Yarrow Stalk Method of Generating an I Ching (Yijing) Hexagram

Begin with 50 stalks/sticks. Set one stalk off to the side in an upright (vertical) position. This is symbolic of the connection between Earth and Sky. Set a second stalk across the first one in a horizontal position, forming an equal-armed cross. This is symbolic of Man between Earth and Sky.

1 Take the remaining 48 stalks and divide them into two roughly equal piles in front of you, one on the left, the other on the right.

2 Take one stalk from the pile on the right side and hold it between the small finger and ring finger of your left hand (you may use your right hand for holding stalks if you are left-handed).

3 From the pile on the left side, count off the stalks in groups of four, setting these aside, until you have 4 or fewer stalks remaining. Hold this group of four or fewer between the ring finger and the middle finger of your hand.

4 Turn to the pile of stalks on the right, and count off until you have four or fewer left. Hold this group of four or fewer between the middle and index finger of your hand.

5 How many stalks are you holding in your hand? Counting in this way can have only two results: you will be holding a total of 4 or 8 stalks between the fingers of your hand. If you have a value other than four or eight, you've made a mistake and need to recount.

6 Set aside this batch of four or eight stalks. You will come back to them soon.

Pick up your pile of discarded stalks and repeat steps 1 through 6 two more times. You will have three small piles of either 4 or 8 stalks each.

Give the numeric value 3 to piles of four stalks.

Give the numeric value 2 to piles of eight stalks.

Add together the values for the piles of stalks (you will notice that even totals generate a Yin line, odd totals generate a Yang line):

If you have a value of six (2+2+2, or three piles of eight stalks), draw a Changing Yin (broken) line. - -c

If you have a value of seven (2+2+3, or two piles of eight stalks, one pile of four stalks), draw a Yang (unbroken) line. ---

If you have a value of eight (2+3+3, or one pile of eight stalks, two piles of four stalks), draw a Yin (broken) line. - -

If you have a value of nine (3+3+3, or three piles of four stalks), draw a Changing Yang (unbroken) line. ---c

This completes the first line (the bottom line) of your hexagram.

Beginning at number 1 above, repeat all the above steps until you have completed six lines. (At that time, you may gather together all fifty stalks and return them to their container.)

When finished, you will have a figure that looks something like this:

Line 6 - - Yin line

Line 5 --- Yang line

Line 4 ---c Yang line Changing to Yin

Line 3 --- Yang line

Line 2 --- Yang line

Line 1 - -c Yin line Changing to Yang

Look up your hexagram in your favorite book; read the advice section that discusses the hexagram as a whole and the section(s) that correspond to any changing lines. If you have changing lines, redraw the figure with the lines changed (Yin to Yang or Yang to Yin), and look up the second hexagram. Read the advice section, but not the changing line sections. In the above example, you would read the advice for hexagram 28 and lines 1 and 4, and hexagram 5.

Line 6 - - to - -

Line 5 --- to ---

Line 4 ---c to - -

Line 3 --- to ---

Line 2 --- to ---

Line 1 - -c to ---

Hexagram 28 to 5

I Ching (Yijing) throughout the year – the Tidal Gua (aka the Monthly Hexagrams)

There are twelve special hexagrams in the Yijing (I Ching) that are often called the Tidal Gua. They each represent a solar month and are symbolic of the rise and fall of yang and yin throughout the course of the year, starting with the Chinese Solar New Year in February.

The equinoxes and solstices are also each represented by a hexagram which will be described in the appropriate month.

February

The I Ching hexagram governing this month is number 11, Tai, Advance, or Peace, Harmony, Good Opportunity. The element is Earth, and the chakra is the Solar Plexus. This is the first month in the Chinese solar calendar ~ Happy New Year ~ !

This is an especially favorable time...the beginning of a new year...and as all beginnings, notice that it starts in balance with the lower yang lines and upper yin lines. The active energies are strengthening and moving upward and outward. The passive energies are decreasing, resting on and meeting with the active. Since the trigrams move toward each other, the lower moving upward, and the upper moving downward, this symbolizes the combining or co-mingling of opposites thereby establishing a state of balance and harmony of the natural energies. In the trigram family, the upper yin lines represent the Mother, the lower yang lines represent the Father. When Mother and Father come together, all things may be conceived, may be born, grow and prosper.

Also, this is a reminder to us to work toward the balance of inner strength, virtue and correct conduct, with outer softness, showing mercy and compassion to others. Personal spiritual growth and self-cultivation is a good thing to work on at this time. The days are a little longer and a little warmer, allowing us to get outside and back into Nature. That, in turn, gives us the opportunity to mingle with others (we all get out more when the weather is nicer!) and share some of that rising, positive energy.

March

The I Ching hexagram governing this month is number 34, Da Zhuang, Great Strength, thunder over sky or heaven. The phase is wood, the chakra is the Heart. With the coming of the Spring Equinox this month, we see that growing yang has overbalanced receding yin. Being of the wood phase, the energies are outward moving, but sideways, like a tree sprouting spring buds, rather than straight upward. Eventually the leaves will reach for the sun, but not yet. Likewise, we are coming out of a hibernation of sorts, re-exploring our newborn surroundings after the sleep of winter. The Great Strength we see is the inner strength of Virtue; outwardly, we should still reach with the gentle, soft touch of the heart when dealing with others. An astral journey may be indicated with the feet (thunder) over the head (heaven); this reversed body position could be symbolic of climbing the upside-down World Tree sometimes depicted in Northern Asia as having roots in heaven and branches touching the earth...the paradox of going up (toward heaven) and down (toward the roots) at the same time. Thunder in the sky represents the spring rains that will nourish the crops, the food to sustain Life and bring future prosperity, both physical and spiritual. Thunder, the eldest son, above Heaven, the father, reminds me of the scene in the movie "The Lion King" where King Mufasa, standing on the cliff above the other citizens of the African plains, holds aloft his eldest cub Simba, his great promise for the future. That scene always gives me goosebumps, much like an approaching thunderstorm!

