nhdj

What should I bear in mind when I look to the future regarding my relationship with NHdJ? august 10 Upward Mobility

Beneath the Soil, the Seedling pushes upward toward the light: To preserve his integrity, the Superior Person contents himself with small gains that eventually lead to great accomplishment.

Supreme Success. Have no doubts. Seek guidance from someone you respect. A constant move toward greater clarity will bring reward.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

You are progressing, rising inch-by-inch toward certain success. What makes this assured is your refusal to tilt headlong toward your goal, slamming into obstacles and going mad with frustration. You have a clear map before you of the steps necessary to reach your objective. With faithful patience and a careful conservation of personal energy and resources, you will run this long, slow distance.

The lower trigram, Sun, represents wood, and the upper, K'un, means the earth. Linked with this is the idea that wood in the earth grows upward. In contrast to the meaning of Chin, PROGRESS (35), this pushing upward is associated with effort, just as a plant needs energy for pushing upward through the earth. That is why this hexagram, although it is connected with success, is associated with effort of the will. In PROGRESS the emphasis is on expansion; PUSHING UPWARD indicates rather a vertical ascent-direct rise from obscurity and lowliness to power and influence.

THE JUDGEMENT

PUSHING UPWARD has supreme success. One must see the great man. Fear not. Departure toward the south Brings good fortune.

The pushing upward of the good elements encounters no obstruction and is therefore accompanied by great success. The pushing upward is made possible not by violence but by modesty and adaptability. Since the individual is borne along by the propitiousness of the time, he advances. He must go to see authoritative people. He need not be afraid to do this, because success is assured. But he must set to work, for activity (this is the meaning of "the south") brings good fortune.

THE IMAGE

Within the earth, wood grows: The image of PUSHING UPWARD. Thus the superior man of devoted character Heaps up small things In order to achieve something high and great.

Adapting itself to obstacles and bending around them, wood in the earth grows upward without haste and without rest. Thus too the superior man is devoted in character and never pauses in his progress.

Transformed: 34 - Hexagram Thirty-Four: Ta Chuang

Awesome Power

Thunder fills the Heavens with its awful roar, not out of pride, but with integrity; if it did less, it would not be Thunder: Because of his Great Power, the Superior Person takes pains not to overstep his position, so that he will not seem intimidating or threatening to the Established Order.

Opportunity will arise along this course.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

The Awesome Power available in this hexagram stems from what the Taoists call your Te, a term not perfectly translated into English. Roughly, it is your Integrity -- not in the Western sense of honor -- but more in the psychological definition of a full integration of Who You Are. This Awesome Power is achieved only by fully embracing both the good and the bad, the strong and the weak, the masculine and the feminine -- all polarities within you. Such self-knowledge spawns a Mastery tempered with the humility necessary to rein in and harness this Awesome Power.

The great lines, that is, the light, strong lines, are powerful. Four light lines have entered the hexagram from below and are about to ascend higher. The upper trigram is Chên, the Arousing; the lower is Ch'ien, the Creative. Ch'ien is strong, Chên produces movement. The union of movement and strength gives the meaning of THE POWER OF THE GREAT. The hexagram is linked with the second month (March-April).

THE JUDGEMENT

THE POWER OF THE GREAT. Perseverance furthers.

The hexagram points to a time when inner worth mounts with great force and comes to power. But its strength has already passed beyond the median line, hence there is danger that one may rely entirely on one's own power and forget to ask what is right. There is danger too that, being intent on movement, we may not wait for the right time. Therefore the added statement that perseverance furthers. For that is truly great power which does not degenerate into mere force but remains inwardly united with the fundamental principles of right and of justice. When we understand this point - namely, that greatness and justice must be indissolubly united - we understand the true meaning of all that happens in heaven and on earth.

THE IMAGE

Thunder in heaven above: The image of THE POWER OF THE GREAT. Thus the superior man does not tread on paths That do not accord with established order.

Thunder - electrical energy - mounts upward in the spring. The direction of this movement is in harmony with that of the movement of heaven. It is therefore a movement in accord with heaven, producing great power. However, true greatness depends on being in harmony with what is right. Therefore in times of great power the superior man avoids doing anything that is not in harmony with the established order.

Transformed Hexagram:

32 - Hexagram Thirty-Two: Hêng

Durability

Arousing Thunder and penetrating Wind. Close companions in any storm: The Superior Person possesses a resiliency and durability that lets him remain firmly and faithfully on course.

Such constancy deserves success.

SITUATION ANALYSIS:

Endurance is the key to success in this situation. However, durability is not synonymous with stone-like rigidity. True resilience requires a flexibility that allows adaptation to any adverse condition, while still remaining true to the core. Can you maintain your integrity under any circumstance? Can you influence the situation without giving opposing forces anything to resist? Then you will endure to reach your goal.

What should I bear in mind when answering NHdJ's question regarding the signs that manifest when we met?