Hexagram 47.3 Oppressed by stone

In Hexagram 47 Kun / Oppression, the lake is above, water below; the lake is empty, dried up. The upper trigram belongs to the principle of darkness, the lower to the principle of light. Thus everywhere superior men are oppressed and held in restraint by inferior men.

Six in the third place means:

A man permits himself to be oppressed by stone, and leans on thorns and thistles. He enters his house and does not see his wife. Misfortune.

This shows a man who is restless and indecisive in times of adversity. He butts his head against a wall and in consequence feels himself oppressed by the wall. Then he leans on things that have in themselves no stability and that are merely a hazard for him who leans on them. Thereupon he turns back irresolutely and retires into his house, only to find, as a fresh disappointment, that his wife is not there. [W/B]

This collective wisdom passed down the ages in the Book of Changes also teaches professional managers or coaches what not to do. That is “Do not rely on the unreliable, otherwise they could butt their heads against the wall and feel oppressed by it.”

Those professional football coaches who rely on their tried and tested players during qualifications seemed to have a better success rate than others at the FIFA World Cup 2014. While professional football players can enjoy a huge success in scoring goals at club levels, they can fail to score any at the world cup stage – remember the failure of Lionel Messi, the then World Footballer of the Year, to score any goals at the FIFA World Cup 2010?

Most of the top strikers during recent qualifications or at previous world cups performed their part at the group stage where goals do count. Lionel Messi counts among the top strikers with a tally of four goals - from three group matches - at this World Cup.

On the contrary, Spain’s national team coach may have provided a very good example to depict this six in the third place of Hexagram 47.

Under his superb leadership and guidance, Spain won their first ever FIFA World Cup held in South Africa in 2010 and subsequently successfully defended their European Championship title in 2012.

The coach was spoiled for choice with so many good Spanish players in the team to choose from. Yet his selection of the eleven players who played in the first two group matches in the World Cup 2014 comprised of an untested forward and of nil scoring strikers and midfielders who have had appeared in as many as eight qualifiers. When these players cannot even score a goal against weaker teams in seven or eight qualifiers, what are the chances of them scoring goals at the highest stage of football?

Does this not mean relying on the unreliable?

This would probably help explain why Spain could only score one goal - through a penalty - out of two group matches.

Spain, the FIFA world champion, was humiliated 5 -1 by the Netherlands in the first match and was outclassed 2 - 0 by Chile in the second. In the third and final group match, the untested forward and some of the unreliable were omitted from the starting lineup.

David Villa, Spain's scorer of most goals ever in the World Cup, was finally allowed to play for his country in this third match. He duly obliged by scoring the first goal against Australia with the final score 3 - 0, a face saving match. Yet he was substituted twenty minutes later after his goal for no apparent reason.

Confucius has this to say about the line:

"If a man allows himself to be oppressed by something that ought not to oppress him, his name will certainly be disgraced. If he leans on things upon which he cannot lean, his life will certainly be endangered.

For him who is in disgrace and danger, the hour of death draws near, how can he then still see his wife?" [W/B]

History has shown that favoritism of appointing inferior men instead of superior men to important posts of heavy responsibility often leads to failures in wars and battles. It is said in the Book of Changes that oppression lessens rancor. But how many can learn from this wisdom?

For clarity, professional managers or coaches of today would just be replaced or resign in disgrace - their lives would not be endangered. (There are plenty of examples in the recent global financial crisis.)

However if the line happens to be a prognostication or an omen, it is a different matter altogether. Yijing aficionados will then have to take into account the entire line judgment and commentary by Confucius for its interpretation.

Creating our own luck

Having received a fortunate prognostication from the Book of Changes in 2012 for my annual hexagram, I did not consult the Yijing again for my fortune for years 2013 and 2014.

In line with the guidance from the accurate Guan Yin Oracle obtained end August 2011, and forearmed with the experiential knowledge of when Yijing omens would come to an end – thus allowing me to ignore the then constant media and investment gurus harping on the European (PIGS) credit crisis - I have invested in the shares of five different public quoted companies (counters) in May 2013 just before and immediately after the Malaysian General Elections. The shares were bought in at the prevailing low prices then because of the uncertainties both in Europe and in Malaysia.

Unlike the previous share investment (sold early 2013) which had more than doubled in price, this time I did not consult the Book of Changes for any of these particular investments.

No, I did not use any charts analysis (have some basic knowledge) nor any fundamental analysis (piece of cake for someone who can read and digest The Financial Times of the UK) for the investments, merely relying on just pure luck?

When asked for investment tips, I told my remisier to just follow the picks in my margin account to make some money, but no guarantees. He said my picks always take a long time to go up and he did not have the patience to wait. Sure.

Three months later, I have had sold one of the five counters because the shares investment in a corporation - majority owned by a State Government – had made a 100% gain, not counting the dividends received. (Three months can be a long time to wait for share prices to double for those who want instant gratification! However this is not the bull run of 1993.)

A week after Chinese New Year 2014, I had sold another counter - dealing in fast food - since its share price had by this time also doubled.

Using part of the realized profit, I had decided to take my family for a holiday in Macau and in Hong Kong. Since Cathay Pacific was offering a fantastic online promotion package to Macau that includes the return (KuL – HK) air fare, ferry and a two night stay in a five star hotel there, I took the opportunity to book two Royal Suites in the Venetian Macau Resort Hotel for two nights by paying a slightly higher price – a few hundred ringgit - over the original subsidized package. According to online trips resources, the Venetian Resort Hotel ranks as the fourth most popular tourist spot in Macau. While I have stayed in five star hotels in a few Asian countries during business and pleasure trips in the past, I had never stayed in a suite in any one of them before. (The rack rate for the Royal Suite with a floor area of 755 sq ft was HK 7,500 per night – no wonder!)

Having checked into the hotel at the lobby counter, the four of us had to walk through the casino to go to our suites. It was pure luck that Sheldon G. Adelson, the US billionaire owner of the Venetian Macau casino and hotel, happened to be passing through the casino at the same time sitting on a mini motorized scooter surrounded by a few hugh bodyguards. He saw us and smiled as we passed! How often does that happen?

Three weeks have gone by since the overseas holiday trip, and currently I am waiting to sell the third counter, a penny stock, which price is literally a tick away for a hundred percent gain. Since it is amongst the most traded stocks in the KLSE over the past few days, the momentum should push its share price a few ticks higher.

Not knowing much except following the conventional wisdom of investing in stocks and shares can help us create our own luck:

Buy low, sell high. Know the company you want to invest in – knowing the traits of the owner also helps. Invest in at least five counters.

Of course if we happened to be Yijing aficionados who also foreknow timing and change, our luck could be better in such investments.

While others panic sell shares, we buy from them at our leisure. While others rush in to buy shares, we sell to them at the right time and at our target price. Is this not following the maxim of buy low, sell high? Is this not following the way of the Junzi who has foreknowledge of things to come? Or is it just lady luck?

Final update on the Kan / The Abysmal prognostication interpretation

In February 2008, a fellow Malaysian Yijing aficionado wanted to know if Transmile Group Berhad listed on the main board of the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (now known as Bursa) is a good investment. The particular listed (or quoted) company’s stock price had plunged 80% from its 2007 record high of RM 15.20 and he had bought in some shares priced at around RM 3.36 with the hope that the new major shareholder and richest Malaysian, Tan Sri Robert Kouk would pump fresh funds to put the company in a firm financial footing. And that consequently its shares price would likely soar again.

The Yijing aficionado had thereafter consulted the Book of Changes and published the prognostication – Hexagram 18 Gu / Work on what has been spoiled – on his blog. After recognizing that the Yijing has indeed spoken and that he did not seemed to understand the implications of the prognostication, for he only had six months divination experience at the time, I hinted to him that the Transmile shares price could fall to RM 2.20 or lower and told him the reasons why.

When the particular shares price did fall to RM 2.20, I suggested that he ask the Yijing again since he had intended to hold on to the investment. This time the Book of Changes provided a far more severe warning in the form of Hexagram 29 Kan / The Abysmal. And I decided to give a comprehensive interpretation of the prognostication in this blog on February 19, 2008 to share it with him and readers. The article is titled, ‘An interpretation of Kan / The Abysmal’ for those interested.

The main gist of my interpretation was that the particular shares price would plunge by limits down before the eventual suspension and delisting of Transmile Group Berhad from the KLSE (Bursa).

There was a further update on December 27, 2008 titled, ‘Few can alter Yi prognostications’ after the shares price of Transmile had dived to a year low of RM 0. 48 – Equivalent to four limits down from the RM 2. 20.

This article is the final update on the Yijing prognostication since Transmile Group Berhad has been suspended from trading in early 2011 and had been delisted from the Official List of Bursa Securities on May 24, 2011. This means that the interpretation was dead right since the oracle had unfolded accordingly to a T. Therefore there is nothing more to add or to subtract, which brings the prognostication to a closure.

Since the interpretation was specifically done for a Yijing aficionado who had minimal experience of divination, it could prove to be the easiest and simplest among the hundreds of blogged articles on the Book of Changes for readers to understand.

Instead of expecting the proverbial fish, try listing out as many aspects of the art of divination and the science of interpretation as can be determined from these three articles - on just one particular prognostication - in order to deepen your own Yijing studies.

To provide some hints and help you appreciate what has been discussed in these three articles, consider if my words and actions uphold the following two phrases embedded in the Great Treatise (Da Zhuan):

“Therefore the superior person, whenever he has to make or do something, consults the Changes, and he does so in words. It takes up his communications like an echo; neither far nor near, neither dark nor deep exist for it, and thus he learns of the things of the future. If this book were not the most spiritual thing on earth, how could it do this?”
[Part 1 X 2 W/B]

“First take up the words,
Ponder their meaning,
Then the fixed rules reveal themselves.
But if you are not the right man,
The meaning will not manifest itself to you.”
[Part 2 VIII 4 W/B]

Cheerio!