Spring Equinox is symbolized by hexagram number 51, The Arousing, Shocking, thunder over thunder. This is quite a lively month with all the thunder symbolism! Doubled thunder represents a blast of energy, doubled feet a lot of movement. There is great potential for creativity and new beginnings, but much disruption, too. Like the warning of the Tarot Tower card, caution must be taken that any "shock" be met with inner firmness and outer flexibility, be weathered creatively but not allowed to push us from our path.


April

The I Ching hexagram governing this month is number 43, Guai, Eliminating, or Resolution (equivalent to "eliminating" obstacles or hesitation), lake over heaven/sky. The phase is metal, and the chakra is the throat. As coincidence has it, this chakra attribute coincides favorably with the upper trigram which also represents the mouth, and the advice of the I includes "Declaring," "howling," and to "notify," all voice related activities. This is a time when the five strong lines below are one step away from eliminating the weak yin line at the top. The image speaks of water from the lake accumulating high above. There is the tension as of a coming storm. (You may be reminded, as I am, of the little poem "April showers/bring May flowers.") As it happens, it's raining even as I write this!

The lower trigram of three yang lines is the Father. Of the metal element, this is indicative of great inner strength and wisdom. The upper three lines, two yang and one yin, the lake, is the youngest daughter in the trigram family. She is named "The Joyful" or "The Joyous." Her elemental correspondence is metal also, making this a very strong combination indeed. The strength of the yang lines pushing upward and finally bursting through the one yin line shows that we can overcome any lingering inferior yin forces. It is definitely a time for overcoming obstacles (within ourselves, or in our external environment), for action and support for worthy causes! However, rushing into action recklessly would be a mistake.

It is worth noting that our youngest, joyful daughter also represents the metal of weapons -- and we can't help be wary of having "sharp tongues." Speaking out sharply would only cause further strife when we are trying to relieve tensions. Rather, we should take the time to consider and choose our words carefully, use our Voices, yet resolve to speak out against negative influences with thought, clarity, and virtue.

May

The I Ching hexagram governing this month is number 1, Qian, The Creative, or Initiating, heaven/ sky over heaven/sky. The phase is metal, and the chakra is the third eye.

Heavenly, yang energies are at their peak this month just as the longest days of the year occur during this month. Sometimes people wonder why this is the May hexagram instead of June, as we usually think of June as being the Summer, very yang, month. The reason is the Solstice; Just as the hours of daylight were (finally!) longer than the hours of darkness with the coming of the Equinox in March, the hours of daylight begin to wane again with the coming of the Solstice in June. Therefore, May is really the month with the most hours of sunlight each day.

This hexagram is one of the few which contain all four of the most auspicious Judgments in the I Ching: sublime initiation (yuan), prosperous and smooth (heng), favorable and successful (li), and steadfast and upright (zhen). It contains the full circle of sprouting, growing, blooming, and bearing fruit. Ancient oracle bones tell us that this sequence once may have represented the proper way to conduct a divination. Heng and zhen meant "sacrificial offerings" (to Heaven, Earth, and ancestors) and "divination" respectively. Master Huang, in The Complete I Ching, says "From the ancient pictographs of yuan, heng, li, and zhen we comprehend that one needs to prepare for divination by aligning with the spirit of Heaven and Earth and presenting sincerity and reverence as sacrificial offerings; then one will reap the harvest of the divination to obtain guidance for favorable actions and to avoid misconduct that invites misfortune." (p.23)

This information, combined with the third eye chakra (Second Sight!) correspondence, not to mention the real & symbolic "light" of this month, it seems that divinations are especially favored! You may want to ask at this time what the next year will bring. Good luck!

June

The I Ching hexagram governing this month is number 44, Gou, Encountering, or Meeting Together, heaven/sky over wind/wood. The phase is metal, and the chakra is the crown. Following the Summer Solstice, the yin, dark energies begin their yearly return as we see in the bottom line of this hexagram; the darkness beginning to encroach on and displace the bright yang lines.

Because of the single yin line at the bottom, which is advancing, this hexagram is considered an unfavorable omen; dark forces or unworthy persons are approaching. The wind in the sky penetrates everywhere; one must be vigilant lest negative influences try to worm their way into one's life. Competition between the yang lines (men) for the single yin line (woman) is another symbol associated with this sign: beware of entering into competition with people or the Self; arguments and disruptions will surely occur if you do. Also, take care to not regress into bad habits.

The summer solstice is marked by hexagram number 30, Li, Radiance, or Brightness, fire doubled. Fire is the symbol of the sun. It is also the symbol of the middle daughter, and of the eye; the middle daughter is the diviner, the clairvoyant who sees clearly and can interpret well the advice received through an I Ching divination. Fire is also sometimes referred to as "the clinging" because it clings to that which is burning. When one "clings" to brightness, that which is virtuous and correct, one is able to avoid darkness and danger. However, one should not attach to too much brightness, or one will burn oneself out!


July

The I Ching hexagram governing this month is number 33, Dun, Retreat, heaven/sky over mountain. The phase is metal, and the chakra is the Third Eye; having reached the crown last month, qi is now moving down the front of the body as the Microcosmic Orbit, as it is known in qi gong, continues.

The dark, yin forces are advancing. Retreat tells us that now is not the time to oppose them. Just the opposite, we are advised to draw back and regroup. How does one draw back? In an orderly fashion. This is not a turn-tail-and-run sort of withdrawal, but rather we should acknowledge the strengthening of dark forces without becoming involved with them. The two trigrams, heaven and mountain, do not move toward each other; the favorable energy of heaven moves upward, but the mountain stands still. Allow yourself to look upward, beyond the negativity; rise above it and stand fast in your virtue.

