wong chee kwan

I am a super fan of I-Ching. So, there will be lots of it from now on; enough to bore you to death. But, if you can survive the boredom, the untold story will definitely spice up the way you look at life. Because that’s the “hidden agenda” of I-Ching – to spice up people’s lives. I-Ching? They call it the “Book of Changes”, a Chinese classic aged over five thousand years old. It is said to be the best kept secret of life; because the whole book is filled with riddles; thereby subjecting itself to all kinds of interpretation. My take on I-Ching is its 3-D energy model that tracks all the possible changes in one’s lifetime as a growing human universe. According to I-Ching -- a perfect human universe comprises a stable base, a justified past, and an expanding future; or, a 3-D (three dimensional) existence that guarantees a happy and fulfilled life. Unfortunately, life is never perfect in reality. For most of us, if there is indeed a human universe, it is either distorted or dysfunctional. That’s where I-Ching comes in as a solutions provider. In this context, I started coining names for I-Ching, one each for different interest groups. For the spirited – Sixty-four ways to Heaven. For the down and out – Quick fixes for Screw-ups in Life. For the ambitious – A Guide on Growing a Large-than-life Life. For the scientific-minded – A Construction Manual for a Human Universe. I guess I have a lot of explanations to do for calling names. Where do I begin?

The Inspired Change C-3 B-2b (日: Enemy of the Ego Part 2) Next is a vicious cycle that snowballs the trapped emotion into a highly toxic, dense mass of negatives, which sucks indiscrimately like a black hole to satisfy its insatiable desires to possess; fuels terror acts to exert its dominance; and infests weaklings with poisonous thoughts to spread its influence. Then, an ugly head rises from the pool of shit, seizing control of the inner domain, and dethroning the true ego – the will to control thoughts and behaviours – to become the new master of your universe; born to terrorize lives, yours and others’, until they perish in anguish. The birth of the “altered ego” pits human against heaven, which, unfortunately for individuals but fortunately for mankind, is equally determined to have its own way; and more so since it is the one with the muscles. So, it is a lopsided fight from the very beginning, with human always the loser. The confidence in the might of heaven is so strong that some even proclaim victory in the face of injustice, shouting out mantras like: 邪不能胜正 (xié bùnéng shēngzhèng): The evil will not triumph over the virtuous. 天网恢恢，疏而不漏 (tiānwǎng huīhuī shū ér bùlòu): The mills of God grind slowly but surely. The constant cry for justice reflects badly on heaven on one hand (that it is taking its own sweet time to settle scores), but shows its compassion on the other. Because it uses a karmic system that weights positives against negatives, a very time consuming but merciful process, as it offers chances for redemption to everyone, even the condemned. If you wish instant justice, take on the devil within instead. Because heaven is merciless when directly challenged; levelling the emotion pits with powerful pulses to restore naturalness, a free flowing environment that links the inside with outside. That explains why I-Ching prescribes the self-administration of “the Almighty” as an instant cure for all human ills. For those besieged by the warmongering altered ego, who perceives the Sun as an enemy bent on destroying their worlds, here is the advice: “Take a deep breath, pull back, and look again.” Hopefully, the deep breadth could gain enough traction for a small pullback, the gap of which enables the entry of a mediator – the Sun’s pulsating nourishment – capable of tempering an evil intent to hurt into just an urge to curse, hence reducing the chance of a fatal accident. For those who are still holding the fort, and see the Sun as a white knight that restores natural order, here is what I-Ching has to say: “Master the art of saying No (勿, wù).” 勿 is a construction blueprint for an incubator that draws on the Sun (日) to change your life to the way it should be -- a simple, easy, and ever-evolving way of life (易).