Greed

Greed or avarice is a human desire. And greed knows no bounds. The more investors or speculators profit, the greedier they become.

By definition, greed is an excessive desire to acquire or possess more than one needs or deserves, especially with respect to material wealth or power. (Thefreedictionary.com)

Laozi and Confucius knowing human nature well taught people in their respective Tao Te Ching and the Analects to guard against greed, especially during old age; since it would prove more difficult for the old to recover from a financial disaster. The young and middle age would more likely have the necessary time span, the energy, and the courage to make a complete recovery from such disasters.

But it has always been tempting when there seems to be easy money to be made together with readily available credit and everyone else is doing it. Think of bull runs in the stock and commodity markets, property bubbles, and gold rushes.

If we look back at the Asian Financial Crisis 1997/98, the Global Financial Crisis 2008/ 09, and the ongoing PIGS* Credit Crisis we can see history repeating itself time and time again. Almost everyone trying to make easy money from the stock markets and/or from real property with free flowing credit from the financial institutions, and did not stop in time, got burnt. Many titan financial institutions also required rescues from their respective governments. (The Book of Changes has had forewarned with omens on the time to get out of the markets to avoid the crises. Refer to the then yet-to-unfold respective Yijing omens blogged in 2008 and 2009.)

Yet do we really think that most of these burnt investors, speculators, or institutions can ever learn from their mistakes?

If investors or speculators keep repeating the same mistakes on financial or property investments and perchance bankrupt themselves, they may tend to blame it on fate or even Heaven. The bankruptcy would not have happened if they have learned from their past mistakes and/or have not gambled beyond their financial means. They should not have tempted fate in the first place and then blame any mishap on it.

But in this day and age, where even previous rulers of nations responsible for emptying the state coffers because of protracted wars and they together with captains of industry and regulators have had played a major part in causing the Financial and Credit Crises and these culprits are let off scot free without paying any restitution – an anomaly of the times – who wants to accept the buck or the blame and be sued for their huge mistakes? Certainly those who had failed in their investments or job scopes would likewise not accept the responsibility for their own failures. Therefore it was much easier to whitewash the mistakes or failures and start on a clean slate again.

If only rulers, captains of industry, regulators, the investors and speculators had learned from history and the ancients; then they would not have repeated the same huge mistakes down the ages caused by human greed.

Such mistakes have caused suicides and intense sufferings including the innocents especially children across the world. Greed for material wealth and power has been the main cause for the hundreds of millions in the US, in Europe and in the Middle East still suffering today.

Investing or speculating with credit (borrowings) - and playing with someone else’ monies - beyond our very means to repay the debt is something that the Book of Changes advises against – if we know our Yijing studies well and if we can interpret prognostications accurately. This advice from the ancient classic upholds my contention that the Book of Changes can be used both as a Book of Wisdom and a Book of Oracles.

To avoid greed and as part of self cultivation, Laozi in his Tao Te Ching chapter 46 exhorts people to be contented with their means. The Buddha by giving up his princedom and lived as a hermit is an exceptional exemplary example of this.

If we have been contented and lived within our means, we would have been more prudent and not borrowed to make speculative gains and live to regret any disastrous financial mistakes. If we are not greedy, we will also not be easily conned (or ‘Madoffed’) for a ‘few dollars’ more.

In line with the advice from the Book of Changes and the three named great ancient sages, contentment with our means, especially when we are old, is good for our self cultivation.



*PIGS - Coined acronyms by the global finance industry for Portugal, Ireland or Italy, Greece, Spain; and certainly an apt name for their imprudent financial institutions, inept regulators and/or greedy speculators.

Review of Homer H Dubs’ article on ‘Did Confucius study the Book of Changes?’

Over the past eight decades, anyone after reading the late US Professor Homer Dubs’ 1928 influential article published in the Tongbao, the first international journal in sinology established in 1890, would be confounded as to whether or not Confucius had actually studied the Book of Changes. The article in simple English is very persuasive and well supported by several quotations from the Analects, and one each from the Book of History and from the Records of the Grand Historian. (Homer H Dubs’ article on ‘Did Confucius study the Book of Changes?’, is kindly made available by Steve Marshall for those interested at http://www.biroco.com/yijing/dubs.pdf )

Professor Homer Dubs (1892 to 1969) was a Yale graduate in philosophy, a Columbia University masters, and after having earned a PhD from the University of Chicago with a dissertation on the Chinese philosopher, Xunzi that he would publish in two volumes, taught at several US Universities before taking up the Chair of Chinese at Oxford that had been held by James Legge. In addition, Dubs grew up in China as a child of missionary parents and returned there as a missionary after obtaining his masters and his Bachelor of Divinity. The professor, an American sinologist and polymath, is best known for his translation of sections of Ban Gu’s Book of Han. (The life, credentials, works, and later eccentricities of Homer Dubs can be further read at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homer_H._Dubs)

Anyone not having studied ancient Chinese philosophy as deep as Homer Dubs, a professor at the University of Minnesota when he published the well debated article, could be influenced or swayed by his persuasive and substantiated arguments to believe likewise that Confucius would have nothing to do with the Book of Changes anymore than about spirits. With his impressive array of scholarly credentials and works, his immense knowledge of ancient Chinese philosophy, and stature, it would seem nigh impossible to provide a substantive review of the article. To challenge such a scholarly article supported by various historical citations appears daunting even to those who continue to believe that Confucius did study the Book of Changes; unless they happened to be equally or more steeped in ancient Chinese philosophy than him. Of his contemporary sinologists, Richard Wilhelm would have been the ideal candidate and/or Yijing aficionado to review Dub’s 1928 article even though his eminent Chinese mentor has had passed away by then. However, Wilhelm was probably too ill when the article was published, and had passed away two years later.

Apparently, this influential 1928 article has yet to be reviewed. Therefore under the circumstances, this student who knows only a touch of the ancients and the Zhouyi, with no particular talent or virtue to speak of, takes up the challenge to review Homer Dubs’ article readied to be shamed if he falters. In the review, reasons would be submitted on why the article has had blindsided both Dubs’ admirers and dissenters for more than eighty years.

Dubs had probably started out the article to provide a contrary view to that of Professor Hu Shih’, which according to him was the best and most critical scholar of the day. And I would tend to agree with Dubs’ poor assessment of Hu Shih, if the eminent Chinese Professor had not provided any further evidence that Confucius actually used the Book beyond his famous saying that ‘if some years were added to his life, he would give fifty to the study of the Book of Changes and then might come to be free from great faults’ (VII, xvi) and/or that of Sima Qian’ Records of the Grand Historian on the life events and works of the great sage. (Pages 82 and 83 Tongpao XXV 1928)

Now to write a scholarly article to uphold or to refute the age old Chinese belief that Confucius has had studied the Book of Changes, it could do great injustice to the ancient sage for not having discussed the ancient classic, the ten wings, and the four Confucian books as a whole.

If Professor Hu Shih only knew what his peers would know, it reflects a run-of-the-mill mentality, and no special in-depth knowledge of both the four Confucian books and the Book of Changes that we can learn from. However, neither did Professor Dubs know much about the Book of Changes of Zhou or the Ten Wings, if at all, since he rarely touched on them in his article, if his admirers and/or dissenters have not noticed.

The following analyses and findings of Dubs would depict his level of knowledge, if any, of the Zhouyi and the Ten Wings:

According to Dubs, Sima Qian in his monumental Historical Record states that Confucius wrote various appendixes to the Book of Changes. Relying on Legge’ correct assessment that the attribution of the entire Ten Wings to Confucius is wrong and that we cannot be sure that any of it is from the pen of Confucius himself. He reasoned that: ‘They (The Ten Wings) were too trivial and unworthy to a great man. So we cannot conclude from the Book of Changes itself that Confucius had any connection with it, rather the contrary. Likewise Sima Qian’ evidence must be ruled out as secondary and based on insufficient evidence’. (pages 83 and 84)

The fact that Confucius did write various appendixes to the Book of Changes of Zhou as indicated by Sima Qian had been likely confirmed by James Legge (and Richard Wilhelm in his W/B translation) seemed to be lost on Dubs probably in his over eagerness to refute the age old belief. The whitewashing of the Records of the Grand Historian, which he himself ascribed as monumental, was to be repeated in the article when Dubs tried to cover up (Xunzi’ student) Li Si’ infamous acts. If Dubs had been a student of the Book of Changes, he would not have so lightly dismissed the involvement of Confucius in the writing of the Ten Wings by just relying on the thoughts and the feelings of Legge.

Dubs has had cleverly blindsided Yijing aficionados and scholars by quoting sources from the Analects which supported his prejudices against Chinese ancestor worship, prayers, and divination. Such prejudices could have arisen because of his previous missionary background together with his adoration for Xunzi (who hated the evil princes who did not follow the Way but gave their attention to magic and prayers and believed in omens and luck – Shiji). He provided an unclear quotation - and considered it without basis as ancestor worship - on Confucius teaching Chi Lu that he must be able to serve men before learning how to serve the dead, to support his contention that the sage has nothing to do with divination (and spirits). (In his translation, James Legge had mentioned the distinction by way of notes between ghosts (Gui) and spirits (Shen); and that Confucius had used ghosts (Gui) in the quotation. And the differing views offered by past eminent scholars on this particular quotation.) (XI, xi) (84)

Dubs further displayed a lack of deep understanding of ancient Chinese philosophy when he contended that Confucius holds prayers useless by offering two inappropriate supporting quotations from the Analects, ‘He who offends against Heaven has none to whom he can pray.’ (III, xiii) And – “where the sage had indicated there was no necessity for his student to offer prayers on his behalf for his illness, because his praying has been for a long time.” (VII, xxxiii) (84) By applying the first quotation, he like his idol, Xunzi, clearly did not understand that Heaven has a moral will. Also did he not understand what Confucius has said about his own prayers in the latter quotation? Therefore the presented argument of Dubs that since Confucius holds prayers useless, divination is useless too, holds no water.

