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◈ Primary hexagram: 19—Overgrowth.

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Name from “Language of the Lines”

Overgrowth.

Lines

Image created from the lines

The inactivity of lines 1 and 2 make a situation in which the activity of all the other lines is not replaced from the inner source. We will be likely to build hopes on present activities which will not be fulfilled unless we remain very flexible in our approach. “Approach” is the common name of the hexagram.

Image created from the trigrams

There is a hope of activity in the emerging life force (Tui) which acts profusely in the outer world (Chên) and is accepted without reservation by both identity and our inner being (both K’un). Here we have a budding and a growing and a continuance of growth which is like a plant that shoots from the earth and grows ever larger with no thought of flowering and a return to seed. Where we are concerned with approach to our circumstances things are in order but where we wish for an outcome they are in disorder.

The Chinese Oracle

> Approach.

> Greatest success.

> Correct persistence is rewarded.

> At the eighth month there will be evil.

Comments

The eighth month (September for the Chinese calendar) is the month of harvest and the life force narrows into seed; evil is narrowness in the oracle’s terms. So there is expansion in approach which naturally will contract again and if we ourselves are narrow we will not see this and will press on with expansion, then evil takes on our usual derogatory meaning. Correct persistence is following the tao, or our changing circumstances.

Manifestations

The pattern

A time of happening approaches.

Lightness is in the air

flowing through every activity

as doors open—into space.

For humans

Flow into activity is unimpeded,

so free it knows no end,

so young it knows no maturing.

In nature

Intimations of spring are everywhere.

Growth so rich it may not flower.

In forms we make

Without regulation

form grows rampant.

Moving lines

Line 1 goes yin — life force shows more change

As the life force emerges it is met with the acceptance of our inner being (line 6) so there is a harmonious approach.

> Approaching together.

> Continuance in the way

> brings good fortune.

Continuance in the tao requires that it is accepted, that our always changing circumstances are accepted.

❧

Line 2 goes yin — intuitive feeling more active

When our feelings follow the life force and when identity accepts the feelings (line 5 is yin here) we have an open response to our circumstances which is entirely flexible.

> Approach together.

> wholly beneficial.

Our attitudes to our circumstances are built upon the intuitive feelings of this line, so when the feeling is one with the circumstances all approach together.

❧

Line 3 goes yang — outer world changes less

As this outer activity comes to its end we may be carried forward by the momentum of our investment in it and look around for more activity, but to approach something new we need continually to empty ourselves of the old.

> He is willing to approach

> but there is no advantage.

> Being uneasy about this

> brings good fortune.

If we always seek advantage we do not know how to deal with the aftermath of activity. We then need to question our attitude.

❧

Line 4 goes yang — accepting the outer state less

Being involved in existing outer activity would be the danger in this tao because this would perpetuate our existing directions of growth beyond their peak. Here in this line however we move our attention away from outer activity.

> Perfect approach without error.

Perfect in the sense of complete, without doubt, and perfectly flexible.

❧

Line 5 goes yang — less awareness of intuition

We identify less with feelings of quietness and so prepare for something new.

> Wise approach like that of the great ruler.

The great ruler of identity is the way we continually distinguish our circumstances and so follow the tao without becoming captured by any particular stance or mode of being.

❧

Line 6 goes yang — our inner being accepts less

The difficulties of this tao concern our tendency to identify with a fixed mode of being. Here in this line we no longer have this difficulty and can fully approach the next, changed, experienced.

> Open-hearted approach.

> Good fortune and no error.

An approach that fully gives up the old cycle of an experience is generous and flows readily. Reality only stops flowing when we get involved in its structure.

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