The Top Five Regrets Of The Dying Barnes And Noble

[Baldomero Prado]

Thefirst hexagram is made up of six unbroken lines. These unbroken lines stand for the primal power, which is light-giving, active, strong, and of the spirit. The hexagram is consistently strong in character, and since it is without weakness, its essence is power or energy. Its imageis heaven. Its energy is represented as unrestricted by any fixed conditions in space and is therefore conceived of as motion. Time is regarded as the basis of this motion. Thus the hexagram includes also the power of timeand the power of persisting in time, that is, duration. The power represented by the hexagram is to be interpreted in a dual sense in terms of its action on the universe and of its action on the world of men. In relation to the universe, the hexagram expresses the strong, creative action of the Deity. In relation to the human world, it denotes the creative action of the holy man or sage, of the ruler or leader of men, who through his power awakens and develops their higher nature.

According to the original meaning, the attributes [sublimity, potentiality of success, power to further, perseverance] are paired. When an individual draws this oracle, it means that success will come to him from the primal depths of the universe and that everything depends upon his seeking his happiness and that of others in one way only, that is, by perseverancein what is right. The specific meanings of the four attributes becamethe subject of speculation at an early date. The Chinese word here renderedby "sublime" means literally "head," "origin," "great." This is why Confucius says in explaining it: "Great indeed is the generating power of the Creative; all beings owe their beginning to it. This power permeates all heaven."For this attribute inheres in the other three as well. The beginning ofall things lies still in the beyond in the form of ideas that have yet tobecome real. But the Creative furthermore has power to lend form to thesearchetypes of ideas. This is indicated in the word success, and the processis represented by an image from nature: "The clouds pass and the rain doesits work, and all individual beings flow into their forms." Applies tothe human world, these attributes show the great man the way to notablesuccess: "Because he sees with great clarity and cause and effects, he completesthe six steps at the right time and mounts toward heaven on them at theright time, as though on six dragons." The six steps are the six differentpositions given in the hexagram, which are represented later by the dragonsymbol. Here it is shown that the way to success lies in apprehending andgiving actuality to the way of the universe [Tao], which, as a law runningthrough end and beginning, brings about all phenomena in time. Thus eachstep attained forthwith becomes a preparation for the next. Time is no longera hindrance but the means of making actual what is potential. The act ofcreation having found expression in the two attributes sublimity and success,the work of conservation is shown to be a continuous actualization and differentiationof form. This is expressed in the two terms "furthering" (literally, "creatingthat which accords with the nature of a given being") and "persevering"(literally, "correct and firm"). "The course of the Creative alters andshapes beings until each attains its true, specific nature, then it keepsthem in conformity with the Great Harmony. Thus does it show itself to furtherthrough perseverance." In relation to the human sphere, this shows how thegreat man brings peace and security to the world through his activity increating order: "He towers high above the multitude of beings, and all landsare united in peace." Another line of speculation goes still further inseparating the words "sublime," "success," "furthering," "perseverance," and parallels them with the four cardinal virtues in humanity. To sublimity, which, as the fundamental principle, embraces all the other attributes,it links love. To the attribute success are linked the morals, which regulate and organize expressions of love and thereby make them successful. The attribute furthering is correlated with justice, which creates the conditions in which each receives that which accords with his being, that which is due him and which constitutes his happiness. The attribute perseverance is correlated with wisdom, which discerns the immutable laws of all that happens and can therefore bring about enduring conditions. These speculations, already broached in the commentary called Wn Yen , later formed the bridge connecting the philosophy of the "five stages (elements) of change," as laid down in the Book of History (Shu Ching) with the philosophy of the Book of Changes, which is based solely on the polarity of positive and negative principles. In the course of time this combination of the two systems of thought opened the way for an increasingly intricate number symbolism.

Since there is only one heaven, the doubling of the trigram Ch'ien, of which heaven is the image, indicates the movement of heaven. One complete revolution of heaven makes a day, and the repetition of the trigram means that each day is followed by another. This creates the idea of time.Since it is the same heaven moving with untiring power, there is alsocreated the idea of duration both in and beyond time, a movement thatnever stops nor slackens, just as one day follows another in an unendingcourse. This duration in time is the image of the power inherent in theCreative. With this image as a model, the sage learns how best to develophimself so that his influence may endure. He must make himself strong inevery way, by consciously casting out all that is inferior and degrading.Thus he attains that tirelessness which depends upon consciously limitingthe fields of his activity.

