Rise with resilience and let your bold spirit shape the path to enduring strength.
From
35
Progress
To
28
Critical Mass
Dropping the least talented persons
One prefers to say goodbye to those who have been disappointing. taoscopy.com
Progress35
Progress and clarity emerge. With effort and clarity, advancement is possible. Keep honesty and integrity at the forefront.
↓ Line 2
Progress may come with challenges, but perseverance leads to joy and support from family or tradition.
↓ Line 3
Harmony with others leads to the removal of regrets and smooth progress.
↓ Line 5
Let go of concerns about gain and loss. Focus on your goals, and success will follow.
↓ Line 6
Aggressive progress is justified only for self-correction. Awareness of risks leads to good fortune, but persistence in aggression may lead to disgrace.
↓ Critical Mass28
Embrace resilience during times of overwhelming pressure. Acknowledge the burden, make necessary adjustments, and seek support to prevent collapse. Balance is crucial for enduring success.
Other titles: Progress, Prospering, The Symbol of Forwardness, To Advance, Advancement, Making Headway, Getting the Idea, “Comes the Dawn”
Judgment
Legge: In Advance of Consciousness we see a prince who secures the tranquility of the people presented on that account with numerous horses by the king, and three times in a day received at interviews.
Wilhelm/Baynes: Progress . The powerful prince is honored with horses in large numbers. In a single day he is granted audience three times.
Blofeld: Progress. The richly endowed prince receives royal favors in the form of numerous steeds and is granted audience three times in a single day. [This passage indicates great merit richly rewarded.]
Liu: The Marquis K'ang (rich, powerful, healthy) is bestowed with many horses by the king, who receives him three times in a single day.
Ritsema/Karcher: Prospering , the calm feudatory avails-of bestowing horses to multiply the multitudes. Day-time sun three-times reflected. [This hexagram describes your situation in terms of thriving in the full light of the sun. It emphasizes that contributing to this increase by helping things to flourish is the adequate way to handle it...]
Shaughnessy: The Lord of Kang is herewith awarded horses in luxuriant number, during daylight thrice connecting.
Cleary (1):Advancing, a securely established lord presents many horses, and grants audience three times a day.
Cleary (2): Advancing , a securely established lord is presented with, etc.
Wu: Advancement indicates that the prince who has secured peace and prosperity of the state is conferred with many fine horses. The king grants him an audience three times in one day.
The Image
Legge: The image of the earth and that of the bright sun coming forth above it form Advance of Consciousness. The superior man, in accordance with this, gives himself to make more brilliant his bright virtue.
Wilhelm/Baynes: The sun rises over the earth: the image of Progress. Thus the superior man himself brightens his bright virtue.
Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes fire blazing from the earth. The Superior Man reflects in his person the glory of heaven's virtue.
Liu: The sun rising above the earth is the symbol of Progress. Thus the superior man brightens his character.
Ritsema/Karcher: Brightness issuing-forth above earth. Prospering. A chun tzu uses originating enlightening to brighten actualizing-tao. [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 become what it is meant to be.]
Cleary (1): Light emerges over the earth, advancing. Thus do superior people by themselves illumine the quality of enlightenment.
Cleary (2): Light emerges over the ground, advancing. Developed people illumine the quality of enlightenment by themselves.
Wu: Brightness rises above the earth; this is Advancement. Thus the jun zi keeps his bright virtue shining.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: In Advance of Consciousnesswe have the bright sun appearing above the earth; the symbol of Docile Submission cleaving to that of the Great Brightness; and the magnetic line advanced and moving above: all these things give us the idea of a prince who secures the tranquility of the people.
Legge: The subject of the Judgment is a feudal prince whose services to his country have made him acceptable to his king. The King's favor has been shown to him by gifts and personal attentions. The symbolism of the lines indicates the situations encountered by the prince. The written character for this hexagram means "to advance," a quality it shares with hexagrams number forty-six, Pushing Upward, and number fifty-three, Gradual Progress. In the present case the sun ascending from the earth to the meridian readily suggests the idea of advancing.
Hu Ping-wen (Yuan dynasty) says: "Of the strong things there is none so strong as Heaven, and hence the superior man patterns himself on its strength. Of bright things there is none so bright as the sun, and he patterns himself on its brightness."