By quoting the statement ‘divination, when fortunate, should not be repeated’ from the Book of History to support his contention that indeed divination is superstition, he laid bare his ineptness, if he had any knowledge at all, of the Book of Changes. (84) Only the ignorant would be foolish enough to again ask the Book of Changes after obtaining a fortunate prognostication, or a happy omen. Furthermore there was no cause whatsoever for Dubs to cast aspersions on the exemplary Emperor Shun and the Great Yu, as superstitious, just to sway readers to his preferred way of thought or belief. (The historical statement on divination was made by Shun to Yu, in the Great Counsels of Yu.)

To answer his questions as to why there were no records of Confucius teaching or of his recommending the Book of Changes to his students, I can only submit my opinion that if the great sage knew that he has not fully comprehended a profound subject like the Book of Changes, he would not have proceeded to teach the subject to his students. And since Confucius was versed with the Odes, the Rites, and the Music, and found them easier to learn, he recommended his students to study them instead. (85)

This usual opinion of mine is probably now supported by the missing and recently found chapter Yao of the Analects wherein Confucius indicated that his divination accuracy is 70% and about the same as one of his students. (But it would be rather unfair to the late Professor Dubs to use the Yao Chapter to counter his well articulated points on why Confucius did not study the Book of Changes.)

Dubs then tried to hoodwink less knowledgeable readers in ancient Chinese philosophy by making the statement that, ‘Should Confucius have honored and admired it, we should expect that his disciples and followers would have likewise studied and spoken of it. On the contrary they maintain a complete silence for centuries after his death.’ And immediately after that he launched into a vile attack on the author of the Doctrine of the Mean as superstitious, because the author believes in spirits and in divination. (85)

Surely, the learned Professor of ancient Chinese philosophy like James Legge knew that it was Confucius’ beloved grandson (and student), Zisi who wrote the Doctrine of the Mean! Therefore was there or was there not evidence that Confucius’ disciples did study and speak about the Book of Changes? Or did Dubs again try to whitewash important ancient writings that supported the age old belief by casting aspersions on the texts and/or personages? Furthermore, would this renowned grandson of Confucius who is the accredited teacher of Mencius, turn against his own grandfather’s teachings by writing something deemed unbecoming? It is left to readers of this review to decide.

In addition, Dubs indicated that Mencius was quiet on the matter and so was Xunzi. Without knowing much about the Book of Changes and the Ten Wings, Dubs certainly would be clueless as to the profound Yijing knowledge of Mencius; even though he has had read his Book. From brief accounts of Xunzi in the Wikipedia, it is quite possible that this particular philosopher did not study the Book of Changes since unlike Mencius he disbelieved that Heaven has moral will. Therefore, Xunzi may not even know what the Mandate of Heaven was. Similar to some pedant scholars, Dubs argued that it was not until Zuo Zhuan that the Book of Changes was mentioned, totally disregarding the existence of the Doctrine of the Mean which is traditionally honored as one of the four Confucian books.

One can discern that Dubs then at the age of 36 adored Xunzi as his hero, probably influenced by his teachings while writing the thesis on the ancient Chinese philosopher for his PhD. Since in the article, he had made several attempts to raise the stature of both Xunzi, and his rouge student, Li Si who as the prime minister of Qin buried Confucians alive, and burned many categories of books. However, in the eyes of the learned and the wise, Xunzi would never be equally great as Mencius as Dubs has had wished. (85) And Li Si is still rouge because of his despicable acts against humanity and learning. Since Xunzi the teacher did not understand much about Heaven, neither would his student or followers! And to the Chinese, the acts of a student reflect upon the teacher. Mencius is honored as a Confucian sage while Xunzi will remain as an eminent philosopher because his theory on human nature directly contradicts that of Mencius’ Man is born good.

On Li Si’s infamous acts of ‘Burning of books and burying of scholars’, an event recorded by Sima Qian, the Grand Historian of Han, Dubs again tried to cast aspersions on the integrity of the Records of the Grand Historian. (88) While Dubs will certainly know the fact that Sima Qian on the pain of death dared to record the dastardly acts of the first Han Emperor’s wife, Empress Lu after Liu Bang’s death, the professor because of his vested interests still tried to mislead readers; admirers and dissenters alike. That Li Si was subjected to the Five Tortures by the second Qin emperor and later put to death by the prime minister of the day was no more than what he had deserved.

Even though he did not quite make out a convincing case to those in the know for condemning the Book of Changes as superstition; Dubs deviously praised the wisdom of Confucius for not having anything to do with superstitious things. This would confound both the Yijing aficionados and those who hold on to the age old belief.

Without an in-depth Yijing knowledge, how could one appreciate the age old connection between the commentaries by Confucius and/or his students, and Mencius contained in the Ten Wings and the Zhouyi?

Using selective irrelevant citations coupled with flawed analyses which led to incorrect findings, Professor Dubs still unabashedly conclude that Confucius did not concern himself with the Book of Changes anymore than about spirits. Yet his flawed findings and misleading conclusion that Confucius did not study the Book of Changes had stood unchallenged for more than eight decades!

Surely, the late Professor Dubs would not mind it a bit, if my review can finally put his misleading arguments to rest, once and for all. If the influential and yet misleading article is not brought to light and shamed, it would continue to be a disservice to the Book of Changes, Confucius, the current and future generations of Yijing aficionados. Although it is never too late or too old to study the Book of Changes, the ‘lost’ generations (the misled) in between the eighty odd years cannot be brought back to the Light.

In case readers think that the review is nothing but hype, and that this student only know the famous quote used by generations of scholars - including the late eminent Chinese Professor Hu Shih - to support the belief and/or contention that ‘Confucius did study the Book of Changes’, I append below just a few assorted quotations from the Analects for your reading pleasure. Please put on your thinking cap before reading the quotations since they have proven too deep even for generations of eminent Chinese scholars of ancient Chinese philosophy, and without any exception, readers should also know their Yijing studies well otherwise the quotations’ trails to the ancient classic will remain hidden:

‘I am not one who was born in the possession of knowledge; I am one who is fond of antiquity, and earnest in seeking it there.’

[Analects 7.19]

‘The Fang bird does not come; the river sends forth no map; - it is all over for me!’
[Analects 9. 8]

‘When Tao pervades all under heaven, be prominent. When Tao recesses, go into hiding.’ [Translated by AL]
[Book 8 Chapter 13 of the Analects]

The Master said,
‘The people of the south have a saying – ‘A man without constancy cannot be either a wizard or a doctor.’ Good!

‘Inconstant in his virtue, he will be visited with disgrace.’

The Master said,
‘This arises simply from not attending to the prognostication.’

[Analects 8. 22 Legge]

Allan Lian

All rights reserved.

‘Friends come without blame’ in the Yijing

Yijing aficionados who have been studying the Book of Changes for decades would know that the phrase, ‘Friends come without blame’ and ‘Peng lai wu jiu’ in pinyin forms part of the Judgment in Hexagram 24 Fu / Return. And that the Judgment also contains the unique term, Tao (the Way). An age old and yet globally recognizable term used by Laozi in his Tao Te Ching to explain the phenomena of the ancient Way.

While the more experienced Yijing aficionados may not quite understand the relationship between Tao and the friends who come without blame in the Judgment, those who also practise neidan (inner alchemy) and are fortunate enough to be taught by Daoist celestial immortals would come to realize its profound meaning, one day. But I will leave it to the Zhen Ren (realized persons) to reveal this age old secret, if at all. For friends come without blame in the Yijing is a significant signpost of the Way.

This signifies the importance for neidan students to also study the Book of Changes since many more Tao signposts are also embedded in this ancient classic. By studying the Book of Changes every Yi student can also become learned and wise just like the ancients and those renowned for their Yijing studies down the ages.

And one of these worthies happened to be the renowned Zhuge Liang also known as Kongming of Shu Han (c 250). Some readers may think that I was presumptuous in assuming that the fourteen Yijing-related prophecies contained in the Ma Qian Ke were actually written down for posterity by Zhuge Liang since there is a dearth of documentary proof to uphold the presumption.

If Yijing aficionados, including those who have studied the Yijing for a few decades, lack the requisite knowledge to interpret omens and prophecies obtainable from the Yijing, they would not be able to understand why I am so sure that the fourteen Yijing related prophecies were predicted by Zhuge Liang. They may also not be aware of the fact that, at times, the Yijing gives omens in sequences (one immediately after another); as in the Ma Qian Ke. (The Yijing had forewarned me with three consecutive Hexagrams 29 Kan / The Abysmal of the then impending Asian Financial Crisis in 1997.)

However it is a fallacy to believe that the Book of Changes speaks to every diviner. And if the Yijing do not speak, there would be no actual prognostications let alone omens and/or prophecies. Beware of those who claim otherwise.

Therefore I have had subjected a few Yijing-related prophecies in the Ma Qian Ke to the usual test and found that the Yijing indeed spoke to the diviner, whoever he was. By coincidence, the particular diviner has had interpreted his prophecies the same way that I do or did for Yijing-related omens. Even the fortune indications (good, average, and bad) for each hexagram were similar and apt (except for two out of the fourteen which appeared corrupted). Furthermore in the first prophecy, by way of Hexagram 27 Yi / Providing nourishment, the Yijing told Zhuge Liang (the accredited diviner) about his destiny and fate, as well as what would happened in his era – that is to provide nourishment for future Chinese generations; his illnesses leading to his impending death and the difficulty in returning to Heaven; and the Wei Dynasty. (Refer to my commentary of July 2, 2012 on the first prophecy of the Ma Qian Ke if interested to read more about it.)

