Understanding changes (2)

From a point of view in understanding changes, non change serves as the starting point; before questions are asked of the Yi and changes revealed by the answers in the form of hexagrams. Shao Yung of the Song dynasty perhaps comprehended this principle better than most when he invented the ‘Plum blossom (Meihua) yi number’ method of divination doing away with the necessity to use yarrow stalks or coins; forming two trigrams to make up a hexagram through observing activities of nature or of man. Yet even this type of divination relies on something happening before changes depicting good fortune or misfortune can be calculated interpreted and foreknown; however the Meihua method does provide certain accuracy on predictions of time.

Although non change serves as the starting point, at another level it also serve as an end; where changes have manifested and duality ceases, leading to the center in Confucian, Daoist and Buddhist studies. Before we look at cyclic changes, let us explore sequent changes applied to divination as both changes are quite similar in nature – the four seasons, and day follows night.

The Yi provides multiple levels of answers to the diviner if he or she is sincere. If the diviner only looks at the latest oracle from the Yi and have forgotten about previous answers to past related questions, he or she may have overlooked the sequential changes indicated in the oracles. Past oracles or answers from the Yi on related topics should not be treated as standalones otherwise we tend to miss out on the entire big picture time and time again. That is also why we need to continuously ponder on Yi’s answers. This subject has been broached in my earlier entry on ‘Connecting the lines’. Readers probably did not notice the hints contained therein.

However it is heartening to read that the Yi helped three Asian scientists to win the Nobel Prize for physics – Japanese physicist Hideki Yukawa won it in 1949 and Chinese physicists Yang Chenning and Lee Tsungdao shared the 1957 prize for the study of particles. These three scientists said they consulted the Yi at every stage of their research. Indeed they followed sequent changes diligently to obtain their erstwhile successes.

A further and most recent example of a sequence of change from the Yi to an earnest and sincere diviner can be seen in my following post (with minor amendments) in The Useless Tree blog authored by Professor Sam Crane:

"From the recent answers given by the Yi to you (Sam), it appears that President Bush and the US will be facing difficult times ahead. Firstly it was Hurricane Katrina where the false dragon in Hexagram 2 was ousted with bad blood spilt. And recovery work not distributed evenly. Next was Hexagram 3 / Difficulty in the Beginning for the second hurricane and Bush’s Mandate of Heaven. Even the Homeland Security Secretary recently agreed with the Yi’s answer to revamp FEMA. So far no decision has been announced on the matter.

The nomination and possible appointment of Harriet Miers to the highest Court of the land will probably cause a Darkening of the Light (Hexagram 36) to the US people – your question. Conflict (Hexagram 6) meaning protracted war campaigns in a few foreign fronts will quickly exhaust the state treasures and the people in Yi’s reply to your question on the US economy.

Your latest question that is “Is Cheney himself involved in all of this and will be forced to resign because of it?” draws an answer of yes and no in the form of Hexagram 9 changing to Hexagram 61 as the special prosecutor being the Junzi in Inner Truth discusses criminal cases in order to delay executions. Cheney represented by the third line in Hexagram 9 abandons his family – depicted in lines one and two; but the prosecutor is not amused and cannot be stared down as he is in the higher fourth line. Both the prosecutor and Cheney have to hold on to inner truth that is sincerity – easier for the former than the latter, one would assume. Ultimately it may be up to Cheney himself to do the honorable thing to salvage his dignity.

Sincerity is the most difficult virtue to attain in terms of cultivation. Therefore if President Bush is still in denial and does not realize the indication of fate depicted in the Yi answers, and incorrectly gauged the mood of the US people, he may certainly have cause to regret like some of the past Presidents who held two terms of the US Presidency (think Nixon); and possibly like Chou Hsin – the last King of Shang depicted in Hexagrams 9 and 36.

Just how many times can the people forgive an insincere man, is the question? And where have all the flowers gone?"



To be continued.