The wisdom of I Ching

Chapter 53 No.40 Nine Diagrams Leather
reform reform
wisdom
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Leaving Xiage, Siri Naifu, Yuan Xiang Lizhen, regrets death.

"Xu Gua Zhuan" said: "The well must be leather, so it is leather." The original meaning of "leather" is leather. After processing animal skins, it is made into soft leather, which means reform and change.In this hexagram, the upper hexagram "Dui" is Ze, and the lower hexagram "Li" is fire. Animal skins are soaked in water and roasted on fire to make leather.The shape of the lower hexagram is like a stove; the shape of the upper hexagram is like a baked skin. The two yang lines are the solid part of the skin, and the upper yin line is like the hair to be removed and the soft part.The finished leather makes the original animal skin look brand new, but the inner essence remains unchanged. That is to say, dynasties can be changed, customs and cultural relics system can be reformed, but the fundamental principles of governing the country will not change.

There are different opinions on the interpretation of "Siri", but it can be inferred from examples such as "first Jia three days" in Gu hexagram and "hou Geng three days" in Xun hexagram, it should refer to the ten dry Si.In Shiyu, Siri has passed the center, and it is the moment when prosperity and decline must be changed; therefore, Siri has the meaning of a day of change.

To change, we must take action at the moment when change is necessary, so as to gain the trust and support of the masses.In this hexagram, the inner hexagram "Li" is Ming, and the outer hexagram "Dui" is Yue, which symbolizes wisdom and makes people pleasing, so it has the virtues of Yuanshi, prosperity, peace, and perseverance.However, change is an extraordinary action, and of course there will be some regrets. However, with the above four virtues, regrets can be eliminated before they happen. Only when the trust and convincing, the intention of change can be realized satisfactorily, some unavoidable regrets can also be eliminated; otherwise, everything will come to naught, only regrets.

"Yuan" said: "Ge, water and fire breathe together, two women live together, their ambitions are not compatible, it is called Ge." "Siri is Fu", and believe in it.In terms of civilization, the big "rich" is righteous, and the revolution is right, and its "regret" is death.The revolution of heaven and earth is formed in four seasons, and the revolution of Tang and Wu follows the sky and responds to people. The time of revolution is great!
Ge hexagram, from the shape of the hexagram, the upper hexagram "Dui" is water, and the lower hexagram "Li" is fire.Water poured on fire, once extinguished, will be rekindled, is the image of transformation.Also, the upper hexagram "Dui" is a young girl, and the lower hexagram "Li" is a middle-aged woman. The two women live together and have conflicting opinions.This is similar to the Kui hexagram; however, in the Kui hexagram, two people are separated, but in this hexagram they cannot give in to each other, and finally a family revolution occurs.Only when the time for change is ripe can we gain the trust of the masses.Reformers should follow the civilized virtue of the hexagram "Li" to convince the masses. Only with the intention of reform can there be great success and everything will be on the right track.The way of reform must be justified in order to eliminate regret.All reforms should be carried out in accordance with the laws of nature. The heaven and earth change into four seasons and feed all things. The revolutions of Yin Tang Wang and Zhou Wu Wang follow the time of the sky and respond to the hearts of the people!It is an inevitable action, and the importance of the time factor shown in this hexagram is too great!

The above phrase "following the sky and responding to people" has become a commonly used slogan in the revolution of later generations.In general, Confucianism holds a positive attitude towards revolution. Although Confucius did not explicitly explain it, Mencius said clearly: "The Son of Heaven has become Heaven by the mandate of heaven, but whether or not the mandate of heaven is manifested depends on the support of the people and against the will of the people." The Son of Heaven will lose his mandate, and he will surely be overthrown by the new one whom the people will support."

"Xiang" said: "There is fire in the lake, leather; a gentleman governs the Ming Dynasty." "Calendar" is the same as grinding.In this hexagram, the upper hexagram "Dui" is Ze, and the lower hexagram "Li"

It is fire, there is fire in the lake, the water is strong, and the fire is extinguished; the fire is strong, so that the water evaporates and disappears; mutual restraint and mutual generation produce the phenomenon of change.A gentleman should imitate this spirit and formulate a calendar to clearly show the changes of seasons so that the people can cultivate and rest according to them.

In ancient times, agriculture was the foundation of a country, and special attention was paid to the calendar. The promulgation of the calendar became an important responsibility of the emperor. When the dynasty changed, the calendar was often re-promulgated. Therefore, revolution is also called changing Zhengshuo.