The top trigram also represents the father, and the sage, the repository of creativity and wisdom. The lower mountain trigram represents the youngest son. In other cultures, when the youngest son goes to his father for a lesson, he seldom fires off questions; he sits quietly and observes keenly. These are his lessons; patience, looking beyond the trivial, and paying attention to the higher, important happenings. An appropriate proverb might be "Good things come to those who wait."

When we seek creativity and wisdom, we should emulate the youngest son, assume the stillness of a mountain (better yet, find a place to sit on top of one) quietly in meditation, retreat to an inner place, and watch what unfolds from the heavens, for, assuredly, something will!


August

The I Ching hexagram governing this month is number 12, Pi, Hindrance or Misfortune, heaven/sky over earth. The phase is metal, and the chakra is the throat; qi continues to move down the front of the body as the Microcosmic Orbit of circulating energy continues.

There is no integration of yin and yang energy here; worse, the yang energy above, following its natural course, continues to move upward and farther away while the yin energy below continues to sink further downward foretelling the continuation of imbalance and disharmony. Master Hua Ching Ni, in The Book of Changes and the Unchanging Truth, tells us: "Much is given; little is received." (p. 282) All our energy is being poured outward; our inner energy is in danger of being completely depleted if we continue to give without remembering to rejuvenate ourselves.

Perhaps we have, during these longer and balmy summer days, spent more of our time out and about enjoying Nature than we have spent practicing the cultivation of inner energy or our spiritual selves. We may have gotten "carried away" with all the outdoor activity of the season, and may now be experiencing a decline in our reserves. (It's somewhat amazing to notice the number of people who are relieved by the arrival of Labor Day in September...they get to slow down a little!

Of course, everything cycles over time, so while we should certainly be careful at a time like this which calls to our attention the prevailing state of imbalance and disharmony, we know that this is not a lasting condition; we need only to return to the practice of cultivating our inner selves and spiritual energy.

September

The I Ching hexagram governing this month is number 20, Guan, Watching, Contemplation or Point of View, wind/wood over earth. The phase is wood, and the chakra is the heart.

With the equinox fast approaching, the dark hours will soon overtake the daylight hours; so begins the seasonal strength of the annual yin cycle. Guan is sometimes spelled Kuan, and this hexagram may belong to Kuan Shih Yin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. The trigrams of wind and earth represent the eldest daughter and the mother; the hexagram itself resembles the doorway to the temple, or an altar. The advice for this symbol is to prepare oneself to make a sacrifice. Perhaps the mother and her daughter come together to celebrate a ceremony of thanks for an abundant harvest, or perhaps they prepare for meditative practice where the offering is made to "show one's sincerity," (Huang, p 186) remembering it is as important to maintain spiritual practice at one's inner altar as to visit the temple or shrine.

It is also a time for looking back over the year to ponder your accomplishments. Did you do what you set out to do? Do you need to continue efforts in any area?

Also, in actually looking downward (from the "high" yang lines at the top), which implies that you, as a person in a "high" place, are looking "down" upon your followers, you have the opportunity as a leader to make sure you are leading in a correct and virtuous manner. Do not watch just your followers; more importantly, watch yourself as well so that inner negative forces do not overcome the positive. Keep in mind, a person in a "high" place is always being watched by someone! As Master Ni says, "Just as a penetrating wind pervades everywhere, a good way of life and good teachings influence everyone they touch." (Ni, p. 328)

The autumnal equinox.









October

The I Ching hexagram governing this month is number 23, Bo, Falling Away, Erosion or Decline, mountain over earth. The phase is earth, and the chakra is the solar plexus.

This hexagram is often spoken of as depicting a landslide; the single yang line at the top of the mountain cannot be supported properly by the advancing yin lines of the earth, and therefore yang energy will soon disintegrate. The youngest son (the mountain) may want to advance or stand alone away from his mother (the three yin lines at the bottom), but his strength has been vastly reduced; he has no other recourse but to accept the darkness of the time and await the turning of the seasons. As Master Ni succinctly says, "Now is not a good time to go anywhere." (p. 344)

We see here a reminder of two things. First, stay grounded and be prepared; the mountain also indicates thoughtfulness and steadiness. We know that winter will soon be upon us; plan for the season. Be sure the pantry is well stocked, and the firewood is close at hand. Don't even try to rush around at the last minute, or you may feel as though you are caught in the middle of a landslide! Second, this is not a time to depend on others - remember, the yin lines cannot offer proper support to our actions. Depending too much on others could mean lack of preparedness just when it's most needed.

This hexagram looks too much like a doorway to not comment upon that symbolism. This is definitely a time to "go inside," go within yourself. This is surely the time for meditation (mountain), and calmness and transformation (earth). Hopefully, your transformation won't be of the "landslide" variety. But even the fall of a mountain opens new vistas and new paths to tread, though the going may at first be rocky.

November

The I Ching hexagram governing this month is number 2, Kun, Responding or Receptiveness, earth over earth. The phase is earth, and the chakra is the sacral.

Due to the reintroduction of yang energy at the Winter Solstice, November is the most yin month of the year, hence the hexagram of six yin lines. This is the hexagram of Mother Earth, just as the trigram of three yin lines represents the Mother in the trigram family.

She is both the receptive and the responsive for that is the interaction of her strength, and yet she contains the potential to manifest all creative possibilities. At this time we are like the seed in its furrow of earth waiting patiently (for how else does a seed wait?) for the warmth of spring to stir us to virtuous deeds. It is a time to be completely grounded and know where you come from, a time to follow along with the seeming drowsiness of winter, and yet a time of great potential if one practices meditations and visualizations for the future.

Now is the time of gestation. Imagine yourself as the earth resting beneath her snowy blanket. Go within, Be quiet, Follow your dreams.

