Navigate uncertainty with patience and resilience; immense growth arises from balancing pressure with courage.
From
64
Before Completion
To
28
Critical Mass
One can be gullible but not to the point of accepting all the baloney. taoscopy.com
Before Completion64
Completing a task doesn’t guarantee rest. Remain vigilant, attentive to evolving situations, ready to adapt and act as needed.
↓ Line 3
Premature action leads to failure. However, with preparation, one can overcome great challenges.
↓ Line 5
Integrity and perseverance bring success. The influence of a virtuous person is beneficial.
↓ Line 6
Celebration and confidence are appropriate, but overindulgence leads to loss and regret.
↓ 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: Before Completion, The Symbol of What is not yet Past, Not-yet Fording, Not Yet Completed, Tasks yet to be Completed, Not yet, Yet to be, Before the End, Mission yet Unaccomplished, A State of Transition
Judgment
Legge: Unfinished Business suggests successful progress, butif the young fox that has nearly crossed the stream gets his tail wet, there will be no advantage.
Wilhelm/Baynes:Before Completion. Success. But if the little fox, after nearly completing the crossing, gets his tail in the water, there is nothing that would further.
Blofeld: Before Completion -- success! Before the little fox has quite completed its crossing of the ice, its tail gets wet. [This implies that we are to expect a setback in our plans.] No goal (or destination) is favorable now. [Hence this is a time for waiting and for drawing in our horns. That the LAST of the sixty-four hexagrams should be Before Completion rather than After Completion (#63) may seem surprising until it is recalled that there is nothing final about it; the cycle of change continues, passing from hexagram #64 onto the first hexagram, and so on eternally.]
Liu: Before Completion. Success. A young fox almost across wets his tail in the water. Nothing benefits.
Ritsema/Karcher: Not-yet Fording, Growing. The small fox, a muddy Ford. Soaking one's tail: without direction: Harvesting. (Without direction: Harvesting, WU YU Li: no plan or direction is advantageous; in order to take advantage of the situation, do not impose a direction on events.) [This hexagram describes your situation in terms of being on the edge of an important change of situation. It emphasizes that waiting and accumulating energy to begin the upcoming move is the adequate way to handle it...]
Shaughnessy:Not Yet Completed: Receipt; the little fox at the point of fording, wets his tail; there is no place beneficial.
Cleary (1): Being as yet unsettled is developmental. A small fox, having nearly crossed the river, gets its tail wet, does not succeed.
Cleary (2): Being unsettled leads to success. A little fox, almost crossing, gets its tail wet. Nothing is gained.
Wu:Mission yet Unaccomplished indicates pervasiveness. A little fox almost makes it crossing the river, but gets its tail wet. Nothing is gained.
The Image
Legge: Fire over water -- the image ofUnfinished Business. The superior man carefully discriminates among the qualities of things, and the different positions they naturally occupy.
Wilhelm: Fire over water: the image of the condition before transition. Thus the superior man is careful in the differentiation of things, so that each finds its place.
Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes fire above water. The Superior Man takes care to distinguish between things before arranging them in order.
Liu: Fire above water symbolizes Before Completion. The superior man carefully distinguishes things, and puts them in their appropriate place.
Ritsema/Karcher: Fire located above stream. Not-yet Fording. A chun tzu uses considering to mark-off the beings residing on-all-sides.
Cleary (1): Fire is above water, not yet settled. Thus superior people carefully discern things and keep them in their places.
Cleary (2): Fire over water – unsettled.
Wu: There is fire above water; this is Mission yet Unaccomplished. Thus the jun zi makes careful distinction of things and their proper places of being.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: Progress and success are suggested by the magnetic fifth line in the ruler's place. Although he has nearly crossed the stream, the young fox has not yet escaped from the midst of danger and calamity. Getting his tail wet means that the end does not reflect the intent of the beginning. Although the places of the different lines are not those appropriate to them, yet a dynamic and a magnetic line always respond to each other.
Legge:Unfinished Businessis the reverse of Completion: it means that the successful accomplishment of the matter at hand has not yet been realized; the crossing of the great stream is as yet incomplete.