Since each of the subsequent thirteen prophecies foretold of successive eras in China, it therefore can be soundly concluded that all the prophecies were obtained from the Yijing by none other than Zhuge Liang or Kongming himself. If readers still have doubts, test your own Yijing interpretive skills to decipher his twelfth prophecy which could be extremely difficult, since it goes beyond the usual traditional methods of Yijing interpretation.

If omens are very difficult to obtain, what would be the requisite higher skill level for a Yijing diviner to obtain consecutive prophecies that cover a period of about two thousand years like those in the Ma Qian Ke? Surely, this is the work of a sage. Therefore Confucius is correct to say that the Junzi stand in awe of sages, and Zhuge Liang is sage-like because of his fourteen prophecies. While the immortality status of Zhuge Liang is confirmed by the several Daoist temples in China dedicated to him.

And unless you happened to be a Zhou Yu or his diehard fan, Zhuge Liang also known as Kongming would definitely be a special friend whose company we would like to keep whether or not we follow the teachings of Confucius in the Analects.

Coming back to the phrase, ‘Friends come without blame’. It so happened that in the tenth prophecy of the Ma Qian Ke derived from the accompanying Hexagram 39 Jian / Obstruction, the same phrase in Chinese was used as the fourth verse for the prediction. (Refer to my commentary on this prophecy on July 28, 2012) Probably many readers, including the much more experienced Yi aficionados, are still foggy to say the least as to why Zhuge Liang used the phrase in this prophecy that rightfully belongs in the Judgment of Hexagram 24 Fu / Return.

However if we read the Yijing and get fixated with convention we may not quite learn the deeper layers in this ancient classic. (But this again has nothing to do with New Age methods bandied around in the Web.)

In this tenth prophecy, Zhuge Liang ‘taught’ how to overcome that fixation, if students are ready, and are willing to learn. And I have had provided a subtle hint when commenting on that particular verse. Yet I find no improvement in readers’ understanding. Surely there is an obstruction to their higher learning capabilities! (Pun intended)

And in the midst of obstructions, I come as a friend to help readers to contemplate and think through enabling them to raise their skill levels, a notch or two. The statement relates to Hexagram 39 Jian / Obstruction, in case readers cannot follow the train of thoughts.

For that, we have to re-examine the phrase, ‘Friends come without blame’. The Chinese in pinyin for the phrase is ‘Peng lai wu jiu’. ‘Peng lai’ means ‘Friends come’ while ‘wu jiu’ means ‘without blame’ or even ‘no blame’; since ‘wu’ can also be translated as ‘no’ to get to the correct meaning of what was actually said. (See the subtlety in translating Chinese words in ancient classics or texts into English?)

‘Friends come’ (Peng lai) appears in the fifth line judgment of Jian. But where does the second half of the phrase ‘without blame’ comes from? My subtle hint then was that no blame can be accorded to the friends and the Chinese (if you care to reread my commentary on the tenth prophecy).

The hint pointed to the second line of Jian since the Chinese are the King’s servants, not his friends, and where the line image accorded ‘no blame’ to the servant who tried his very best to overcome the obstructions upon obstructions faced.

Therefore did Zhuge Liang make a mistake in his usage of the phrase, ‘Peng lai wu jiu’ that rightfully belongs to Hexagram 24 Fu / Return? No. The phrase is certainly apt to foretell what will come to pass and which later had occurred.

Since in this instance, the fourth verse in Chinese should be translated into English or to be read as, ‘Friends come, no blame’. For additional clarity, Zhuge Liang has had already indicated in the third verse of the prophecy that ‘Five two reversed’ pointing to the reversal of positions in the fifth and second lines of Hexagram Jian. What more can be said?

The great image of Hexagram 39 Jian / Obstruction is certainly apt for the Wu (Yijing diviners) and the Shi (Daoist priests or neidan practitioners) who have to contemplate within to raise their skill levels, a notch or two. So that ‘Peng lai wu jiu’ in the midst of great obstructions, and/or for the Return! And perhaps we have learned a thing or two from Kongming and from this discussion.

Cheerio!

Hexagram 2 Kun / The Receptive, Earth

Hoarfrost underfoot in autumn
What could be the ultimatum?
Solid ice is not far off
Foreboding ills and not a line at which to scoff!

Straight, square, great
Without purpose, mysterious gates
A touch of Heaven in Earth
Cultivating human nature and fate; being gives birth

Hidden lines, abilities remain concealed
If working for a king, fame should not appeal
Completing works like mother
But venture no farther

A tied-up sack
Due to the rulers’ or adepts’ own lack
Heaven and Earth close
Consequently no Tao all under Heaven and the able hide to be unexposed

A yellow lower garment brings supreme good fortune
Beauty within which expresses itself is opportune
If from the depths of Kun emerges the Light
The Golden Flower can be within sight

Dragons fight in the meadow
Their blood is black and yellow
Not knowing the origins of the Creative and the Receptive
A mare futilely attempts to overturn Qian and Kun in perspective

Lasting perseverance furthers
To prevent any foreseeable murders
Without Yijing guidance, if the Junzi try to lead they will go astray
For yielding, devotion, central, firmness, and sincerity constitute the earthly Way

Allan Lian

Hexagram No: 1 Qian / The Creative, Heaven

Dragon has to hide
Since time is not on his side
Ready this worthy will not lag
When it’s time to act

Dragon appearing in the field
While acting with zeal
The Junzi will thrive
Onlookers enlivened with life

Seriousness of purpose even in leisure
People influenced by his nature
Creative during day and concern at night, he paces
Leaving integrity and reliability traces

Wavering in flight
Over the depths; what’s with this light?
Wither a hero or a holy sage
Decision time for the mage

Flying in the heavens
World peace this dragon leavens
Clouds choose to follow him
Onlookers blessed on seeing this celestial limb

Arrogant dragon plunges during flight
For overreaching via the light
Perchance he escapes intact with his life
Humiliation and misfortune filled with strife

Celestial dragons have no head
Cause sages and immortals know which Way to tread
For millennia the divine leaven
While mounting the six steps or dragons to heaven


Allan Lian

A talk on omens and prophecies from the Book of Changes (Yijing)

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I am honored to see the number of illuminaries and some familiar faces attending the talk today. A warm welcome to everyone!

In this talk, I would touch on how omens from the Book of Changes (Yijing) can be obtained and what the ancients had indicated about them. Yi aficionados who are experts and scholars after understanding what has been said, can do further research on the subject matter, if they so wish. Therefore please lend me your ears and bear with me, lest you miss the forest for the trees. Again!

According to The American Heritage Dictionary, the definition of “Omen is a phenomenon supposed to portend good or evil; a prophetic sign”. The definition of prophecy, in the same dictionary is wider but for the purpose of this discussion: “Prophecy is a prediction of the future, made under divine inspiration.”

Based on these definitions, in my opinion, there is not much of a difference between an omen and a prophecy obtainable from this foremost ancient Chinese classic, the Book of Changes. The only real difference will be the time factor in their unfolding. For I had the good fortune to obtain word from Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, three decades ago, and from a Buddha, thirteen years later that the Yijing is indeed divine. And in between those years, in 1993 a Quanzhen Daoist celestial immortal by giving six cryptic messages indirectly taught me how to improve on my interpretation of Yijing prognostications and omens.

When I first started writing the blog, ‘A touch of ancients and the Zhouyi’, in 2005, a number of Yi aficionados had turned away in disgust after reading my thoughts on foreseeing and foretelling the future, and my claims to receiving omens and heaven’s secrets from the Book of Changes. After all, since they have never seen anyone having the ability to do so, how could my thoughts and claims be true? Yet I persevere and slowly managed to push back the tide of disbeliefs and ignorance with some encouragement from Steve Marshall who knows much about Yijing studies. Steve Marshall, as many of those attending this talk know, is the author of The Mandate of Heaven.

If Yi aficionados really want to learn the Book of Changes, sincerely follow its oracle guidance. Reread the classic, consult the oracle, ponder the prognostications, interpret them as far as possible and over time with perseverance, they would gradually improve their art and science of divination. As discussed in previous articles, it is my contention that the interpretation of prognostications and omens are repeatable and therefore testable. However, this would only become obvious through extended divination experience. And through extended divination experience, psychics excepted, Yi aficionados can raise their intuition levels. If they also happen to possess a touch of spiritual clarity (Shen Ming), obtainable via real neidan practice and deep contemplation, then their ability to obtain and interpret omens from the Yijing will improve by leaps and bounds.

If we do not improve our own art of Yi divination, it could prove difficult to understand the science of Yi divination. Without a sound knowledge of the art and science of divination, how can we ever hope to divine like a spirit like Zhuge Liang, Shao Yong, and Liu Bo Wen had done, and later to assist the gods?

Furthermore, without improving our art and science of divination, even when an omen is received from the Book of Changes, we and/or our peers would not have the ability to recognize it as such, or know how to interpret it. To provide more clarity on this statement, I present a real example below for your consideration.