Anthony: This hexagram concerns self-development which yields progress in our external life situation. If we are not making progress, we should review our attitude. Some widely accepted ideas may be decadent from the viewpoint of the Sage, hence obstruct progress. [Anthony’s “Sage” is conceptually identical to the “Self. -- Ed.]
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Judgment: When the autonomous manifestations of our inner drives are channeled, their energy becomes the ego's own. (Psychologically interpreted: Ego and Self are in accord.)
The Superior Man focuses his awareness on perfecting the Work. (Sometimes this can take the meaning of: "Wise up!")
The trigram of Clarity in progression over that of Docility gives the formula for an Advance of Consciousness. The submission of the ego to the restrictions of the Work, and the consequent tranquil subjugation of one's restless drives, appetites and impulses, eventually results in a focused flow of energy from within. (After years of effort, this is sometimes felt physically as a radiating sensation emanating from the chest, or heart region.) To receive this figure without changing lines does not necessarily mean that one has reached this phase of the Work, but it suggests progress in that direction. The traditional name for this hexagram is, in fact: Progress.
The king presenting horses to the prince in reward for pacifying the kingdom is analogous to the Self rewarding the ego for controlling the autonomous forces within the psyche. This is a quintessentially shamanic discipline: the "horses" symbolize tamed drives and emotions. Such circumstances indicate an Advance of Consciousness or progression toward the goal of "en-light-enment" or psychic integration, symbolized by the sun traversing the earth.
That state of life dynamism in which consciousness realizes itself as a split and separated personality that yearns and strives toward union with its unknown and unknowable partner, the Self, Jung has called the individuation process. It is a conscious striving for becoming what one "is" or rather "is meant to be." E.C. Whitmont -- The Symbolic Quest
The last sentence of the above quotation is exactly analogous to the Ritsema/Karcher translation of the Image of this hexagram, wherein the superior man (chun tzu) "uses originating enlightening to brighten actualizing-tao."
"Actualizing-tao" is the "ability to follow the course traced by the ongoing process of the cosmos... Linked with acquire, TE: acquiring that which makes a being become what it is meant to be."
Psychologically interpreted then, this hexagram addresses various themes encountered during the progress of the individuation process, which is nothing if not an Advance of Consciousness.
The key phrase in Legge's Judgment is "tranquility of the people." It is relatively easy to sublimate one's drives, yet still feel resentful about it -- indeed, that is the form that the process normally takes at the beginning of the Work. Our inner forces are like children or animals who must learn to accept the restrictions of discipline. Once they have accepted it and have ceased to resent it (i.e. once they have become "tranquil"), they are ready to be useful to the Self's intentions.
For example: an untrained dog will instinctively chase and kill sheep if it gets the chance to do so; on the other hand, a properly trained dog will herd and control a flock of sheep even in its master's absence. Anyone who has observed a trained sheep dog in action knows what amazing feats they accomplish with great joy in the performance. They are "tranquil" in their role, and will even protect the sheep from untrained dogs that would kill them. When our instincts have learned how to tranquilly accept discipline they are ready to assist us in the higher levels of the Work. Until that time, the Work consists largely of "dog training." The analogy is apt, because just as an untrained dog is never as happy in its willfulness as a well-trained dog is in its purposefulness, so undisciplined permissiveness cannot compare with the joys of controlled power and focused intent.
Line 2
Legge: The second line, magnetic, shows its subject with the appearance of advancing, and yet of being sorrowful. If she can be firm and correct, there will be good fortune. She will receive great blessing from her grandmother. [Compare this line and its situation with line two of Hexagram 62. – Ed.]
Wilhelm/Baynes: Progressing, but in sorrow. Perseverance brings good fortune. Then one obtains great happiness from one's ancestress.
Blofeld: Where progress is being made sorrowfully, righteous persistence brings good fortune. A little happiness is received, thanks to the Queen Mother.
Liu: When progress comes with sadness, persistence brings good fortune.
Shaughnessy: Aquatically, gloomily; determination is auspicious. Receiving this strong good fortune from his royal mother.
Cleary (1): Advancing, grieving, rectitude is good; this great blessing is received from the grandmother.
