That great light from Heaven (3)

Generations of Chinese sages, the wise, and the learned have had studied the Book of Changes (I Ching / Yijing) - down the few millennia of its existence - because the ancient classic is profound and contains much wisdom on human nature and fate, and on the cosmos. Their experiential and wise commentary - collectively known as the Ten Wings - on the Zhou Book of Changes (Zhouyi) also provide a historical guidance as to what local and/or global phenomena can happen on Earth that would affect peoples of the world.

Going by the several global omens published over the years in this blog before their actual unfolding, regular readers could find cause to agree to the foregoing paragraph. In the event that some remain skeptical, perhaps this third article on that great light from Heaven can move them a wee bit closer to accepting the profundity of the Book of Changes.

In the Book of Changes it is said that Heaven (Qian) send down the Light to Earth (Kun) to help Man (Ren) via the nine in the fourth place of Hexagram 12 Pi / Stagnation.

As indicated in previous articles on the topic, this phenomenon has occurred and has escaped the notice of the current crop of Yijing experts and scholars in the world. Nothing to be ashamed about since this particular phenomenon could probably be way over their heads even if they happen to be eminent ancient Chinese philosophy scholars because of their beliefs and interpretation-skill limitations on omens and on phenomena.

If we have read the Book of Changes, the Tao Te Ching, and the Analects of Confucius or any combination of them for decades and still doubt that Heaven has a moral will including that of sending down the great light to help people on Earth in times of dire need, we can be considered having read ‘dead books’. It would also show that we do not quite understand Man’s relationship with Heaven and Earth.

Several hundreds of millions of people have suffered tremendous hardship since the 2008 Global Financial and Credit Crises caused by encouraged human avarice, incompetent regulators, corruption of power, and which include those suffering under the hands of inhumane and unjust rulers. Many have lost their jobs – their usual means of livelihood -, lost their houses, life savings, and share investments because of these man-made crises.

Those who had died of hunger or extreme cold, or had committed suicide because of the crises are beyond rescue. But those who have withstood the shocks and hardships could still find hope.

In such dark and difficult times, Heaven has sent down the great light to Earth in 2011 to help the peoples of the world. The Book of Changes told this student about this happy global omen in early 2011. This particular omen was later confirmed by another divine source. (See later)

In this article, the question to address is who did Heaven send to help the peoples of the world?

The ideal divinity or great light from Heaven would be Guan Yin since the multitude is suffering severe financial hardship and extreme stress. Since Guan Yin or Avalokitesvara (in Sanskrit) is known to Daoist devotees as the Goddess of Mercy. Her devotees believe that in times of extreme distress their prayers to Guan Yin will more often than not be answered. And thereafter they will feel peace in their heart / mind (Xin).

To the Buddhists, Avalokitesvara has reached the ranks of Bodhisattvas - a level below that of Buddhas. Therefore a Bodhisattva can only be considered the rank of a minister and not that of a ruler.

Now deep thinkers, Yijing experts and scholars would know that in Yi studies, the line in the fourth place represents that of a minister, and since the Bodhisattva is a rank or a level below Buddha - the ruler represented by the line in the fifth place – Guan Yin Bodhisattva can represent that great light from Heaven sent down to Earth to help the peoples.

And Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, would be the ideal candidate from Heaven for helping people in extreme distress, is it not? The received happy global omen from the Book of Changes was confirmed months later by the accurate Guan Yin Oracle.

Therefore the great light sent down by Heaven in 2011 is none other than Guan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy, or Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.

Before non believers and skeptics bray in disbelief, read the various recent articles on “An accurate Guan Yin Oracle” and examine if what are stated therein make sense and relate to this great light from Heaven.

Writing those articles and elaborating on what Guan Yin had indicated in her accurate oracle could be one way to assist the gods to help the people. (Refer to the Great Treatise for further information)

Cheerio!

Poker fish and Fish in the tank (2)

________
________ Qian
________
________
________ Xun
____ ____

44 Gou


The previous article provided a summary of reasons why poker has enjoyed resurgence and a huge following by youths over the past decade and how they are seduced into playing it.

To recap the poker slang, Fish are players who do not play well in poker and Tank is when a player takes time to think whether or not to fold, call, or to re-raise a bet. Tank also takes on the usual meaning of an aquarium to some poker players.

No matter what poker literature you read, an element of luck plays a part in your very success of winning at the gaming tables; since no one can predict with certainty which five - 3 + 1 + 1 - community cards would respectively fall at the flop, turn, and the river in “Texas Hold’em”. That is why young amateurs - if they are so destined - playing against professionals to boot have had the good fortune to win several major championships including the World “No Limit Texas Hold’em” poker tournament (s). The only difference is that in the long run, professionals with much better playing skills would have a higher probability to beat the odds and luck to win in cash games against poker fish.

When lady luck plays a part in winnings and losses at the gaming tables, it is gambling. And gambling is a sin vice or an evil since ancient times.

It is good to see youths optimistic and as long as they do not misplace this optimism by aiming for the wrong things that could lead to a bleak future, they are fine. While poker professionals can be very successful at their profession, not everyone - amateurs and professionals included - can make a good living out of playing poker.

For a very good example, Jerry Yang won the 2007 world poker championship and the whopping prize money of USD 8.25 million that came with it. However, over the next five years he only managed to win a little over USD 150,000 in live tournament earnings – an average annual gross income of USD 30,000 can hardly be called making good money even by Malaysian standards, let alone in the US where the cost of living is much higher. It was also reported in pokernews.com on March 12, 2013 that his awarded 2007 WSOP bracelet and watch are listed among the various jewelry to be auctioned off by the US Internal Revenue Service to repay tax lien of more than USD 570,000.

If a former world poker champion cannot make a good living out of playing the game, how many professionals and amateurs out there can really make it? Probably only the top 5% and the rest could be considered fish by the crème de la crème of the poker profession.

Recently, a young man had requested me to consult the Book of Changes to see if he can make a career out of playing poker. The apt and concise answers given by the ancient classic could even astound the skeptics. Since these prognostications will be clear as day even for beginners of Yijing divination, poker players and other readers – especially with the summary information on the poker scene provided in the previous article and in the preamble of this second article. For the answers given are akin to poker lingo! (Even if this is not Ripley, you better believe these phenomena!)

And the received Yijing prognostications will prove easy to understand and simple to follow by most readers including skeptics of divining with the Book of Changes.

Together with the additional information in this article on the current global poker scene, readers would be able to determine if the Yijing has truly spoken – that is answered the question posed.

This forms part and parcel of the science of Yijing interpretation which can be tested by wherewithal Yi aficionados from different eras and/or from different parts of the world. And is my usual practice - while not as comprehensive - to interpret the oracle for clients (whether fee-paying or not). For diviners, interpreters and their clients need to first and foremost determine if the Yijing has really spoken since if the Yijing did not speak - and therefore without any real guidance given - they will invariably end up in blind alleys.