The Inspired Change C-3 B-2a (日: Enemy of the Ego Part 1) The first sign of an emotion thatch in play is the upsurge of “inertia” – a strong resistance to change – every time you wish to uplift your life; even simple wishes – such as keeping fit, changing to a healthier diet, or opening to a new idea – seemed like high hopes. Initially, it is a ding-dong battle -- win whenever you receive a positive vibe from the outside (the natural guà, the upper trigram of a hexagram, is coming to your aid), and lose whenever your mood takes over (the man-made guà, the lower trigram of a hexagram, is boxing you in). At this juncture, there is no joy in winning, nor sadness when losing. What it does bring is regrets -- for wasting time and energy fighting the many, meaningless battles; and losing opportunity due to slow responses. But, it is a different story if you are losing all the time. It means that a “depression” -- a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity – has set in. The slump tells of the further hardening of the thatch, solid enough to cut off the outside supply that nourishes the inside. Over time, the isolation will degenerate into desolation – a marshy existence, devoid of vegetation (no growth), carpeted by mosses (trivialities) and walled by volatile emotion that fuels erratic behaviours. If isolation is indeed the cause of depression, then calming the erratic behaviours by drugging the depressed could be suicidal. Because it addresses only the symptom (calming the behaviour by numbing the senses), but not the cause (calming the inside by neutralizing the extremes), with a dire consequence – numbing of the sixth sense meant for communicating with the natural world outside. If the marshy condition is left to deteriorate further, the next worst thing is “compulsion” – the irrepressible urge to do something that you know you shouldn’t – driving ugly, vicious behaviours that plague the internet with cyber bullying, highways with road rage, or society at large with harassment. In a way, a bully is a victim themselves; falling prey to a fast growing mass of trapped negatives that pressure cooks the inside into a live volcano; out bursting violently to release the escalating pressure; and spurring poisonous thoughts and vulgarities onto whoever and whatever blocking the way, to sooth the inner turmoil with pleasure derived from dispensing the pains. Some might not give a damn being labelled a bully; but they would be hard-pressed for ignoring the deadly consequences that descend together with the next round of degeneration.

The Inspired Change C-3 B-1 (日: Limits) A limit (一) is as far as one can go. While the Sun is almost limitless in every quarter – size, power, resources, wisdom, and so on -- human is defined by limits, the lowest is earth, and the highest, heaven. The lowest is a base below which is a bottomless pit that does not support life; cascading the depressed soul from one bottom to another with endless miseries. So, it is a “bottomless pit” that inflicts miseries nonstop, and not because the lack of will to fight the odds, as commonly diagnosed. Logically then, constructing a base -- earthly enough to hold the fall and stage a rebound – should end the sufferings once and for all; sparing one the agony of a head-on, no-win fight with the depression, as normally prescribed. On the other hand, the highest is one’s growth limit beyond which is a mysterious headwind; retaliating ferociously against any encroachment; and engaging the obstinate in a prolonged tug of war, to either exhaust the intruder into submission, or stretch their lives until it snaps, free falls, and lands with a big bam at ground zero, for a restart. There is a distinct difference between a “challenge” and “headwind”. A challenge energizes you to rise above the occasion and scale new height. A headwind tires you out with increasing resistances for every step forward until you are totally exhausted. So, take on the challenges but respect the headwinds, if you want to live happily ever after. Yet, the worst kind is a man-made limit, an emotion thatch, a hardened layer of negatives that starts to coagulate the moment you were born, amassing junks like: • Extreme emotions like uncontrollable anger, excessive worrying, or crippling fear. • Traumatic experiences like serious accidents, abuses (physical, emotional, or sexual), or catastrophes (war or natural disasters). • Unresolved issues like conflicts, unfulfilled ambitions, or regrets. • Distortions like half-truths, prejudice, or extreme thoughts. • Trivialities like insignificant details, petty issues, or inconsequential incidents. No detaching is what causes the hardening, the same way how people disregard their lawns with excuses like – don’t know how, don’t care, it’s pointless, too much work, too busy, etc. The bad news is, regardless of how good your excuse is, the consequence is the same – a rapid declining divinity value with an equally fast increase in impermeability. Over time, it will turn unbreakable, cutting one off from the outside world to create a breeding ground for a monstrous character, an altered ego that seizes control over the inner domain. Here is the inside story of its rise to be the master of your destiny.

