Enhance your journey by sharing your wealth, for in authentic simplicity, true beauty emerges.
From
42
Increase
To
22
Grace
Being overloaded
One is overwhelmed by the weight of a building one wanted to support. taoscopy.com
Increase42
Growth and progress: Favorable conditions and efforts lead to increase and success. Be generous, share your gains, and stay humble.
↓ Line 3
Adversity can lead to growth if one remains sincere and balanced.
↓ Line 5
True kindness and sincerity bring ultimate good fortune and recognition.
↓ Grace22
Refinement and grace enhance your presence. Focus on beauty and elegance in actions, but do not let appearance overshadow substance. Simplicity often holds the truest value.
Other titles: The Symbol of Addition, Gain, Augmenting, Help from Above, Benefit, Advantage, Profit, Expansion
Judgment
Legge: Increase denotes advantage in every movement which shall be undertaken -- it will be advantageous even to cross the great stream.
Wilhelm/Baynes:Increase. It furthers one to undertake something. It furthers one to cross the great water.
Blofeld: Gain. It is favorable to have in view some goal (or destination) and to cross the great water (or sea).
Liu:Increase. It is of benefit to set forth. It is of benefit to cross the great water.
Ritsema/Karcher: Augmenting , Harvesting: possessing directed going. Harvesting: wading the Great River. [This hexagram describes your situation in terms of increase and advance. It emphasizes that expanding the quantity and quality of your involvement is the adequate way to handle it. To be in accord with the time, you are told to augment!]
Shaughnessy:Increase:Beneficial herewith to have someplace to go; beneficial to find the great river.
Cleary (1): For Increase, it is beneficial to go somewhere; it is beneficial to cross great rivers.
Wu: Gain indicates an advantage in having undertakings and in crossing a big river.
The Image
Legge: Wind over thunder -- the image of Increase. When the superior man perceives good, he moves toward it; when he perceives his faults, he eliminates them.
Wilhelm/Baynes: Wind and thunder: the image of Increase. Thus the superior man: if he sees good, he imitates it; if he has faults, he rids himself of them.
Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes wind and thunder. The Superior Man, seeing what is good, imitates it; seeing what is bad, he corrects it.
Liu: Wind and thunder symbolize Increase. When the superior man discovers good, he follows it. When he has errors, he corrects them.
Ritsema/Karcher: Wind, thunder. Augmenting. A chun tzu uses visualizing improvement, by-consequence shifting. A chun tzu uses possessing excess, by-consequence amending.
Cleary (1): Wind and thunder increase. Thus do superior people take to good when they see it, and correct whatever faults they have.
Wu: Wind and thunder make Gain. Thus, when the jun zi sees a good deed, he improves his own at once; when he realizes he is making a mistake, he corrects it at once.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: Increase shows the upper trigram brilliantly decreased to augment the lower. What descends from above reaches to all below, and the satisfaction of the people is without limit. Advantage in movement is shown in the blessings dispensed by the second and fifth lines from their correct positions. The action of Wood shows that it is advantageous to cross the great stream. Through the trigrams of Movement and Humility there is unlimited daily advancement -- heaven dispenses and earth produces, and all proceeds according to the requirements of the time.
Legge: Increase has the opposite meaning to hexagram number forty-one, Compensating Sacrifice [Decrease]. What king Wen had in mind was a ruler or a government operating to dispense benefits to the people and increase their resources. The two important lines in the figure are the correlates two and five. The general auspice of the hexagram is one of being successful in one's enterprises and of overcoming the greatest difficulties.
The formation of the trigrams here is the reverse of that in the preceding hexagram. The people are full of pleasure in the labors of the ruler for their good. "The action of Wood" in the Confucian commentary refers to the upper trigram, which is the symbol of Wind and Wood. From wood boats are made on which the great stream may be crossed. In three hexagrams, this, fifty-nine and sixty-one, in which this is the upper trigram, we find mention made of crossing the great stream. In the Image thunder and wind are seen to increase one another, and their combination gives the idea of Increase.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Judgment: Take advantage of your opportunities.
The Superior Man recognizes his duty and rectifies his mistakes. Or: "Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative."
If the ego's sacrifices for the good of the Work are described in the previous hexagram, here we see the inverse image of that figure in which it is the Self who bestows its blessings upon the psyche. The one implies the other -- in the words of an old Blues lyric: "If you don't put somethin' in, you can't get nothin' out..." The forty-first and forty-second hexagrams are intimately related, and in their interaction portray the active progress of the Work. To paraphrase the last sentence of the Confucian commentary: "The Self dispenses and the ego produces, and all proceeds according to the requirements of the time."