Some have wished that theI Chingmight have concluded with Completion, and the last hexagram have left us with the picture of human affairs all brought to good order. But this would not have been in harmony with the idea of change. Again and again it has been pointed out that we find in the book no idea of a perfect and abiding state. Just as the seasons of the year change and pursue an ever-recurring round, so it is with the phases of society. The reign of order has peaked and declined, and this hexagram calls us to renew the struggle to make things right again. It deals with the conduct necessary to secure this result.
Not one of the lines in the hexagram is in its correct place -- all the dynamic lines are in magnetic places, and the magnetic lines are in dynamic places. At the same time, each of them has a proper correlate, so there is the possibility of some progress.
The symbol of the fox suggests a want of caution on the part of those who try to remedy prevailing disorders. They are unsuccessful and thereby get themselves into trouble. Line two represents this state of mind -- he is dynamic in a magnetic place in the center of the trigram of Peril. He is restless, and attracted by his magnetic correlate in the fifth place, he will be incautious in taking action. The outcome of the issue will be different than what was intended at the beginning.
The trigram of Water is below, and Fire above, showing how the two principles cannot act on each other profitably. This symbolizes the unregulated condition of general affairs now prevailing.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Judgment: Although many achievements fuel our growth, the ego is only the facilitator, not the doer. To ignore this truth creates negative consequences: don't destroy the Work!
The Superior Man critically examines the situation and re-checks his priorities.
This hexagram represents the time before the climax of a cycle, just as the preceding figure symbolizes the time after the climax (and hence the transition to a new beginning). The Work is by no means "almost over" -- the lines all match as correlates, but every one of them unites "upside-down," so to speak. (Turn the hexagram over, and then they are in perfect correlation.) That the superior man "discriminates among the qualities of things, and the different positions they naturally occupy" means that he knows that the correct positions of the lines (the ones they "naturally occupy") are as in hexagram number sixty-three, not this one.
This "backward correlation of lines" is arguably a fair image of the relationship of thoughts and feelings in the average human psyche. The stresses of life are what eventually break up these mismatched correlates through endless cycles of stimulus and response until they finally all unite correctly in a hypothetical "Completion of the Great Work." That this is an ideal rather than a humanly attainable goal is suggested in this quote from Shao Yung:
The principle of the Way finds its full development in Heaven; the principle of Heaven, in Earth; the principle of Earth, in the myriad things; and that of the myriad things, in man. One who knows how the principles of Heaven, Earth, and all things find their full development in man can give full development to his people.
For all practical purposes, it is wisest to aspire to attainable completions and realize that the Work's "full development" is the Self's, not the ego's responsibility.
To strive for perfection is a high ideal. But I say: "Fulfill something you are able to fulfill rather than run after what you will never achieve." Nobody is perfect. Remember the saying: "None is good but God alone" [Luke 18:19], and nobody can be. It is an illusion. We can modestly strive to fulfill ourselves and to be as complete human beings as possible, and that will give us trouble enough. Jung -- The Tavistock Lectures
The Judgment suggests that before any climax or resolution there may still exist an indeterminate amount of free choice to influence the outcome -- only the specific circumstances can suggest how much or how little. As always, the choices are defined within the structure of the situation. The magnetic ruler in the fifth place implies that a favorable outcome is possible, but only through clear perception and willpower can it come about.
The conditional interpretation (boldface italics added) in both Legge's and Wilhelm's translation of the Judgment is necessary for its text to make sense. Note that Ritsema/Karcher define "Without direction: Harvesting" as: "No plan or direction is advantageous; in order to take advantage of the situation, do not impose a direction on events." This is a common oracle response, and sharpens the meaning here. Line one depicts the negative consequences of ignoring the Judgment’s explicit message.
Line 3
Legge: The third line, magnetic, shows its subject with the state of things not yet remedied, advancing on; which will lead to evil. But there will be advantage (Sic) in trying to cross the great stream.
Wilhelm/Baynes: Before completion, attack brings misfortune. It furthers one (Sic) to cross the great water.
Blofeld: The crossing is incomplete, so to advance now would bring misfortune; yet it will be advantageous (Sic) to cross the great river (or sea). [The second and third clauses of this passage appear contradictory; but not if we interpret them to mean that, though we must halt for a while, we should preserve our determination to go forward to the end when conditions warrant an advance.]
