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Breakthrough 43
Break through obstacles with determination and clarity. Confront negativity openly while maintaining integrity and wisdom. The truth must be revealed, yet patience is required.
↓ Line 5
Address problems with determination and maintain balance to avoid blame.
↓ Line 6
Ignoring warnings and failing to act can lead to misfortune.
↓ Wealth14
Abundance is present. Use your resources wisely and share generously. Celebrate success with humility and grace, knowing that true wealth comes from balance and integrity.
Original Readings
43 Breakthrough
Other titles: Break-through, The Symbol of Decision, Resolution, Determination, Parting, Removing Corruption, Eradication
Judgment
Legge: Recognizing the risks involved in criminal prosecution, justice demands a resolute proof of the culprit's guilt in the royal court. One informs one's own city that armed force is not necessary. In this way progress is assured.
Wilhelm/Baynes:Break-through. One must resolutely make the matter known at the court of the king. It must be announced truthfully. Danger. It is necessary to notify one's own city. It does not further to resort to arms. It furthers one to undertake something.
Blofeld: Resolution. When a proclamation is made at the court of the King, frankness in revealing the true state of affairs is dangerous. [In vital matters, frankness may prove dangerous.] In making announcements to the people of his own city, it is not fitting for the ruler to carry arms. [It is better to repose trust in our own people.] It is favorable to have some goal (or destination).
Liu: Determination. Someone is proud in the king's court, and the king trusts him. If one exposes the truth, danger. It must be told to one's own people. Using force does not benefit. It does benefit to do something else. [You must decide how to deal with a situation before it reaches a dangerous point, or things will take their own course and overwhelm you.]
Ritsema/Karcher:Parting, displaying tending-towards kingly chambers. Conforming, crying-out, possessing adversity. Notifying originates from the capital. Not Harvesting: approaching arms. Harvesting: possessing directed going. [This hexagram describes your situation in terms of separation and diverging directions. It emphasizes that resolutely dividing your energies is the adequate way to handle it...]
Shaughnessy:Resolution: Raised up at the royal court, returning crying out; there is danger. Announcing from the sky; not beneficial to regulate the belligerents; beneficial to have someplace to go.
Cleary (1): Parting is lauded in the royal court. The call of truth involves danger. Addressing one’s own domain, it is not beneficial to go right to war, but it is beneficial to go somewhere. [The royal court is the abode of the mind-ruler, where true and false are distinguished.]
Cleary (2): Decision is brought up in the royal court. A sincere statement involves danger, etc.
Wu:Eradication indicates a conceited pronouncement in the royal court on the one hand, and a concerted call for vigilance on the other. It is essential to make the danger known to the people, but not to resort to force now. It is advantageous to have undertakings.
The Image
Legge: The image of the waters of a marsh mounting over heaven forms Resoluteness. The superior man, in accordance with this, does not hoard his wealth, but shares it with his subordinates.
Wilhelm/Baynes: The lake has risen up to heaven: the image of Break-through. Thus the superior man dispenses riches downward and refrains from resting on his virtue.
Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes a marshy lake being drawn (sucked) towards the sky. The Superior Man distributes his emoluments to those below; dwelling in virtue, he renounces them.
Liu: The lake ascends to heaven, symbolizing Determination. The superior man distributes wealth below him, without displaying his favors.
Ritsema/Karcher: Above marsh with-respect-to heaven. Parting. A chun tzu uses spreading-out benefits to extend to the below. A chun tzu uses residing-in actualizing tao, by- consequence keeping-aloof. [Actualize-tao: Ability to follow the course traced by the ongoing process of the cosmos... Linked with acquire, TE: acquiring that which makes a being what it is meant to be.]
Cleary (1): Moisture ascends to heaven, which parts with it. Thus do superior people distribute blessings to reach those below, while avoiding presumption of virtue. [After people get mixed up in temporal conditioning, the discriminatory consciousness takes charge of affairs; wine and sex distract them from reality, the lure of wealth deranges their nature, emotions and desires well forth at once, thoughts and ruminations arise in a tangle, and the mind-ruler is lost in confusion. Because habituation becomes second nature over a long period of time, it cannot be abruptly removed. It is necessary to work on the matter in a serene and equanimous way, according to the time: Eventually discrimination will cease, and the original spirit will return; the human mind will sublimate and the mind of Tao will be complete – again you will see the original self.]
Cleary (2): … If they presumed on their virtue, they would be resented.
Wu: The marsh rises to heaven; this is Eradication. Thus the jun zi distributes his emolument to those below and is loath to monopolize virtues.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: Resoluteness is the symbol of displacing or removing. We see the dynamic lines displacing the magnetic line. The figure displays the attributes of Strength and Cheerfulness. There is displacement, but harmony continues. The exhibition of the criminal's guilt in the royal court is shown by the magnetic line mounted on five dynamic lines. The awareness of danger and appeal for justice makes the matter clear. If he has recourse to arms, what he prefers will soon be exhausted. When the advance of the dynamic lines is complete, there will be an end to displacement.