Ninth day of the lunar new year: Gongyong the leather of yellow cattle.

"Xiang" said: "Gong uses scalpers", it can't do anything. "Gong" is tied with leather, the same meaning. "Ninth day of the ninth day" is at the bottom of the hexagram, and it does not correspond to the "ninth fourth" at the top; therefore, it can't do anything actively, but it can strengthen and defend itself; therefore, using the leather of a yellow ox to strengthen it is used as a metaphor.Yellow is the middle color, with the virtue of moderation, and the virtue of obedience in the cow; it should also use the virtue of moderation and obedience to strengthen oneself, not to advance rashly, and to change must be extremely cautious.

This line shows that change must first consolidate itself.Sixty-two: Siri is a revolution, and there is no blame for auspiciousness.

"Xiang" said: "It's a revolution on a daily basis", and there are good things to do. "Six Two" is soft and upright, and it is the main line of the next hexagram.The next hexagram "Li" is Ming; therefore, "June [-]" possesses the virtue of civilization and becomes the main body of reform, and with the support of "Ninth Five-Year Plan", reforms can be launched.But the reform must be done at the right time. We must wait for the peak to decline and the corruption to be revealed before we can launch the reform. At this time, the progress will be auspicious and there will be no disaster.

This line shows that the time for reform must be ripe.

Nine three: attack fierce, chastity and strictness, change words three times, have Fu.

"Xiang" said: "Revolutionary words are three things", so why not.

It is not easy to understand the "Three Achievements of Revolutionary Words".One said that reform must be prudent, it must go through repeated discussions, agree on three times, and then act if it is considered feasible; the other said that after King Wu's revolution was successful, he did not immediately implement the decree, first forgive Jizi, etc., and take three appeasement measures.Here, the former statement is adopted.

"Nine Three" is just in the rigid position, too strong, and leaves the middle position, and reaches the highest position of the lower hexagram, which means that it is too hasty; at this time, it is dangerous to advance, even if the action is right, but the position is at the separation of the upper and lower hexagrams, so as to In terms of timing, action must be taken; therefore, after repeated and detailed deliberations, and when there is a consensus, then take action, so as to gain the trust of the masses and achieve success.

"Xiang Zhuan" said: Because there is no other way to go, we have to take reform actions.

This line shows that even if change is imperative, it should be extremely cautious and reconsidered.

Ninth Four: Regret for death, change fate and auspiciousness.

"Xiang" said: "Changing fate" is "auspicious", and it is also faith. "Nine Fourth" Yang Yao Yin position is not correct, so there are regrets.But in terms of time, more than half of the change has been made. The "water" of the upper hexagram and the "fire" of the lower hexagram are on the verge of reversal from being evenly matched, which is the moment when the destiny of heaven is changing; Both gentleness and neither timidity nor aggressiveness are exactly the character of a reformer, so the imaginary regret disappears.However, it still needs to gain the trust and support of the masses, and then take action to be auspicious.

This line explains the character of the reformer, the time factor, and the importance of first winning the trust of the masses.

Ninth Five-Year: Adults change from tigers to tigers and do not occupy Fu.

"Elephant" said: "A big man changes from a tiger", and its Wen Bing also. "Change" means that the beasts shed their hair in summer and have a light color. In winter, their hair becomes thicker and has a beautiful luster. "Wen" means pattern and literary talent. "Bing" is brilliant. The "Ninth Five-Year Plan" is masculine and upright. In the throne, it is the main body of the Ge Gua, which is equivalent to a great person.Before engaging in reform, the great person who leads the reform must first reform himself, then transform the people around him, and finally spread it to the world, so that the reform can be successful.Moreover, the reformation is not to repair the decoration, but to make it completely new, like a tiger's stripes, which in autumn become brighter.Tigers are the most majestic among beasts, and they are equivalent to great people, so we use tigers as a comparison.However, although the reform can be successful, the prerequisite is to gain the trust and support of the masses before fortune telling.

Upper Six: The gentleman changes, the villain changes his face, conquers the evil, and lives in the auspicious.

"Xiang" said: "The gentleman changes from leopard to leopard", and its writing is also brilliant. "The little man changes his face", and he obeys the king.