Liu: Before completion achieving success, continuing -- misfortune. It is beneficial (Sic) to cross the great water. [This line indicates frustration.]
Ritsema/Karcher: Not-yet Fording, chastising: pitfall. Harvesting: wading the Great River. (Sic)
Shaughnessy: Not yet completed; to be upright is inauspicious; beneficial (Sic) to ford the great river.
Cleary (1): As yet unsettled, it bodes ill to go on an expedition, but it is beneficial (Sic) to cross great rivers.
Cleary (2): While unsettled, etc.
Wu: In time of Mission yet Unaccomplished, going forward is foreboding, but crossing the great river is advantageous (Sic).
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: Advancing will lead to evil. The place of the line is not that appropriate for it. Wilhelm/Baynes: The place is not the appropriate one. Blofeld: The first part of this passage is suggested by the line's unsuitable position. Ritsema/ Karcher: Situation not appropriate indeed. Cleary (2): The position is inappropriate. Wu: The position is improper.
Legge: The K'ang-hsi editors say that it is very difficult to understand what is said under line three, and many critics suppose that a negative has dropped out, and that we should really read that "It will not be advantageous to try to cross the great stream."
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Siu: The time is ripe for transition, but the man lacks sufficient strength to act alone. Advancing under these conditions would mean disaster.
Wing: The continuing pursuit of your aim will bring you frustration because it cannot be achieved within your current situation. If you must achieve this particular goal, it would be better to begin anew, with the aid of new friends. Otherwise you may dull your energies and vision with discouragement.
Editor: There is serious ambiguity here. I asked the oracle to comment on the situation of this line, and received hexagram 18:4 -- "You cannot succeed until you rectify a past mistake." Then I asked what would be the effect of adding the negative to the line, and received hexagram 22:2 and 5 -- "Form follows function," and, "A small offering is appreciated." As far as I am concerned, the answer is clear: the line doesn't make sense unless the negative is replaced. We are dealing with a book which was first written down in 1143 BC, and copied by hand for more than two-thousand years before it was first printed. In editing this edition I have caught myself making copying errors more than once, so it is easy to appreciate the problems involved in maintaining accuracy over millennia.
Addendum , 01/16/06: I asked the oracle to comment again on my interpretation of this line and received hexagram 61, Inner Truth, without changing lines.
The wise man sees evil coming and avoids it, the fool is rash and presumptuous. Proverbs 14: 16
A. The Work is incomplete. To push ahead blindly can only lead to confusion.
B. Don't force an incomplete transition.
C. "Don't push the river."
Line 5
Legge: The fifth line, magnetic, shows its subject by firm correctness obtaining good fortune, and having no occasion for repentance. We see in her the brightness of superior intelligence, and the possession of sincerity. There will be good fortune.
Wilhelm/Baynes: Perseverance brings good fortune. No remorse. The light of the superior man is true. Good fortune.
Blofeld: Persistence in a righteous course brings good fortune and absence of regret. The lustre of the Superior Man wins people's confidence -- hence the good fortune.
Liu: Continuing -- good fortune. No remorse. The glory of the superior man wins the confidence of the people. Good fortune.
Ritsema/Karcher: Trial: significant, without repenting. A chun tzu’s shining. Possessing conformity, significant.
Shaughnessy: Determination is auspicious; regret is gone. The gentleman's radiance has a return; auspicious.
Cleary (1): Remaining correct brings good results, without regret; the light of a superior person has truth and goodness.
Cleary (2): Correctness brings good results; regret vanishes. The illumination of developed people leads to good results.
Wu: To be persevering is auspicious. There will be no regrets. This shows the brilliance of the jun zi. With confidence, there will be good fortune.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: The diffusion of that brightness tends to good fortune. Wilhelm/ Baynes: His light brings good fortune. Blofeld: The Superior Man has the glorious custom of distributing his good fortune among the needy. [From the point of view of divination, this implies that we should be very generous in sharing the promised good fortune.]Ritsema/Karcher: One's brilliance significant indeed. Cleary (2): The radiance of the illumination of developed people leads to good results. Wu: His radiance brings good fortune.