Legge:Resoluteness represents the third month when the last vestige of winter, represented by the sixth line, is about to disappear before the advance of summer. The single yin line at the top symbolizes an inferior man, a feudal prince or high minister who is corrupting the government. The five yang lines below are the representatives of good order. The lesson of the hexagram is how to remove corruption from the kingdom. He who would do this must do so by the force of his character more than the force of arms. Never forgetting the dangerous nature of his undertaking, he must openly denounce the criminal in the court and awaken general sympathy to his cause. Among his own adherents ("In his own city") he must prevent any tendency to resort to armed conflict. As a worthy statesman he is not motivated by private feelings.
Hu Ping-wen says: "If but a single inferior man is left, he is sufficient to make the superior man anxious; if but a single inordinate desire be left in the mind, that is sufficient to disturb the harmony of the heavenly principles. The eradication in both cases must be complete, before the labor is ended."
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Judgment:Resoluteness involves astute discernment of what is wrong and a discreet re-establishment of order without polarizing the situation. Be clear in your own strategy, but let common sense be your guide about how much you need to disclose to others. Avoid aggression at all costs.
The Superior Man maintains equilibrium by distributing his energy equitably -- he smoothes things out.
The forty-third hexagram is an image of the eradication of an inferior force from the situation at hand: five yang lines resolutely advance on the single yin line, which is about to be pushed out of the hexagram at the top. This is a negative image of the twenty-third hexagram, Disintegration, which shows the opposite situation of five lower yin lines undermining one upper yang line. It is instructive to compare the nearly identical message for the superior man in the Images of each of these figures. The idea is one of fostering an equitable distribution of energy within the situation -- Disintegration and the Resoluteness required to rectify it are extreme situations requiring extreme measures. Such extremes must always be neutralized through a justly distributed balance of forces.
It's not the concern of law that any one class in the city fare exceptionally well, but it contrives to bring this about for the whole city, harmonizing the citizens by persuasion and compulsion, making them share with one another the benefit that each class is able to bring to the commonwealth. And it produces such men in the city not in order to let them turn whichever way each wants, but in order that it may use them in binding the city together. Plato --The Republic
Compare the nuances of meaning in each translation of the Judgment. Wilhelm's is most radical, advising a direct (albeit dangerous), expose of what is wrong. Most of the others imply room for discretion about what needs to be revealed. Diplomacy is the art of knowing when full- disclosure only prevents resolution of the problem. Ritsema/Karcher allude to the proper mind-set required to manage such situations: "[A chun tzu uses] residing-in actualizing tao, by-consequence keeping-aloof." To "reside in actualizing tao," is to live directly from one's essence, and when this is associated with "keeping-aloof" we get an image of quietly rectifying a situation without revealing our purpose or strategy.
Psychologically interpreted,Resoluteness, like Disintegration, depicts an extreme situation which must first be rectified, then prevented from re-occurring through the maintenance of a just balance of power which is administered by the ego under the will of the Self.
Line 5
Legge: The fifth line, dynamic, shows the small men like a bed of purslaine, which ought to be uprooted with the utmost determination. The subject of the line having such determination, his action, in harmony with his central position, will lead to no error or blame.
Wilhelm/Baynes: In dealing with weeds, firm resolution is necessary. Walking in the middle remains free of blame.
Blofeld: With the tenacity of spinach clinging to the earth, he blamelessly steers a middle course. [That is, weak but determined.]
Liu: Clinging weeds. Determination is necessary. Taking the middle path. No blame.
Ritsema/Karcher: Reeds, highlands: Parting, Parting. Center moving, without fault.
Shaughnessy: The amaranth burns so broken-up, in the middle of the ranks; there is no trouble.
Cleary (1): Wild burdock root; cut through resolutely. Balanced action is impeccable.
Cleary (2): A hill of amaranth; parting with what is to be parted with, balanced action is faultless. [Here it is appropriate to part with what the other yangs part with [i.e., the top yin line], but still preserve and nurture it; this is the path of balanced action, whereby it is possible to be faultless. However, when parting, after all one does not avoid distinguishing between developed and undeveloped people, though one still does not forget what is universally the same in everyone – therefore“balance is not yet obvious.”]
Wu: Like the lead sheep of a flock, he is determined to lead the charge against the little man. His approach from the center results in no error.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: His standing in the due mean is not yet clearly displayed. Wilhelm/Baynes: The middle is not yet in the light. Blofeld: Yes, blamelessly but not brilliantly! [In this situation, we can do well enough, but not very well.]Ritsema/Karcher: Center not-yet shining indeed. Cleary (2): Balanced action is faultless, but balance is not yet obvious. Wu: Though central, his action is not enlightening.
