When the Yi speaks (3)

When we were young and still have much to learn, we tend to miss a lot of things from our Yi studies especially where there is no guidance. However it does not mean that we cannot learn by ourselves or has to rely on a teacher to teach us everything. Obviously our learning could be enhanced or quicken if there were appropriate and proper guidance but without access to real teachers, Yi students have to go through the ‘school of hard knocks’ to learn things themselves.

With the advent of the web we now can speed up our Yi studies since more and more Yi aficionados, be they students, experts, scholars, or professors, from all over the world including China are ‘coming out of the closet’, so to speak, to share their knowledge and experience. Each Yi aficionado will have their own specialty or experience in the Yi studies which may differ from others, therefore the sharing is made more interesting - Tong Ren / Fellowship with men out in the open, so to speak.

Yes, do not readily be taken in by those who implied that they hold verbal Yi secrets passed down from antiquity. One has read about it in the web about a year or two ago. If you happen to know these Yi ‘masters’, ask them to prove it through their divinations, interpretations, and/or predictions – there is no necessity to ask for the revelation of their so called secrets, if any.

Since Tong Ren forms the resultant hexagram of my annual hexagram for 2007, and my main interest, if any, can be said to be Yi divinations and consequently interpretations of oracles, let me share these notes on Hexagram 3 Tun / Difficulty at the Beginning with fellows of the Yi.

Scholars and the wise down the ages explain that since Tun comes immediately after the primary hexagrams Qian and Kun, the hexagram’s name is apt for the difficulties and chaos faced by a diviner or the client who obtained this oracle. However not many students would take the warnings into account upon reading this good pronouncement in the judgment:

Difficulty at the Beginning works supreme success, furthering through perseverance. Nothing should be undertaken. It furthers one to appoint helpers.

Yi aficionados without the divination experience of Hexagram Tun would likely be taken in by the pronouncements of supreme success and furthering through perseverance in the judgment. Just like one did twenty one years ago in January 1986 when I asked the Yi if it was appropriate to leave an international firm of accountants.

Inexperienced, without much pondering, and no one to turn to for guidance, this student thought that the Yi had indicated, ‘Go ahead, if you can persevere over the difficulties and there will be supreme success.’ After getting the oracle and with the intention of leaving, I gave notice and struck out on my own.

The Malaysian economy started to turn downwards in 1986 and was mired in a deep recession. While there was some consultancy work to do, clients did not pay for the work done. Towards the end of the year, one was head hunted for a smaller international accounting firm, but I did not join them. It literally meant that one was unemployed over this period of time facing difficulties and chaos – an underlying theme of Hexagram Tun.

Therefore when the Yi speaks and answers on the job prospects or luck of a diviner or client with this hexagram Tun, it invariably indicates unemployment – a time of difficulties and chaos.

This theme had applied to the woman whom one interpreted for a few years ago in the web since the Yi spoke to her. Further examples of the same theme when the Yi spoke to Professor Sam Crane applied to US President Bush and some of his men in case you are interested or want to investigate. (Refer to the relevant entries dated 6 January 2006 and 23 September 2005 on Hexagram 3 Tun.)

Even when the Yi speaks to us, we sometimes may misunderstand the message especially if we are inexperienced in divinations. Therefore do not expect much help from pedant scholars or interpreters who do not consult the Yi. If we do not learn from our own mistakes in the interpretations, we will continue to muddle through our studies.

The Yi can do nothing since not many students would have spotted this implied warning, which is part and parcel of the judgment, in their over eagerness to proceed with their intended action :
Nothing should be undertaken!

Upon obtaining the oracle, the diviner or client is supposed to find and appoint good helpers to assist in the undertaking, if they still wish to proceed with their intended action. Otherwise refrain from taking any action. Or they will face more difficulties and chaos as time goes by. (Think of the recent events in the US and Iraq if you have read the two relevant entries and other related entries.)

These notes and references are further examples of how events will unfold when the Yi speaks.