Back in 2003, a lady from the US opened a forum thread each and every time she received a Yi prognostication seeking help for interpretations from her peers. Similar to her peers, she has or claimed to have studied the Book of Changes for a few decades. This went on for five or six times. Yet none of the interpretations given by her peers seemed to provide her much peace. She is a trained psychic by the way and her recurring dreams told her something very different from the proffered interpretations. Near the end, she was literally begging for help on what to do. That was when I decided to step in to alleviate her misery. I had to spend some time reading all of the Yi prognostications given to her and ponder over them. And thereafter in one post, I interpreted all of the five or six prognostications to her great satisfaction, since my interpretations tied up with her recurring dreams. From the prognostications and from extended experience, I had told her, she would be unemployed shortly, and should move out from the small town, where she was working, to the big city where she had been planning to move to. I told her she would become a flying dragon in the new place, a happy omen. (The moving fifth line of Qian prognostication) Since there was no further feedback from her, only lately did I realize the Book of Changes was right again. One of her recurring dreams had her walking under some scaffolding with construction workers busily working above. That was back in 2003. She was unemployed shortly after my interpretations and left for the big US city. If she have had invested in properties there and then, I reflected, she would become rich a few years later when property prices doubled or more in big US cities. Thus becoming a flying dragon in the heavens and achieving supreme success.

When the Yijing speaks, the prognostication or omen is true and if the interpretation is correct, the results can be foreseen, thereby making it clear as day. As long as the Yi speaks, an able interpreter can interpret the prognostication or omen correctly even if he or she is from a different era or oceans apart with the diviner. This means that my theory on the science of divination can be and has been tested many times and proved. My commentary on the first prophecy of the Ma Qian Ke by Zhuge Liang presented at the end of this talk, will also serves as an example to further support this contention.

But before we go into that, let us look at examples of global omens, the older ones published by me in Yijing forums before the predicted events occurred, and my thoughts. Also take note of the pseudonym used then, sounds familiar? For the great Zhuge Liang also known as Zhuge Kongming is my hero too.

1) An I Ching prediction on the Iraqi war in 2003 posted by me on the IChing_Yijing @yahoogroups.com probably on 23rd April 2003(?).

In IChing_YiJing@yahoogroups.com, "chuko_kungming" wrote:

Hi to everyone. This is my first post. Just joined the group (23rd April). Now on the Iraqi war and Iching predictions:

From the hexagram # 57 obtained by me in Feb 2003, the Iching indicated that the Iraqi war would start within 5 days of 15th March. And the war will be over by end April or first week of May 2003.

For the record:

US President George Bush declared deadline for Iraq to disarm by March 17th and ordered the attack on Iraq on March 19th (US time) / March 20th (Asian time). He declared end of attack and victory over Iraq on May 2nd, 2003.



2) If I have not read the accompanying notes made after the divination and days of pondering, I would probably not have remembered how the timing of the two events – the Iraq war and the end of it - was calculated. On the following page of my journal, I noticed that the Yi again insisted on this student asking a question. Similar to the above prognostication, it was another heaven’s secret or omen.

It came in the form of Hexagram 2 Kun and the accompanying notes containing my prediction and the subsequent unfolding filled up an entire foolscap page. (I no longer do this since I can log the unfolding in this blog.) This heaven’s secret or omen was published by me in the I Ching Community in the summer of 2003:

“The ominous omen foretold of groups of Muslim terrorists acting as holiday makers or tourists bombing trains and national libraries in the US and Europe that summer.”

During those few months there were substantial US intelligence reports online that terrorists were planning to bomb bridges and trains. Then it suddenly went all quiet.

In the summer of 2004, groups of Muslim terrorists bombed trains in Madrid, Spain.

In the summer of 2005, groups of Muslim terrorists bombed trains in London, England.

Almost three years after the publication of this omen, the then US President George Bush inexplicably revealed that a group of Muslim terrorists were arrested days before they could fly to the US to bomb the Library Tower that summer of 2003.

If the Book of Changes can give omens to this student and to the American lady, there is no reason whatsoever other Yi aficionados cannot obtain them. They either do not know the significance of the prognostication or they fail to interpret it properly. This gave me reason to previously rant about the foolishness of over reliance on the interpretations of incompetents - usually arising from their indolence -; since it may give cause for regrets. For without realizing it, diviners could suddenly find themselves facing impending disaster(s), financial or otherwise, as a more severe example. They may find out later, with regrets that the Book of Changes had actually forewarned them on those disasters which had unfolded accordingly.

The ignorant can be tolerated and taught, but even if Confucius is still alive, he would leave the indolent well alone. (Refer to the Analects)

And since I have mentioned the great ancient sage, let us take a look at what one of the four Confucian books say about omens from the Book of Changes.

In the Doctrine of the Mean (Zhong Yung) (XXIV), it is said:

“It is characteristic of the most entire sincerity to be able to foreknow. When a nation or family is about to flourish, there are sure to be happy omens; and when it is about to perish, there are sure to be unlucky omens. Such events are seen in the milfoil and tortoise, and affect the movements of the four limbs. When calamity or happiness is about to come, the good shall certainly be foreknown by him, and the evil also. Therefore the individual possessed of the most complete sincerity is like a spirit (Shen).” [James Legge]

Without a proper understanding of the omens and prophecies obtainable from the Book of Changes by using milfoil also known as yarrow stalks to test it, the renown sinologist, James Legge went on to disparage the whole chapter on entire sincerity as absurd. He added, “The foreknowledge attributed to the Sage, - the mate of Heaven, - is only a guessing by means of augury, sorcery, and other follies.”

Perhaps many modern Yi scholars and aficionados, excluding those who follow the good examples of Carl Jung, and another renowned sinologist, Richard Wilhelm, would tend to agree with James Legge. They would also disbelieve in the possibility of foreknowing the future, and of anyone’s capability to obtain omens and prophecies using the Book of Changes as an Oracle instead of a Book of Wisdom. How could they know what the ancients taught is true or not without testing it through proper study and practice? Therefore one has to do all the work and present the omens in the World Wide Web before their unfolding for the entire online world to see, and to prove these indolent Yi aficionados wrong. If Yi aficionados can become real dragons, why be false ones and mislead Yi students?

For Yi aficionados to further appreciate the value and importance of the Book of Changes to the ancients we turn to another ancient Chinese classic, the Book of History (Shujing):
Of the Great Plan accredited to the Great Yu of the Xia Dynasty, in the section on the Settlement of doubts, it is said:

“Officers having been chosen and appointed for divining by the tortoise shell and the milfoil stalks, they are charged to execute their duties. They will find rain, of clearing up, of cloudiness, of want of connection, and of crossing; and the inner and outer diagrams. ……. When you have doubts about any great matter, consult with your own mind; consult with your high ministers and officers; consult with the common people; consult the tortoise shell and divining stalks. If you, the shell, the stalks, the ministers and officers, and the common people, all agree about a course, this is what is called a great concord, and the result will be the welfare of your person and good fortune to your descendants.” [Book IV of the Book of Zhou - The Great Plan – James Legge, sacred-text]

If what is recorded in the Book of History is correct, officers have been chosen and appointed to consult the tortoise shell, and by milfoil the Book of Changes, since the beginning of the Xia Dynasty (21st century B.C.) until at least the end of the Zhou Dynasty (221 B.C.) These officers were known as Court historiographers during the Spring and Autumn era. The Zuo Zhuan contains several prognostications and omens obtained by these historiographers after consulting the Yijing. The Zuo Zhuan shows that even these professional historiographers have had made mistakes in their interpretation of omens.

Therefore we have to learn to improve our art and science of divination until we get it right, no matter how long it takes to obtain an omen, recognize it, and be able to make its interpretation clear as day. Just be diligent in our Yi studies and sincerely follow the guidance provided by the prognostication or omen and the Book of Changes would teach you more things since the student is able and ready.

If Yi aficionados happen to be ‘in tune with the music’ with omens and prophecies, let us learn together from the famous historical personage, Zhuge Liang. In his Ma Qian Ke or Quick predictions, comprising of fourteen prophecies, he had provided the means for Yi aficionados and those familiar with cryptic messages from Daoist celestial immortals to interpret the accompanying hexagrams and the verses respectively. The interpretation will stretch you to your limits, but there is no harm in trying since you can come away with more knowledge. If you can make the prophecy clear as day, then you are a worthy person and will be well nourished, and you can also nourish others.

If Yi aficionados can understand the rationale and the technique behind my following interpretation of the first prophecy of the Ma Qian Ke, I am sure the Book of Changes will give you more profound lessons in the years to come since you are more than ready. For example, my past few years’ lessons from the Yijing have been Heaven, Earth and Man, and how to make omens clear as day. And therefore my slight advantage as the great Carl Jung would say. But, you may hold a slight advantage over Chinese Yi aficionados in China, since their government has disallowed them access to this talk on omens and prophecies from the Yijing!

Since this talk is free of charge, no lunch will be provided. (That is no questions on omens and prophecies, and their timing will be fielded.)

Many thanks for staying tuned, ladies and gentlemen. May you become a real dragon!

Cheerio!

Talking about dragons (Long)

The US and China (including Taiwan) media are all abuzz with the newest appearance of a popular sports personality, Jeremy Lin, who has only started to play in the US National Basketball Association (NBA) several weeks ago. The US media were quick to coin a catchphrase, “Linsanity”, for the media frenzy and the ever growing number of fans watching Lin play with his New York Knicks basketball team. The US media are simply amazed by (US born) Lin’s sudden and fast growing popularity in the States, in China, and in Taiwan where his parents migrated from.

After all in these gloomy times, is it not good to have a new popular hero to look up to?

But that does not really explain the “Linsanity” phenomenon, does it?

Therefore to understand this phenomenon in perspective, we have to talk about dragons and in particular, Chinese dragons.

Dragons (Long) are mythical and legendary creatures.

The West grew up to view dragons as smoke snorting fire breathing ferocious beasts which more often than not kidnap fair maidens and bring them back to their mountain caves providing a chance for white knights in shining armors to try and kill them, and rescue the damsels in distress.

However, since ancient times, the Chinese view their dragons differently.