The oracle:

Hexagram 44 Gou Judgment:

Coming to meet. The maiden is powerful. One should not marry such a maiden.

“The inferior thing seems so harmless and inviting that a man delights in it; it looks so small and weak that he imagines he may dally with it and come to no harm.”

“The inferior man rises only because the superior man does not regard him as dangerous and so lends him power. If he were resisted from the first, he could never gain influence.” [W/B]

Nine in the second place means:

There is a fish in the tank. No blame. Does not further guests.

“The inferior element is not overcome by violence but is kept under gentle control. Then nothing evil is to be feared. But care must be taken not to let it come in contact with those further away, because once free it would unfold its evil aspects unchecked.” [W/B]

Nine in the third place means:

There is no skin on the thighs, and walking comes hard. If one is mindful of the danger, no great mistake is made.

“There is a temptation to fall in with the evil element offering itself – a very dangerous situation. Fortunately circumstances prevent this; one would like to do it, but cannot. This leads to painful indecision in behavior. But if we gain clear insight into the danger of the situation, we shall at least avoid more serious mistakes.” [W/B]

Nine in the fourth place means:

No fish in the tank. This leads to misfortune.


Further elaboration on the oracle:

People often get taken to gambling because of their first win. They are seduced by the ease and thrill in making some quick money from gambling. And addicted gamblers invariably gamble away their hard earned money or fortune.

At the amateur levels, poker fish abound. But it is incorrect to introduce poker and fish to non gamblers since this would help spread the evil (sin) (vice).

At the mid levels, less poker fish would be found and therefore walking comes hard - and painful - with no skin on the thighs. Expenses including major tournament buy-ins, travel, food and lodgings especially in expensive cities could very well exceed cash earnings and start to deplete savings.

Misfortune arrives when there is no fish in the tank since at the professional level, poker players turn out to be sharks and the best ones could be aggressive Great Whites. And it is rare to see current and former world poker champions win at televised big cash games with minimum buy-ins of USD 100,000.

When even world poker champions cannot make a good living playing at these levels what are the chances of amateurs numbering in the hundreds of thousands hoping to make it and/or to win huge sums of tournament prize money? Their chances would be very slim.

Therefore - in line with the guidance from the Book of Changes - it could be wise of those youths intending to drop out of their studies to complete their degrees and thereafter secure a job with steady income. And not make playing poker a career or a profession.

When they can afford it, they can spend some time and spare money playing in major poker tournaments like what some successful businessmen have done and still do, if they so wish.

For no one can stop a dream of instant wealth and fame. However it is time for Contemplation (Guan) - the resultant Hexagram 20 with the three lines change - to choose the way of life going forward.

Deeper thoughts:

Did the Book of Changes speak?

Is it not profundity and synchronicity that the more than three millennia old Book of Changes has seemingly used current poker lingo to address a poker career question?

Are the pronouncements of the three lines - read together with the commentary (in italics) from the wise down the ages and my further elaboration – not easy to understand and simple to follow?

Is the guidance given not similar to those from a parent?

Do the relevant answers to the young man and in poker lingo to boot not depict the close affinity (yuan fen) between the Book of Changes and him?


These particular phenomena not only vindicate and uphold the ancient thoughts and beliefs embedded in the Ten Wings and those of Yijing aficionados down the ages; their very occurrences in one oracle would have made Richard Wilhelm and Carl Jung extremely happy.

And if your answers to my five questions are all in the affirmative, welcome!

For you are learning something from the writings.

Poker fish and Fish in the Tank

Poker, a game of skill with an element of luck thrown in, and frowned upon by the strait-laced, has enjoyed resurgence and a huge following over the past decade or so. While the older generation across the world still play poker as a pastime, the younger generation in the US and in Europe have been driven to studying the game more seriously with some turning it into a profession mainly attracted by the huge prize money pools winnable at various major annual tournaments held in the West which have made winners of the main events instant USD millionaires.

Because of this instant wealth attraction and the pervasive marketing strategies of poker dotcoms, a number of youths in the Western Hemisphere have been seduced to drop out of their degree courses to spend more time playing “No Limit Texas Hold’em” poker either online or in live games. By dropping out, these particular youths would have dashed the hopes of many a parent whose wish that their adult children could obtained a tertiary education and the ability to earn a steady income therefore having a comfortable life going forward.

With the advent of YouTube, and available live and recorded video broadcasts of these major “No Limit Texas Hold’em” poker tournaments on the internet, the younger generation in Asia has also been similarly attracted and influenced by the various successes of the twenty-somethings who have had won the annual World Poker Championship held in the US over the past few years and the huge prize money of USD multi millions (pooled by the large field of participants and the USD 10,000 buy-in for the prestigious main event).

The recent 2012 main event tournament was won by a 24 year old American who as the world champion took home the staggering prize money of USD 8,527,982. The past few world champions were even younger when they won this main event of “No Limit Texas Hold’em” poker.

Recorded and repeated scenes of renowned poker professionals flying in private jets and chauffeured in stretched limos to the tournament venues at five stars hotels and their plush settings are constantly flashed to remind viewers of the opulence and high living that can be had by successful players in pre-recorded video broadcasts of major poker tournaments. Which young impressionable teenager or twenty-something would not be enticed by the glamour, prestige and excitement in playing live poker tournaments staged in five stars hotels cum casinos across the world and where champions become instant millionaires with bragging rights to boot?

With the huge popularity and the hundreds of thousands playing tournament and cash poker online 24/7 and the thousands playing in live tournaments and cash games, the professionals have coined certain relatively new poker terms for easy reference among the community.

While players who do not know how to play poker well were a few decades ago known as greenhorns or rabbits, the professionals now called them: Fish. Perhaps a better description since fish is food to both humans and predators as part of nature. And poker professionals are sometimes referred to as sharks (predators).

Tank in poker terms means a player in deep thought taking time to think whether to call or re-raise a big bet by another player on the same table. Sometimes Tank is equated to the usual meaning of aquarium by poker players.

By coincidence, the at least three millennia old classic – the Book of Changes – also contain hexagram lines that pronounce there is “Fish in the Tank” and “No fish in the Tank”!

Does this coincidence mean that the Holy Sages who wrote the Book of Changes also have the prescience on what is to come a few millennia later?

If readers wished to know more about the phenomenon and the profundity of the ancient classic, read the follow up article on both lines which recently appeared as prognostications for a young man considering taking up poker as a career; therefore making them clear as day even to a beginner of Yijing studies.