If a man continually weighs his actions and aims at the mean, he is in the highest of human ranks. In that way, he will come close to God and will attain what belongs to Him. This is the most perfect of the ways of worship. Maimonides -- Eight Chapters
Line 3
Legge: The third line, magnetic, shows increase given to its subject by means of what is evil, so that she shall be led to good, and be without blame. Let her be sincere and pursue the path of the Mean, so shall she secure the recognition of the ruler, like an officer who announces herself to her prince by the symbol of her rank.
Wilhelm/Baynes: One is enriched through unfortunate events. No blame, if you are sincere and walk in the middle, and report with a seal to the prince.
Blofeld: He used an unfortunate means to gain something; but, as he acted in all sincerity, he was not to blame. Walking in the center (of the hall) to report to the Prince, he carried his jade tablet of office. [The additional Chinese commentaries declared that the jade tablet is a symbol of our being able to give an assurance of our faithfulness.]
Liu: He is enriched by unfortunate affairs. No blame, if you are sincere and moderate in your conduct, and report to the officials for the record.
Ritsema/Karcher: Augmenting's availing-of pitfall affairs. Without fault. Possessing conformity, center moving. Notifying the prince, availing-of the scepter.
Shaughnessy: Increase it, using work service; there is no trouble. There is a return in the middle of the ranks reporting to the duke using a tessera.
Cleary (1): Using unfortunate events to gain increase is blameless. Acting in a moderate, balanced way with sincerity and truthfulness, public announcement uses the imperial seal.
Cleary (2): Enhancement through unfortunate events is blameless. Sincere and balanced in action, one presents impartial use of authority.
Wu: He experiences increasing misfortune, but this is blameless. He proceeds with confidence and reports to his prince by holding a tablet in his hands.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: Increase is given by means of what is evil and difficult, as she has in herself the qualities called forth. Wilhelm/Baynes: This is something that certainly is one's due. Blofeld: His gaining something by an unfortunate means may lead to the supposition that such means are a matter of course. Ritsema/Karcher: Firmly possessing it indeed. Cleary (2): There has always been such a thing as enhancement through unfortunate events. [If one can believe that misfortune is beneficial, then it is no longer unfortunate.] Wu: “He experiences increasing misfortune,” because of his position, not his doing.
Legge: Line three is magnetic, neither central nor in her correct position. It would seem therefore that she should have no increase given to her. But it is the time for giving increase, and the idea of her receiving it by means of evil things is put into the line. That such things serve for reproof and correction is well known to Chinese moralists. But the paragraph goes on also to caution and admonish. There is a soul of good even in those who seem only evil, and adversity may quicken it.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Siu: Even unfortunate events accrue to the good of the man. Pursued with reasonableness and sincerity, they exert beneficial influence, as if officially sanctioned.
Wing: You may find that you are going to Benefit from what might be considered unfortunate circumstances. If you hold to your principles, nevertheless, you can avoid reproach.
Editor: Every translation of the Confucian commentary says something distinctly different in the English language. When this happens it is a fair assumption that the original is ambiguous as well. My experience with the line prefers Wilhelm’s version of line and commentary. Psychologically interpreted, since the idea of "No blame" applies, we can assume that a painful but necessary transformation is in progress. This may be taking place on unconscious levels of the psyche.
Life on earth is tough. Of that there is no doubt, but esoteric tradition says, that under these harsh conditions of maximum physical constraint, many things can be quickly acquired, that are not possible in the upper worlds. The pleasure and pain of the body are the vital teaching situation of the psyche. Illness, love, even war, may be important demonstrations to the non- sensual psyche, of laws it has to respect, both below and above. Z.B.S. Halevi -- Adam and the Kabbalistic Tree
A. "Through adversity we acquire strength."
B. Growing pains.
Line 5
Legge: The fifth line, dynamic, shows its subject with sincere heart seeking to benefit all below. There need be no question about it; the result will be great good fortune. All below will with sincere heart acknowledge his goodness.
Wilhelm/Baynes: If in truth you have a kind heart, ask not. Supreme good fortune. Truly, kindness will be recognized as your virtue.
Blofeld: Be confident (or sincere) and kind, but refrain from asking questions and you will enjoy sublime good fortune. Faithfulness (or sincerity) and confidence are virtues proper to us.
Liu: If you are sincere and benevolent in your heart, without consulting, there will be great good fortune. People will trust your benevolent character.
Ritsema/Karcher: Possessing conformity, a benevolent heart. No question, Spring significant. Possessing conformity, benevolence: my 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.]