A gentleman is inferior to an adult, and a leopard is inferior to a tiger. "Wei"

Same Yu, prosperous but not obvious, slightly worse than Bing. "Shangliu" is the pole of the reform hexagram, indicating that the reform has been completed.At this time, a gentleman should continue to innovate with the evolution of the times and devote himself to the construction of a new culture, just like the stripes of a leopard, which change into bright colors with the seasons.Common people should also get rid of evil and follow the leadership kindly and docilely in order to enjoy the fruits of reform.After the reform is completed, positive actions should no longer be taken, and the masses should have time to breathe and recuperate to adapt to the new life; therefore, it is justified and auspicious to go forward with danger, and to be quiet and do nothing.

Another explanation is that a gentleman is inspired by the sage king and changes his temperament from the heart, and the stripes of the horned leopard change to show it on the outside; but ordinary people cannot change from the heart. Human nature is inherently good, as long as the surface changes and can be obeyed, it will be fine. .If you ask too much of the masses, it will be dangerous, but as long as you stick to the right way, you will be auspicious.

In fact, the phrase "gentleman and leopard change" contains the above two meanings.This line shows that after the reform is successful, the upper and lower levels should clean up their faces and take a break with the people to adapt to the new life.Ge hexagram, explaining the principle of change.When the signs of corruption are revealed, extraordinary actions must be taken to change. However, all cultural relic systems can be changed, but the fundamental principles will not change.The principle of change is to first consolidate oneself, and wait for the time to mature, when it is imperative, and then mobilize and respond to the people, only then can you gain the trust and support of the masses.Moreover, the transformation into an extraordinary action requires extreme prudence, and one should not rush for success.To lead a change, one must be honest, have pure motives, use legitimate means, combine strength and softness, be neither timid nor aggressive, and grasp the principle of the mean.Change is not embellishment, but a complete innovation, set an example, and promote it to the public.After the success of the reform, you should change your mind and take a break with the people to adapt to the new life.

A comprehensive overview of Ge Gua

[Meaning] The principle of reform - running water does not rot, and household hinges do not worm.

[Gua Yi] reform, change, revolution, abolition.

【Introduction】Revolution means reform.The revolution of revolution, innovation, and change is the process of changing the old and creating a new one.From the perspective of the hexagram, it is the fire (li) and the water (dui) that cancel each other out, that is, the middle girl (li) and the little girl (dui) confront and conflict up and down. "Revolution" is the way to solve contradictions and restrain each other, but you should not play tricks or act for your own selfishness.Although there will be confusion to some extent, you should still stick to the right path.Innovation is not only a simple change, but also contains positive guiding value, so the purpose should not be tarnished by ugly means. The next hexagram "Li" means wisdom, courage and light, and leap means radical change.

[Gua Yi] The upper hexagram Dui is Ze, and the lower hexagram Li is fire.There is fire in the lake, if there is too much water, the fire will go out, and if the fire is hot, the water will evaporate.It symbolizes a kind of change and reform.The hexagrams teach us that we can continuously improve our careers through changes.

【Structural model】Innovation and cleansing, timely, when the time is ripe, wait carefully, act on standby, consolidate one's position, reform (reform and reform).

[Yin and Yang] two yin and four yang.

[Position] On the first, third, and fifth lines, the Yang position is positive.The Yin position of the second Yao and Liu Yao is positive.The four Yao Yang occupies the Yin position.

[Status] Grasp the opportunity and reform the past.

[Hexagram Image] The upper hexagram and the lower hexagram are separated from the fire, and the collision of water and fire symbolizes change.Also, if there is too much water, the fire in the lake will be extinguished, and if the fire is strong, the water in the lake will evaporate.It symbolizes two types of things with different natures, which will change after continuous collision, and the hexagram shows the trend of change and reform.

[Thinking mode] The hexagram of Ge expounds the phenomenon of change through the change of water and fire in the lake.Change is the inevitable law of the change of all things in the universe.For everyone, implementing change can be self-improving.But to master the principles:
(1) Reform is the consolidation of the development of things. (2) The reform should choose an appropriate time.

(3) There must be a correct direction for reform. (4) The reform must be carried out vigorously and thoroughly.

[Philosophical Enlightenment] Just like the collision of fire and water in a marsh produces changes, human society, nature, and almost everything in society is advancing through reform.

[Decision-making thinking] Social development is continuous reform and continuous progress, but reform should take appropriate measures according to one's own reality, first change oneself, and then influence and change the surroundings.A major change requires mature conditions and should not be carried out lightly. It can only be implemented after repeated demonstrations and thorough thinking.

(End of this chapter)