If your teenage or adult children are also considering dropping out of their degree courses to make playing poker their profession, do not despair; read on and see what the Book of Changes has to say. If applicable, you can also ask your children to read this particular topic which could be of interest to them before they commit to be a poker professional.

More will be revealed and discussed in the next article.

Dissolution of the 12th Malaysian Parliament prediction date (s)

After almost two years of speculating over the dissolution of Parliament and a call for an early general election, the Malaysian public is weary of waiting and has become skeptical of date predictions. Although there is only two months left for an automatic dissolution of Parliament under the Constitution, the Malaysian Prime Minister still has the de facto prerogative to dissolve it earlier and call for a general election.

The predicted dates for the dissolution of Parliament by Mr. Lim Kit Siang of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), the perennial opposition party for the past fifty years or more in Malaysia, are quite close. So are the dates provided in the Malaysian Chronicle on Monday, February 25, 2013, since the dates were proffered by source(s) who had attended the meeting with the Prime Minister the previous Friday, February 22, 2013?

The predicted dates (from reliable sources as well) ranged from February 22 to March 7, 2013 in Mr. Lim’s blog while the Malaysian Chronicle’s source indicated the dates to anytime between March the 1st to March 15th.

Unless someone can really read the mind of the Prime Minister, how would we know if the predicted dates are correct or not?

But have no fear, since the Book of Changes is here!

Even before the Prime Minister has had intimated the various dates for the dissolution of parliament to his senior ministers that particular Friday, February 22, 2013, the Book of Changes has already indicated the timing (dates) to this student. Of course, as the position of a Prime Minister carries certain charisma, therefore the dates given in my blog could be out by a day or two.

According to my interpretation of the Book of Changes prognostication and the timing, the Prime Minister will on March 9, 2013, or within a week thereafter, call for the Malaysian Parliament to be dissolved.

Therefore the quoted prediction dates in the other two blogs are quite close.

If Yijing aficionados and skeptics reread my actions and hints provided in the previous article published on February 21, 2013 titled “When the Book of Changes say”, they may discern if I really know the timing or not.

When the Book of Changes say

In November 2012, I had bought in more shares of a company listed on the Bursa (KLSE) and my remisier (commissioned dealer’s representative) asked why I was buying so heavily into the stock and what my expected return was.

The expected return is not much, I had told him then, only around 30% to 50% and the Book of Changes say it is alright to buy into the particular stock. (The returns are based on my table of fortune indications, devised in 1993, for the 64 hexagrams of the Yijing. These fortune indications coincidentally tie up with those indicated in the Ma Qian Ke accredited to Zhuge Liang.)

The stock became the sole counter in my basket (yes, I know it is against the prudent advice of stock investment gurus who advocate a basket of at least five different counters) and it recently went up accordingly. While I held onto most of it hoping for the expected 50% return, I have taken some profits when its price hit a 42% return on my investment.

It is noted that retail investors have been selling down their stockholdings in the Bursa for the past four months aware that the calling of the Malaysian General Elections will cause the KLSE listed stocks to fall notwithstanding the overall performance of global stock markets.

In case the particular stock price could go higher than my expectations, I consulted if I could buy more and this is what the Book of Changes has indicated:

Six at the beginning of Hexagram 39 Jian / Obstruction means:

Going leads to obstruction, coming meets with praise.

Nine in the fifth place means:

In the midst of the greatest obstructions, friends come.

With the two line change, Hexagram 36 Ming Yi / Darkening of the Light become the resultant hexagram.

When the Book of Changes say there is danger up ahead, retreat is the best option.

Since with this oracle the teacher has told me a number of things including the timing on the markets and on the call for General Elections, I have sold most of the particular stock on Tuesday, February 19, 2013 to realize the gains without waiting for the targeted 50% return and is now holding 82% in cash and 18% in stocks waiting for the right moment for action.

Most of the gains (about 40% return on investment) will be withdrawn and to be placed in a time deposit – if readers want to know something about the timing.

This past Yijing aficionado has sincerity

If we visit online I Ching forums, we would find students posting prognostications obtained from the Book of Changes for others to interpret. Even if the more experienced has proffered the correct interpretation, the question poser would quite often shortly consult for another oracle since the guidance given was not what he or she would like to hear or wanted. Some would just ignore the guidance altogether.

If Yijing students do not believe in the Book of Changes there is actually no point in consulting the ancient classic for an oracle, just studying the wisdoms contained therein will suffice. Since what is the point of obtaining prognostications and not follow the guidance provided. While I may have written about this over the years, students tend to repeat the same mistakes. Then they lament that the Book of Changes no longer speaks!

Perhaps this short article about a sincere Yijing aficionado who has passed away in 2005 aged 83 can provide those with seriousness of purpose and earnest students a good example to follow.
Nigel Richmond had written two books on the I Ching – ‘Language of the Lines and the I Ching Oracle’, both kindly made available in pdf format at the Yijing Dao website. Similar to some readers and me, he was also into the I Ching during the early 1970s, and in the UK to boot.

The following are excerpts taken from the Yijing Dao website where Steve Marshall wrote about the life and times of Richmond under the title: Nigel Richmond and the I Ching; with detailed information and his two books provided by one of his daughters, Beth Richmond who recalls:

“Around this time everyone was into the I Ching and we all had copies of the Richard Wilhelm translation. But Nige got into it more than anyone. He always used yarrow stalks to consult the I Ching, which he collected from the wild himself. He would have extra sets for people who wanted them, too. He preferred sticks to coins as he said the extra time taken made for a better connection, for more focus. In his later years he kept his sticks by his bed and would 'have a chat' with his morning tea.”

“He didn't light incense, he wasn't that formal about it. I think he consulted about anything and everything. As I recall he used his own book and Wilhelm and Blofeld. He would often say in conversation things like 'the Ching says I should wait' or 'the Ching says it'll work out okay, but of course it won't say when!' or 'well, I thought of that, too, but the Ching says it's not a good idea'. He wouldn't go against it.”

If Nigel Richmond’ sincerity towards the Book of Changes do not touch aficionados, perhaps they may not quite know the roots of Yijing studies.

An accurate Guan Yin Oracle (4)

In the first article on January 21, 2012 I have had mentioned that it was worthwhile for investors to interpret the following prediction in an accurate Guan Yin Oracle although I would not know when its timing will come to an end:

“Silkworms and grain will yield only half a crop, but your herds will bring you better profit.”

Since many would not have the wherewithal knowledge to decipher its cryptic message, the follow up article titled “An accurate Guan Yin Oracle (2)” on May 7, 2012 provided an interpretation (and elaboration on the particular prediction) in line with my wish to make phenomenon easy to understand and simple to follow by readers or users:

‘It is better to invest in stocks and shares rather than investing in commodities’.