December

The I Ching hexagram governing this month is number 24, Fu, Return or Turning Back, Earth (upper three lines) over Thunder (lower three lines). The element or phase is Earth, and the chakra is the Root Chakra. In the Chinese calendar, December is the eleventh month. It embraces the Winter Solstice which is marked by the single Yang line at the bottom of the hexagram; outward, active energies are just beginning to cycle in and upward but, as yet, remain buried deep within the stillness of earth like a seed awaiting the summons of spring. The symbolism of this hexagram is of a person turning homeward, or inward. Spiritually, it indicates a time of turning back to the source, our inner selves and our inner connections. This is a good month to sit by a warm fire with a cup of hot cocoa (with marshmallows!) and contemplate or meditate upon that inner spark of the lightening which accompanies Thunder, that tiny flame in the DanTien (our Spirit Energy Center) which connects us to the Higher Powers.

The Winter Solstice itself is governed by hexagram number 29, Kan, Darkness or Abyss, water over water. Here we see the yang energies, lines 2 and 5, trapped between yin energies just as the short winter days are trapped between long winter nights. (The lines that make the sign for water can be seen as the winter solstice day from midnight to midnight: 8 hours of darkness - bottom yin line, 8 hours of light - center yang line, and 8 hours of darkness - top yin line.) One way to interpret and apply the symbolism of this hexagram is to be like water: the water (the yang line) flows between the earthen banks (the yin lines). It remains steadfast on its course. Water has the ability to overcome the firmest of obstacles with its gentle persistence. (Consider its effect on the Grand Canyon!) When we meet obstacles with gentleness, remain flowing and letting the earth guide us along our course, we will usually find that the turning point toward a favorable outcome is nearer than we expected.


January

The I Ching hexagram governing this month is number 19, Lin, Approaching or Advancing, Earth (upper three lines) over Marsh or Lake (lower three lines). In the Chinese calendar, January is the twelfth month. The element or phase is Earth. Yang energy is increasing (note there are now two yang lines at the bottom) and moving upward and outward. Internally, this indicates energy moving upward along the spine to the Sacral Chakra. (Energy movement is upward following the yang Governing Vessel Meridian until June when it reaches the Crown. In July, it begins to descend along the yin Conception Vessel Meridian (front of the body), returning to the Root Chakra again in December. In Qi Gong, moving qi through your body along these channels is called the Small Heavenly Circuit.)

The trigram Earth represents the mother; the Lake represents the youngest daughter, and the mouth or voice. One of the written symbols for this hexagram indicates a person in a position of leadership; some suggest a teacher. The name of the hexagram implies the leader or teacher is growing toward greatness. Another part of the ancient writing for Lin shows three mouths, indicating "people." Perhaps the leader is moving toward greatness with her timely and correct advice or lessons to her followers.

Spiritually, it is a time to become more active, and yet be responsive to your inner voice. Perhaps dialoguing with your inner mother-self in a journal would be beneficial and help to clarify lessons you have learned that have led you on the correct path. It is also a time to be a good daughter/listener, to yourself and to others. As the Sacral is the chakra of partnerships, your inner dialogue may find an outward expression by your adopting the role of a big sister, leading or teaching others through the sharing of your experiences and insights.

For an excellent explanation of how these hexagrams came to represent the months of the year, see LiSe Heyboer's "From Gui to Gua" page on her website "Yi Jing, book of sun and moon."

The numbers 63 and 64, the I Ching, and fractions of the Eye of Horus.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eye_of_Horus

The Eye of Horus (originally, The Eye of Ra) is an ancient Egyptian symbol of protection and power, from the deity Horus or Ra. In the Egyptian language the word for this symbol was "wadjet" (according to M. Stokstad "Art History").

The Eye of Horus, originally the Eye of Ra, symbolized royal power. The ancients believed this symbol of indestructibility would assist in rebirth. The Eye of Horus was found under the 12th layer of bandages on Tutankhamun's mummy. Horus was an ancient Egyptian sky god; one of his eyes was the sun and the other the moon. The eye represents a peregrine falcon's eye and the markings around it, including the "teardrop" marking sometimes found below the eye.

In arithmetic

In the Ancient Egyptian measurement system, the Eye Of Horus defined an Old Kingdom rounded off number limited by: one(1)= 1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 + 1/16 + 1/32 + 1/64. The Eye of Horus statements created 6-term rounded off numbers. The Old Kingdom definition had dropped a 7th term, a remainder 1/64, that was needed to report exact series. During the Middle Kingdom exact series definitions and applications were written by creating 7-terms, or more, written as Egyptian fraction series, often scaled to 1/320 hekat. For example, the Akhmim Wooden Tablet wrote quotients in the Eye of Horus 6-terms, while writing 7th term remainders as Egyptian fractions, scaled to 1/320 of a hekat. The metaphorical side of this information linked the Old Kingdom six fractions, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32, and 1/64 to separate parts of the eye, as noted by:

· 1/2 was represented by smell, symbolized by the right side of the eye in a form of the nose. The pyramid text says: "Behold [the fire] rises in Abydos and it comes; I cause it to come, the Eye of Horus. It is set in order upon thy brow, O Osiris Khenti-Amenti; it is set in the shrine and rises on thy brow."

· 1/4 was represented by sight or the sensation of light, symbolized by the pupil. The pyramid text says: "Perfect is the Eye of Horus. I have delivered the Eye of Horus, the shining one, the ornament of the Eye of Ra, the Father of the Gods."

· 1/8 was represented by thought, symbolized by the eyebrow. The pyramid text says: "...the Eye of Horus hath made me holy...I will hide myself among you, O ye stars which are imperishable. My brow is the brow of Ra."

· 1/16 was represented by hearing, symbolized by the left side of the eye in the form of an arrow pointing towards the ear. The pyramid text says: "That which has been shut fast/dead hath been opened by the command of the Eye of Horus, which hath delivered me. Established are the beauties on the forehead of Ra."