The Inspired Change C-3 A (日: The Sun’s DNA) c) 从囗一。象形 (cóng wéi yī, xiàng xíng): It follows the characteristics of an enclosure and a limit. Each symbol is shaped to tell its own story. The enclosure (囗) mirrors the Sun’s perfect sphere – a never ending loop – symbolizing a host of divine qualities, traceable in various degrees in all cloned heavens. The roundness suggests perfection, radiated as holiness by both the “nobody” who lives a simple yet happy life, and the “somebody” who answers their calls to fulfil their missions in life. The endlessness stands for timelessness, an incorruptible value found in religionists who live by God’s words; or in works created out of thin air by thinkers, writers, inventors, and the likes. The continuity shows the persistency of the Sun in completing its mission, manifested as perseverance in survivals who never give up on life, or visionaries who always strive to scale new heights. The looping reflects the cause and effect working principle of the Sun -- what goes around comes around – practiced by simplists who treat the roots rather symptoms to resolve recurring problems; or karma believers who cushion their lives with good deeds, believing that one good turn always leads to another, and that violence begets violence. The circle symbolizes a full natural life cycle, spun continuously to move one along the evolution scale through thick and thin; a way of life pursued by naturalists who wish to be one with the universe, or fate believers who always take everything in their strides. The above listed divine qualities, though not exhaustive, are enough to show the size of your birth rights. But, the actual amount inherited is dependent upon the purity of your feed; expressed as a divinity value, the equivalence of a pH value, ranging from -10 to +10: Divinity Value = Pulsating Nourishment – Toxic Emotion (Both feeds are valued between 0 to 10) A maximum score of ten creates a saint with a halo; a negative ten yields a monster capable of destroying the world; and a zero results in a swamp-like character that encompasses diversity. To be a monster or saint, nobody or somebody, failure or success, the decision is entirely yours.

The Inspired Change C-2 B (日: The Greening Effect) Greening (青) is an attempt to mitigate, or even reverse, the damages inflicted by human on their natural worlds, by naturalizing (月) with a dominant, earth-heaven magnet (龶). Naturalization (月) mimics the endless looping of the lunar phases, bombarding the inside with natural pulses to swing one’s mood like a pendulum -- from one end to another repeatedly -- until one dances to its tune. Meanwhile, the earth-heaven magnet (龶) exerts its dominance through its vector filed, which magnetizes by dictating direction with powerful pulses; often manifested as stop/go signals for the compliant, carrot and stick for the neutral, and death and rebirth for the recalcitrant. So, a spirit (精) is a pulsating nourishment that naturalizes and magnetizes. That makes the spirit of the Sun (太陽之精) the Sun’s semen, bearing its DNA, and reproducing itself in human as a hero, a person with a mission fighting for a just cause. And, the Sun is an infinite source of this almighty force of nature.

Dear SeekerOfHealing, As a matter of fact, helping you and me to be the master of our own universes was the original aim of Mr Fúxī (伏羲) in inventing the I-Ching. I am still at the early stage of exploring I-Ching, a long way off being a master, but thankfully, manage to put Fúxī’s vision within sight. Initially, the exploration was like peeling onion – tearfully ripping off one layer, only to discover there is another waiting – making it a long, tedious, painful, exhausting, and joyless labour. Lately, aided by the incredible techniques inspired by I-Ching, the search for truth has turned into a treasure hunt, eagerly searching for spiritual clues to unearth treasures that are not only mind blowing, but also elevating when realized. By the way, I have just gained another insight into reading the hexagram 53, 漸 (jiàn), which predicted a gradual progress for my postings. That sudden flash of insight eventually led me into adopting a gradual pace, resulted from me synchronizing with the prevailing energy state of the forum, thereby subduing the strong urge to pour out the unearthed wonders all at once. With hindsight, it does make a lot of sense. After all, it took me years to crack the tough nut, and therefore should be unfolded layer by layer, one point at a time, and animated for easy understanding and acceptance. Again, in retrospect, the casting of 漸 (jiàn) is actually a reminder for me to go slow and easy for the benefit of the readers.

The Inspired Change C-2 A (日: The Pulsating Nourishment) 太陽之精不虧 (tàiyángzhījīng bù kuī): The spirit of the sun is inexhaustible. 精 (jīng): essence / semen / spirit 精 is a divine nourishment (米) that greens (青). The divine nourishment (米) drives outside (丿丶), and bombards inside (丷), with natural pulses to create perfection (十), a natural (一) and magnetized (丨) state. While driving outside (丿丶), a natural pulse closes/opens doors; nudging one towards one’s destiny. And, when bombarding inside (丷), it excites with motives to arouse action, and cools down with restraints to consolidate. The outside job is often shrouded in mystery, as an invisible hand is at work, hence is beyond one’s control. The inside mechanism involves regulating qì-flow in response to the outside stimuli, hence is subjected to human interference. An uncoordinated outside-inside job causes deviation (from destination), a major source for misfortune. On the other hand, pulsating with the divine nourishment (米) leads to a cloning process, which moulds human in the image of Heaven, as a strong force of nature.

