It is impossible to imagine Chinese culture and history without such a famous work as The Book of Changes. “I Ching”, or “Zhou I” is a philosophical theory, which is a practice of predictions. According to history, the first Chinese emperor Fu Xi studied the movement of planets, the sun, the moon and their interaction with man. It was he who laid the foundation for the creation of trigrams and hexagrams (gua). He called them the method of communicating a person with the invisible spiritual world. In this article, we will look at Hexagram 59 and find out what it means.
The structure of the “Book of Changes”
In order to fully understand each of the hexagrams, you need to know how their interpretation is related to the lines that form them. So, in "I Ching" there are 64 gua, composed of linear signs - yang (-) and yin (-). Six lines in each of the hexagrams have their own special position, on which, in fact, their interpretation depends. For example, Hexagram 59 has the following form: broken, straight, two broken and two straight lines (read from bottom to top). At the same time, some of the lines can be mobile and interchangeable, however, this does not depend on a particular gua, but on coins that fall out. In order to get the right answer to your question with the help of the Book of Changes, it is very important to adhere to the correct fortune-telling technique. Since in our time it is quite simplified, learning it will not be difficult.
Fortune-telling Technique
Despite the fact that many people associate I Ching with coins, dry yarrow stems (50 pieces) were still a necessary attribute for this technique. But since for this method of divination it is necessary to carry out as many as 18 operations, and the plant itself is difficult to find, Jing Fang (Yi Jing specialist) created another method. For him, you need to have only 3 bronze coins, a case and red silk. The last two attributes are needed in order to store coins there.
So, in order to get an answer to your question, you need to free the mind from unnecessary thoughts. Imagine that you seek advice from the universe itself. Then, mentally formulating the question, throw the coins onto the table. This must be done six times.
We make a hexagram
For each throw, the result must be written on paper, and this must be done from the bottom up.
The values of the outliers (yao) are as follows:
- 2 tails and 1 eagle - a solid line, denoted by the number 7 and called "tea".
- 2 eagles and 1 tails - a dashed line, indicated by the number 8 "tribute".
- 3 tails is a “jung” solid line with the number 9.
- 3 eagles - "jiao" intermittent, number 6.
If this answer to the question is rather ambiguous, then we can consider the hidden hexagram, rearranging some of the yao. So, you need to select the second, third and fourth line - this will be the first lower trigram, and then the third, fourth and fifth - the second upper one.
So, as can be seen in the figure, when determining the hidden gua from Hexagram 59, we get a completely different one - 27. Its value more deeply explains the meaning of the main one. We learn about this in more detail.
The meaning of Hexagram 59 for different authors
Of course, the interpretation should take into account the fact that there are various notations for this gua. The fact is that Chinese characters themselves are difficult to translate. For this reason, various authors interpret the same hexagram in slightly different ways. So, in Chinese, it is called "Huan." L. V. Nagaitseva Hexagram 59 is interpreted as “fragmentation”. In this sense, gua personifies happiness, luck, success. In this interpretation, it is important to note that a certain strong personality influences the fate of a person. Another author - Sklyarova - interprets Hexagram 59 as “Scattering”. But in this sense, a person overcomes a strong person or certain events that initially seem stronger than a fortuneteller.
Interpretation of the Hexagram 59
So gua huan means spill. In this meaning, an increase in energy potential should be understood. Gua predicts a good completion of the planned affairs. If you look at the illustration for Hexagram 59, the significance of which we are considering, you can see a beautiful landscape: waves, mountains, trees. All this accurately reflects the picture of the spill. The river overflows the banks, which means that the energy of the fortuneteller literally splashes over the edge. He is full of strength and enthusiasm and all his problems can be solved without much effort.
Characteristics of individual lines
In the philosophy of "Zhou Yi" there is another fairly important nuance. Lines 6 and 9 are considered mobile and in certain positions have their own interpretation.
So, the initial six means that a fortuneteller needs to enlist the support of acquaintances and friends. He should not refuse the offered help. In addition, you should listen to their thoughts and ideas, perhaps they will help solve the problems.
The second nine symbolizes the flow of unexpected events. They are so overwhelmed by a fortuneteller that he can forget about his deeds and intentions. In this case, "I Ching" says that you need to gather strength and calm down.
The third six speaks of possible difficulties that are likely to benefit the fortuneteller. Do not be disappointed in minor failures, because great happiness awaits him ahead.
The fourth six is interpreted as troubles that will affect not only the questioner, but also many other people. Despite this, there will be no loss or regret. It will end well.
The fifth nine indicates that someone else was in trouble, and perhaps you can help him. This situation will be resolved safely and will not affect the fortuneteller.
The top nine carries the most dangerous meaning. So, a person is in for big trouble. He can defeat them only if he puts all his efforts into it.
One hexagram and three interpretations
In order to get the most detailed answer, you need to know some of the principles of fortune telling from the Book of Changes. So, we already considered one of them earlier. It is based on the “interweaving of the middle figure” and symbolizes the middle of the path. The third hexagram, which we will learn to make, will symbolize the completion of the situation. To do this, replace the moving lines. Of course, considering the “Book of Changes” and the 59th hexagram, it is difficult to say which of them will be mobile. For example, suppose that in fortune-telling a third line is drawn — these are three eagles (six discontinuous) and the sixth — three tails (solid nine).
Then, to compose the third hexagram, you need to change the nine to six and vice versa. So one more gua - 48 is formed. Now, based on the obtained three hexagrams, the answer to the asked question can be given more voluminous.
Interpretation of the received hexagrams
As we have already found out, from one gua you can get as many as three. On the examples given above, the following ones turned out: 27, 48 and Hexagram 59, considered in this article. The significance of each of them will be the answer to the question posed. For example, a person asks what awaits him at a new job. In response, the following coins are dropped:
- Two eagles and one tails (8).
- Two tails and one eagle (7).
- Three eagles (6).
- Two eagles and one tails (8).
- Two tails and one eagle (7).
- Three tails (9)
Since the lines are written from the bottom up, we get Hexagram 59. The “Book of Changes” interpretation to it gives the following: success in any undertakings. And this means that at the initial stage of a person at work, good luck and good results are expected. He has enough strength and energy to carry out projects and a variety of ideas. We will delve deeper into the situation with the help of other hexagrams. Methods for their preparation have already been described above. So, weaving the middle figure of gua, we get Hexagram 27 - “Feeding”. It symbolizes an increase in income. A man will be rewarded for his labors. He can even turn to the leadership for a raise, they will not refuse him.
The last gua, which will show the general result of the question asked, is formed using moving lines. In this example, this is the third and sixth. As a result, we get Hexagram 48 - “The Well”. Its meaning is not as favorable as the two previous ones. So, this gua portends waste and loss. Perhaps a person will not be able to stay at this place of work because of his frivolity. In other words, we can say that the “Book of Changes” warns a person that he will be in trouble if he does not change his behavior.
So, analyzing all three Hexagrams, we can draw the following conclusion: despite the fact that a person will have enough energy and strength for a new job, his or her shortcomings may interfere. This may be not only wastefulness, but also, for example, greed. The fortuneteller will try to earn too much money, but because of this, he will lose everything. It should be understood that “I Ching” is just a predictive philosophy, and each person has the right to change his life as he sees fit.