Legge: Line five is magnetic in a dynamic place, but she is the humble ruler who is supported by the dynamic second line, and hence the auspice is very good.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Siu: Steadfastness to correct action and to sincerity on the part of the man has rallied men of good faith. Victory is achieved. A glorious new era has replaced the decadent old one.
Wing: Honest determination and correct principles have banished difficulties and created the stimulating environment of an advanced society. A superior personality can now rally others around him and lead them into a bright new era. Great things can be attained.
Editor: The fifth line is in the middle of the trigram of Clarity, of light and intelligence. She has the insight and comprehension which enable her to persevere -- clarity is the foundation of will. The idea is that perseverance and comprehension reinforce each other.
It is necessary that we should seek and knock, and thereby ask the Omnipotent Power within ourselves, and remind it of its promises and keep it awake, and if we do this in the proper form and with a pure and sincere heart, we shall receive that for which we ask, and find that which we seek, and the doors of the Eternal that have been closed before us will be opened, and what was hidden before our sight will come to light. Paracelsus
A. Look for the light, then follow it.
B. Clear perception enables you to differentiate the situation.
Line 6
Legge: The sixth line, dynamic, shows its subject full of confidence and therefore feasting quietly. There will be no error. If he exceeds this confidence, till he is like the fox who gets his head immersed, he will fail of what is right.
Wilhelm/Baynes: There is drinking of wine in genuine confidence. No blame. But if one wets his head, he loses it, in truth.
Blofeld: Those in whom the people repose their trust may feast themselves without doing wrong; but if they allow their heads to get wet they will forfeit that trust. [This is a warning against excess. We have every right to enjoy our good fortune within reasonable bounds; but, if we are guilty of an excess comparable to that of drunken men who pour wine over one another's heads, we shall forfeit the high esteem in which we are (or soon will be) held.]
Liu: He drinks wine with confidence. No blame. When his head gets wet, he loses confidence.
Shaughnessy: There is a return in drinking wine; there is no trouble. Wetting his head; there is a return, losing this.
Cleary (1): Having faith, one drinks wine without blame. When one gets one’s head wet, having faith ceases to be right.
Cleary (2): There is sincerity in drinking wine, without fault. But if one becomes totally immersed, having faith ceases to be right.
Wu: Having confidence in one’s capacity in drinking wine is not a cause for error. However, if he immerses his head in it, the confidence is misplaced.
COMMENTARY
Confucius/Legge: He does not know how to submit to the proper regulations. Wilhelm/Baynes: When one wets his head while drinking wine, it is because he knows no moderation. Blofeld: Because that would indicate a lack of restraint. Ritsema/ Karcher: Truly not knowing articulating indeed. Cleary (2): Not knowing proper measure. Wu: He does not know his limit.
Legge: When the work of the hexagram is complete, line six appears properly disposed to remain quiet and enjoy the confidence of his own power. If, on the contrary, he goes on to exert these powers and meddle with the peril of the situation, the issue will be bad. The symbolism of line six indicates a want of caution, and an unwillingness to submit one's impulses to the regulation of reason and prudence.
NOTES AND PARAPHRASES
Siu: The man is filled with confidence and quietly feasting with convivial friends. No error will result from such exuberance during the dawning of a new era. It must be kept within proper bounds, however. Otherwise, intemperance will lead to forfeiting the favorable gains achieved.
Wing: After the struggles are over there is a prevailing sense of well being which comes from the promise of a refreshing new time. Enjoy this time of celebration but do not indulge in excess, or your vision and, therefore, your confidence may be lost.
Editor: To "feast quietly" is to nourish oneself in a seemly manner. The idea is to calmly consolidate your gains-- rest easy and don't be greedy for more than you already possess. Ritsema/Karcher's advice from the Judgment: "In order to take advantage of the situation, do not impose a direction on events," is especially appropriate here.
It is an honor for a man to cease from strife; But every fool will be meddling. Proverbs 20: 3
A. A modest success is indicated. Keep your head and don't get carried away: "Leave well-enough alone."
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.