Wu: It is like advancing and it is like having concerns. Perseverance will bring good fortune. He will receive a big fortune from his grandmother.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: She will receive this great blessing because she is in the central place and the correct position for her. Wilhelm/Baynes: Because of the central and correct position. Blofeld: Happiness is implied by the position of this line which is central to the lower trigram. Ritsema/Karcher: Using centering correcting indeed. Cleary (2): Because of balance and rectitude. Wu:“He will receive a big fortune,” because he is central and correct.
Legge: Line two is magnetic, as is her correlate line five; therefore she has to mourn in obscurity. But her position is central and correct and she maintains the momentum until eventual success is achieved. The Symbolism says she receives it from her grandmother, and readers will be startled by the extraordinary statement as I was when I first read it. Literally the text says "the king's mother," but "king's father" and "king's mother" are well-known Chinese appellations for "grandfather" and "grandmother." This is the view given on the passage by Ch'eng-tzu, Chu Hsi and the K'ang-hsi editors. They all agree that the name points us to line five, the correlate of two, and the ruler of the hexagram. Line five is the sovereign who at length acknowledges the worth of the feudal ruler, and gives her the great blessing. I am not sure that "motherly king" would not be the best and fairest translation of the phrase. Canon McClatchie renders it as "Imperial Mother" -- that is, the wife of Imperial Heaven (Juno) who occupies the "throne" of the diagram, viz. the fifth line, which is soft and therefore feminine. She is the Great Ancestress of the human race.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Siu: The man appears to be advancing but is grieving because he is prevented from making contacts with men in authority. His perseverance in adhering to correct principles will be rewarded by blessings from the mild ruler.
Wing: Your Progress is not as fulfilling as it might be because you are prevented from experiencing significant communication with someone in authority. Yet, unexpected good fortune will come to you if you persevere in your efforts and remain virtuous in your principles.
Editor: There is puzzlement about the symbolism of the "grandmother" even among the Chinese commentaries on this line. Our hypothesis is that, although the symbolism emerging from the objective psyche takes different forms in different cultures, it always describes the same general archetypes. We are justified therefore in comparing this line with an analogous concept from the Kabbalah: the sphere of awareness called Binah. Binah corresponds to the Chinese notion of the primordial Yin -- the essence of the Feminine. Canon McClatchie's association of "Juno, the wife of Imperial Heaven," to this line could as well apply to Binah. In the Kabbalah, Binah is closely associated with sorrow -- identical with "Our Lady of Sorrows" in Catholic Christian symbolism. What is being conveyed in this line then, is the growth potential inherent in adversity. Kabbalists may note similarities here with the symbolism of the 17th Path of the Tree of Life.
Grief is a purgative and strongly disruptive force, and when the essential work of breaking down adhesions and dispersing poisons has been done by it, it gives place to a deep lassitude and feeling of emptiness which can act as a purified basis for new growth. People are so made that they will not or cannot realize a thing fully unless they are hit in the most vital part in some deep emotional sense. And so only by sorrow, and by going from sorrow to sorrow can an individual's evolution proceed. The man who cannot or will not feel sorrow or face it in others cannot proceed at all. G. Knight -- Qabalistic Symbolism
A. A trail of tears leads to understanding.
B. Through adversity we acquire strength.
Line 3
Legge: The third line, magnetic, shows its subject trusted by all around her. All occasion for repentance will disappear.
Wilhelm/Baynes: All are in accord. Remorse disappears.
Wu: There is consensus among many people. No regret.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: Their common aim is to move upwards and act. Wilhelm/ Baynes: Because there is a will to go upward. Blofeld: This implies unanimous determination to press upwards. Ritsema/Karcher: Moving above indeed. Cleary(2): The aim is upward progress. Wu: A desire to advance.
Legge: Line three is magnetic in a dynamic place, but the first and second lines share her desire to advance. They are all united by a common trust and aim, hence the good auspice.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Siu: The man moves forward with the trust and support of all around him.
Wing: Your Progress is dependent upon the company and encouragement of others. The benefits of this common trust will remove any cause for remorse.
Editor: This can be seen as a positive image of forces seeking synthesis.
Psychologically, the line suggests an inner unity of some kind -- thoughts and feelings are in harmony and predisposed toward transformation.
No man is good enough to govern another man without that other's consent. Abraham Lincoln
A. The image suggests a cooperative advance.
B. You're on the right track.
Line 5
Legge: The fifth line, magnetic, shows how all occasion for repentance disappears from its subject. But let her not concern herself about whether she shall fail or succeed. To advance will be fortunate, and in every way advantageous.
