Hexagram 64 Before Completion

22 September 2019, Big Creek Coffee, Hamilton, MT ~ 3:00 PM

The QUESTION after some discussion was formulated by T. B. and inscribed by H. R.:

How do we know/recognize when we are on the right path in influencing ourselves and the world toward greater consciousness.

= O = O = O =

Because for a light rain and time constraints the cast was made inside: First 3 lines by J. O. using stalks and second three lines by S. B. using coins.  

=== - -  — ====

☲

The Top Trigram is Fire 離, The Clinging, Radiance; light-giving, humane “dependance". Correlated with: Second Daughter, Eye, Pheasant, Clinging/clarity/Adaptable, Chinese Zodiac - Snake, Chinese Elemental Force: Fire ☵

The Bottom Trigram is Water 坎, The Abysmal, Gorge; Dangerous. Correlated with: Second Son, Ear, Pig, In Motion, Chinese Zodiac - Rat, Chinese Elemental Force: Water.  

=== +++ ===

the two trigrams one atop the other give

HEXAGRAM 64 with a changing line in the 2nd place

-----

-- --

-----

-- --

----- •

-- --

未濟 Wèi Jì (Wei Chi)* Before Completion (Not Yet Crossing)

* Wèi Jì is the Pinyin Romanization (Wei Chi) is the Wade Giles Romanization

THE JUDGMENT

BEFORE COMPLETION. Success. But if the little fox, after nearly completing the crossing, Gets his tail in the water,

There is nothing that would further.

THE IMAGE

Fire over water:

The image of the condition before transition.

Thus the superior person is careful In the differentiation of things,

So that each finds its place.

THE LINES

Nine in the second place means:

He brakes his wheels. Perseverance brings good fortune.**

** Kunst’s translation is different. The Text is: 曳其輪，貞吉 The third character 輪 is translated by Kunst (and Legge) as "spun thread.” He trails along the spun thread. The determination is auspicious. (Note the subtle difference in meaning compared to Perseverance [determination] brings good fortune [an auspicious outcome]).

======••••••======

ADDITIONAL COMMENTARY 

The Sequence

Things cannot exhaust themselves. Hence there follows, at the end, the hexagram BEFORE COMPLETION.

Miscellaneous 

BEFORE COMPLETION is the exhaustion of the masculine.

Commentary on the Judgment

The little fox is not yet past the middle“He gets his tail in the water. There is nothing that would further”… because the matter does not go on to the end.

Although the lines are not in there correct places, the firm [unbroken line] and the yielding [broken lines] nevertheless correspond [line pairs in Figure 6.3 have the same line for each pair].

Commentary on the Lines

Line 2 has good fortune if it is persevering. It is central [the central line in the bottom trigram — and as noted above corresponds to Line 5 which also has an unbroken line] and thus acts correctly. [The husband and wife (or Official and Ruler) are central and acting in accord with one another in this Hexagram]. This might be a fortuitous for both our question and a couple of other things going in with the people in the group - if we persevere or on other translations are “determined."

SOME OF OUR THOUGHTS FROM THE CAFE IN RESPONSE

...how do I/we know when we are on the correct path? ... an answer from the vision, from Spirit...

===

We know when we are in alignment with the desired path when we are building upon our strength but waiting for the correct time to use it, when we preserve but do so with great care and caution.  

===

It is a cautionary tale. 

It emphasizes caution in the extreme [tail in the water, nothing would further, careful in the differentiation of things - ideas], implying we are at a loss for the right path even though we have moved forward [put on the brakes]. There will be difficulty recognizing the right path and must be cautious and check every step [the fox walking across thin ice]. 

And, our assertive “male” energy, the Yang, is exhausted [exhaustion of masculine energy], so we have to move toward the pure Yin, the receptive, that is listening and learning, build up our inner understanding of the situation as we develop ourselves before taking even another step.  [the author commentary on the Judgment]

If we do this in concert [The correspondence of line 2 and 5 - the members of a group or family], and learn enough to move cautiously in the right direction, we will have success [“Success" appearing both in the Judgment and Line 2 readings].