first time

Howdy all,

   This is my first posting.  I am male, 42, societal drop out as much as 
possible, Tai Chi bum, turned reluctant business person with the direction 
of the I Ching, or Book of Changes, to which I owe a great debt for 
guidance, strength, and purpose.

   I have given much thought to the creation of an intentional community 
over many years, and hope to facilitate many of them with an agricultural 
invention inspired by the I Ching, but before getting to that, I would like 
to share one question, and answer session with the I Ching, in the Oracle 
format.

I Ching, please advise regarding human destiny.

I received a two Hexagram answer, with the sixth line changing, which means 
that only the sixth line (9 at the top) the last line of the first Hexagram 
should be read/considered ( I tried to  underlined it, but it may not 
arrive that way), for those of you that are familiar with this Oracle, I 
used Yarrow stock probabilities to arrive at this answer.

I shall return

Cheers
Ted Marchildon




59. Huan / Dispersion [Dissolution]

                 above SUN  THE GENTLE, WIND
                 below K'AN  THE ABYSMAL, WATER

Wind blowing over water disperses it, dissolving it into foam and mist. This
suggests that when a man's vital energy is dammed up within him (indicated
as a danger by the attribute of the lower trigram), gentleness serves to break
up and dissolve the blockage.

         THE JUDGMENT

         DISPERSION. Success.
         The king approaches his temple.
         It furthers one to cross the great water.
         Perseverance furthers.

The text of this hexagram resembles that of Ts'ui, GATHERING TOGETHER
(45). In the latter, the subject is the bringing together of elements that 
have
been separated, as water collects in lakes upon the earth. Here the subject is
the dispersing and dissolving of divisive egotism. DISPERSION shows the
way, so to speak, that leads to gathering together. This explains the 
similarity
of the two texts.
   Religious forces are needed to overcome the egotism that divides men. The
common celebration of the great sacrificial feasts and sacred rites, which 
gave
expression simultaneously to the interrelation and social articulation of the
family and state, was the means of employed by the great ruler to unite men.
The sacred music and the splendor of the ceremonies aroused a strong tide of
emotion that was shared by all hearts in unison, and that awakened a
consciousness of the common origin of all creatures. In this way disunity was
overcome and rigidity dissolved. A further means to the same end is co-
operation in great general undertakings that set a high goal for the will 
of the
people; in the common concentration on this goal, all barriers dissolve, just
as, when a boat is crossing a great stream, all hands must unite in a joint 
task.
   But only a man who is himself free of all selfish ulterior 
considerations, and
who perseveres in justice and steadfastness, is capable of so dissolving the
hardness of egotism.

         THE IMAGE

         The wind drives over the water:
         The image of DISPERSION.
         Thus the kings of old sacrificed to the Lord
         And built temples.

In the autumn and winter, water begins to freeze into ice. When the warm
breezes of spring come, the rigidity is dissolved, and the elements that have
been dispersed in ice floes are reunited. It is the same with the minds of the
people. Through hardness and selfishness the heart grows rigid, and this
rigidity leads to separation from all others. Egotism and cupidity isolate 
men.
Therefore the hearts of men must be seized by a devout emotion. They must
be shaken by a religious awe in face of eternity-stirred with an intuition 
of the
One Creator of all living beings, and united through the strong feeling of
fellowship experienced in the ritual of divine worship.

         THE LINES

         Six at the beginning means:
         He brings help with the strength of a horse.
         Good fortune.

It is important that disunion should be overcome at the outset, before it has
become complete-that the clouds should be dispersed before they have
brought storm and rain. At such times when hidden divergences in temper
make themselves felt and lead to mutual misunderstandings we must take
quick and vigorous action to dissolve the misunderstandings and mutual
distrust.

         Nine in the second place means:
         At the dissolution
         He hurries to that which supports him.
         Remorse disappears.

When an individual discovers within himself the beginnings of alienation
from others, of misanthropy and ill humor, he must set about dissolving
these obstructions. He must rouse himself inwardly, hasten to that which
supports him. Such support is never found in hatred, but always in a
moderate and just judgment of men, linked with good will. If he regains this
unobstructed outlook on humanity, while at the same time all saturnine ill
humor is dissolved, all occasion for remorse disappears.