Shaughnessy: There is a return with a kind heart; do not question it; prime auspiciousness. There is a return that treats kindly my virtue.
Cleary (1): When there is truthfulness and a benevolent heart, there is no need to ask – it is very auspicious. Truthfulness and benevolence are charismatic qualities in oneself.
Cleary (2): There is sincerity to benefit the mind. Do not ask – it is very auspicious. There is sincerity granting one’s rewards.
Wu: Having confidence in his people and being benevolent-hearted, he enjoys great auspiciousness without asking for it. His people return his kindly virtue by placing their confidence in him.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: He gets what he desires on a great scale. Wilhelm/ Baynes: You have attained your purpose completely. Blofeld: The whole of this passage presages the fulfillment of what is willed. Ritsema/Karcher: Actually no questioning it. The great acquiring purpose indeed. Cleary (2): Do not question it. Great achievement of what is intended. Wu: He asks no questions. His goal is amply realized.
Legge: Line five is dynamic, in its fitting position, and central. It is the seat of the ruler, who has his proper correlate in line two. Everything good, according to the conditions of the hexagram, may be said of him.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Siu: Without asking for recognition and gratitude, the man in a high position benefits those below. He acts from the inner necessity of acknowledged goodness.
Wing: A true kindness on your part, something you did or will do without thought of your own gain, will bring you recognition.
Editor: The image suggests a cornucopia of power flowing to meet that which is receptive to it. If this is the only changing line the new hexagram becomes number twenty-seven, Nourishment. Literally: “Increasebrings about Nourishment.” Sincere: Heartfelt, true. Heart: Center, core, source. All below: Unconscious complexes, components of the psyche, etc.
Jung uses the term Self to represent the center of psychic awareness that transcends ego consciousness and includes in its scope all the vast reaches of the psyche that are ordinarily unconscious; it therefore is not merely a personal consciousness but a nonpersonal one as well. Achievement of this level has been regarded by most of the great religions of the world as the supreme goal. It is expressed in such terms as “finding the God within." For the Self, the center of this new kind of consciousness is felt to be distinct from the ego and to possess an absolute authority within the psyche. It speaks with a voice of command exerting a power over the individual as great as that of the instincts. M.E. Harding -- Psychic Energy
A. The image suggests the Self bringing increase to its satellites.
Other titles: Grace, The Symbol of Decoration, Elegance, Gracefulness, Luxuriance, Adorning, Public Image, Adornment, Beauty, Conceit, Vanity, Veneer, Façade, Manners, Embellishment, Superficiality, Superficial Appearances, Form vs. Function, "Art," Ego-trips, "Often refers to conceit, vanity or beauty. It stresses that the content is more important than the outward appearance." -- D.F. Hook
Judgment
Legge: Persona should be given its due, but there is no advantage in allowing it to advance and take the lead.
Wilhelm/Baynes:Grace has success. In small matters it is favorable to undertake something.
Blofeld: Elegance. Success! Some small advantage can be derived from having a particular goal (or destination). [The implication is that the advantage is not sufficient to make it worth while to seek that goal or destination unless no special difficulty or inconvenience is involved. The arrangement of the lines in this hexagram is very similar to that in the previous one, but it is adjudged much more suitable. The general idea is that, like nature, we should conform to a regular and well ordered pattern of behavior which, since we are human beings and not mere animals, involves a high degree of refinement. From the point of view of divination, it would seem that this is a time to watch carefully so as to learn how those involved in the situation think and behave, the better to influence them for the good when the opportunity arises.]
Liu:Gracefulness, success. Small undertakings benefit.
Ritsema/Karcher: Adorning , Growing. The small, Harvesting: possessing directed going. [This hexagram describes your situation in terms of its outward presentation. It emphasizes that building intrinsic value by embellishing appearance and displaying valor is the adequate way to handle it...]
Shaughnessy: Luxuriance : Receipt; a little beneficial to have someplace to go.
Cleary (1):Adornment is developmental. It is beneficial to go somewhere in a minimal way.
Cleary (2):Adornment is successful. It is beneficial to go somewhere in a small way.
Wu:Adornment is pervasive and shows small advantage of an undertaking. [Adornment does not change the nature of what it adorns, but merely makes what it adorns appear more attractive. In other words, the change is mostly superficial but not substantive…]
The Image
Legge: Fire at the foot of the mountain -- the image of Persona. Thus the superior man adorns his rule with grace, but makes important decisions in conformance with higher laws.
Wilhelm/Baynes: Fire at the foot of the mountain: the image of Grace. Thus does the superior man proceed when clearing up current affairs. But he dare not decide controversial issues in this way.
Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes fire at the foot of a mountain. The Superior Man, desiring to ensure the enlightened functioning of the various departments of state, dare not make light decisions regarding legal matters. [The component trigrams, fire below mountain, suggest a brilliance which cannot be perceived from afar. The Chinese commentators go on to suggest that this symbolizes a firm and somewhat severe exterior which hides brilliance and the beauty within. For purposes of divination, this should be taken as a pattern for our comportment in the matter at issue.]
Liu: Fire illuminates the base of the mountain symbolizing Gracefulness. Thus the superior man clarifies ordinary affairs, but does not judge lawsuits.
Ritsema/Karcher: Below mountain possessing fire. Adorning. A chun tzu uses brightening the multitudinous standards without daring to sever litigating.
Cleary (1): There is fire below the mountain, adorning it. Thus do superior people clarify governmental affairs, without presumptuous adjudication. [What superior people see in this is that just as the light of a fire below a mountain is not great, when people are lacking in capacity their vision is not far reaching; therefore the superior people administer and clarify the simple matters of governmental affairs, and do not act presumptuously in difficult matters of adjudication… Not judging presumptuously thus has the meaning of respect for life.]
Wu: There is fire at the foot of the mountain; this is Adornment. The jun zi brings openness to administering civil affairs, but refrains from judging cases in criminal litigation.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: In Persona we see the magnetic central line ornamenting the dynamic lines of the lower trigram, and hence it is said that ornament should have free course. On the other hand, the dynamic top line ornaments the magnetic lines of the upper trigram, and hence it is said that there will be little advantage if ornament is allowed to advance and take the lead. The elegance and intelligence of the lower trigram is regulated by the restraint of the upper trigram. This suggests the observances which adorn human society. We observe the ornamental figures of the sky, and thereby ascertain the changes of the seasons. We observe the ceremonial customs of society, and understand how transformation is accomplished in the world.
Legge: Persona is the symbol of what is ornamental and of the act of adorning. As there is adornment in nature, so should there be in society, but its place is secondary to that which is substantial.
The K'ang-hsi editors say that the magnetic line coming and ornamenting the two dynamic lines in the lower trigram shows how substantiality should have the benefit of ornamentation. The dynamic line ornamenting the two magnetic lines in the upper trigram shows how ornamentation should be restrained by substantiality. Ornament has its use, but it should be kept in check.
The figures of the sky are all the heavenly bodies in their relative positions and various movements, producing day and night, heat and cold, etc. The observances of society are the ceremonies and performances which regulate and beautify the intercourse of men.
"A mountain," says Ch'eng-tzu, "is a place where we find grass, trees, and a hundred other things. A fire burning below it throws up its light, and brings them all out in beauty. This gives the idea of ornament, or being ornamented. The various processes of government are small matters, and elegance and ornament help their course, but great matters of judgment demand the simple, unadorned truth.”
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Judgment: There's nothing wrong with showing a little style, but don't become so identified with a role that it makes your decisions for you.
The Superior Man displays wit and charm when that is appropriate, but relies upon shrewd discernment when making serious choices.
Confucius points out the correct attitude for this hexagram in his third sentence -- the elegant intelligence, or "brilliant wit" of the lower trigram is being "sat on" by the mountain of the upper trigram. Brilliant wit is often just an "ornament" to make one look clever in the company of others. Like seasoning on food, a little bit ofPersona or ornamentation is life-enhancing, but too much curry powder overwhelms the meal.
Jung's conception of the Persona points out the fact that it is a major vehicle for the complexes to express themselves under the guise of social interaction:
(The Persona) is only a mask for the collective psyche, a mask that feigns individuality, and tries to make others and oneself believe that one is individual, whereas one is simply playing a part in which the collective psyche speaks. Jung -- The Relations between the Ego and the Unconscious
For an urban shipping clerk to wear cowboy clothes may be a legitimate expression of his personality, or it may be the only outlet available for repressed portions of his psyche. When he begins driving a pickup truck and frequenting Country-Western bars we might suspect that his role is playing him and the real Self is being masked by excessive ornamentation orPersona.
The person cannot be more than an instrument for the manifestation of the self. But people get so attached to their mask that they cannot free themselves from it any more ... They make a king out of the servant and separate themselves from their true being. They force their higher self into exile, into the unconscious. Elisabeth Haich --Initiation
To receive this hexagram without changing lines suggests that perhaps you are more focused on form than meaning, or that superficial appearances are concealing something more substantive in the situation. Look deeper – what’s really going on?