With the interpretation, this second article proved very popular to readers especially among those from Singapore. Its popularity has since surged and has surpassed the previous articles on Hexagram 62 and on the Hua Hu Ching when global stock markets kept on rising in the second half of 2012.

Since stocks and commodities markets also wax and wane, a hint on the timing of their waning according to a prognostication from the Book of Changes was also given in the second article, and duly explained in the third article.

So far the interpreted prediction that ‘It is better to invest in stocks and shares rather than investing in commodities’ still holds true. Since Singaporean and global stocks have performed very well, while commodities prices have either stagnated or dropped, in 2012 up to January 2013. To date, Asian stocks have reached their eighteen months high while US stocks have climbed to their highest in five years according to Bloomberg reports.

Therefore, is it not both fascinating and profound that a single sentence in an accurate Guan Yin Oracle and similar to a line prognostication from the Book of Changes (Yijing / Yi) can tell us so much about what is going to happen in the global financial markets?

Is it not probable through extended divination experiences to determine the timing of future events – the waxing and waning of financial markets in this instance – just by analyzing a prognostication, the accompanying hexagram, and/or the attributes of its trigrams?

Continuing to improve our art of Yijing divination and the science of interpretation can bring aficionados a step closer to divine like a spirit and thereafter to assist the gods.

Readers who believed in the accuracy of a Guan Yin Oracle and in my ability to correctly interpret the prediction and have accordingly invested in stocks and shares in 2012 instead of commodities, would have increased their wealth.

With this sudden increase in wealth, it is suggested that these particular readers make a donation to their favorite charity to benefit the needy and the poor for some merits which is in line with the teachings in the Book of Changes. Those from Singapore should also make a contribution to their favorite temple of Guan Yin to help out with its maintenance for the benefit of her devotees. This would also assist the gods.

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

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!

‘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!

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!

Update on free lunches and other things

The free lunch provided to senior citizens in the US and Europe in late October 2008 with a request to do their homework before buying US and UK blue chips at their historical or new lows probably would have made some money for those who followed through with the suggestion. There was a big rebound in the global stock markets a year later.

The free lunch provided to Malaysian retirees in late October 2010 suggesting that they keep their retirement sum in the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), and to those who have already taken the sum out to buy Government bonds and not to invest in foreign currencies unless they are sophisticated enough could bear fruits this year. Since many are expecting the country’s economy to weaken further and the central bank has already started to reduce the easy credit, made readily available to consumers or households over the past few years.

With the current ongoing outflow of foreign funds from emerging and Asian economies to the US, borrowing the falling US dollar in 2010, for example, to bet on higher rate paying currencies would have burned many an investor. (A lesson perhaps not learnt well from the Asian financial crisis.)

The Book of Changes has had already informed this student about these outflows a few months earlier, the reason for selling down my shares. (Think about timing, and repeatable interpretations of Yi prognostications based on extended experience.)

Those who had already bought the 2009 (3 year) Government bonds for retirees and the general public would have received or about to receive their monies on maturity. Together with those who have kept their monies in the EPF on retirement, they could be akin to fish swimming in liquidity. While Pigs cry, Fish laughs.

These free lunches and the omens are meant for individuals – the general reading public – and are not meant for institutions. If institutions also want freebies, then no one including the individuals will get any.

When I realized that contractors working for US agencies are being paid to monitor the omens on my blog and interpreting them where required; I decided to present omens in cryptic messages from thereon.

Therefore, a different presentation was made on the ‘Pigs cry and Fish laughs’ omen making it extremely difficult for any Yi aficionado to decipher, including those particular gainfully employed contractors who possess some expertise in Yi studies. (I am aware that one uses a particular pseudonym while another probably has since passed on. Yes, I do have some sixth sense and do spend time reading Yi Forums.)

The same can be said for the Great Light from Heaven omen. Even with several hints provided, deep thinkers and Yi scholars – if they were reading it – have yet to decipher or interpreted the omen. (This comment also serves to answer the statement on sincerity made by an anonymous reader in that article.)

If institutions want to know more about forthcoming omens and prognostications in advance:

That can affect the safety of their country and citizens, or

On the timing of expected huge swings in the global financial markets, or

On anything else which matters to them?

They are welcome to contact this author by leaving a short note and an email address. Discussions, if any, will be treated private and confidential.

The good things I have learned from prior years’ observations are these:

1) Omens can be averted not only by the charisma of rulers and/or by experienced diviners. There is an additional method which application has averted the ‘Rockets in the south east region’ omen. I may blog about this method later but no promises. (The lady from Hawaii would probably know something about it. Some readers may have thought at the time that I was being presumptuous when I mentioned to her in the comments column that the US government also reads my blog.)

2) I still have faults in the accuracy in interpreting omens given by the Book of Changes. Lazy me. There was an omen which had indicated a nuclear incident in the North East region – from the direction of Malaysia - several months before its actual occurrence. I thought it would be related to North Korea and the US in the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan, but the omen was actually on the March 2011 nuclear mishap in Japan. (Blogged in 2010 as nuclear or silent weapons will be used.)

3) According to the (missing and recently found) Chapter Yao in the Analects, Confucius told his student, Zigong, the accuracy rate of his divination can be up to 70 percent. Perhaps because of this, Confucius requires more years to study the Book of Changes so that he would be free from great faults.

4) While my Yi divination accuracy has been rated much higher than 70 percent by friends and my late father in the past, as a Yi student, I would probably need more years than the great sage, Confucius has requested for, to perfect it, but verily doubt Heaven would grant me my wish.

5) Therefore from now on I would have to be extra careful, diligent, and observant each time the Book of Changes gives me an omen or a prognostication to raise the accuracy rate perhaps a step closer to perfection.

An accurate Guan Yin Oracle (2)

A few months have passed since the January 21, 2012 posting of the accurate Guan Yin Oracle, and now that global financial markets have stabilized with their usual ups and downs, it could be appropriate to discuss the way I have had interpreted this particular prediction:

“Silkworms and grain will yield only half a crop, but your herds will bring you better profit.”

Whether or not Yi aficionados and/or Daoist devotees can learn something from this second article related to the art of interpretation and more will be up to them.

Firstly, it is important to remember that cryptic messages including omens from Celestial sources and the Book of Changes cannot simply be revealed to others. Heaven secrets and messages on future events are meant for private consumption. Discussing the received message(s) in private with someone more knowledgeable - say, the temple assistant, - to help with an early interpretation is however perfectly alright. They usually would be disinterested in the matter at hand. After all until the outcome is known or the omen has unfolded, would they come to know about the accuracy of the message(s).

In the first entry on this oracle, I had mentioned that it could be worthwhile for investors (aka readers) to interpret the prediction.