Headline text

· 1/32 was represented by taste, by the sprouting of wheat or grain from the planted stalk, symbolized by a curved tail. The pyramid text says: "Come, the Eye of Horus hath delivered for me my soul, my ornaments are established on the brow of Ra. Light is on the faces of those who are in the members of Osiris."

· 1/64 was represented by touch, symbolized by a leg touching the ground, or what can also be thought of as a strong plant growing into the surface of the earth. The pyramid text says: "I shall see the Gods and the Eye of Horus burning with fire before my eyes!"

In the Middle Kingdom the 1/64 symbol denoted 'rest' and 'healing' as connected to the hekat, with the word dja being attached.

*** End Quote ***

What I find so amazing about this is that the numbers 63 and 64 have a very special significance in the Yijing (I Ching) also.

Hexagram 63 is called "After Completion." This is the only hexagram in the I Ching in which all six lines are in their proper places. There is an energetic law in the I Ching that favors the "weak" yin/broken lines resting on the "strong" yang/whole lines, so it is usually favorable that when comparing pairs of lines, the lower line be yang, the upper line be yin.

In observance of this energetic law or rule, yang lines in places (counting from the bottom to the top) 1, 3, and 5; yin lines in places 2, 4, and 6 constitute energetic perfection and balance. The pairs of lines are all in complete harmony: the yang and yin pairs of lines are 1/2, 3/4, and 5/6. They also are compared in pairs of lines 1/4, 2/5, 3/6.

So, in the I Ching as in the Eye of Horus, the number 63 appears to be the end. After all everything has been completed, all the lines of the hexagram are in harmony and in the right places. The trigram for water is above the trigram for fire, indicating that the energetic movement of each is toward the other….water moves down to combine with fire, and fire moves upward to combine with water. With its parts that add up to 63, the Eye of Horus appears to be whole and complete as well

So, what is the next step? Why is the Eye not a complete 64/64? Why does the final hexagram, hexagram 64, contain all the line comparison harmonies of hexagram 63, but have all the lines are in the wrong places, all the yang lines are "resting" on yin lines? That just won't do!

The next step after completing something is starting something else. A new life perhaps?

The final hexagram is named "Before Completion." The Image (referring to the upper and lower trigrams of three lines each) says: "Fire over water. The image of the condition before transition." Perhaps it means before the transition to immortality!

In Daoist philosophy, there is the concept of immortality. Each person is born with multiple souls. Some of these are heavenly souls (fire) and some are earthly (water). Through a practice called the Kan and Li Qigong (Water and Fire Energy Practice), a person can attain immortality by melding together his heavenly and earthly energies, his water and fire energies.

Some believe the I Ching is a map of how a person should work with their energies and souls to attain immortality. If they manage to complete the process, they reach the perfection of hexagram 63. If not, their energies move apart as they do in hexagram 64, the energies of fire rising skyward, and the energies of water flowing earthward, and immortality is not attained.

Some believe the Eye of Ra is a symbol of immortality also, especially the immortality of Ra of course, but there is something missing, here, too. The eye has everything it needs except a pupil….that part of the eye through which a person can see. An eye without a pupil is as good as no eye at all, for one cannot see with it. Is it possible that the missing 1/64 of the eye is the pupil, that part of the eye that would grant Vision, perhaps of an immortal or enlightened type?

Possibly this is so. The number 64 is the square of 8, and squares of numbers tend to have special significance, such as 3X3, and especially 7X7 (which we see in the saying "the seventh son of a seventh son").

The number 8 can represent two different ideas of wholeness or completeness. First, on a two-dimensional level, it can represent the eight directions; in time, it can represent the eight special days of the year, the two solstices and equinoxes as well as the cross-quarter days, the days that fall between the solstices and equinoxes. Second, on a three-dimensional level, the number 8 can represent the corners that form the earth (shades of the ancient "square earth" theory), and the four corners that hold up the sky! Without four heavenly corners, the sky would just fall and there would be no earth.

So, it seems very reasonable that the number 63 would symbolize a life well lived and well spent, and that 64 would be an indication of a life just starting over again!

In hexagram 64 we have balance and harmony, just in the wrong order, and if you give the Eye a pupil, that last little 1/64 of its weight, it will surely see it's way clear to return from the Otherworld of Osiris and make a new life here on Earth again.

Whether that new life is a rebirth or a resurrection is a topic for another post. :-)

Symbolism of numbers - especially 108

Just about every culture around the globe has thoughts and ideas attached to numbers. There's "lucky 7" and "unlucky 13," the "4 corners of the earth" (which actually is grounded in observation of the rise and set of the sun on the solstices), "two's company, three's a crowd" when you're on a date and want to be alone with your special someone. I'm sure we all remember our mom saying, "I've told you a million times….." Then there is the mysterious pinnacle of numerological significance, the n^th straw that broke the camel's back.

Numbers and numerology can be fun, but they are very serious, too. Most numerological symbolism and significance comes from the observation and recording of celestial events, the wheeling of the Big Dipper in the sky is of particular interest in China, the Stars and Constellations helped to mark the seasons of the year for ancient peoples, the Sun and Moon are of special importance even today to calculate the date on which Easter will fall. (In case you are curious, non-Orthodox Easter occurs on the first Sunday after the first Full Moon after the Vernal Equinox.)

Below you can enjoy some writings on numbers and numerology, especially the number 108 which is known to have great significance in Buddhism and Hindu traditions.

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As we are taught by the I Ching, keeping the calendar, which meant keeping track of days, solar and lunar months, solstices and equinoxes, and years in cycles of 60, was a sacred duty by which man learned to understand cycles-within-cycles and order within the universe.

Hexagram 49, "Revolution" from The I Ching or Book of Changes Wilhelm/Baynes translation:

Fire in the lake: the image of Revolution.
Thus the superior man
Sets the calendar in order
And makes the seasons clear.