Legge: Purslaine grows in shady places, and hence we find it here in close contiguity to the topmost line, which is yin. Line five's proximity to line six is supposed to have a bad effect on him, so that while he does what his central position requires, it is not without an effort. Ch'eng-Tzu says: "If a man cherishes a single illicit desire in his mind, he has left the right way." Since five is the ruler's seat, evil may come to him, and strenuous efforts must be made to prevent such an evil.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Siu: Uprooting corruption from high offices requires the utmost determination.
Wing: When attempting to overthrow adversaries or obstacles in powerful positions, great Resolution and determination are necessary. The roots of this opposition run wide and deep and, unless completely eradicated, it may spring back to power. A calm thoroughness will see you through.
Editor: Wilhelm and Liu render the other translators’ wide range of specific plants as "weeds,” which is a much more evocative image of the inferior forces symbolized in this line. Psychologically, the idea is clear enough: unless one uproots (brings under control) every remnant of independent (habitual) affect within the psyche, it will eventually return to harm the Work. Sometimes the majority Confucian commentary does not seem to apply, in which case Cleary’s minority Buddhist interpretation (above) may be more apt.
Now 'tis the spring, and weeds are shallow-rooted;
Suffer them now and they'll o'ergrow the garden.
Shakespeare -- Henry VI
A. Succumbing to neither despair nor overconfidence, one resolutely eliminates every trace of inferior perception and feeling associated with the matter at hand.
B. A balanced viewpoint roots out error.
Line 6
Legge: The sixth line, magnetic, shows its subject without any helpers on whom to call. Her end will be evil.
Wilhelm/Baynes: No cry. In the end misfortune comes.
Blofeld: In the end, misfortune will come without warning.
Liu: Without a cry. Misfortune in the end. [If you get this line you will have difficulty in a new undertaking.]
Ritsema/Karcher: Without crying-out. Completing: possessing a pitfall.
Shaughnessy: There is no crying out; in the winter there is inauspiciousness.
Cleary (1): No call; in the end there is misfortune.
Wu: He has no one to call for help. It will be foreboding in the end.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: There is the misery of having none on whom to call-- the end will be that she cannot continue any longer. Wilhelm/Baynes: The misfortune of not crying out should in the end not be allowed to persist. Blofeld: This unheralded misfortune will be due to our failure to persist to the end. Ritsema/ Karcher: Without crying-out's pitfall. Completing not permitting long-living indeed. [Cry- out/outcry: HAO: call out, proclaim; signal, order, command; mark, label, sign.] Cleary (2): There cannot be growth at the end. [The five lines below epitomize the exhortations and admonitions of sages to the strong who gather together. Here one who is weak is at the top and even though correct is unable to call forth caution for preparedness, so in the end cannot grow.] Wu: The foreboding of having no one to call for help will come before long.
Legge: The subject of the sixth line, standing above, may be easily disposed of.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Siu: Just as victory is at hand, the man finds no helpers to eradicate the remaining evil. The evil conceals itself, only to spring up again at a later time.
Wing: Danger comes from a seed of evil in your own Self, perhaps a self-delusion or conceit that blinds you. Just when you feel you may relax your resolve and continue without helpers, it will cause you to err. Misfortune.
Anthony: We need not harbor anger or hold onto bad memories to remind ourself that the situation is unresolved… We must leave correction or punishment of the evil inferiors to the Sage as this is not our province of action…
Editor: Despite Legge's one-sentence dismissal of this line in his annotation, there is a great deal of ambiguity here. Notice the range of interpretations for the Confucian commentary: none of them say the same thing in English and Wilhelm's is so labored as to be virtually meaningless. These are strong clues that the text may be ambiguous in the original Chinese. Because Blofeld's translation of HAO (out-cry) as "warning" makes plausible sense, at its most neutral the line can depict an unexpected catastrophe. Also note that although blame is implied for line six via the symbolic structure of the hexagram, its actual text contains no value judgment, and as a magnetic line it remains correctly placed at the top. To complicate things even further, the message can be interpreted as either the elimination or the escape of an inferior force and, depending on the context of the question, one can meditate for hours to ascertain what exactly is meant. In a differentiated multiverse, there will always be forces requiring reconciliation and synthesis: nothing is ever "eradicated.” If this is the only changing line, the new hexagram becomes The Dynamic, with a corresponding line depicting the consequences of arrogance.
