11- Tai/ Advance (other translations, “Peace”), changing line 2 to 36- Ming Yi/ Brilliance injured (on one of my social media feeds, someone compared 36 to the lunar eclipse, which ishappening on the 15th, Full Flower Blood Supermoon 16th)
11-Tai/ Advance
“There is an ancient Chinese saying that out of the depth of misfortune, comes bliss. This bliss is tai.” (Huang, 118)
The month it represents is the beginning of spring, the start of the lunar new year- February; the energy is like the spring and the promise it holds for the return and flourishing of the creative, life affirming season of the year.
Tai is considered “one of the most auspicious words in the Chinese language.” (Huang, 117). The pictograph shows a character that looks like the trigram for water, Kan, flowing smoothly beneath a picture of a “great person”- “da ren”. Everything flows without obstruction is the theme and feel of this hexagram. The trigrams show that Heaven (below) and Earth (above) are moving in communion and harmony.
Line 2: “Embracing great rivers, / Fighting a tiger with bare hands. / Crossing a river with bare feet. /Abandon not the remote; / Cliques dissolve. / Obtain esteem by walking on the central path.” (120)
“The yin place (of the second line) bestows temperament of kindness and generosity (also virtues of the springtime/east/ liver systems in 5 element theory). In this way, one is capable of bearing with the uncultured and relying on great courage-… and advance without fear of remote places. One is able to eliminate selfishness in relationships and to act in accordance with the central way.” (123). This is combing ability with the wisdom of experience and demonstrating it- thus completing the Dao of Heaven and of Earth.
36- Ming yi/ Brilliance injured, or Darkening of the Light
“...in Chinese, guang is the word that refers to the brightness of a light. Ming indicates the brilliance of one’s mind, intelligence, and virtue.” (Huang, page 299) The second part of the phrase for this hexagram, “yi” has multiple meanings, but in the context of the theme, the words that fit most closely are the verb forms, “to raze”, “to exterminate”, or “to injure”.
Furthering this idea, Huang continues his description,
“There is a well-known Chinese maxim: tao guang yang hui, which means to hide one’s light and bide one’s time.” (ibid). When an injury of some kind has been sustained, it becomes necessary to heal from the wound until the time becomes right to be out in the open again. Otherwise, one risks more injury. The symbols in the pictograph for this hexagram include the Sun and the Moon and the character for the word, “da”, meaning great or greatness. Interesting this week, because this one starts off with a celestial event- the moon is full on the 16th, called the Flower Moon, but it is also a super blood moon (appearing much larger, or greater), and the day before features a lunar eclipse- a factual darkening of the light of the moon.
The story from history is about a time when King Wen, (father of the Zhou dynasty) was imprisoned by a tyrannical leader of the Shang Dynasty. During this unfair situation, Wen was able to remain calm and survived by hiding his own intelligence.
Line 2: “Second six. / Brilliance injured, / Injured in the left thigh. / Needs aid, a strong horse. / Good fortune. / The good fortune of the second six. / He acts in accordance with the principle and the situation.” (301)
Looking for the right form of support being in the right mind frame to ask for and accept help when it is needed will lead to good fortune. This changing line makes the lower hexagram which is Fire, or Li transform to Qian, or Heaven. Heaven is represented sometimes as a stallion. “The Yao text says to get aid from a strong horse. The strong horse (represented by historical events) is King Wen, who rescued the people of the Shang Dynasty from the Tyrant of Shang.” (303)
In line 2 for Ming yi, there is a reference to finding a horse (a vehicle on which to travel) . The horse upon which the revolution against the Shang tyrant would be launched and won.
Month for Ming Yi is October.
Reference: The Complete I Ching, 10th Anniversary edition, Taoist Master Alfred Huang.