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The writing “Numbers” from 365 Tao: Daily Meditations by Deng Ming-Dao

One gives birth to two, two gives birth to three,

Three gives birth to the ten thousand.

One hundred and eight counts make one cycle,

Constant turning creates all things.

Today is the one hundred and eighth day [of the year*]. Why are numbers so important to those who follow Tao? Even today, when numbers are more commonly yoked to the service of finance and engineering, there are those who revere numbers with the cheap version of mysticism -- superstition. Numbers form a closed world with mysteries to explore and exploit if our understanding is deep enough.

Followers of Tao emphasize certain numbers: One is the unity of Tao. Two is duality. Three is the unevenness that will generate movement. Four is the seasons. Five elements generate the world. Six parts of the body are the arms, legs, head, and trunk. Seven is the day of the waxing moon by the lunar calendar. Eight is the number of divination. Nine is the number of life. Ten is heaven's cycles.

There are twenty-four periods in a year, each with its own characteristics. Thirty-six is six squared. One hundred and eight is three cycles of thirty-six and represents a greater cycle, although there are even more esoteric connotations attached to it.

Numbers are only symbols, a way for human beings to project order upon the universe. They are a language more precise than words. But does Tao talk? Numbers are important to master, but take care to look beyond language and numbers to the true reality that they foreshadow.

* This writing was assigned to the date of April 18, the 108^th day of the year.

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Verse Sixty-one of the The Hua Hu Ching: Unknown Teachings of Lao Tzu translated by Brian Walker

To understand the universe, you must study and understand these things:

First, the Oneness, the Tao, the Great Tai Chi

Second, the Great Two, the forces of yin and yang;

Third, the Three Main Categories, expressed either as Heaven, Earth, and Man, or as body mind, and spirit;

Fourth, the Four Forces, strong, weak, light, and heavy;

Fifth, the Five Elements, symbolized by water, fire, wood, metal, and earth;

Sixth, the Six Breaths--wind, cold, heat, moisture, dryness, and inflammation--which transform the climate and the internal organs;

Seventh, the processes of change and recycling;

Eighth, the Eight Great Manifestations--Heaven, Earth, Water, Fire, Thunder, Lake, Wind, and Mountain--the combinations of which reveal the subtle energetic truth of all situations, as taught in the I Ching.

Understanding these things, you can employ them internally to leave behind what is old and dead and to embrace what is new and alive. Once discovered, this process of internal alchemy opens the mystical gate to spiritual immortality.

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Just what is it about the number 108 that is so special? Perhaps we will find a hint in the multiples.

A few of the multiples are: 2X54, 3X36, 4X27, 5X21.6, 6X18, 7X15.428571, 8X13.5, 9X12, 10X10.8, 24X4.5

How about some other relationships? 108/60=1.8, 108/120=.9

In the base 60 numeric system, 108 = decimal 128

Hmmmmmmm…… Well, here are a few explanations and ideas. I have included the url at the beginning of each section of quoted information. I hope you will visit these websites and read the complete articles…I think you will enjoy them!

Explanation One:

In Buddhism, 108 is a prescribed number of times to repeat prayers or mantras among other things. See The Number 108 in Buddhism:

108 is seen as a very special one in particular, as it refers to the number of defilements to overcome to gain enlightenment, and it is derived from the following formula:

The Three Sense Experiences (times) The Six Senses = 18

Aversion or Craving to these experiences = 18 X 2 = 36

Past, Future, and Present incidents of aversion of craving = 36 X 3 = 108

The three sense experiences are:

* good, ie pleasurable

* bad, ie unpleasant

* neutral, ie indifferent

The six senses are

* touch

* taste

* smell

* sight

* hearing

* consciousness (It should be noted that Buddhism considers that the mind is a sixth sense that senses thought objects.)

Temples will often have 108 steps for example, and malas (rosaries) usually have 108 beads.

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Explanation Two:

One-hundred-eight is also sacred to the Hindus: See 108:

The number 108 is sacred in Hindu philosophy as a number of completeness frequently associated with astrology. The average distance between the Earth and the moon is approximately 108 times the diameter of the moon (More accurately, 110), and the same relationship exists between the Earth and the Sun (107.8 to be exact). This is why the Sun and the moon appear the same size. Also, there are 9 planets and 12 Zodiac constellations, so there are 108 possible ways to place a planet in a constellation.

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Explanation Three:

There is yet another idea – this happens to be my personal favorite – at Why 108?:

Big 1, little 8

One of the arithmetical properties of 108 is dependent on the choice of counting system. In the near-universally used decimal counting system, the quantity 108 is expressed as “108”, meaning “1 hundred, 0 tens, 8 units”. In other counting systems, it would look different, e.g. in a duodecimal (12-based) system, it would be written as “90”, and in the binary system, it is written as “1101100”. Assuming the conventional decimal system, what is remarkable about “1-0-8”?

Like 18, it brings together the numerals 1 and 8, with the former in the leading and the latter in the lowly position. The main difference (valid even more in subsequent numbers like 1008) is merely that an abyss of worshipful distance is created between the regal 1 and the servile 8. So, let us briefly focus on this symbolism of 1 and 8. It is chiefly remarkable as a reference to yet other important symbols.

8 1 6

3 5 7

4 9 2

[Flipped top-to-bottom, this is the magic square known as the Luo Shu used in Flying Star Feng Shui, and each of the eight outer numbers corresponds to a trigram (gua) of the I Ching – Phoenix.]

In the magic square of 9, there is 1 little square in the middle and 8 on the periphery. Also, the 1 central number is 5, the sum of the 8 peripheral numbers is 40, yielding a ratio of 1:8. The magic square itself, with equal sums of the three numerals on every line, is an important symbol of cosmic order, balance and integration. Painted on walls or wrought into little metal plates it is used as a luck-charm.

