The I Ching or Book of Changes (74 page)

The clouds pass and the rain does its work, and all individual beings flow into their forms.

This explains the expression “success.” The success of the creative activity is revealed in the gift of water, which causes the germination and sprouting of all living things. The first passage tells of the beginning of all beings in general; here the separate species in their particular forms are instanced. These two passages show the attributes of greatness and success as they manifest themselves in the creative force in nature. The attributes of sublimity and success take shape correspondingly in the creative man, the sage, who is in harmony with the creative power of the godhead.

Because the holy man is clear as to the end and the beginning, as to the way in which each of the six stages completes itself in its own time, he mounts on them toward heaven as though on six dragons.

The holy man, who understands the mysteries of creation inherent in end and beginning, in death and life, in dissolution and growth, and who understands how these polar opposites condition one another, becomes superior to the limitations of the transitory. For him, the meaning of time is that in it the stages of growth can unfold in a clear sequence. He is mindful at every moment and uses the six stages of growth as if they were six dragons (the image attributed to the individual lines) on which he mounts toward heaven. This is the sublimity and success of the Creative as it shows itself in man.

The way of the Creative works through change and transformation, so that each thing receives its true nature and destiny and comes into permanent accord with Great Harmony: this is what furthers and what perseveres.

Here the two other attributes, power to further and power to persevere, are explained in their relation to the creative force in nature. The mode of the creative is not rest but continuous movement and development. Through this force, all things are gradually changed until they are completely transformed in their manifestation. Thus the seasons and all living beings change and alternate in their course. In this way each thing
receives the nature appropriate to it, which, from the divine viewpoint, is called its appointed destiny. This explains the concept of furthering. With each thing thus finding its mode, a great and lasting harmony arises in the world: this is expressed in the concept of perseverance (lastingness and integrity).

He towers high above the multitude of beings, and all lands are united in peace.

This describes the creative power of the holy man, who makes it possible for everything to attain its appropriate place, thus bringing about peace on earth, when he occupies an eminent ruling place.

In all these explanations there is an evident parallelism between the Creative in nature and the Creative in the world of man. What is said about the Creative in nature is based on the image of heaven symbolized by the hexagram. Heaven shows the strong, ceaseless movement that by its nature causes everything to happen in due time. The words about the Creative in man are based on the position of the ruler of the hexagram, the nine in the fifth place. The “flying dragon in the heavens” is the image of the sublimity and success of the holy ruler. The eminent place held by the holy man, through which peace comes to the world, has its basis in the line, “It furthers one to see the great man.”

Commentary on the Images
⁵

NOTE. This commentary, starting with the combination of the two trigrams, deduces from it the situation represented by the hexagram as a whole. With the attributes of the two trigrams as a basis, it then gives advice for correct behavior in this situation.

THE IMAGE

The movement of heaven is full of power.

Thus the superior man makes himself strong and untiring.

The doubling of the trigram Ch’ien, the Creative, gives the image of powerful and constantly repeated movement. The doubling suggests that one draws strength from within oneself, and that after each action a new one follows, without cease.

THE LINES

Nine at the beginning:

a
) Hidden dragon. Do not act.

b
) “Hidden dragon. Do not act.” For the light-giving force is still below.

The lowest place is as it were still wholly beneath the earth, hence the idea of something hidden. But since the line is undivided, the image chosen is the dragon, the symbol of the light-giving force.

Nine in the second place:

a
) Dragon appearing in the field.

It furthers one to see the great man

b
) “Dragon appearing in the field.” Already the influence of character reaches far.

The second place stands for the surface of the earth, hence the idea of a field. Appearing in the field and seeing the great man are indicated by the influential character of the line, since it holds the center of the lower trigram and is moreover related
to the ruler of the hexagram through place and affinity of nature.

Nine in the third place:

a
) All day long the superior man is creatively active. At nightfall his mind is still beset with cares. Danger. No blame.

b
) “All day long the superior man is creatively active.”

One goes to and fro on the right path.

The third place, as the place of transition from the lower to the upper trigram, is naturally unsettled and therefore frequently not exactly favorable. Here, however, owing to the uniform character of all the lines, the transition is merely a sign of tireless activity leading to and fro on the path to truth. “To and fro” means that one is only beginning to acquire moral stability.

Nine in the fourth place:

a
) Wavering flight over the depths. No blame.

b
) “Wavering flight over the depths.” Advance is not a mistake.

Here we reach the upper limit of what pertains to man in the hexagram. Advance on level ground is no longer possible. In order to advance, a man must dare to relinquish his foothold on earth and soar into realms of uncharted space and utter solitude. Here the individual is free—precisely because of the possibilities inherent in the position. Each man must determine his own fate.

Nine in the fifth place:

a
) Flying dragon in the heavens. It furthers one to see the great man.

b
) “Flying dragon in the heavens.” This shows the great man at work.

