MEDITATIONS: I CHING; THE BOOK OF CHANGES, CANTO THREE

Sprout—Begin—Emerge
|or| Difficulty

Look for the opportunity to gain new knowledge and experience. This may mean cooperating impartially with others. Take a relaxed view of the world and allow things to unfold naturally. (Bright-Fey 35)

From difficulty there is great development; it is beneficial to be faithful. Do not try to go anywhere. It is beneficial to establish supervisors.

Yang 1: Staying there, it is beneficial to live correctly, and it is beneficial to establish supervisors.

Yin 2: Hard to get going, mounted on a horse but standing still. Not marrying anyone who forces himself on her, the woman is chaste, and does not get engaged. After ten years she gets engaged.

Yin 3: Chasing deer without a guide, one only goes into the forest; superior people discern that it is better to give up, for to go would lead to humiliation.

Yin 4: Mounted on a horse, standing still. Seeking partnership, it is good to go, beneficial all around.

Yang 5: Stalling the benefits. A little correction turns out well, a big correction turns out badly.

Yin 6: Mounted on a horse, standing still, weeping tears of blood. (Cleary 8-12)

The first two hexagrams were pure: heaven over heaven, earth under earth. The third canto is the first deviation from this pattern, and it presents thunder under water—or thunder internally and water externally. Understood symbolically, this hexagram represents an internal state of activity and initiative but an external condition of danger in regard to ones desires. The soul rumbles and flashes with the energy of a storm, but the oppressive rain prevents any action from being taken.

Hence the Confucian interpretation of the canto title as “Difficulty”. The conditions of life described are like a heaviness or a struggle which one so often must bear at the start of any venture. However, it is that same struggle which makes one capable later, and it is the hardship which makes the eventual progress later feel meaningful and significant.

Thus the Taoist and Confucian understandings converge: when in a state of great difficulty, when the obstacles of life prove insurmountable at the moment, it is best to live as morally and productively as one can without actually trying to change the situation. One ought to invest his time in cultivating his character instead. He should focus on learning new skills, and he should invest in his relationships.

This is what is meant by establishing supervisors—one should seek help, even from those who might otherwise be avoided, during times of great strife or challenge. During situations like these, it is not the fault or responsibility even of great men to overcome the obstacles by themselves. It is not even possible; therefore, gathering one’s allies and building up one’s virtues is all one should see himself as responsible for doing.

Lettings things unfold naturally means not trying to force one’s desires to manifest themselves. This is described by the third Yin. If one does not have the right man to help him track a deer, he should not embarrass himself by chasing after it into the woods. Likewise, if one does not have an opening to succeed in his endeavors, he should not expose himself too early. Doing so will only result in shame and disappointment.

Instead, one should find friends and make small, beneficial changes. These are the building of habits which will be needed when the right time comes. There is an emphasis on “small” here, for trying to do too much at once is setting oneself up for failure. If one was already capable of such large changes, he would not need to course correct in the first place. The same is true for the cultivation of relationships. Whether it be in a marriage, a friendship, or a business relationship, each partner ought to make only slight adjustments for one another. It is best while waiting out the downpour not to foster resentments.

Lastly, as described by the top-most yin, is a warning. Failure to cultivate oneself and one’s relationships during a time of stagnation or oppression will lead to weeping tears of blood. One will have desires to change the circumstance, and one will fixate on those desires, blaming the world and suffering for it all along. Worse yet, when the time finally comes and the difficulty lifts, he who did not embody thunder internally will like the strength and energy to sprout, well-watered by the preceding storm.

To avoid a weep-worthy fate during times of great difficulty, it is best to accept that one is not responsible for his position in life. If his horse will not move no matter what he is to do, he ought not keep beating it until it dies. Instead, he ought to take the time as an opportunity to initiate learning new skills and cultivating new and old relationships. Then, when the rain has gone, he shall spring from the earth to the sky like lightning birthed during a storm.

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.