Dear centertime, 漸 (jiàn): gradually Jiàn is blessed by a divine Wind (風, xùnguà, top ☴: stop-go-go) – it blows from a high to a low pressure area – supposed to transform a “nobody” (凡虫) to “somebody”. Unfortunately, it is blowing over a jamming Mountain (山, gènguà, bottom ☶: stop-stop-go); symbolizing a person trapped in an emotion pit (凵). The net result is a slow and painful progress rather than a smooth ride to the top on the wind of change. If it is read from my perspective (as a wind blower), it means that I am not high enough to start a strong wind of change. In fact, thanks to Taomeow’s reading, it triggered off a self-imposed solitary confinement for six months; trying to inch my way upward for a better view of I-Ching, and a high enough position to start a credible wind of change. If the reading is about you (as a receiver), it shows your reluctance in lowering your position to fully embrace the wind of change, hence slowing down your progress in better understanding the I-Ching. Either way, it predicted a gradual progress, unless there is a change in position on both ends – the blowing and the receiving – to quicken the inspired change.

The Inspired Change C-1 (日: An Invisible Guru) 日：實也。太陽之精不虧。从囗一。象形。 a) 實也 (shí yě): It brings realization, solidifies stuffs, and makes one honest. 實 (shí): real / solid / honest 實 strings (貫) inside (冖) and outside (亠) into one continuous space; best visualized as a factory, a semi-enclosed space for processing raw materials into useful products. • The inside (冖) is isolated by an emotion thatch – a layer of negatives amassed over time -- that disrupts (left丿) and dictates (right 丿). • It is a Pandora’s Box, where evils are kept. • The outside (亠) is where inspirations (丶) reside, accessible by breaking through the emotion thatch (一). • It is a resource centre, where hopes lie. That makes 實 the sun’s lock-breaking mechanism, prying open the evil box with powerful natural pulses, and bringing hope to human. Hope, however, means different things to different people. For those desperately in need of help, it is a divine intervention that miraculously resolves the seemingly unresolvable. For most, it is an inspiration flow that realizes extremes, solidifies ideas, and exposes unknowns. For the experienced, it is an invisible guru, not just to answer calls 24/7 on any subject under the sun, but also volunteers stop/go signals -- convertible to painful reminders, or merciless corrective actions, if the signals are ignored – to facilitate human realizing their missions in life.

The Inspired Change B-3 (日: The Sun Part 3) “The Sun’s strong magnetic field” supports the model of an earth-heaven magnet – a human magnet that magnetizes the extremes-rich human domain with an earth (south), heaven (north) link -- which powerfully transforms a southward-bound failure into a north-heading success. “The all-around, outward blowing of the solar wind” showcases the magnetic treatment – the inside is relentlessly bombarded with forces of nature from the outside – which naturalizes the extremes inside, and revitalizes the entire human system. Furthermore, the Sun is superrich in Hydrogen (70%) -- a colourless, odourless, tasteless, non-toxic, non-metallic, highly combustible diatomic gas, the lightest element on the periodic table -- and Helium (30%) -- a colourless, odourless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert, monatomic gas, the first in the noble gas group in the periodic table. Correspondingly, Heaven is supersaturated with the simplest, yet highly reactive, yīn-yáng data (as building blocks of the human universe), and absolute truths (as inert materials for constructing a solid foundation to support the growth of the universe). So far so good. Let’s see if the similes also match the definitions of 日 (rì).

The Inspired Change B-2 (日: The Sun Part 2) “Sun is the heart of the solar system” rhymes with “Heaven is the heart of the human universe”, which implies “whoever gets Heaven gets the universe”. The Sun’s enormous mass in the Solar System (99.86%) -- translated as a huge amount of resources, high visibility, and easy accessibility – makes this mission to court Heaven even more inviting. “Sun is a hot ball of glowing gas” tells of a fast-expanding Heaven (a hot object expands, and a very hot object expands very fast), which tallies with I-Ching’s ever-growing human universe -- driven by an external life-force (Dào, 道) a million times more intense than the internal life-force (qì, 氣) generated to keep pace with the explosive growth -- which then makes Heaven a driving pacer, and human a driven racer. The vast difference between the temperatures of the Sun (top 15 million degrees Celsius) and Earth (no more than 58 degrees Celsius) lends support to this pacing-Dào-racing-Qì model. “The Solar system is held together by the Sun’s gravity” suggests that deviating from the heavenly path will cause the collapse of a human universe, a tragic fate I-Ching dedicated to avert by uncovering all possible ways to diffuse the threat. Conversely, staying within the orbit of Heaven guarantees a perpetual, natural way of life, an outlook embodied by the Sun’s perfect sphere, a symbol for a continuous loop of natural life cycles.

