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Chapter 1: http://www.taoism.net/ttc/complete.htm
The Yi Jing commented:
The unity is said to be the mystery -> 41
The formation
41 - Remove
One loses their support and abandons. Accepting the constraints will arouse sympathy.
My interpretation:
Our approach is to refrain from asking specific questions, such as What is the unity? This makes our task more difficult but on the other hand we only learn what the oracle agrees to teach us. It's not immoral to ask this question, feel free to ask it, but it's not what we are doing here. We have seen that the desiring and the desireless were emerging together in the previous sentence. What is described here is a two steps process. First we have the something (desire?) going away: One loses their support and abandon. and then sympathy is created: Accepting the constraints will arouse sympathy. Did the Yi Jing comment about the text or about our approach? Follow-up questions will let us know:
Who or what is losing support? (41)
Who or what is losing support? -> 58
The formation
58 - Attraction
Wait before committing oneself. A simple proposal is enough. One wants to know what the other desires before responding.
Desire.
What support is lost? (41)
What support is lost? -> 46.3 > 7
The formation
46 - Formation
One is guided until they reach knowledge.
3 - Others want to know if one can continue alone.
Once satisfied, the desire is losing the support of unsatisfaction, and then decreases.
In the making
7 - The will
To solve their problems, one will need discipline and continuity.
What is abandoned? (41)
What is abandoned? -> 44.1.2.3.4.6 > 3
The formation
44 - Invitation
One must not abuse hospitality.
1 - One keeps away a close one who doesn't want to commit.
2 - One shows behind the scenes only to those who ask and are invited.
3 - One does not move toward the danger without verifying and being prepared.
4 - One is too weak to manage everything but has neglected those who could help, so one may return to them.
6 - One asks their relatives to wait because they are not ready.
In the making
3 - Remedy
Time will need to be spent. Seek assistance and clarify the situation by identifying the problems.
The hexagram 44 represents temptation, so what is abandoned is temptation in all its forms except for the fifth line which represents exactly a satisfied desire. The hexagram 3 represents a non-committment, it is abandoned too.
What are the constraints? (41)
What are the constraints? -> 18.3 > 4
The formation
18 - Disorder
One needs to abandon their affairs and make themself available to patiently soften their most embarrassing flaws, in order to be able to inspire trust and be engaged by those who can help them.
3 - One sees the negligence of a relative, so they take advantage of that to help them.
As we have seen the desireless is attacked by spirits. These attacks are the constraints and take the form of anxiety (panic attacks) and seductive attempts.
In the making
4 - Asking for advice
Give references to the student who asks oneself questions, but delay before answering to the foolish questions. That way the student will trust their judgment.
How are the constraints accepted? (41)
How are the constraints accepted? -> 39.1.3 > 3
The formation
39 - Uncertainty
Solving a difficulty requires a patient study. If one fails, they will receive help after showing that they have done their best.
1 - Others resist because one did not check, so one asks a mediator to review their work.
3 - Others want one to come back.
Those who resist are the spirits who want the desireless to change their mind and come back.
In the making
3 - Remedy
Time will need to be spent. Seek assistance and clarify the situation by identifying the problems.
Conclusion:
The Yi Jing has commented this sentence with the hexagram 41: One loses their support and abandons. Accepting the constraints will arouse sympathy.
Desire is lost when it is satisfied. The constraints are created by the desiring who is creating pressure on the desireless, and is eventually helped by spirits for that matter. When the constraints are accepted, the desireless will be inclined to change their mind and accept to fulfill the other's desire.
So the desiring performs great actions and if the desireless accepts to change their mind then they will find the desiring sympathetic and the desire will be satisfied. The union of the desiring and the desireless is the mystery explained by the Yi Jing. The advice given is that the desires should be satisfied in order to avoid the accumulation of great actions on the desiring side, and to prevent the desireless to support to much pressure. By satisfying desires, difficulties are avoided, but also the occasion of material progress for the desiring and spiritual progress for the desireless. The mystery is thus how unsatisfied desires are the driving force behind material and spiritual progress, and at the same time the cause of many difficulties.