Here the ruler of the hexagram is in the place which is preeminently that of the ruler. Hence he is symbolized by a dragon flying in the sky.

Nine at the top:

a
) Arrogant dragon will have cause to repent.

b
) “Arrogant dragon will have cause to repent.” For what is at the full cannot last.

By the law of change, whatever has reached its extreme must turn back.

When all the lines are nines:

a
) There appears a flight of dragons without heads.

Good fortune.

b
) “All the lines are nines.” It is the nature of heaven not to appear as head.

The Creative does indeed guide all happenings, but it never becomes manifest; it never behaves outwardly as the leader. Thus true strength is that strength which, mobile as it is hidden, concentrates on the work without being outwardly visible. Since all the lines are nines, the hexagram Ch’ien changes into the hexagram, K’un, THE RECEPTIVE, which is wholly receptive; hence no head is showing.

Commentary on the Words of the Text
⁶

NOTE. This wing consists of four commentaries on the first two hexagrams in the Book of Changes. Of these, two commentaries deal with the text referring to the hexagram as a whole [the Judgment] and also with the
T’uan Chuan
[Commentary on the Decision], while all four also elucidate the individual lines. [The commentaries, here designated as
a
,
b
,
c
, and
d
, contain a different number of sections each.] In the original text the sequence is arranged as follows:
a
, 1–9;
b
, 1–7;
c
, 1–7;
d
, 1–12. In the presentation below, for the sake of clarity and to avoid unnecessary repetition, the different
commentaries pertaining to the respective hexagrams have been arranged together, and are distinguishable by the classifying letters and numerals.

On the Hexagram as a Whole

a) 1. Of all that is good, sublimity is supreme. Succeeding is the coming together of all that is beautiful. Furtherance is the agreement of all that is just. Perseverance is the foundation of all actions.

Here the four fundamental attributes of the hexagram are related to the four cardinal virtues of Chinese ethics. Sublimity is correlated with humaneness, success with the mores, furtherance with justice, and perseverance with wisdom.
⁷

a) 2. Because the superior man embodies humaneness, he is able to govern men. Because he brings about the harmonious working together of all that is beautiful, he is able to unite them through the mores. Because he furthers all beings, he is able to bring them into harmony through justice. Because he is persevering and firm, he is able to carry out all actions.

The four fundamental attributes of the Creative are likewise the attributes necessary to a leader and ruler of men. In order to rule and lead men, the first essential is to have humane feeling toward them. Without humaneness, nothing lasting can be accomplished in the sphere of authority. Power that influences through fear works only for the moment and necessarily arouses resistance as a countereffect.

On the basis of this conception, it follows that the mores are the instrument by which men can be brought into union. For nothing binds people more firmly together than deeply rooted social usages that are observed because they appear to each
member of society as something beautiful and worth striving for.

Wherever it is possible to construct a framework of mores in which each person feels content, it is easy to unify and organize the masses. Furthermore, as the foundation of social life there must be the greatest possible freedom and the greatest possible advantage for all. These are guaranteed by justice, which curtails individual freedom no more than is absolutely necessary for the general welfare. Finally, to reach the desired goals, there is the fourth requisite of wisdom, manifesting itself by pointing out the established and enduring paths that, according to immutable cosmic laws, must lead to success.

a
) 3. The superior man acts in accordance with these four virtues. Therefore it is said: The Creative is sublime, successful, furthering, persevering.

d
) 1. The sublimity of the Creative depends on the fact that it begins everything and has success.

d
) 2. Furtherance and perseverance: thus it brings about the nature and way of all beings.

Here the attributes are again summed up in pairs. The sublimity of the Creative depends on its absoluteness, on the fact that it is the beginning of all things—for it is not itself conditioned by anything else—and that it is the active principle, i.e., it is itself the cause of all else. Furtherance and perseverance—meaning the urge to life, and the fixed laws of nature—reveal the causality of the Creative in its efficacy. The urge to life—that which furthers and is right for each being—lays the foundation of its nature, and this nature acts according to fixed laws: this is the way of all beings. In the Commentary on the Decision nature is traced back to its origin in the divine decree; here nature is shown in its mode of action.

d
) 3. The Creative, by positing the beginning, is able to further the world with beauty. Its true greatness lies in the fact that nothing is said about the means by which it furthers.

Of the Creative it is said only that it furthers by virtue of what eternally belongs to it, by virtue of its very nature. This nature is not defined more exactly. In this lies the suggestion of the infinite possibilities and aspects of its benefits. The Receptive forms a contrast to this, because it is said: “It furthers through the perseverance of a mare.” In the phenomenal world, each thing has its specific nature: this is the principle of individuation. At the same time this specific nature fixes a boundary that separates each individual being from every other.