If they have interpreted it correctly, and have invested accordingly, they could have made some handsome gains from the global stock markets (including the KLSE). Most of these markets have rallied since January 2012, although some had shorter rallies than others.

Let me reveal the interpretation before the next ‘juicy’ part, so that everyone can follow the storyline.

On August 31, 2011, several months after my retirement, I consulted (Qiu) Guan Yin on my fortune and the Oracle (Qin) received contained several relevant and important messages. Most of these messages were clarifications on why the Book of Changes gave those prognostications to me earlier on. In addition the oracle indicated:

“Silkworms and grain will yield only half a crop, but your herds will bring you better profit.”

On the surface, this cryptic message would be more relevant to farmers, is it not? Why would Guan Yin give something irrelevant to me? It must have some relevance, I had thought, and therefore pondered on this particular prediction over the next few days, similar to what I do with Yi prognostications and/or omens.

After the pondering, I realized that silkworms and grain were considered commodities during the olden days. Herds were much easier to interpret and provided a strong foundation to the lie of interpretation. For clarity, herd is a collective noun for animals, namely bulls; therefore it relates to stock market terminology.

Similar to prognostications from the Book of Changes, the interpreted prediction provides alternatives and now would read as:

Investing in commodities will yield only half a crop. Investing in stocks will bring better profit.

Take note that the term ‘yield only half a crop’ can mean 50% profit, or making losses! Therefore the prediction indicated that for profit it is definitely better to invest in stocks rather than commodities.

If we can zoom back to late August and September 2011, around the time of receiving the oracle, every investor’s eyes were on gold, then, including the author.

Gold was the mother of all rallies in commodities. Gold prices were soaring sky high. Many an investor, including moms and pops, were struck by the gold fever trying hard not to miss out on the action. It was easy to make money by buying gold futures, or by buying and hoarding gold bullion, coins and jewelry. Gold prices seemed to go up forever and not come down. Analysts and fund managers across the globe fueled the speculation with more promising and ever higher target prices in their reports on gold. (Note: Beware that the analysts and fund managers always seemed to know more than the gods – ShenXian!)

Armed with the interpretation of Guan Yin’s prediction I decided not to touch gold or other commodities at all. This is the type of protection I had mentioned in the first article.

Sure enough, in the first couple of weeks in September 2011, gold soared to USD 1920 an ounce. It then promptly recorded its biggest plunge in monetary terms, a drop of 300 plus dollars, within a day or two. What happened was that investors had stampeded to rush out of gold with the plunge further exacerbated by lots of deleveraging and margin calls in gold futures. Probably many gold investors got badly burnt when the huge plunge took place. Prices of other commodities also fell on cue.

To date, those who had bought gold at or near its September 2011 highs are still nursing their wounds from realized or unrealized losses with prices stabilizing in between the USD 1,600 and USD 1,700 levels.

In line with the interpreted Guan Yin Oracle’s prediction, I had started to invest in the stagnated Stock Market late 2011 buying on dips and accumulated more stocks in the months of January and February 2012. Disposing of them for profit during the expected rally; and in line with the timing from a prognostication from the Book of Changes reduced stockholdings to a very manageable level, just before the rally ended. Share prices have fallen quite a bit since. And the rest as they say is history.

If oracles from divinities or the Book of Changes are accurate and we cannot correctly interpret them, we could be at the losing end. For example, we could have invested in commodities such as gold instead of stocks.

Never over rely on the interpretations of incompetents; otherwise you may have cause for regrets. Without realizing it, you could suddenly find yourself facing impending disaster(s), financial or otherwise, as a more severe example. You may find out later that the Book of Changes has already warned you about the forthcoming disaster(s).

In the study of profound subjects like the Book of Changes and Tao, avoiding the company of incompetents and sycophants could prove fruitful to students. These particular types of people have neither the talent nor virtue.

A pointed question put to Yi aficionados especially those with decades of study and practice:

If divinities and/or the Book of Changes want to help us to meet everything in the right way and yet we choose to ignore this divine help through ignorance or indolence, how can we ever achieve the ability to assist the gods?

As indicated earlier on, what each Yi aficionado and/or Daoist devotee can learn from this discussion on the interpretation of oracles and/or prognostications will be up to them.

Cheerio!

The Art and Science of Yi divination

According to The American Heritage Dictionaries:

Art is a skill that is attained by study, practice or observation.

And Science is the observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of phenomena etc. which can be tested.

For more definitions of Art and Science, please check online via thefreedictionary.com

Yi aficionados would be very familiar with the art of divination obtainable through the study of the Book of Changes (I Ching / Yijing / the Yi), practising divination by consulting the Oracle and observing the results. They will learn to master this art of Yi divination over the years or decades of study eventually to reach the highest stage ever recorded in ancient books – that is divining like a spirit. (Refer the Doctrine of the Mean)

Yi aficionados can also improve their divination skills by testing their ability in the interpretation of prognostications.

When the Yi speaks, the prognostication is true and if its interpretation is correctly done, the results can be foreseen, thereby making it clear as day. As long as the Yi speaks, a good interpreter of the Oracle could interpret the prognostication correctly whether he or she is next to or oceans apart from the diviner. This means that this theory can be ‘scientifically’ tested many times, and proven.

However, sad to say, many have yet to reach that requisite level and I am still on the lookout for some over the past ten years on the World Wide Web. Not surprising since the Yi has only spoken to a remarkable few diviners who blog their prognostications or posted them on I Ching websites, some of whom I have previously named.

If aficionados do not rise to the occasion, how could they know about the science of Yi divination and test their skills and the theory?

There are several instances of interpretation of other diviners’ prognostications in this blog over the past five years – those whom the Yi spoke to. Their prognostications were true and therefore reliable. The interpretations and the predicted outcomes unfolded – many times to a T.

Take for example, the interpretation of a prognostication on a stock investment given by the Book of Changes to a fellow Malaysian by way of Hexagram 29 Kan / The Abysmal. (Refer February 19, 2008 entry, ‘An interpretation of Kan / The Abysmal’ and the result in December 27, 2008 entry, ‘Few can alter Yi prognostications’)

The stock, Transmile, has recently fallen to its lowest price, 32.5 sen, after it became designated a PN 17 stock because its share capital and reserves had fallen below the threshold due to continual huge losses. (Have earnest Yi aficionados taken note of the continuous unfolding and the time?)

In the entries, I had mentioned that from experiences and observations, Kan is a bad hexagram for investments. The same emphasis on good and bad hexagrams was also made on the March 26, 2007 entry on ‘When the Yi speaks’. This theory of good and bad hexagrams have also been tested.

If some so called Yi experts or scholars still insist there are no good and bad hexagrams in divination, let them be. Just like those modern scholars who claim that Confucius has never read the Yi, or those who believe that real Daoist teachings do not touch on good and evil, they do not know what they are missing or learning.
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 and later to assist the gods?