The Yi Jing commented:
The unity is said to be the mystery -> 41
The formation
41 - Remove
One loses their support and abandons. Accepting the constraints will arouse sympathy.
My interpretation:
Our approach is to refrain from asking specific questions, such as What is the unity? This makes our task more difficult but on the other hand we only learn what the oracle agrees to teach us. It's not immoral to ask this question, feel free to ask it, but it's not what we are doing here. We have seen that the desiring and the desireless were emerging together in the previous sentence. What is described here is a two steps process. First we have the something (desire?) going away: One loses their support and abandon. and then sympathy is created: Accepting the constraints will arouse sympathy. Did the Yi Jing comment about the text or about our approach? Follow-up questions will let us know:
Who or what is losing support? (41)
Who or what is losing support? -> 58
The formation
58 - Attraction
Wait before committing oneself. A simple proposal is enough. One wants to know what the other desires before responding.
Desire.
What support is lost? (41)
What support is lost? -> 46.3 > 7
The formation
46 - Formation
One is guided until they reach knowledge.
3 - Others want to know if one can continue alone.
Once satisfied, the desire is losing the support of unsatisfaction, and then decreases.
In the making
7 - The will
To solve their problems, one will need discipline and continuity.
What is abandoned? (41)
What is abandoned? -> 44.1.2.3.4.6 > 3
The formation
44 - Invitation
One must not abuse hospitality.
1 - One keeps away a close one who doesn't want to commit.
2 - One shows behind the scenes only to those who ask and are invited.
3 - One does not move toward the danger without verifying and being prepared.
4 - One is too weak to manage everything but has neglected those who could help, so one may return to them.
6 - One asks their relatives to wait because they are not ready.
In the making
3 - Remedy
Time will need to be spent. Seek assistance and clarify the situation by identifying the problems.
The hexagram 44 represents temptation, so what is abandoned is temptation in all its forms except for the fifth line which represents exactly a satisfied desire. The hexagram 3 represents a non-committment, it is abandoned too.
What are the constraints? (41)
What are the constraints? -> 18.3 > 4
The formation
18 - Disorder
One needs to abandon their affairs and make themself available to patiently soften their most embarrassing flaws, in order to be able to inspire trust and be engaged by those who can help them.
3 - One sees the negligence of a relative, so they take advantage of that to help them.
As we have seen the desireless is attacked by spirits. These attacks are the constraints and take the form of anxiety (panic attacks) and seductive attempts.
In the making
4 - Asking for advice
Give references to the student who asks oneself questions, but delay before answering to the foolish questions. That way the student will trust their judgment.
How are the constraints accepted? (41)
How are the constraints accepted? -> 39.1.3 > 3
The formation
39 - Uncertainty
Solving a difficulty requires a patient study. If one fails, they will receive help after showing that they have done their best.
1 - Others resist because one did not check, so one asks a mediator to review their work.
3 - Others want one to come back.
Those who resist are the spirits who want the desireless to change their mind and come back.
In the making
3 - Remedy
Time will need to be spent. Seek assistance and clarify the situation by identifying the problems.
Conclusion:
The Yi Jing has commented this sentence with the hexagram 41: One loses their support and abandons. Accepting the constraints will arouse sympathy.
Desire is lost when it is satisfied. The constraints are created by the desiring who is creating pressure on the desireless, and is eventually helped by spirits for that matter. When the constraints are accepted, the desireless will be inclined to change their mind and accept to fulfill the other's desire.
So the desiring performs great actions and if the desireless accepts to change their mind then they will find the desiring sympathetic and the desire will be satisfied. The union of the desiring and the desireless is the mystery explained by the Yi Jing. The advice given is that the desires should be satisfied in order to avoid the accumulation of great actions on the desiring side, and to prevent the desireless to support to much pressure. By satisfying desires, difficulties are avoided, but also the occasion of material progress for the desiring and spiritual progress for the desireless. The mystery is thus how unsatisfied desires are the driving force behind material and spiritual progress, and at the same time the cause of many difficulties.