In China the dragon has a meaning altogether different from that given it in the Western world. The dragon is a symbol of the electrically charged, dynamic, arousing force that manifests itself in the thunderstorm. Inwinter this energy withdraws into the earth; in the early summer it becomesactive again, appearing in the sky as thunder and lightning. As a resultthe creative forces on earth begin to stir again. Here this creativeforce is still hidden beneath the earth and therefore has no effect. Interms of human affairs, this symbolizes a great man who is still unrecognized. Nonetheless he remains true to himself. He does not allow himself to beinfluenced by outward success or failure, but confident in his strength,he bides his time. Hence it is wise for the man who consults the oracleand draws this line to wait in the calm strength of patience. The time willfulfill itself. One need not fear least strong will should not prevail;the main thing is not to expend one's powers prematurely in an attempt toobtain by force something for which the time is not yet ripe.

Here the effects of the light-giving power begin to manifest themselves. In terms of human affairs, this means that the great man makes his appearance in his chosen field of activity. As yet he has no commanding positionbut is still with his peers. However, what distinguishes him form theothers is his seriousness of purpose, his unqualified reliability, andthe influence he exerts on his environment with out conscious effort.Such a man is destined to gain great influence and to set the world inorder. Therefore it is favorable to see him.

A sphere of influence opens up for the great man. His fame beginsto spread. The masses flock to him. His inner power is adequate to the increased outer activity. There are all sorts of things to be done, and when others are at rest in the evening, plans and anxieties press in upon him. But danger lurks here at the place of transition from lowliness to the heights. Many a great man has been ruined because the masses flocked to him andswept him into their course. Ambition has destroyed his integrity. However,true greatness is not impaired by temptations. He who remains in touch withthe time that is dawning, and with its demands is prudent enough to avoidall pitfalls, and remains blameless.

A place of transition has been reached, and free choice can enterin. A twofold possibility is presented to the great man: he can soar to theheights and play an important part in the world, or he can withdraw intosolitude and develop himself. He can go the way of the hero or that of theholy sage who seeks seclusion. There is no general law of his being. If theindividual acts consistently and is true to himself, he will find the waythat is appropriate for him. This way is right for him and without blame.

Here the great man has attained the sphere of the heavenly beings. His influence spreads and becomes visible throughout the whole world.Everyone who sees him may count himself blessed. Confucius says aboutthis line:

Things that accord in tone vibrate together. Things that have affinity in their inmost natures seek one another. Water flows to what is wet,fire turns to what is dry. Clouds (the breath of heaven) follow the dragon, wind (the breath of earth) follows the tiger. Thus the sage arises, and all creatures follow him with their eyes. What is born of heaven feelsrelated to what is above. What is born of earth feels related to what isbelow. Each follows its kind.

When a man seeks to climb so high that he loses touch with the rest of mankind, he becomes isolated, and this necessarily leads to failure. This line warns against titanic aspirations that exceed one's power. Aprecipitous fall would follow.

When all the lines are nines, it means:

When all the lines are nines, it means that the whole hexagram isin motion and changes into the hexagram K'un, THE RECEPTIVE, whose character is devotion. The strength of the Creative and the mildness of the Receptive unite. Strength is indicated by the flight of dragons, mildness by the fact that their heads are hidden. This means that mildness in action joined to strength of decision brings good fortune.

This hexagram is made up of broken lines only. The broken lines represents the dark, yielding, receptive primal power of yin. The attribute of the hexagram is devotion; its image is the earth. It is the perfect complement of THE CREATIVE--the complement, not the opposite, for the Receptive does not combat the Creative but completes it . It represents nature in contrast to spirit, earth in contrast to heaven, space as against time, the female-maternal as against the male-paternal. However, as applied to human affairs, the principle of this complementary relationship is found not only in the relation between man and woman, but also in that between prince and minister andbetween father and son. Indeed, even in the individual this duality appearsin the coexistence of the spiritual world and the world of the senses. But strictly speaking there is no real dualism here, because there is aclearly defined hierarchic relationship between the two principles. In itselfof course the Receptive is just as important as the Creative, but the attributeof devotion defines the place occupied by this primal power in relationto the Creative. For the Receptive must be activated and led by the Creative; then it is productive of good. Only when it abandons this position and tries to stand as an equal side by side with the Creative, does it become evil. The result then is opposition to and struggle against the Creative, which is productive of evil to both.

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