Learning to please yourself

Why do Laozi, Confucius, and the Buddha keep on learning till their final days?
Probably like most of those reading here, they remained earnest and sincere students even after they had become sages. Reading from the ancient books and classics, we get to know that the Junzi and the Da Ren are called that because they still have more to learn and cultivate before they can become sages (Sheng Ren).

How do students progress through the various stages of study and practice (or cultivate) to reach the level of a Junzi? And how do Daoists reach the level of Wu Wei?

They simply have to be earnest and sincere in their studies and practice.

If they want to be a good artist (like Michelangelo), an excellent butcher (like Cook Ting), a renowned martial artist (like Zhang Sanfeng), a Court Yi diviner (like a Wu), a neidan master (like a Shi), for example, they need to continually put in the extra mile in their studies and practice.

So what did Laozi and the Buddha learn and cultivate?

They practiced meditation and cultivated virtues. So did Confucius, except that his meditation practice probably was that of contemplation. And Confucius can be said to have put in more effort in emphasizing the cardinal virtues for posterity.

Yet the later and some modern Daoists argue that Laozi did not like virtues because his so called student, Zhuangzi was dead against cultivating Confucian virtues. To the Daoists in the East, such arguments are laughable. Since how could someone become a Junzi or a right person for Tao without cultivating the cardinal virtues?

Are the cardinal virtues not taught in the Zhouyi? Is the Zhouyi not written before the times of Laozi, Confucius, and the Buddha? What have some Yi aficionados been reading all these years?

Have I not mentioned in a much earlier entry that the cultivation of these virtues can bring about the magic of Tao? Do I sound like pulling your legs?

It has been an uphill struggle, about five years ago, to tell Taijiquan practitioners in the West that Zhang Sanfeng founded the particular form of martial arts, and not some one else who happened to live in the Wudang mountain. Now most agree that it is the case since more and more students from the East are interacting in Daoist forums.

It is also an uphill battle to inform Daoists in the West that cultivating virtues forms part of the dual cultivation. They thought and some still thinks that dual cultivation means the ‘angelic’ dual cultivation that has something to do with sex as promoted in the Hua Hu Ching purportedly written by Laozi – I have already indicated with supporting reasons why that spurious claim cannot hold water.

What can be revealed in this blog should be more than sufficient for readers. Yet some think they deserve better by asking for my secrets. Have I no rights to keep some of my own studies and hard earned experiences, secret?

Even if I were to write a book today on how to obtain Heaven’s secrets with the Yi and/or how to get the specific dates, readers would still not be able to do that.

For without the earnest sincere study and practice, and without the continual cultivation of the cardinal virtues, it will prove difficult for Yi aficionados to obtain Heaven’s secrets. And without spiritual clarity or wisdom (refer to Zhang Sanfeng’s commentary on the hundred character stele) even if the Yi informs you what is really going to happen, you may not be able to correctly interpret or decipher the prognostication.

If you do not believe me, try interpreting the various heaven secrets or omens, past or present, in my blog.

If they prove too difficult, try the ones given to Professor Sam Crane and interpreted here. If you still cannot understand them, try the five or six hexagrams given by the Yi a few years ago to the American lady using the handle, Val, in the I Ching Community. These are the prognostications where the Yi actually spoke. If you can interpret them all, then you may have reached the level of Wu Wei and do not really need to read my thoughts on the Yi, anymore.

Meanwhile I am learning to please myself. Since if I claim to know more than others, readers may say that I am arrogant. And if I claim that I do not know, the trolls would imply that I am selfish and/or arrogant.

When are you learning to please yourself?

Perhaps you can do so when you have learned how to rectify your heart/mind (Xin). How to rectify the heart/mind has been blogged before but you may have not noticed!

Cheerio!

Whom to believe?

Law abiding citizens would invariably believe what their rulers or governments tell them. However if they have been fooled time and time again, they become disillusioned and will remain skeptical of government policies or of statistical information provided, especially in rich countries where a large proportion of the people are well educated and therefore more discerning. Rightly so, one would say, thus agreeing with the teachings of both Confucius and Mencius.

The Chinese adage of ‘A hand cannot hide heaven’ would probably apply to the current scenarios unfolding in the financial world and of the health of people living on earth.

Financial engineering is not real change. So is under-reporting of the real confirmed figures of the new flu A (H1N1). When unofficial figures differ so widely from the official tally, can we really believe the government(s) or ruler(s) of the day?

It has been reported by Bloomberg that the World Health Organization had been pressurized not to raise the current swine flu situation to pandemic – the highest level of 6. One had also read that WHO intends to use the coined term flu A (H1N1) to include swine/human/avian flu. Notice the subtlety of the intended change.

How long can such ‘hand or collective hands hide heaven’? The truth will always prevail. (Think of the previous US President keeping the arrest of a few Malaysian terrorists, by Malaysian authorities, who intended to bomb the Library Tower in June 2003 – around my predicted date during the time - under wraps for three years. There was a previous entry on this which relates to the omen titled ‘Another 9/11’.)

This is an excerpt taken from a Reuters report on May 20, 2009 titled, “H1N1 to resist drugs?”:

"The US Centres for Disease Controls and Prevention (CDC) says there have been 5,469 confirmed cases of the new flu A (H1N1) across the US, but Dr. Anne Schuchat has said this is only the tip of the iceberg. CDC acting director Dr. Richard Besser estimated last week there were 100,000 cases. "(May 10, 2009?)

Countries whose students study in the US are much concerned since hundreds, possible thousands would be returning for their summer break. The first confirmed case in China was a student who flew back from the US on May 10, 2009. The two confirmed cases in Malaysia were students who returned from the US on a MAS flight on May 11.

Pleas from some governments have been made to the US to check for suspect cases at her exit points but have apparently fallen on deaf ears. Probably the cost of placing exit checks outweighs human lives.

Perhaps under-reporting the seriousness of outbreaks in countries can help bring back confidence to their battered economies, since the share markets have been rallying what with the recent moving of goal posts to allow banks to under-report losses or over-report the worth of their toxic assets. How would I know?

All I know is that sincerity is the way of heaven. Therefore no hand or collective hands can ever hide heaven. And that the Zhouyi tells sincere Yi aficionados, the true happenings in heaven and on earth.

So whom to believe, our government(s) or the Yi? The choice is always up to you.

May 10, 2009 could be a black Sunday

In my annual hexagram for 2007, the Zhouyi told me that a wanderer would steal my cow. The main culprit, Bear Stearns did just that on August 17, 2007.

In the following year’s annual hexagram, the Zhouyi indicated that Heaven and Earth will close on September 15, 2008 and that the able have to hide since there will be no Tao on earth. Both events brought on panics in the global financial markets and many corporate or individual investors were badly burnt by the resultant great wealth destruction.

