Hexagram 18 Work on What has been Spoiled (Decay)

Receiving this hexagram is an indication that there is a defect in the attitude of oneself, another or one’s society that requires correction. For me this comes at at time of transition.  Moving through a job and personal transformation from one world view to a different perspective.  Life is about moving gracefully through challenges and changes.   Dealing with change (uncertainty) is very difficult for most of us, not least me.     This hexagram may also come as a indicator that you may have doubt about the vitues of  behaving according to proper principles.    Perhaps you indulge in greed or vengeful thinking, or harsh manner. In any case, the time has come to root out the decay.

The I Ching counsels us to work energetically at this task of rooting out decay.   There is an ask to do so after proper deliberation.  We are advised to spend 3 full days in understanding the defect, another day in resolving sincerely to remove it; and then three more days watching carefully to insure that it does not return.

The decay may have been there awhile  This problem is likely an old one.  It may not be easy to source the root of this degradation.   There will likely not be an immediate solution.    It is certain that this will require significant effort on your part.

COMMENTARY

Confucius/Legge: The dynamic trigram is above, and the magnetic trigram is below. Pliancy is below, and Stopping above: these suggest troubled conditions verging on ruin. But Repair brings order to all under heaven, and he who advances will encounter the business to be done. The end of confusion is the beginning of order; such is the procedure of heaven.

The changing line for me was 6:  A withdrawal from the affairs of the world is appropriate if you use this time not to condemn, but to further your own development. By improving yourself you improve the world.

Changing line 4 and 5 in I received on this same hexagram just a week ago.

Line 4:  Tolerating what is wrong leads to ruin

Line 5:  An obligation to aid or accept a continuing wrong may be felt.  No such obligation exists. Your duty is always to uphold proper principals, to choose otherwise is to invite misfortune.

Legge: Repair means the performance of painful but necessary duties. It shows a situation in which things are going to ruin, as if through poison or venomous worms. In order to justify the auspice of progress and success, the duty of the figure is to rectify this and restore conditions to health. This will require a major effort, such as crossing the great stream, and the careful differentiation of the causes of the problem, as well as the measures taken to fix it. The attribute of the lower trigram is Pliancy, and the upper represents Stoppage or Arrest. Hence, the feeble pliancy of decadence is stopped cold by the immovable mountain. The three days before and after the turning point symbolize the careful attention and differentiation necessary for any rectification to succeed.

On the Image, Ch’eng-tzu says: “When the wind encounters the mountain, it is driven back, and the things about are all scattered in disorder; such is the emblem of the state denoted by Repair.” The nourishing of virtue appears especially inline six — all the other lines belong to the helping of the people.

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