The Golden Section and 108°

But for now, we may settle for the division [of a circle] in 360°. In that case, the angle of 108° has a unique property: the ratio between the straight line uniting two points at 108° from each other on a circle’s circumference (in effect one of the sides of a 10-pointed star) and the radius of that circle equals the Golden Section. Likewise, the inside of every angle of a pentagon measures 108°, and the pentagon is a veritable embodiment of the Golden Section, e.g. the ratio between a side of the 5-pointed star and a side of the pentagon is the Golden Section. So, there is an intimate link between the number 108 and the Golden Section. But why should this be important?

The Golden Section means a proportion between two magnitudes, the major and the minor, such that the minor is to the major as the major is to the whole, i.e. to the sum of minor and major. The general equation yielding the Golden Section is A/B = (A + B)/A, or alternatively but equivalently, X = 1 + 1/X. In numbers, X = (1 + square root 5)/2; or decimally, X = 1, 618… This infinite series of decimals can be replaced with a more predictable infinite series of numbers, viz. X equals the limit of the series G/F in which F is any member and G is the very next member of the Fibonacci series, i.e. the series in which every member equals the sum of the two preceding members: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144,… This means that every next fraction G/F, i.e. 1/1, 2/1, 3/2, 5/3, 8/5 etc. forms a better approximation of the Golden Section, whose value can be approximated to any desired degree of precision if fractions of sufficiently highly-placed members of the Fibonacci series are considered.

In art and architecture, it is found that the Golden Proportion is naturally pleasing to our inborn tastes. In living nature, there are plenty of sequences where every member stands to the preceding member in a Golden Proportion or its derivatives (square root etc.), e.g. the distances between or the sizes of the successive twigs growing on a branch, the layers of petals on a flower, the rings of a conch, the generations of a multiplying rabbit population, etc. What this symbolizes is the law of invariance: in every stage of a development, the same pattern repeats itself. The son is to the father as the father was to the grandfather. Wheels within wheels: every whole consisting of parts is itself likewise part of a larger whole. And the principle of order: the underling obeys the orders of his master to the same extent that the master obeys the requirements of the whole. Or with a pre-feminist maxim: “he for God alone, she for God in him”, i.e. the wife serves the husband because (and to the extent that) the husband serves the cosmic order defining his duties. As Confucius said, the authority of the ruler, his capability of making the people willingly obey him, is that he himself obeys the Laws of Heaven.

So, the Golden Section is a meaningful symbol in the cosmological, aesthetical and ethical realms. And somewhere in a corner of Golden Section lore, in the pentagon and decagon, we see the number 108 participating. This is meritorious though perhaps a bit too indirect to count as sensational.

[There is an excellent section in this article about the sacred numbers 9 and 12, but it is a bit lengthy for inclusion here. I do hope you will visit the url and read the entire article for yourself. It’s quite interesting and enjoyable! – Phoenix] Why 108?

Square times cube

Among other intrinsic and ever-unchangeable properties, it may be hard to choose which one is sufficiently relevant. Thus, 108 equals the sum of the first 9 multiples of 3, viz. 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21 and 24. This reconfirms its intimate relation with the richly symbolic number 9, but then, so what?

Slightly more remarkable is that 108 equals the product of the second power of 2 and the third power of 3, i.e. the first non-trivial even and odd numbers multiplied by themselves as many times as themselves. In figures: 108 = 2² x 3³, or 108 = 2 x 2 x 3 x 3 x 3. This way, it unites on their own terms the polar opposites of even and odd, the numerical counterparts of female and male, yin and yang, etc.

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Amazing, isn't it? And that's just a drop in the numerical bucket!

Numbers….they aren't just for math class!

Being One with the Dao

Fu Xi

Father of Daoism

Almost everyone is familiar with the first line of the first verse of the Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching): "The tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao" (– Tao Te Chingtranslated by Stephen Mitchell).

If you can perceive the whole of it, if you can name it, if you can define it, you have brought it into the realm of the small and manageable, so it cannot be the eternal Tao. Whatever else the Dao is, it is not small, manageable, or nameable.

Here is Stephen Mitchell's complete translation of Verse One of the Dao De Jing:

"The tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao
The name that can be named is not the eternal Name.

The unnamable is the eternally real.
Naming is the origin of all particular things.

Free from desire, you realize the mystery.
Caught in desire, you see only the manifestations.

Yet mystery and manifestations arise from the same source.
This source is called darkness.

Darkness within darkness.
The gateway to all understanding."

So, even though we can't name the Dao, discuss it with family and friends, does that mean we don't experience it?

I believe we do – we experience it every single day, perhaps many times a day, we just do not recognize it for what it is. We call it dreaming, and daydreaming, and believe it is all internal, our thought patterns going off on flights of fancy while we rest.

Sleeping and daydreaming are about as "internal" as your mind….and you know that your mind is not a physical thing tethered to your particular physical locale. If it was, you would never have to say, "Oh, sorry, I missed what you just said, my mind was wandering."

Your mind regularly experiences the Dao. How? Through the darkness, of course, the "gateway to all understanding."

In this instance, darkness does not mean absence of light, it indicates the yin principle which, among other things, is symbolized by darkness. The most famous of the yin principles, right after "female" is "receptive." In the harmonious workings of the universe, the yin principle is open and receptive to everything the yang principle bestows.

Even though yin is earthly and physically manifest, it receives the Dao through the immaterial, spiritual yang just as the earth beneath your feet receives the energy of heat and light from the heavenly sun.

In order to receive the energy of this enlightenment, you must enter the darkness, or the state of receptivity. Of course, you can learn to do that through various forms of meditation. However, that practice and discipline is connected to your desire to achieve a particular level of spiritual consciousness. This is often expressed as getting in touch with your Higher Power, your Higher Self, your Higher Consciousness, some call it God Consciousness, or tapping into the Universal Unconscious.