The Inspired Change B (日: The Sun Part 1) 日 (rì) means the Sun. “The sun at the heart of our solar system is a yellow dwarf star, a hot ball of glowing gases. Its gravity holds the solar system together, keeping everything from the biggest planets to the smallest particles of debris in its orbit. Electric currents in the sun generate a magnetic field that is carried out through the solar system by the solar wind — a stream of electrically charged gas blowing outward from the sun in all directions.” (solarsystem.nasa.gov) To I-Ching, Sun is Heaven, and Heaven is Sun. Then, what is said of the Sun should tell on Heaven too. That assumption turns out to be the key that unlocks I-Ching’s secret world; conceptually as a sun-driven, ever-expanding human universe, realizable as an enlarged presence resulted from a huge mind explosion, practicable and perfectible as an art of living that can transform anybody into a “body-less” existence, a grounded, spiritual being living a larger-than-life life. Now, let’s see what the Sun has to say about Heaven.

The Inspired Change A (易: An Elixir of Life) The Chinese loves changes. They even have a word for every imaginable change, designed cleverly to implant the mode, and fashionably to capture the mood, of the change; for examples, 變 (biàn): A shocking change that raps (攵) to disrupt order (䜌); like 变心 (biànxīn): a change of heart that rocks a relationship. 換 (huàn): A progressive change that courts (扌) excellence (奐); like 换季 (huànjì): changing wardrobe to keep up with the latest seasonal trend. 更 (gēng): A natural (丿丶) change triggered off (由) by a limit (一); like 更代 (gēngdài): replacing one with another to refresh a cycle. 改 (gǎi): A directional change that strikes (攵) at the halfway mark (己); like 改行 (gǎiháng): changing profession presumably for a better prospect. But, 易 (yì) beats them all as the No.1 word for “change”, as it offers 64 modes to change for the better, especially attractive for those who are down-and-out. Also, it titles a classic for thousands of years, which grows a simple yīn-yáng concept into a doctrine with a worldwide following, and is still evolving promisingly into a miraculous cure for all human ills. An elixir of life (长生不老葯, chángshēngbùlǎo yào)? Maybe it is just a wishful thinking, but if it is true, then “joy to the world”. True or false, it is best to let 易 (yì) speaks for itself. 易 (yì): change / easy / simple 日 (rì): sun / day / daytime 勿 (wù): must not / do not / without / never (ctext.org)

The Man-Made Bāguà 2 (The Bad Bāguà Effects) The good bāguà effects are evidences of a natural way of life. In contrast, the bad bāguà effects signals the rise of an altered ego, an ego inflated with trapped emotion. Which means the bad bāguà behaviors are the symptoms of an evil growth. So, just like any other major disorders, early detection is the best way to curb its growth. Here is a list of the bad bāguà symptoms. 1. A wild Heaven (天, ☰: go-go-go): A runaway expansion. A control freak in an offensive mode; driven mindlessly by a powerful undercurrent. The mindless expansionist acts just like a growing snowball, which rolls down a hill uncontrollably, destroys everything in sight, and ends inevitably with a bang at the bottom of the hill. 2. A depressed Earth (地, ☷: stop-stop-stop): A deep depression. A disorderly person who closes their minds in a depression. The depressed screwed up is like an outlaw who imprisons themselves with regrets. 3. A volatile Water (水, ☵: stop-go-stop): A volatile emotional state. An unruly character who bullies while in a depression. The depressed bully is a trouble maker, who terrorizes habitually by continuously disrupting peace and stability, theirs as well as others’. 4. An out-of-control Fire (火, ☲: go-stop-go): A stressful state. An aggressor who resists the urge to expand. The wound up state is like a pressure cooker, which cooks by raising temperature with internal pressure built up by the steam. 5. A tormenting Thunder (雷, ☳: go-stop-stop): Excessive worrying. A control freak who closes up in a depression. The depressed slave-driver inflicts pain upon themselves, by stirring up the shits trapped within. 6. A crippled Mountain (山, ☶: stop-stop-go): A jammed state. A rebel who goes against the strong undercurrent within. The internal struggle often blinds one from the many divine messages popping up in their surroundings. 7. An ever-changing Wind (風, ☴: stop-go-go): An opportunist outlook. An unruly character who preys in an expansive mode. The predator is an opportunist who gains advantages at the expense of ethics or morals. 8. An uninhabited Swamp (澤, ☱: go-go-stop): A marshy growth. An expansionist who grows indiscriminately in a depression. The indiscriminate growth produces a marsh-like state; carpeted with mosses, and punctuated with islands. If a natural way of life is the reward for taking orders from Dào, a hellish life must then be the aftermath for surrendering to a devilish ego. But, both are extreme cases. In reality, most people are living a twilight zone; caught in between the natural and evil worlds. Mr Fúxī equated the twilight zone to a hexagram; and offered advises in six poetic lines on how best to deal with it. Still, what exactly are they? The hexagrams? The six poetic lines? (Picture from images-cdn.moviepilot.com)