The shadow cannot be eliminated. It is the ever-present dark brother or sister. Whenever we fail to see where it stands, there is likely to be trouble afoot. For then it is certain to be standing behind us. The adequate question therefore never is: Have I a shadow problem? Have I a negative side? But rather: Where does it happen to be right now? When we cannot see it, it is time to beware! E.C. Whitmont -- The Symbolic Quest
A. The image suggests the disempowerment of an inferior force. [Quarantine without allies results in elimination of authority or influence. A negative, inferior force is terminated due to lack of support.]
B. The image suggests a sudden, unexpected misfortune of some sort.
C. The image suggests a demonically stubborn force which escapes rectification.
D. You are alone without allies in a vulnerable position or questionable endeavor.
14 Wealth
Other titles: Possession in Great Measure, The Symbol of Great Possession, Sovereignty, Great Having, Great Possessing, The Great Possessor, Great Wealth, Abundance, Having What is Great, "Often means things other than material possessions or achievement. Count your blessings for they are many." -- D.F. Hook
Judgment
Legge:Wealth means great progress and success.
Wilhelm/Baynes:Possession in Great Measure. Supreme success.
Blofeld: He who possesses much -- supreme success!
Liu: Great Possessions. Great Success.
Ritsema/Karcher: Great Possessing, Spring Growing. [This hexagram describes your situation in terms of your relation to an overriding concern or central idea. It emphasizes that organizing all your efforts around this idea is the adequate way to handle it...]
Shaughnessy: The Great Possession: Prime receipt.
Cleary (1): In great possession are creation and development.
Cleary (2): Great possession is great success.
Wu: Great Wealth is primordial and pervasive.
The Image
Legge: Fire over Heaven -- the image of Wealth. The superior man represses evil and nurtures virtue in accordance with the benevolent will of heaven.
Wilhelm/Baynes: Fire in heaven above: the image of Possession in Great Measure. Thus the superior man curbs evil and furthers good, and thereby obeys the benevolent will of heaven.
Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes fire in the heavens. [When the trigram for heaven is above, whatever is below may be separated from it; when it is below, it indicates fusion or intermixture with what is above. The significance here is that the splendor of a very great man lights up the heavens.] The Superior Man suppresses those who are evil and upholds the virtuous. Most gladly he accords with heaven and carries out its commands.
Liu: Fire over heaven symbolizes Great Possessions. The superior man suppresses evil and honors virtue, and thus follows the will of heaven and waits upon destiny.
Ritsema/Karcher: Fire located above heaven. Great Possessing. A chun tzu uses terminating hate to display improvement. A chun tzu uses yielding-to heaven to relinquish fate.
Cleary (1): Fire is in the sky;great possession.Thus does the superior person stop evil and promote good, obeying heaven and accepting its order.
Cleary (2): … Leaders obey nature and accept its order by stopping the bad and promoting the good.
Wu: Fire above and heaven below form Great Wealth.Thus the jun zi suppresses the evil and promotes the good; he abides by the will of heaven to enrich his life.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge:Wealth shows the magnetic line in the central ruler's place, and honored by the dynamic lines above and below. The figure is composed of the trigrams of Strength and Clarity. The central line of Clarity responds to the central line of Strength, eventuating in timely action. This indicates great progress and success.
Legge: Wealth means "great havings," and symbolizes a kingdom, family or individual in a state of prosperity. The danger in such a position arises from the pride it is likely to engender. Here however, everything is against that: the place of honor is occupied by a magnetic line, so that the ruler will be humble, and all the dynamic lines will respond to her with sympathetic allegiance. The ruler's seat is in the central position of the trigram of Clarity, and hence her strength is directed by intelligence, and all her actions are timely, like the seasons of heaven.
Fire above the sky shines far -- symbolizing the vastness of the territory of wealth. To develop virtue and repress evil is in accordance with the will of heaven, which has given to all men a nature fitted for goodness.
Cleary (2): All states of being have this essence inherent in them and are indeed made of this essence, but all states other than that of complete enlightenment are out of harmony with this essence in some way. Buddhahood is when you accord with this essence.
Wu: As the sun shines brightly high in the sky, both the good and the bad will be exposed. The responsibility of the jun zi is to discriminate between them. He acts in accordance with the nature of goodness (the will of heaven) to enrich his life.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Judgment: The greatest kind of Wealth accrues from furthering the Work.
The Superior Man manages his forces in accordance with the goals of the Work.
Wealthis the inverse of the preceding figure, Union of Forces. If the thirteenth hexagram depicts a process of uniting, the fourteenth might be seen as the completion of that process. To have one's inner forces correctly united is indeed Possession in Great Measure, which is the title that Wilhelm gives to this figure.
It is emphasized in the Image that this Wealth must be administered in accordance with the "benevolent will of heaven,” which is to say: the principles of the Work must always guide one's choices if one is not to lose equilibrium and become pauperized by illusion.
The superior man considers a rich possession of moral principles to be honor, and peace in his person to be wealth. Chou Tun-I