In my annual hexagram for 2009, the Yi indicated that one may have to use the Shi (priests/ancient masters) and the Wu (magicians/ Yi diviners) in great number.

My interpretation of the omen is that there would be outbreaks of wind-borne diseases (and air disasters) across the world. And the significant date is on May 10, 2009 which could turn out to be a black Sunday for many.

If the omen turns out to be correct, even if the date is wrong, it will be Heaven’s will (Tian Yi), as indicated to kin last March. To avoid the big crowds, my family did not join in the usual annual Vesak Day celebrations on May 9th this year. I do not think Buddha would mind that at all.

Obviously the omen is slowly unfolding, what with the constant reports of minor outbreaks of wind-borne diseases here and there including Malaysia on Friday the 8th, if we monitor the national or global news.

Unfortunately, no one can see the viruses until they get affected by them and become ill. The other bad news would be there is no known remedy for the genetically mutated viruses.

When people have been significantly weakened, - emotionally, mentally, or physically - by stress and distress especially caused by the recent global wealth destruction and loss of livelihood, they are easier to succumb to such illnesses and/or flu.

Therefore one may have to use the Shi and the Wu in great number to help these ill people when the time comes, if necessary.

And the only encouraging thing is that Good fortune is the final outcome of the omen.

Cheerio!

Few can alter Yi prognostications

A fellow blogger and Yi aficionado in a recent reply to a reader indicated his surprise that the rich owners had been unable to turn around Transmile Group, a former KLCI component company. I had planned to write something about this matter which relates to his previous two accurate Yi divinations on the investment, my interpretations of the prognostications, and the results arising there from. Instead of writing a long comment at his blog, I will share some thoughts here with fellow Yi students.

It pays to remember what the Yi taught us, and learn how to discern between the good and the bad hexagrams. Perchance we may also learn the true meaning of the Chinese adage that ‘Man cannot win heaven’.

In early 2007, Transmile Group, which provides air cargo freight services, and a component company of the KLCI, was a high flyer.

Its shares soared manifold reaching a record high of RM 15.20 per share after its founder and CEO had sold a block of shares to the richest Malaysian, Tan Sri Robert Kuok who operates from Hong Kong and who has vast business interests in China.

Together with POS Malaysia as another major shareholder, it seems that Transmile got everything in its favor, with profits increasing each year. However its stock price tumbled more than 50 %, when it was found that the accounts contained substantial fictitious assets.

After a huge write-off and with the exit of the CEO, new management set about to turn around the company in the second half of 2007. After the Transmile shares had plunged 80% from its record high, the Yi aficionado bought some at around RM 3.36 with the hope that the company could be turned around. Later he decided to ask the Yi about the stock and posted the prognostication - Hexagram 18 Gu / Work on what has been spoiled.

When he seemed not to understand the implications of the Yi prognostication, I hinted that Transmile could fall to RM 2.20 or lower and told him why.

When Transmile’s shares fell to that level, I requested him to ask the Yi again since he intended to hold on to the investment. This time the Yi replied with a far more severe forewarning; in the form of Hexagram 29 Kan / The Abysmal.

Instead of commenting at his blog, I wrote an entry on February 19, 2008 on how to interpret the prognostication. With a suggestion that he or other investors like him who obtained such a prognostication to cut their losses.

While the company has not been suspended or de-listed as suggested, its share price did dive to a year low of RM 0.48 which equated to four limit downs from RM 2.20. (Pity those who had bought the shares at the peak of RM 15.20 and hanging on in the hopes of a full recovery.)

This shows that whenever the Yi speaks, students have to ponder and listen to what the Book of Changes has to say. And learn how to interpret the prognostications.

It would help if we are experienced enough to discern which are the good and the bad hexagrams for investments.

Only then we may have a chance to alter an ominous omen. But few including those who have charismatic lives can really do that. No matter how rich or ingenious they are.

If not how can Yi students and aficionados ever learn to master fate?

Assist the gods?

According to the ancients, the most entire sincere can foreknow. Happy and unlucky omens can be seen in the milfoil (yarrow stalks) and tortoise. Therefore the individual possess of the most complete sincerity is like a spirit (shen).

Happy and unlucky omens using the milfoil have been documented and passed down to posterity in the Zuozhuan. If Yi aficionados care to read and understand each of those ancient stories on yarrow stalks divination, they could gain a deeper insight on foreknowledge and the interpretation of oracles, because the Book of Changes actually spoke on each event.

When someone can divine with the milfoil and obtain happy or unlucky omens, that individual is said to possess of the most complete sincerity and is like a spirit. Perhaps the moniker of ‘Shen Suan’ or ‘Divine like a spirit’ was coined by later generations of Chinese because of this.

In Chapter Nine of the Great Treatise, after teaching how to obtain an oracle by using the milfoil or yarrow stalks, the wise wrote these:

It reveals Tao and renders nature and action divine. Therefore with its help we can meet everything in the right way, and with its help can even assist the gods themselves.

This section refers again to the Book of Changes in general. Its theme is that the book reveals the meaning of events in the universe and thereby imparts a divine mystery to the nature and action of the man who puts his trust in it, so that he is enabled to meet every event in the right way and even to aid the gods in governing the world. [W/B]

But first and foremost, Yi aficionados need to cultivate to become an earnest and sincere student. It can be a very lengthy process, for sincerity is a way of Heaven. And when the Yi speaks, you would know that the effort is very worth it.

Years later, you may realize that you can divine like a spirit (Shen Suan). However you may not be able to progress further reaching a dead end, so to speak.

That would be the time when you have to seek advice from the gods (include Daoist deities, heavenly immortals and Buddhas), if you have an affinity with them!

The Master said: Whoever knows the Tao of the changes and transformations, knows the action of the gods.

The Zhouyi is dead right again

At the beginning of the Chinese calendar year 2007, the Yi indicated that ‘someone will steal my cow' that year. My awareness tied up with the Yi chart and an unintentional confirmation from a Quanzhen heavenly immortal indicated that the cow would be stolen on August 17, 2007 – the biggest fall in Asian stock markets in a state of panic. As blogged that year, the culprit who stole my cow was Bear Stearns, the fifth largest investment bank in the US which no longer exists, today.

In my annual hexagram for 2008, the Yi indicated that ‘Heaven and Earth will close’ sometime this year. Again tying up with the Yi chart, I had told my wife and kids, my Quanzhen friend in May and subsequently that there will be big plunges in the stock markets on September 15, 2008.

Over the past few months, I have provided several hints in the blog if regular readers have taken notice.