Many people believe that desire and goal setting, working diligently toward the achievement of that desire, is the only way to attain that particular level of consciousness. Oftentimes, these people are interested in attaining the full and complete understanding of all universal principles. Yes, that is one type of enlightenment, but it is not necessary to achieve that to experience being One with the Dao.

The truth is, many Oneness and enlightenment experiences are spontaneous – every time you experience an "Ah-ha!" moment, you have received a message and are enlightened in some way. When and how do you experience "Ah-ha!" moments? Usually when you least expect it and are thinking about nothing at all! You are at rest, at least mentally, and are therefore receptive to these spontaneous experiences.

You are at your most receptive when you sleep and when you daydream because you are not directing your mind or attention. Every day as a matter of course and of the human condition, you open yourself to messages of spiritual awareness. Hearing those voices which you have educated yourself out of hearing and following is instinct, intuition. In our modern day, about the only time we completely open ourselves to the receptive state through which we can receive these messages is when we are daydreaming or asleep.

In fact, I believe we move from physical to spiritual every time we go to sleep. At the REM stage of sleep when the body is most relaxed and regenerating, the mind is most active! This is the stage in which we dream. In the REM sleep stage, someone could poke you, and your body would not feel it; generally a person does not experience physical feelings such as pain when asleep. Some researchers thing that when in this sleep stage, you couldn't make your body move if you wanted to; it is too physically relaxed to respond to stimulus of any kind.

Likewise, if we are awake but day-dreaming, I believe we enter the same sort of spiritual (at least non-corporeal) awareness…we lose track of and don’t feel the physical body while in this awake/day-dream state, and we usually lose track of time, too, which is another indication of being in a spiritual place.

I believe that any daytime (or at least "non-sleep-time") awareness shift between spiritual and physical may not have anything to do with desire or reaching a goal (except perhaps to become unattached to normal, thinking awareness), it may simply be a matter of allowing ourselves to follow our natural instincts toward daydreaming and physical dissociation.

You will notice that this awareness has a common thread….dreams. In fact, the word "dream" is derived from an Anglo-Saxon word related to "mirth, joy, and music."

And when do we dream? When our mind is in "darkness," when it is in "receptive mode."

The verse tells us:

"Free from desire, you realize the mystery.
Caught in desire, you see only the manifestations.

Yet mystery and manifestations arise from the same source.
This source is called darkness.

Darkness within darkness.
The gateway to all understanding."

I believe that the message of these lines is to devote yourself to spontaneous experiences of enlightenment in order to become one with the Dao. The I Ching sheds some light on the meaning here, also.

Two things that "arise from the same source" are the I Ching trigrams of Earth and Water. In the Heavenly circular arrangement of trigrams, Earth stands in the North. In the Earthly circular arrangement, Water stands in the North. North is symbolic of darkness, darkness being "yin." So here we have two yin/darkness things springing from the same source, but one is spiritual, one is physical:

Free from desire – Water – symbolic of Tao & the spiritual.
Caught in desire – Earth – represents the physical manifestation.

Even more interesting is looking at the hexagrams formed by putting the trigrams together: earth over water (hexagram 7) or water over earth (hexagram 8).

Here is some information from the I Ching website of LiSe Heyboer:

Hexagram 7

Legion, Leader

Hex.7 is not only an army but also 'organizing', especially talents and assets. The character Shi means army, teacher, to teach, master, tutor, a model or example, to pattern or model after another, and a specialist (especially music, painting, divining or medicine).

Hexagram 8

Stand By (often a.k.a. Assembly, or Unity)

Bi(3): The character represents two people standing or walking behind each other. Original meaning: to juxtapose. Later to be close to, compare, equal, similar. A person turned to the left, REN(2), (2) is man, a person turned to the right, BI(3), (3 and 4: deceased mother) is a symbol for female. North, BEI(3), (5) is two people standing back to back - or a man and a woman. The middle between East and West? [The numbers in brackets refer to character diagrams on the website.]

Part of the interesting thing here is that most of the lines in these two hexagrams are darkness/yin; the only bright/yang lines are (always counting the lines from the bottom to the top) line 2 in hexagram 7, and line 5 in hexagram 8. Lines 2 and 5 represent Man in the Earth-Man-Heaven sequence of trigram lines, lines 1, 2, and 3.

By changing either of the yang man lines (hexagram 7 line 2, or hexagram 8 line 5) into yin lines, you turn the hexagram into Hexagram 2: (trigram earth doubled) Earth; The Receptive (the receiver of the spirit of heaven and makes it manifest).

By changing either of the yin man lines (hexagram 7 line 5, or hexagram 8 line 2) into yang lines, you turn the hexagram into Hexagram 29: (trigram water doubled) which is usually called “Pitfall, Danger.” There is a paradox here in that changing dark/yin lines to bright/yang lines actually takes you to a place of even deeper darkness – the “pit.” But also consider that water is the way of Tao, so double water is completely spiritual.

Even more interesting is that the character for Hexagram 29 (double water = double Tao) shows a man falling into a chasm….taking that "leap of faith" perhaps. Alfred Huang in his book The Complete I Ching: The Definitive Translation by the Taoist Master Alfred Huang calls hexagram 29 "Darkness." Consider the line from the Tao Te Ching: "Darkness within darkness, The gateway to all understanding." The man falling into the chasm is, symbolically, "falling" into the Tao (the water and the "understanding").

Now, falling is usually pretty spontaneous, and coincidentally (is there really such a thing as coincidence?) we often speak of falling asleep…in fact, many people (including me) often wake with a start just as I am falling asleep because I experience that "falling" sensation.

Ultimately, to experience Oneness with the Dao, be open and receptive, and don't try to plan it, allow yourself the spontaneous experience as you dream at night or during the day.

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