MEDITATIONS: I CHING; THE BOOK OF CHANGES, CANTO FIFTY-EIGHT

Pleasure—Joy—Rest
|or| Pleasing

It is the time to rest and enjoy the moment. Do not get bogged down in the minutia of life. Maintain an optimistic and relaxed view of your day-to-day activities and rely upon your intuition to guide your actions. Trust only close friends today. Now is the time to identify with and indulge in deep pleasure. (Bright-Fey 145)

Pleasing is successful, beneficial if correct.

Yang 1: Harmoniously pleasing bodes well.

Yang 2: Sincere pleasing bodes well. Regret disappears.

Yin 3: Coming for pleasure is unlucky.

Yang 4: Discussing pleasure, one is not yet at rest. Be resolute and quick, and there will be joy.

Yang 5: Trusting a plunderer involves danger.

Yin 6: Drawing out pleasure. (Cleary 369-373)

Changing winds bring a change in fortune, but whether such a change is for good or ill depends upon the character of the observer. Pleasure, likewise, can be a facilitator of virtue or a propagator of vice dependent largely on one’s heart and mind.

The double Lake hexagram, Pleasing, describes the potential Paths of joy both within and in association with others. On one hand, the sage authors of the I Ching encourage indulgence in the pleasures of life during this stage of cyclical development. They say to take joy in the mundane aspects of life and to pursue what will bring the most joy now and into the future. On the other hand, they explicitly warn against taking this indulgence too far. It is one thing to enjoy life, and it is another thing entirely to deny life through succumbing to temptations which over-extend and thereby destroy the very foundations for joy.

The key here, as everywhere, is discernment. One must rely on his moral intuition (his voice of conscience) and in his most trusted friends. Sincerity with oneself and with others is the foundation of such relationships, and in them one will not be led astray.

Said relationships are what are described by the first Yang. He is firm in a subservient position with no correspondent Yin influence, meaning he does not give into temptations despite having to conform to the wills of others around and above him. And he is strong while withing the body of pleasure, meaning he can succeed in finding joy in his actions. His conformity is harmony, and his lack of correspondence along with his Yang resilience are his propriety. To be like the first Yang is to resist short term pleasures and instead pursue joy through mutual and sustaining relationships.

The Second Yang takes this principle further. Being in a balanced position, he can express his sincere beliefs and opinions without risk of estrangement or negation by people of opposing preferences or commitments. This is best understood through contrast with the first Yang: where the first must remain obedient and subservient, keeping quiet when he disagrees and, at times, going along with things which do not please him, the second can speak his mind openly and refuse to go along entirely if an endeavor would lead to him feeling resentful. And all of this is achieved by way of balance. When one finds himself in conflict, he does not necessarily need to contend. Often, standing proud and unashamed in one’s convictions is sufficient. Casting off undeserved guilt, the Second yang gains such stability.

The third Yin is weak and gives into temptation, seeking pleasure in a solipsistic manner. She does not consider others but instead “comes,” meaning to go inward into her subjective experience. Doing so ignores the ramifications of one’s actions, and it is this which leads indulgence into vice. One does not account for herself in the future, nor others in the present or later on. This creates discord where there could have been harmony. The result is inevitably displeasing chaos, pain, and suffering.

The fourth Yang resides within the upper trigram, moving from internal to external expression. This position represents those in seats of influence and minor power, occupiers of offices of the various institutions. It is the duty of these people to interface between the leadership and the masses, but to do this, they must be decisive. Right and wrong cannot be presented to the public in a fuzzy fashion while being enforced predictably and consistently. Such lukewarmness sows confusion. Therefore, the fourth Yang should not spend time debating what is excessive pleasure-seeking and what is correct. Wherever the lines are to be drawn, they must be drawn such that the people can follow them.

And the one responsible for drawing the aforementioned lines is the fifth Yang, he who resides in the position of leadership. He is the figurehead and model for all of society, and it is he, above all others, whose moral character reflects most strongly on the whole of the culture. That is why the fifth Yang, above all others, must temper the standard for acceptable indulgence. That is also why he will be the worst tempted. “Plunderers,” those who seek pleasure at the expense of others, will try to seduce the fifth Yang so that they can indulge even more wantonly and for even longer. They are the sixth Yin, “Drawing out pleasure.” They are to be trusted no better than thieves.

Instead, trust in the people who want the best for the highest aspect of yourself. Seek joy with those friends and in their beloved side of yourself.

I Ching; The Book of Changes, with commentaries by Cheng Yi, translated by Thomas Cleary, Shambala Library, 2003.

I Ching: The Book of Changes; An authentic Taoist translation, translated by John Bright-Fey, Sweetwater Press, 2006.