27 - ䷚ - 頤 - Yi - Rationing

The Image

☶ Mountain
☳ Thunder

Ancient Commentary on the Image

Brent's Comments on the Image

At the beginning of any endeavor, the project is an unmoving mountain but at its base is the thunder of the initial movements (aka "planning", and "rescource allocation").

In this phase of a project, you consider the resources available, the scope of the goal, and what timeframe for its expected completion. The text seems to imply that YOU (the receiver of the gua) are the person who is metaphorically selected to do the rationing. This is great honor because the King (the sponsorer of projects) selects those who he trusts to divvy up the resources for a project, so that the resources wont dry up before the work is completed.

The following things seems to be "in play" as part of the current change, and you must decide what to do about...

• Project scope
  • Climb a mountain to the summit?
  • Just the foothills?
  • Simply admiring the flowers at the base of the mountain?
• Discressionary spending
  • will you let the project take some detours along the way
  • should you use the resources to enrich yourself
• When to begin the project in ernest
  • procrastination? sitting on resources

The Judgement

Ancient Commentary on the Judgement

Brent's Comments on the Judgement

hmm

Line 1

Ancient Commentary on Line 1

Brent's Comments on Line 1:

the divining-turtle is in reference to the way that the yi-jing was "cast" millenia ago, where a turtle shell was used as a bowl to hold the various contents that were used to "divine" a reading.

Taken in context, the image here is that you have a divine mandate (an order from the king, to plan a project and allocate resources for it), and abandoning the intended project so that you can invest the rations into looking after some pretty flower garden is not a wise way to use the resources.

Line 2

Ancient Commentary on Line 2

Brent's Comments on Line 2

When you are given the resources to climb a great mountain, but you burn those resources climbing the surrounding hills, you are asking for trouble.

Line 3

Ancient Commentary on Line 3

Brent's Comments on Line 3

If you take to long to start using the resources you have, you'll be wasting them, because rations have a shelf-life. and, as the ancient commenter pointed out, this is contrary to the way the Dao works. The Dao allocates available resources for use within their natural season, it doesn't hoard them.

Line 4

Ancient Commentary on Line 4

Brent's Comments on Line 4

I think the "light from above" that is described by the ancients is in refernce to the "yang" line at the top of the mountain gua bestowing light down to the base of the mountain (the bottom line) not sure how this fits the tiger picture.

I think the message of this line is that even though you can see that you have enough resources to meet the goal (hence, you have mountain peak rations), you are still in the period of hesitation before the project begins.

And, just as the tiger really wants to jump into the chase as soon as his target is identified, he holds his position of stillness until the entire planning phase is completed.

The image seems to say "your situation is desirable but the time of action is not quite yet don't drop your attention finish up the planning phase for this project"

Line 5

Ancient Commentary on Line 5

Brent's Commentary on Line 5

The word I generally translate as "ancient wisdom" here is "Jing". The same Jing as appears in the title of the works of antiquity like the Dao De Jing, or the Yi Jing. It is often interpeted as "book" or "classic" or even "bible". The way I read it in connection with this gua is "Statement of authority". In the metaphore of the king chartering a project, and having you ration out the resources, the "ancient wisdom" is actually the king's statement of intent for the project. The original purpose you are asked to plan out. so, the setting aside of the Jing is a cancelation of the project.

This might feel like bad fortune, but it is actually good. When the decision to cancel before the project gets underway, it is because the project's sponsorer has changed his mind. This is not your fault, and wont reflect poorly on you. (you maintain your position of virtue), and by not fighting the decision, you demonstrate your obedience to the superior, which will only strengthen your position.

Line 6

Ancient Commentary on Line 6

Brent's Comments on Line 6

Its interesting to me that, after all the "mountain peak" imagery for this Gua, when you actually set out to do the project, its switches to the great river metaphore used as a general theme for the book.

What this line seems to say is that when the planning phase is complete, there is a short (acute) moment of celebration before the project begins in ernist.