In case, readers do not know what had happened, the following events occurred on Friday, September 12, 2008:

"A prominent blogger who writes on political issues was arrested that afternoon under a ‘draconian’ law known as the Internal Security Act enacted in the 1960s to arrest communist insurgents and detain them indefinitely without trial.

Later that night, a woman reporter of a Chinese news publication was arrested under the same Act for correctly quoting a prominent member of the ruling party who had lashed out at the Malaysian Chinese for supporting the opposition party in the elections.

The two reporters who subsequently confirmed her quote went into hiding when they heard about her arrest.

Just before midnight, an opposition female Member of Parliament was also arrested under the ISA, probably driving much fear into many bloggers and opposition MPs.
(Remember my hint about power politics?)

After a ruckus and protests over the arrests by opposition and ruling party MPs including six ministers, the government decided to release the female reporter, the following day. She has been detained for the shortest period on record under the Act – 18 hours.

The blogger and the opposition MP are still detained indefinitely.

The assumed Law Minister resigned in protest of the arrests under the ISA and hailed by the public as a man of principle and honour."

(Those interested can visit the archives of online news publications – TheStar. com.my or others - for full details.)

"Over in the US, the US treasury and other government officials were meeting with CEOs of various banks, American International Group, and interested parties. They met to try resolving the issues of fast failing financial institutions.

The meeting stretched over the weekend and ended on Sunday, September 14, 2008. The interested buyers pulled out, the US treasury refused to bail out the investment bank, Lehman Brothers, and let it go to the dogs –oops – into liquidation.

Meanwhile Bank of America took over a larger investment bank, Merrill Lynch.

The US treasury also refused to bail out AIG, the largest insurance group in the world by market capitalization.

A couple of days later, the US Federal Reserve bailed out AIG. The rest as the saying goes is history."

By including these storylines, hopefully, Yi aficionados can learn what happens, when Heaven and Earth close.

Soon, I may ask something of Yi fellows and Tao cultivators to test your in-depth knowledge on Tao and the Zhouyi. Therefore prepare yourselves, if interested.

Meanwhile the global stock and capital markets roiled in turmoil on September 15, 2008, a financial tsunami of sorts, and continuing.

Doomsayers of guru status with ‘brilliant’ hindsight emerged from closets to cast more gloomy news far into the horizon. And asked investors to hold cash!

The investors may not have any money left, if they have fully invested in those previously AAA rated 'very safe and strong' financial or other institutions that had failed.



P.S.

I realize that none of the prominent personalities in charge this year and last either in the US or in Malaysia has the charm to change fate or destiny. Otherwise they could defer the dates, by a day or two – like the Barings fall and rescue by the Bank of England governor - or like former US President Bill Clinton, even avoid an omen altogether?

An interpretation of Kan / The Abysmal

The following interpretation is based on a scenario where the Zhouyi gave Hexagram 29 Kan / The Abysmal with a changing fourth line as the prognostication to a fellow Yi diviner who had asked about an investment in the stock market. Since investments involve money, one seldom relies on the consultations of others unless one is certain that the Yi spoke or regularly speaks to the particular diviner. On the assumption that the Yi did speak on this occasion, one would interpret the prognostication in this traditional way.

The Judgment says:
The Abysmal repeated. If you are sincere, you have success in your heart, and whatever you do succeeds.

Commentary - highlights:

The name of the hexagram, because the trigram is doubled, has the additional meaning of ‘repetition of danger’. Thus the hexagram is intended to designate an objective situation to which one must become accustomed, not a subjective attitude. For danger due to a subjective attitude means either foolhardiness or guile. Hence too a ravine is used to symbolize danger; it is a situation in which a man is in the same pass as the water in a ravine, and, like the water, he can escape if he behaves correctly.

In danger all that counts is really carrying out all that has to be done – thoroughness – and going forward, in order not to perish through tarrying in the danger.

Six in the fourth place means:
A jug of wine, a bowl of rice with it; earthen vessels simply handed in through the window. There is certainly no blame in this.

Commentary:
In times of danger ceremonious forms are dropped. What matters most is sincerity. [W/B]

Since the fourth line of Kan moves the hexagram changes to Hexagram 47 K’un / Oppression.

Its Judgment says :
Oppression. Success. Perseverance. The great man brings about good fortune. No blame. When one has something to say, it is not believed.
[W/B]

Diviners need to pause and ponder on what the Yi is really trying to tell us with this prognostication.

The judgment says that if we are sincere, we have success in our hearts, and whatever we do succeed. But the commentary tells us that the doubling of the trigram warns of danger ahead, especially when we hold a subjective attitude. And we can only escape the danger if our behavior is correct.

Then the prognostication – the fourth line – depicts a simple ceremony of offering. And no blame is accorded because of the dangerous times. The end result lands us in oppression or exhaustion.

Additional thoughts :

If one were to receive this hexagram and/or the line as the prognostication, one would not invest in the stock concerned. Prior purchases of the particular stock will also be disposed of in haste. Others could handle the situation differently. In my books, Kan is an ominous or bad hexagram for investments. Yi aficionados may differ.

From experience, Kan forewarns of great danger that lies ahead. (Repetition of danger) It also signifies bottomless pits (abyss upon abyss). Aware of the particular stock in question, it could face a suspension after limits down, followed by a delisting.

Yi aficionados can argue that in accordance with the Judgment and the fourth line prognostication, as long as the diviner is sincere, he or she will succeed. However can anyone tell me, how deep our sincerity needs to be, before we can ‘move’ Heaven?

Furthermore, if we invest in stocks and shares, we cannot afford a subjective attitude (see above commentary) – that is why investors should not fall in love with a particular stock. No matter how deep the sincerity in our prayers or offerings, many an investor lost his shirt because of this subjective attitude. (Some call it stubbornness instead of foolhardiness.)

A good recent example is that of the Centro Properties Group stock, it has fallen 94% since its highs reached in May, with a market capitalization of Australian $ 8 billion wiped off. Woes betide those investors who had held onto the stock since last May. Perhaps it was a great company to own, then. Now its very survival hinges on the goodwill and indulgence of its loan creditors. Its business model worked during good times. However just like what global banks are currently facing, short term loans to finance long term assets invariably fails when a cycle changes – from boom to bust - think of the falling US property market, the imminent economic slowdown and the resultant credit crunch.

When a company faces deep trouble because its business model is failing or will fail because of external factors beyond its control, who can blame the small investor for disposing of his or her investments in the particular stock? Like the Centro Properties example, no amount of sincere prayers or offerings can help its investors get back the vanished Aussie $8 billion in times of danger.

If the Yi speaks, do not treat the forewarning(s) lightly. Sometimes by cutting losses early, we can preserve capital for another great battle, going forward.

Still it will be entirely up to the investor(s) what actions he or she wants to take with the investment concerned.

Cheerio!