         Six in the third place means:
         He dissolves his self. No remorse.

Under certain circumstances, a man's work may become so difficult that he
can no longer think of himself. He must set aside all personal desires and
disperse whatever the self gathers about it to serve as a barrier against 
others.
Only on the basis of great renunciation can he obtain the strength for great
achievements. By setting his goal in a great task outside himself, he can
attain this standpoint.

         Six in the fourth place means:
         He dissolves his bond with his group.
         Supreme good fortune.
         Dispersion leads in turn to accumulation.
         This is something that ordinary men do not think of.

When we are working at a task that affects the general welfare, we must leave
all private friendships out of account. Only by rising above party 
interests can
we achieve something decisive. He who has the courage thus to forego what
is near wins what is afar. But in order to comprehend this standpoint, one
must have a wide view of the interrelationships of life, such as only unusual
men attain.

         ° Nine in the fifth place means:
         His loud cries are as dissolving as sweat.
         Dissolution! A king abides without blame.

In times of general dispersion and separation, a great idea provides a focal
point for the organization of recovery. Just as an illness reaches its 
crisis in a
dissolving sweat, so a great stimulating idea is a true salvation in times of
general deadlock. It gives the people a rallying point-a man in a ruling
position who can dispel misunderstandings.

         Nine at the top means:
         He dissolves his blood.
         Departing, keeping at a distance, going out,
         Is without blame.

The idea of the dissolving of a man's blood means the dispersion of that
which might lead to bloodshed and wounds, i.e., avoidance of danger. But
here the thought is not that a man avoids difficulties for himself alone, but
rather that he rescues his kin-helps them to get away before danger comes, or
to keep at a distance from an existing danger, or to find a way out of a 
danger
that is already upon them. In this way he does what is right.




29. K'an / The Abysmal (Water)

                 above  K'AN  THE ABYSMAL, WATER
                 below  K'AN  THE ABYSMAL, WATER

This hexagram consists of a doubling of the trigram K'an. It is one of the
eight hexagrams in which doubling occurs. The trigram K'an means a
plunging in. A yang line has plunged in between two yin lines and is closed
in by them like water in a ravine. The trigram K'an is also the middle son.
The Receptive has obtained the middle line of the Creative, and thus K'an
develops. As an image it represents water, the water that comes from above
and is in motion on earth in streams and rivers, giving rise to all life on
earth.
   In man's world K'an represents the heart, the soul locked up within the
body, the principle of light inclosed in the dark--that is, reason. The 
name of
the hexagram, because the trigram is doubled, has the additional meaning,
"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.

         THE JUDGMENT

         The Abysmal repeated.
         If you are sincere, you have success in your heart,
         And whatever you do succeeds.

Through repetition of danger we grow accustomed to it. Water sets the
example for the right conduct under such circumstances. It flows on and on,
and merely fills up all the places through which it flows; it does not shrink
from any dangerous spot nor from any plunge, and nothing can make it lose
its own essential nature. It remains true to itself under all conditions. Thus
likewise, if one is sincere when confronted with difficulties, the heart can
penetrate the meaning of the situation. And once we have gained inner
mastery of a problem, it will come about naturally that the action we take 
will
succeed. 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.
   Properly used, danger can have an important meaning as a protective
measure. Thus heaven has its perilous height protecting it against every
attempt at invasion, and earth has its mountains and bodies of water,
separating countries by their dangers. Thus also rulers make use of danger to
protect themselves against attacks from without and against turmoil within.

         THE IMAGE

         Water flows on uninterruptedly and reaches its foal:
         The image of the Abysmal repeated.
         Thus the superior man walks in lasting virtue
         And carries on the business of teaching.

Water reaches its goal by flowing continually. It fills up every depression
before it flows on. The superior man follows its example; he is concerned
that goodness should be an established attribute of character rather than an
accidental and isolated occurrence. So likewise in teaching others everything
depends on consistency, for it is only through repetition that the pupil makes
the material his own.