, at least – ‘The southwest’ in Yijing-language doesn’t usually mean literally the southwest. There can be the occasional exception, of… Read more »Advantage in the Southwest
One of those frequently asked Yijing questions – what does ‘seeing the great person’ mean? Often it means finding someone who’s already achieved the goal or the standard you’re aiming for, and seeking their advice. You might be able to do that directly by talking with them; you might find… Read more »How to see the great person
There’s a phrase in the Judgements of hexagrams 31 and 44, along with 4, line 2: ‘taking a woman’. Its usual interpretation is ‘taking to wife’, though it’s the same word used to mean ‘take by force’ or ‘capture an animal’. What are we to make of the phrase? And does it mean something different in readings for men and women? And what have translators and commentators made of it?
In the first place, seeing an great person means finding a role model or guide. Find someone who can advise, ideally someone who’s been there and done that. Or go to the person who has more influence, make an important connection with someone who can make a difference. Richard Rutt suggests that in Zhou times it could mean ‘taking counsel, preparing for battle, parleying with enemy leaders, or consulting high soothsayers.’
From Nelson:
“Under #24 it says, favorable to have somewhere to go. What does this mean?”