Some ethnic Chinese see dragons as celestial beings represented by respective Dragon Kings of the four seas, while others and in particular the ancients view them as beneficent, since dragons bring rains and water to olden agricultural China, or magnificent, as they soar in the heavens. The dragon has also been taken as a symbol to represent Chinese emperors, the sons of heaven.

Tradition has it that dragons are born leaders or can become great leaders whom people look up to and many ethnic Chinese in present times prefer to have their children born in the year of the dragon. This explains why maternity beds are heavily booked in China and in Hong Kong hospitals this year since according to Fengshui, 2012 is the year of the water dragon. These parents like other parents want their children to be very successful in life, and therefore, so to speak, become dragons.

However, contrary to popular beliefs, from studies and observations over the years: those born in the years of dragons still have to work very hard like everyone else (including those born under other animal signs) to achieve phenomenal or supreme success.

Therefore someone not born in a dragon year can still become a dragon. If readers want to know how to; study or reread the available Book of Changes (I Ching / Yijing / Zhouyi) and the first hexagram of this ancient classic, Qian / The Creative Heaven where all six lines talk about dragons.

With all that said, Jeremy Lin, born in 1988 a year of the dragon, was a hidden dragon which cannot act, until he started playing with the New York Knicks team, and has since emerged as a dragon appearing in the field.

The Duke of Zhou added to this nine in the second place of Qian: It furthers one to see this great person (Da Ren).

This probably explains the “Linsanity” phenomenon to the media, while Yi aficionados can learn a bit more about the Book of Changes?


Cheerio!

What is he smoking?

Investors would be aware that since August till yesterday the global financial markets were in turmoil. According to Bloomberg reports about 10 trillion of dollars have been wiped out from the stock markets over this short period of time.

Volatility in the financial markets has yet to subside. No one knows when it will subside. Those who have sold off their stocks in early July or those already swimming in liquidity (the fishes) could be the lucky ones.

For all we know, the pigs and those who had been averaging down their stocks could be facing more difficult times up ahead. Perhaps like the Book of Changes say during that time – within the turmoil – “They bear shame”.

The farmers who rear the pigs are the ones who bear shame. The holes dug by the greedy animals are way too deep for the farmers to fill in, try as they may. And whence have greedy pigs felt shame?

Yesterday on Bloomberg TV, a reporter asked a fund manager on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange what he thinks investors should do since the global stock markets were falling like ten pins. The Nasdaq, Dow, and the S&P 500 were down around 4% each, at the time of the interview. The fund manager remained unflustered and kept on saying it was the right time to buy stocks until the anchor woman interjected and pass on to him some email messages from viewers.

“What is he smoking?” The viewers had asked.

And I chuckled after hearing this.

The fund manager countered that he has been asking his clients to do the same. The anchor woman added, “You have been optimistic since the beginning of the year.”

No wonder the savvy US investors have been withdrawing many billions of dollars from the investment funds since the second quarter of 2011. Perhaps they had also wondered what their fund managers have been smoking after September 2008!

Swimming in liquidity

A US fund manager was asked by CNBC on TV what position he would take amid the recent sovereign debt crisis in Europe. With no hesitation, he replied, ‘Raising cash levels.’ When probed further, he said his fund will raise its cash position to 5% from the normal 3%. Great stuff, that! Read on.

A Japanese fund manager was quoted in Bloomberg recently about the liquidity position taken by the Japanese. He said that major corporations in Japan and Japanese households have raised their cash levels to about 60% by not investing, and by selling stocks and bonds fearing for the worst amid the ongoing European debt crisis. He said they are ‘swimming’ [in liquidity]. In the same article, Bloomberg mentioned that the US banks and corporate titans are collectively holding a few trillion in cash.

Those familiar with financial management or are regular readers of the Financial Times would know that profitability does not equate to liquidity. What is the point of generating paper profits but no cash flow?

As the Book of Changes told me last year about ‘Pigs cry, fish laughs’, it meant something. While the message of ‘Pigs cry’ has been previously discussed in detail, ‘Fish laughs’ was mentioned in passing as those investors who had sold their stocks and holding cash escaping the recent plunges in the global stock markets.

In case Yi students do not know, the Chinese sometimes refer to cash and money as Shui (pinyin for water). We all know for a fact that fishes live and swim in water. The Japanese fund manager brought up a good reference point when he said that those Japanese who hold a high cash level of 60% are swimming, since Shui or water is liquid.

The current situation in the world is this. The pigs mired in debt or highly geared because of greed or reckless spending will cry while the fish swimming in water or cash (Shui) may laugh after cashing out just before their (stocks / property / debt) markets crash, counting themselves among the fortunate and the able.

Whether world renowned economic advisers currently urging further spending by borrowing more or those advising austerity would be proven right depends on what happens to the global economy in the foreseeable future. Each group has a right to voice their opinions or concerns, not unlike the Daoists, Buddhists, and Confucians in forums.

In line with the Yi prognostications, this fry is swimming in more water than those Japanese.


Cheerio!

End of the world?

With the year 2012 approaching, many are asking if the Mayans got it right and that the end of the world is nigh. I will write something about it, I had promised.

But it is FIFA World Cup time. Why don’t you watch the soccer games played at the highest possible level of skills and enjoy yourself instead of worrying about what is to come tomorrow, let alone in two and the half years’ time?

Even if a country wants to start a war right now, her generals and soldiers may put it on hold or go AWOL to watch world cup football or their favorite teams play!

Instead of worrying about 2012, it could be more interesting to know what will happen after the World Cup competition end in July 2010.

By the way, is it that easy and simple for the world to end?



To be continued.

Can the mountain withstand the shocks?

Over the past fifteen months, I have only divined thrice. Two were on annual hexagrams and the one in between was an oracle cast because the Yijing had wanted to tell this student something.

The annual hexagram for 2009 in the form of Hexagram Xun / The Gentle, Wind, foretold of wind borne diseases and air disasters, along with the reasons for those events which unfolded accordingly – of the various wind borne diseases recorded in 2009, H1N1 or swine flu turned out to be the biggest killer of people all across the world. The major air disasters that occurred despite safety records vouched by the relevant authorities were mainly caused by faulty equipment. A fellow Malaysian who was afraid to fly home for holidays after reading the Yi predictions asked when the air disasters would end. After summer, I had told her. By coincidence, no major air disasters were reported in the autumn and winter of 2009.

The special or request cast by the Yi brought about Hexagram Zhong Fu / Inner Truth which foretold of Raining rockets; Pigs cry, fish laughs and drum beats in the distance.

Upon reading the Bloomberg opinions column months later, one found that western financial circles use PIGS as an acronym to stand for Portugal, Ireland, Greece, and Spain. These four countries within the Euro region are heavily indebted relative to their countries’ GDP. A day or two after I blogged that the PIGS were indeed crying, Greece denied it was crying for help.

Witness what happened, and happening now. The sovereign debt or credit crisis is not about to go away by itself.

Whether things have been left too late for a rescue of the PIGS is now up to the ‘farmers’ (the euro region and the IMF)! Since the sovereignty ratings of Portugal and Spain were also downgraded together with that of Greece, a week or two ago.

The drumbeats in the distance heard late last year will certainly be heard again. The deferred raining of rockets may occur in 2010. Those in the south east region could be affected. Who knows, a heaven’s secret is never a small event.

It is time to further discuss the third divination.

Regular readers would note that I have already discussed Hexagram Yi / Providing Nourishment a few times already. This is the annual hexagram for the Chinese year.

In the first entry on the hexagram on February 28, 2010, a day after a big earthquake hit Chile, I mentioned in passing that Zhen, the arousing, thunder, in my books and in this blog, represent loud thunder and earthquakes, and therefore not to discount more big earthquakes this year. A few have already occurred since that entry. There would be more big shocks.

Since the image of hexagram Yi is at the foot of the mountain: thunder. I will discuss the significance of the mountain (Gen) and the thunder (Zhen).

The ancients and the ancient I Ching diviners knew that a mountain contain many treasures within and without. Think of minerals, ores, trees, birds and beasts. In line with this, there is a Chinese adage which says something like ‘if we can leave a mountain intact, fear not of no logs to burn.’

In modern times, metaphorically speaking, the mountain is often used to mean a mountain of debt.

Therefore a mountain containing treasures can turn into a mountain of debt if a person is careless and does not take care of his or her own well being or investments. Remember the above Chinese adage?

Try as we may, many did not escape or were able to hide when Tao first disappeared all under heaven on September 15, 2008 – the fall of Lehman, and the arrests of innocents in Malaysia who were later released. (Refer to entries in September 2008) Omens or heaven secrets from the Yi can relate to local and/or global events.

Together with the great destruction of wealth, tens of millions lost their jobs. Under this bleak scenario, a mountain of treasures can quickly turn into a mountain of debt. Not many including the old Da Ren (billionaire philanthropists) have faced this before.

It is good to read that the able Americans and Europeans have been striving to save as much money as possible and pare down debt over the past two years. Minimal debt and savings for a rainy day (or a storm) is the way forward in these difficult times.

However there has been a recent change in the savings habit of the Asians. For the past year or two, they have been busy investing (or speculating) in stocks, bonds and property not only with their own savings but also with margins or debt. If their luck holds everything will be fine, if not, they could be in for a rude shock.

For shock is another attribute of Zhen, thunder. Whenever there is a loud thunder or an earthquake, those nearby could cower from fear.

So what do we have here? At the foot of the mountain: thunder.

How many shocks or earthquakes can a mountain withstand before it finally crumbles? Not too many, going by the record upheaval over the past two years.

When billionaires can lose everything and/or end their lives, can we, the small fry, able to withstand one too many shocks?