Wilhelm/Baynes: Remorse disappears. Take not gain and loss to heart. Undertakings bring good fortune. Everything serves to further.
Blofeld: Regret vanishes. Care not for loss or gain. To seek some goal or destination now would bring good fortune; everything is favorable.
Liu: Remorse vanishes. One should not mind gain or loss. To act brings good fortune and benefit in everything.
Ritsema/Karcher: Repenting extinguished. Letting-go, acquiring, no cares. Going significant, without not Harvesting.
Shaughnessy: Regret is gone. The arrow is gotten; do not pity; going is auspicious; there is nothing not beneficial.
Cleary (1): Regret vanishes. Loss or gain, don’t worry. It is good to go: everything will benefit.
Cleary (2): … Don’t worry about loss of gains, etc.
Wu: There will be no regret. He is not concerned with either gains or losses.
To advance is auspicious. Nothing is disadvantageous.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: Her movement in advance will afford ground for congratulation. Wilhelm/Baynes: Undertaking brings blessing. Blofeld: If, without regard for loss or gain, we just press forward, our actions will be blessed. Ritsema/Karcher: Going possessing reward indeed. Cleary (2): If you go, there will be joy. Wu: To advance has much to celebrate.
Legge: In line five the ruler of the hexagram and her intelligent sovereign meet happily. She holds on her right course, indifferent as to results, but things are so ordered that she is, and will continue to be, crowned with success.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Siu: The man occupies an influential position with the intelligent sovereign. He remains gentle and reserved in his dealings. Let him not reproach himself for not obtaining all possible gains or regretfully take failures to heart. His beneficent influence will eventually be crowned with success.
Wing: It is wise now to act with gentleness, reserve, and moderation regardless of the fact that you are in a position of great influence. Do not think about the gains you might make or the possible setbacks that could befall you. Continue in righteous Progress and you will be blessed by good fortune.
Editor: The magnetic, yielding ruler suggests an ego yielding to the demands of the Work -- accepting what comes rather than trying to influence the situation through ego-centric conceptions of progress. There is a definite suggestion here of influences operating outside of awareness.
Through hearing, understanding, and wisdom, one should so comprehend the nature of all things as not to fall into the error of regarding matter and phenomena as real. "Precepts of the Gurus," Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines
A. Action is taken for its own sake to effect an unknown purpose. Progress isn't dependent upon external appearances.
B. Profit and loss are illusions -- bear your burden with a smile.
C. "Don't worry, be happy!" Everything is proceeding according to plan.
Line 6
Legge: The sixth line, dynamic, shows one advancing his horns. But he only uses them to punish the rebellious people in his own city. The position is perilous, but there will be good fortune. Yet, however firm and correct he may be, there will be occasion for regret.
Wilhelm/Baynes: Making progress with the horns is permissible only for the purpose of punishing one's own city. To be conscious of danger brings good fortune. No blame. Perseverance brings humiliation.
Blofeld: He advances as with lowered horns, intent solely upon subduing the cities of his enemies. Whether his affairs go awry or prosper, he is not in error, but for him to persist thus would involve him in ignominy
Liu: Progressing to the horns. It is only in order to chastise his own city. Awareness of danger brings fortune and no blame. To continue brings humiliation.
Ritsema/Karcher: Prospering: one's horns. Holding-fast avails-of subjugating the capital. Adversity significant, without fault. Trial: abashment.
Shaughnessy: Aquatic his horns; it is only to be used to attack the city; danger; auspicious; there is no trouble; determination is distressful.
Cleary (1): Advancing the horns; this requires conquering one’s domain.
There is danger, but it bodes well, so there will be no blame. But even though correct it is humiliating.
Cleary (2): … Hard work leads to good results, without blame; but even though correct, one is humiliated. [Since one was unable to govern oneself early on, and only now has been capable of self-mastery, even though it is correct, it is still humiliating.]
Wu: He advances with his horns to quell disturbances of his town. Although he makes a risky move, he is not in error. His insistence is nevertheless regrettable.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: His course of procedure is not yet brilliant. Wilhelm/ Baynes: The way is not yet in the light. Blofeld: Solely to subdue the cities? The way is not yet clear! Ritsema/Karcher: Tao not-yet shining indeed. Cleary (2): The way is not yet illumined. Wu: His administration is not beyond reproach. [If he had done things right, there would have been no disturbances.]
