I Ching, Yijing or Zhou Yi
"Oracle of the moon": © 2000 LiSe

  Yi Jing, Oracle of the Moon

Hexagram 06

Sòng, the Gong speaks

Sòng

Heaven
Water


Gua Poem (the invocation):
If one has truth there is obstruction
Alert and central: auspicious
To the end: pitfall.
Fruitful to see great people
Fruitless to cross the great stream

The great image says: Heaven associating with water is incompatible movement: contention. The noble one, when he sets up affairs, plans ahead.

  Sòng: the ideogram and the story (NEW). What does it mean for your question?
  This hexagram is complementary to hex.36. In 6 one knows one's rights, in 36 one cannot claim any right. Don't neglect the other side when you concentrate on one of the two, they need each other.

  Top 9: Maybe a money-belt as reward. Before the end of a morning, 3 times stripped of it. 
Achieving things is great, but don't expect them to last. Happiness has to be created day in day out. Do not want what others want, find what your own soul really wants and needs.
 (hex. 6 its 47 Confined: To change decline or standstill, you need to start moving)  Mirror

  9 at 5: Contending. Fundamental auspiciousness.
The best way to establish your boundaries is by being an individual, independent. If you are true to yourself and correct to others, you are your own (and others) best advocate. You are the Gong. 
 (hex.6 its 64 Not Yet: Discerning possibilities is the basis of creativity.   Mirror

  9 at 4: Failing to contend. Return and face destiny. Change attitude. Divination about peace: auspicious.
Solve contention by dissolving: return to your road and let loose - then you can find what you sought: agreement. Essentially contention is searching for the end of contention. Find it by not contending, which is a shortcut.
 (hex.6 its 59 Dissolve: Don't stay in a group which is not your destiny.   Mirror

  6 at 3: To feed on ancient virtue. Divination: danger. In the end: auspicious. If following king’s affairs: without accomplishment.
Having earned one's merit is great, but don't make a habit of relying on it. It may help you get an official job, but not achievement. For achieving one has to renew and prove one's value day after day. Even so when one's merits are officially approved
 (hex.6 its 44 Encounter: Do the best you can and if that is not enough, so be it.  Mirror

  9 at 2: Failing to contend. Returns and flees to his own town people, 300 families. Without mistake.
Very often battling is a waste of time, even if you are right. Leave the place or mindset and tend to your own business, your people, your heart. It is the wisest thing to do – for everyone. Defer contention until there's actually something worth to be won.
 (hex.6 its 12 Standstill: Choose wisely which road to follow.   Mirror

  Initial 6: Do not perpetuate an affair. There is some talk. In the end: auspicious.
You don't have to agree for the sake of peace. But you have to stay calm, whatever the situation. Same goes for matters. Don't try big acts, stay calm and look at the small things, and from there to the bigger ones. Make sure you see before you act, something simple which you overlooked might come to the surface.
 (hex.6 its 10 Treading: Staying free means most of all not wanting.   Mirror

  No lines changing: you can try to do things, but they may fail or even backfire. If there's nothing that should (or can) be done, then this might be a good time to relax and refuel. The Poem and the Image are guides that show you the best way to do that.

  Trigrams offer possibilities that the hexagram-texts don't show.

More about the lines and their characters

last update: 06.09.2023

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© LiSe April 2000