A way out is to start saving again and pare down debt like the Americans and the Europeans have been doing recently. Unless you are very sure your government is going to bail you out, and that they still have the money to do so after the rescue of casino banks and the so called quantitative easing! Some countries already need a bail out themselves, as predicted a year or two ago, if readers have not noticed.

In case, readers missed some of the expected major shocks of 2010, as the three Yijing prognostications continue to unfold, the summarized list is as follows:

H1N1 is making a come back.
Raining rockets, watch the south east region.
Pigs cry, fish laughs. (Credit shocks)
Drum beats in the distance.
Big earthquakes, and property crashes.
Nuclear or silent weapons would be used.

For the expected property crashes, refer to the entry on ‘Bumping into walls’. Sometimes external major shocks (like the use of nuclear or silent weapons for example) can crash both local and global property and stock markets.

Yi and Daoist students should take note that the three prognostications seemed to be related and unfolding in overlapping sequences. From my past two decades of experience with omens and Heaven secrets, they have not happened this way. They usually occurred as isolated events, if not averted or deferred.

But we are now still in very troubled times since the absence of Tao all under heaven as from September 2008.

All these are from the Book of Changes and have nothing to do with fortune telling or fengshui.

So take good care of your life, and your mountain of treasures in 2010 like always.

Cheerio!

Providing Nourishment

In the commentary to the Judgment of Hexagram 27 Yi, Wilhelm and his mentor penned this:

In bestowing care and nourishment, it is important that the right people should be taken care of and that we should attend to our own nourishment in the right way. If we wish to know what anyone is like, we have only to observe on whom he bestows his care and what sides of his own nature he cultivates and nourishes. Nature nourishes all creatures. The great man fosters and takes care of the superior men, in order to take care of all men through them. Mencius says about this:

“If we wish to know whether anyone is superior or not, we need only observe what part of his being he regards as especially important. The body has superior and inferior, important and unimportant parts. We must not injure important parts for the sake of the unimportant, nor must we injure the superior parts for the sake of the inferior. He who cultivates the inferior parts of his nature is an inferior man. He who cultivates the superior parts of his nature is a superior man.”
[Mencius bk. VI, 1. 14]

In Book VI, Mencius discoursed why human nature is good. For that principle alone he was acknowledged a sage, since he knew human nature, heaven and earth, well.

In Part 1 Verse 14, he discussed more than quoted above. And a correction need to be made to the quote – “He who cultivates the inferior parts of his nature is an inferior man (Xiao Ren). He who cultivates the great parts of his nature is a great man (Da Ren).”

In his discourse, philosopher Kao, a student of Mozi was worsted.

If we think about Xunzi, said to be a follower of Confucius, who holds to the principle that human nature is evil (the direct opposite to that of Mencius) and taking his most prominent student, Li Shi, as an example then perhaps he was right. This student of his was evil. It was Li Shi the prime minister who advocated to the first emperor of Chin, Shih Huangdi, to burn all ancient books except those of Chin and to bury hundreds of dissenting Confucian scholars alive.

If we look at Hexagram Yi, the lower three lines did not turn to the summit for nourishment and therefore face misfortune. (Li Shi was a good example if we know how he died.) While the fourth and fifth lines which turn to the summit have good fortune. The sixth or top line being the sage and the source of nourishment also obtains good fortune.

In line with the advice of Mencius and what Hexagram Yi depicts, perhaps you know what is the right thing to do to provide nourishment in the cultivation of self,and how to obtain good fortune?

Bumping into walls

No, I am not about to discuss the famous ‘Another brick in the wall’ song by Pink Floyd. This entry is on property bubbles in Malaysia, Hong Kong, and China. There is also some free lunch provided for pensioners on the safest investment in the world and the timing to invest in it.

If you wanted to know why house prices in Malaysia have suddenly risen in the latter half of 2009 to a spectacular high, check out the latest published Bank Negara report. It could also answer the foremost question on your mind (over the past few years) on how people can still find money to buy houses at new peaks. Simple, they borrow from banks.

According to the BN report, total household debt expanded by 9.4% to RM 516.6 billion or 76.6% of GDP as at end 2009 compared to RM 472.1 billion or 63.9% of GDP the previous year. Almost half of household debts were to fund house acquisitions. The volume of personal financing and outstanding credit card balances also picked up in the second half, expanding at an annual rate of 17.6% to RM 98.8 billion. Personal financing expanded strongly at 22.9% in 2009 to account for 14% of household debt. [Starbiz March 25 2010]

If we analyze the figures provided, at least RM 22 billion was borrowed by households to fund house acquisitions (half of the increase of RM 44 billion debt over 2008). Property players would also have noticed that after a tailing off, there was a sudden surge in demand and consequently house prices in the second half of 2009.

With the prevailing low interest rates scenario and constant prompting by market players, experts, and economists alike, speculators or ‘flippers’ have splashed out on houses with bank borrowings eager for short term profits or a quick kill and await for ‘bigger fools’ to buy from them.

Does this mean that the current upsurge in Malaysian property prices will continue for ever? Yes, if you believe in fairy tales. Or think like those property speculators who got badly burnt in the US, Europe, and Dubai, the past few years.

If we look around the world and into past trends of property cycles which represent change, we may get to know the answer. Otherwise we risk bumping into walls, and get hurt. How badly hurt investors get depends on the amount borrowed and the severity of falls in property prices. The amounts of credit used magnify both the gains and the losses. Since credit is a double edge sword.

Did Mencius not advise the Junzi not to stand near a wall since it can collapse? Knowing how to observe and read signs help. Since no one or any remonstration given can stop someone from bumping into walls if they insist on doing so, I occasionally remind my children with practical examples.

When bankers start questioning the reasonableness of property developers’ pricing of houses and shops, which they did last year in Malaysia, it provides a sign. When banks or Central Banks start raising lending rates, it is another sign. When banks advertise for more fixed deposits offering better rates than competitors but over a longer time span than the popular, it shows that their liquidity is fast dwindling – and that interest rates could further rise.

Banks are smarter than most but not all depositors are equally gullible!

For pensioners waiting for opportunities, wait for deposit interest rates to go very high (beyond the norm of good years or those paid by the pension funds) in your country of abode before tying in your cash in fixed deposits for the long term. Although interest rates can go sky high in the aftermath of the recent global financial crisis, they will fall back again after awhile otherwise economies would be 'strangled to dead'.

When house prices go higher than shops it carries a dire warning sign of over speculation. Can the houses rental match those of shops? One asks.

There are a few other signs that would show the peak of the property cycles in Malaysia, but go ask the same property experts who recently managed to convince you to buy for speculation or for a better word, invest.

According to recent media reports, apparently Li KaShing has had indicated that prices of housing units in Hong Kong have peaked. If it is so, investors or speculators of Hong Kong properties should take the cue from this Da Ren (great man) since realty and investments are his forte.

I particularly like his statements when asked by the media about the HK property market a week or two ago, which goes something like this: ‘Those who tell lies or exaggerate to mislead should be punished.’ ‘Those who bought into properties with their own money following his suggestion last year should have made some gains.’

To rein in speculative activities, China has recently stopped all government institutions including those of states to invest in realty using bank borrowings. The Chinese government realized that these institutions are fast becoming the main culprits in property speculation and for the rapid increase in prices since their borrowings constitute about 70% (?) of total lending for the purchase of realty in China.

When companies in various other industries use their cash and bank borrowings to load onto vacant properties arguably for long term investment, it is also a sign that the property bubble in China will burst soon.

Like in October 2005 while discussing Change, I have touched on the US property market, around the time when her housing prices have first started to fall. (No, we did not know back then, until years later when the media reports and statistics came rolling in.) Perhaps it is also coincidental that this entry touches on the property markets of Malaysia, Hong Kong, and China or maybe not.

For who knows change better compared to Yi aficionados who have spent decades of their lives studying and observing it? But how would I know?

Since your guess in change or property cycles, whether or not, luck plays a part, could be as good as mine.

However I blog this entry for a reason and when events unfold accordingly, I may elaborate why.

Cheerio!

A scholar of the Book of Changes

One definition of a scholar is that of a learned person (especially in the humanities); someone who by long study has gained mastery in one or more disciplines.
[wordnetweb.princeton.edu]

Scholarly method or scholarship -- is the body of principles and practices used by scholars to make their claims about the world as valid and trustworthy as possible, and to make them known to the scholarly public.
[wikipedia.org]

The reason I Google for a definition of scholar is because many people have claimed or tend to think that they are scholars of the Book of Changes (I Ching / Yijing / The Yi). The related definition of scholarly method or scholarship is also noteworthy for this entry.

If we consider the number of students in the world who have spent decades in the study of the Book of Changes, there would be many scholars of the Yi.

But are they considered learned? Have they gained mastery of the Yi? We ask.

A scholar of the Book of Changes would make claims about the Yi and/or its related studies as valid and trustworthy as possible, and to make them known to the scholarly public (in line with the definition of scholarship provided at wikipedia).

How many of the so called (or so claimed) I Ching scholars have publicly come out with claims about the Yi and/or its related studies as valid and trustworthy as possible?

Too few, in my books, therefore aspirant scholars should be encouraged and not eagerly condemned especially if they are considered friends , with the arrogant – those too full - left well alone. As taught in the Yi, heaven and humans raise the modest and level the full.

In my books, a scholar of this ancient classic known as the Book of Changes knows ancient Chinese history well, has studied the four Confucian books and the remaining four Chinese classics, is versed with Yi divinatory practices of old, and have published their original thoughts – valid and trustworthy as possible (thereby showing integrity) - either in books, blogs, or websites available for public consumption or for the dispute of their ideas.

Of the renowned Western scholars, James Legge and Richard Wilhelm fall under my category of Yi scholars. They and/or their mentors know the Yi well. Question them on ancient Chinese history or the four Confucian books and the five classics and they could very well have pointed out something that we have missed in our studies. However since they are no longer around, we can only learn from their commentary or well researched footnotes in the translations.