Legge: Line six is dynamic, and suggests the idea of its subject relentlessly pushing his advance with both firm correctness and exceptional force. The horns are an emblem of threatening strength, and though he uses them only against the rebels in his own state, the fact that a prince should have any occasion to use force is regrettable. This aggressiveness exceeds King Wen's concept of firm correctness for a ruler, and therefore his light is not yet that of the full-orbed sun.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Siu: The man uses force in punishing the rebellious people of his own city. This is permissible. Continuation of the offensive, especially against strangers, however, will bring occasion for regret.
Wing: Take aggressive and offensive measures only when you seek to discipline yourself. Such severe precautions will help you to avoid regretful errors. Do not, however, make the mistake of using the same force on others or you will suffer the humiliation of alienation and failure.
Editor: Psychologically interpreted, the City symbolizes the psyche, and the rebels symbolize any undisciplined emotions, drives, desires, appetites, thoughts, etc. The Judgment specifically mentions the importance of gaining the tranquility of the people; here they are obviously not tranquil, so the idea of the hexagram has not been accomplished. Although force is required to stabilize the situation, martial law can hardly be regarded as anything but a temporary expedient: however necessary it may be at times, it is still humiliating for a ruler (ego) to have to resort to it. The line often refers to backsliding on some issue.
The possibility of choice and relationship depends fundamentally upon getting out of this state of identity. As long as this unconscious identity with a drive or impulse persists there is no possibility of choice, for we act like helpless puppets and we never know what strings have pulled us. There is no possibility for any personal conscious relatedness because neither of two people who are identical with their impulses knows what is moving him or what, if anything, this has to do with the other person. Separation from the original state of identity is fundamental for any psychological development and for personal differentiation. E.C. Whitmont -- The Symbolic Quest
A. Control yourself. Discipline must be applied to the restless aspects within your own psyche. Do nothing to try to influence others.
Other titles: Preponderance of the Great, The Symbol of Great Passing, Excess, Great Excess, The Passing of Greatness, Great Surpassing, Great Gains, Experience, Greater than Great, Greatness in Excess, Dominance by the Mighty, The Passing of Greatness, Excess of the Great, Law of Karma
Judgment
Legge:Critical Mass depicts a weak beam. Under such conditions it is advantageous to move in any direction whatever. Success is indicated.
Wilhelm/Baynes:Preponderance of the Great. The ridgepole sags to the breaking point. It furthers one to have somewhere to go. Success.
Blofeld:Excess! The ridgepole sags. It is favorable to have some goal (or destination) in view. Success! [A glance at the hexagram will show that it is too heavy in the middle and too weak at the ends. A number of firm lines is generally auspicious, but there can be too much of a good thing!]
Liu: Great Excess. The ridgepole is crooked. It benefits to go anywhere. Success.
Ritsema/Karcher:Great Exceeding, the ridgepole sagging. Harvesting; possessing directed going. Growing. [This hexagram describes your situation in terms of your connection to a ruling principle. It emphasizes that pushing the guiding idea beyond ordinary limits and accepting the results is the adequate way to handle it...]
Shaughnessy: Great Surpassing: The ridgepole bows upward; beneficial to have someplace to go; receipt.
Cleary (1): When the great is excessive, the ridgepole bends. It is good to go somewhere; that is developmental. [When the ridgepole snaps, the whole house falls down. In the same way, practitioners of the Tao who promote yang too much, who do not know when enough is enough, who can be great but cannot be small, suffer damage to their spiritual house.]
Cleary (2): When greatness passes, the ridgepole bends. It is beneficial to have somewhere to go, for you will succeed.
Wu:Excess of the Great indicates a beam that warps. It will be advantageous to have undertakings. It will be pervasive.
The Image
Legge: The image of trees beneath a marsh forms Critical Mass. The superior man, in accordance with this, fearlessly stands alone, and stays retired from the world without regret.
Wilhelm/Baynes: The lake rises above the trees: the image of Preponderance of the Great. Thus the superior man, when he stands alone, is unconcerned, and if he has to renounce the world, he is undaunted.
Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes a forest submerged in a great body of water. The Superior Man, though standing alone, is free from fear; he feels no discontent in withdrawing from the world. [This is suggested by the component trigrams. Water is necessary for the nourishment of the trees, but too much of it can cause serious damage.]
Liu: The lake rising over the trees symbolizes Great Excess. The superior man, when isolated, is undisturbed. If he has to retreat from society, he feels no regret.
Ritsema/Karcher: Marsh submerging wood. Great Exceeding. A chun tzu uses solitary establishing not to fear. (A chun tzu uses) retiring-from the age without melancholy.
Cleary (1): Moisture destroys wood in excess. Thus superior people stand alone without fear, and leave society without distress.
Cleary (2): Moisture destroys wood. Developed people, etc. [Only when sustained by the power to stand alone without fear and avoid society without distress can learning be firmly rooted and development have a proper basis; then it is possible to refine and support the mediocre.]
Wu: Marsh covers over wood; This is Excess of the Great. Thus the jun zi stands alone without fear and withdraws from the world without melancholy.
CONFUCIAN COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: Excess is weakly supported at either end, with weakness in both the lowest and topmost lines. The dynamic lines are in excess, but two of them are in the central positions. The trigrams of Flexibility and Satisfaction indicate that there will be advantage in moving in any direction whatever -- there will be success. Great indeed is the work to be done during this extraordinary time.
Legge: Extraordinary times require extraordinary skill in their management. The figure shows two magnetic lines at top and bottom, with four dynamic lines between them -- giving the image of a great beam unable to sustain its own weight. Lines two and five are both dynamic and central however, and from this and the attributes of the component trigrams a good auspice is obtained.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Judgment: A stressful situation is best managed with a comprehensive strategy. (Or: in the chess game of life, one succeeds by planning several moves in advance.)
The Superior Man serves The Work by going his own way, regardless of public opinion.
Wilhelm titles this hexagram Preponderance of the Great. I prefer R.L. Wing's paraphrase of Critical Massas more evocative of the figure's meaning in modern terminology.
In Critical Mass four dynamic lines lurk inside of the hexagram, weakly contained at top and bottom by two magnetic lines. This energetic concentration could explode in an unpredictable release of force, and hence the Judgment tells us to move now (remember: non-action is also action) to avoid unwanted consequences. (Often the outcome is predictable – be prepared to just walk away if and when that is your best move.)
Legge’s translation of the Judgment is:
"...It is advantageous to move in any direction whatever. "
This is a different message than Wilhelm's:
"...It furthers one to have somewhere to go."
Legge’s version implies an almost hysterical flight from danger while Wilhelm's rendition suggests prior intention and planning. The latter interpretation is definitely what is meant here, as confirmed by Cleary’s Buddhist commentary:
When the transformative path is flourishing, contaminations easily arise; it is best to set up guidelines and regulations. When meditation work is advanced, ignorance is about to dissolve; it is best to exercise the mind skillfully.
Coupled with Cleary’s translation of the Image as: “Developed people stand alone without fear, avoid society without distress,” the idea is that one should follow one's best intuition and ignore popular illusions, political correctness or inner fears. (Psychologically: conventional thinking, socially conditioned reflexes, knee-jerk responses, etc.). During a time of Critical Mass, pay close attention to direction from the Self to preserve the Work. This is not the time to follow the crowd. Sometimes this can mean that you are obliged to go it alone – one of the Work’s frequent tests (Cf. line 6):
The Gulf is something that has to be leaped, and leaped alone, stripped of all hindering burdens, in faith ... It is thus one of the crisis points of spiritual progress because of the great temptation to turn back from the unknown to the apparent safety of known things, and to succumb to this temptation is to lose all the fruits of past endeavor. G. Knight -- A Practical Guide to Kabbalistic Symbolism
SUGGESTIONS FOR MEDITATION
Compare the Judgment and Image of this hexagram with those of hexagram number 32, Consistency.
Anthony: We must regain modesty through the effort to rid ourself of strong elements that cause us to press forward. The strong elements may exist in someone else, causing them to assault us with their fear, mistrust or doubt. Strong refers to impetuous movement to resolve what is ambiguous … We can meet the challenge by remaining detached and letting things go through their changes … To be truly rich is to remain modest; to be truly powerful is to remain reticent.