But it does not mean that these renowned scholars have spotted everything related to the Yi studies, which leave a lot of work to do for later scholars. The research into Hexagram 55 Feng / Abundance and an overlooked solar eclipse just before the Zhou invasion of Shang, leading to a book publication of ‘The Mandate of Heaven’ by Steve Marshall provides an example.

Another example could be that of the relationship between Tao and the Yi, which even the Chinese or Taiwanese professors of ancient Chinese philosophy recently try to tie in. That area of study is deep and profound probably beyond many including these professors, since top class Chinese scholars like the mentors of Wilhelm and Legge seemed to have missed them in the Yi. For examples: the space between Heaven and Earth, and the absence of Tao all under heaven – already discussed in this blog since 2008. And I am still waiting for any scholar or the learned including my Quanzhen friend to dispute my claims.

As blogged before, if people want to discuss the eternal Tao, we must first have some experiences of what Laozi, Buddha, the Daoist celestial immortals, and the Zhen Ren have had indicated. Otherwise it is just never ending rhetoric. Does this help to clear up some doubt on what Laozi meant in his Tao Te Ching chapter one?

Notwithstanding what fellow students may like to think, the reading of numerous Yi translations do not make one a scholar, we are just perusing the thoughts of the translators. Neither can a translator of the Yi in any form, whimsical or otherwise, be considered one. If you are only good at reading fortunes or at fengshui, try calling yourself a fortune teller or fengshui master. Like the circumspect fortune tellers and fengshui masters on the web, never claim the title of a scholar of the Book of Changes; unless you know deep in your heart you are versed with the Yi and its ancient usages – divinatory practices and others. Since sincerity is the way of heaven.

At the end of the day, whether or not you can make the ranks of a scholar of the Book of Changes depend on acceptance by your peers.

The difference between reputable Yi scholars and the not so good ones by and large depends on their own studies, research, and talent.

If several of your claims on the Yi or its related studies happen to appear invalid and untrustworthy, consider going back up the mountain where you can enjoy the peace and quiet!

Laying your mind fallow for awhile helps even if you are not a scholar of the Book of Changes. But that is not a claim on related Yi studies, just a mere observation!

Real masters will get it right

Just like those of Tao and the Yi, real masters whether they are practitioners of neidan, art, martial arts, fengshui, or fortune telling, they will get it right most if not all of the time. Since real masters would know what they are doing.

If they have come down or sent down from the mountain with their teachers’ blessings, they would be ready to face the world. Unfortunately, if we really observe their words and actions, there are fewer real masters than many students think.

For example, real I Ching masters do not read fortunes even if they know how to since it is not their specialty or forte. These real masters may have a higher call in life and according to the Great Treatise, if they are really skilled in divination, they can even assist the gods.

Yet we see so called I Ching masters or scholars trying to predict the fortunes of the country they live in, year in year out, giving out wrong predictions most of the time. And still they try.

Would it not have been better to leave the predictions to those – the fortune tellers and fengshui masters - who specialized in it? What is there to compete unless the best fortune tellers and/or fengshui masters in your country give out wrong predictions year in year out? But two wrongs do not make a right!

Therefore if you want to become a real I Ching master, go back up the mountain. And stay there until you get it right most if not all the time.

In this Tiger year of 2010, and unlike the last three years, there seem to be a dearth of annual predictions. In Hong Kong, the news reports say that the fengshui masters are keeping a low profile fearing a public backlash from previous wrong predictions and/or the high profile court case of one from their own profession who challenged a valid will of his dead multi billionaire client. The Judge said in passing that the wealthy fengshui master created a false will to claim the billions of his dead benefactor.

In Malaysia, there were few published predictions on her economy and the stock market for 2010. It could be that those who were getting it wrong over the past few years are being circumspect, it is a moral thing to feel shame, or these masters were possibly slammed by their fees-paying clients for failing them yet again. (If you are interested in what they had predicted over the past three crucial years, read my blog entries during the first quarter of those years.)

Unlike 2009 where one did not side with any of the fortune tellers, fengshui masters, I Ching scholars or masters, I would recommend Malaysians to follow the predictions of the young fengshui master for 2010. He could be right in that the first half year is better than the second half.

And that differs from the CLSA fengshui index 2010 for Hong Kong, in case you are following it for the KLSE stocks trading. But how would I know?

Unless I tell readers something different later this year, be very careful with your investments. Investors could get burned if they take on too much risk. Hope they know what a metal or white tiger can sometimes do to people. (Not much imagination required!)

Cheerio!

Sincerity toward disintegrating influences is dangerous

‘Hexagram 58 Dui / The Joyous, Lake is one of the eight formed by doubling of a trigram. The trigram Dui denotes the youngest daughter; it is symbolized by the smiling lake, and its attribute is joyousness.

The Judgment:
The Joyous. Success. Perseverance is favorable.

The Image:
Lakes resting one on the other:
The image of the Joyous.
Thus the superior man joins with his friends
For discussion and practice.

A lake evaporates upward and thus gradually dries up; but when two lakes are joined they do not dry up so readily, for one replenishes the other. It is the same in the field of knowledge. Knowledge should be a refreshing and vitalizing force. It becomes so only through stimulating intercourse with congenial friends with whom one holds discussion and practices application of the truths of life. In this way learning becomes many-sided and takes on a cheerful lightness, whereas there is always something ponderous and one-sided about the learning of the self-taught.

Nine in the fifth place means:
Sincerity toward disintegrating influences is dangerous.

Dangerous elements approach even the best of men. If a man permits himself to have anything to do with them, their disintegrating influence acts slowly but surely, and inevitably brings dangers in its train. But if he recognizes the situation and can comprehend the danger, he knows how to protect himself and remains unharmed.’
[Wilhelm / Baynes]


The wisdoms contained in the Book of Changes have provided guidance to Chinese sages, the wise and the learned down the ages. Whether or not fellow Yi students can learn as much boils down to what they read study practice and get influenced by the right or wrong sources.

The ones with entrenched thoughts accumulated through the years of Yi studies – if incorrect or given wrong guidance - may find it nigh impossible to change and can be dangerous! Danger in the sense that they could verily deemed themselves experts or teachers of this profound subject and try to influence Yi students with their (wrong) thoughts. This is not the action of a Junzi.

The teachings of Tao and the Yi are documented and referenced down the ages. No one can fake it. Either they know the studies and practices or don’t.

If we place our trust in those who are out to mislead us into believing what they taught are correct then there could be danger in this. Think also of the many Daoist students in the West who have been taught by charlatans.

If the Yi gives the nine in the fifth place as the prognostication, watch out. Your investments could fail or you could go broke due to disintegrating influences. You would know why later and learn from there!

Because the trigram Dui has its place in the West in the Later Heaven Sequence, some relate it to the Western Queen Mother who lived on Kun Lun Mountain. According to legend, King Mu, the great grandson of King Cheng of Zhou, met Western Queen Mother at Lake Tai, and on Kun Lun Mountain where she treated him to a great feast.

In case readers do not know, the Western Queen Mother is an ancient Daoist divinity who sometimes teaches the right persons to attain celestial immortality. And not what some make her out to be in Western literature.

Missed out on a tenfold gain

In February 2009, I mentioned that in a time of crisis there are opportunities for those who are ready to grasp them. While investors are often happy with a thirty percent gain on their investments, I often look for a few-fold gain with the help of the Book of Changes. (Refer to Crouching tiger, hidden dragon entry on 15 February 2009)

At the height of the financial crisis and just before the global share markets meltdown last March, I had indicated that an eight to tenfold gain can be made on certain shares investments, if lucky.

After the great wealth destruction in 2008, many institutional funds made back some money in 2009. Battered but good stocks recovered quite a bit from their lows in March.

If you still do not understand how and why the global stock market indices jumped so high from April to December 2009, track back the G20s meetings for that year and the record amount of liquidity (the crispy new US 100 dollar notes also found their way to Asia) pumped into the economies of the US, Europe, and the rich Asian countries.

Black hands and market makers were furiously at work, this time for the common good.

Many were churning stocks to attract investors who held on to or have moved to cash in 2008. Perhaps now you know why the investment banks had made tons of money and are able to pay multibillion dollar bonuses, while most high street or commercial banks made losses.

This brings us to the Malaysian fortune tellers’ predictions for 2009.

Some predicted that the first half of the year was good for the country while others predicted the second half to be better.

The Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange index plunged in March and recovered with huge gains year on year in tandem with global stock markets by end December. The recession of the economy started in the second quarter of 2009 had deepened in the third quarter. Swine flu or H1N1 caused the death of several citizens straddling the two halves of 2009.

It is up to you to determine which group of fortune tellers was accurate in their predictions.

Perhaps regular readers now know with hindsight why I had not sided with any of the fortune tellers for 2009. (Refer to A touch of patience entry on 30 January 2009)

Back to the big one that got away, shall we?

While the prices of the blue chip stocks in the KLSE were recovering in tandem to the global stock markets, some low liners were drifting lower or treading water (stagnant).

In searching for some cheap stocks to buy, I looked at a share warrant lingering at 5 sen for weeks. Its ‘mother’ share was also battered. Trying to be smart, I thought I could buy the warrant either at a lower price or wait until investors start to buy the ‘mother’ share. But the syndicate pushed up the warrant instead of the ‘mother’ at a rapid rate. Once the price doubled, I did not bother to chase. Last week, the price of the warrant touched 50 sen and that represents a tenfold gain from 5.

That was a tenfold gain missed out. We cannot make huge gains every time!

But there is still time since stock markets never die.

If you do not believe me, check how long it took for Richard Wilhelm’s prognostications to unfold.