The Man-Made Bāguà 1 (The Evil Thoughts) What about the three lines in a man-made trigram (guà)? Are they inner voices too? Yes, they are also voices from within; and to be exact, very loud and imposing voices from a parallel world created artificially by human. They too interact with each other -- using the go/stop voting system -- to generate an abnormal three-beat pulse, which competes fiercely with the normal three-beat pulse of the natural world for the grand price -- the master of one’s fate. The man-made world also has a base -- an emotional thatch (a hardened layer of extreme motions) that replaces the earthly base as one’s operating platform. The bottom thatch-line is a radical voice; reflecting its extreme stands. A go thatch-line stands for a far-right position, a synonym for -- fascism / dictatorship / tyranny / oppression / repression / bureaucracy / control / cruelty. A stop thatch-line represents a far-left stand, a synonym for – anarchy / lawlessness / chaos / rebellion / mob rule / reign of terror / turmoil / hostility. The middle line represents an unjustified past, accumulated emotions trapped by an emotional thatch, which severs the earth-heaven link that powers the emotion cycle. The middle soggy-line is a cynical voice; reflecting a saturated emotional state with limited capacity for new stuffs. A go soggy-line signals the release of the extreme emotion buildup within; driving an offensive behaviour, identifiable as being -- abusive / irritating / obnoxious / rude / stinking / rotten / nauseating / repulsive. A stop soggy-line signals a closed mind to avoid the pains of taking in new stuffs; yielding a defensive behaviour, recognizable as being – opposing / averting / guarding / uptight / interrupting / resistive / preventive / balking. The top line signifies a powerful suction that pulls everything inward to satisfy an insatiable desire to possess. The black-hole phenomenon is caused by a highly dense mass of trapped-emotions, whose suction is powerful enough to cut one off from the reality (a yīn-yáng world) created by Dào. The top undercurrent-line is marked by wild mood swings; inflicted by powerful undercurrents. A go undercurrent-line warns of a destructive growth that flattens everything in sight. A stop undercurrent-line tips of a deep depression that cuts one off from the real world. In a nutshell, a man-made guà is a path to hell meted out from a radical platform, saturated with trapped emotions and dictated by strong undercurrents. As such, the thoughts spewed out from this distorted world are inherently extreme (because of the imbalance stand), toxic (caused by the lack of emotion refreshment), and infectious (due to the pull of a highly dense mass of trapped emotions). In short, a man-made guà is an evil-thoughts generator.

The Natural Bāguà 2 (The Good Bāguà Effects) Mathematically, there are eight (2 x 2 x 2 = 8) possible natural paths that can sustain the forward momentum towards one’s destiny. 1. Heaven (天, ☰: go-go-go): All systems go. Heaven is a skyrocketing process that drives human (人) to breakthrough resistances (一); till they hit their ceilings (top 一). The explosive growth is run by an energized ego-soul pair; inspired by an opportune environment. 2. Earth (地, ☷: stop-stop-stop): All systems stop. Earth is a grounding process (土也) that drives one towards the lowest limit (bottom 一); for justification (east-west 一) and north-alignment (north-south丨). The natural incubator is switched on by separating the ego and soul in an inopportune environment. 3. Water (水, ☵: stop-go-stop): A restrained move. Water manages emotions by separating (丨) the emotions according to their natures, and justifying them by pairing the positives (丶) and negatives (丿). The emotion management system is activated to contain an overpowering ego; by drawing wisdom from the wise soul in a quiet setting. 4. Fire (火, ☲: go-stop-go): A spontaneous response. Fire sets a human (人) on fire with dots (丶) and strokes (丿). The soul-charging system is activated by a direct earth-heaven link that by passes the ego. 5. Thunder (雷, ☳: go-stop-stop): A spontaneous release. Thunder discharges extreme emotions to refresh (雨) the natural home base (田). The emotion cycle is activated by replacing the ego with heaven as the energy source, which refreshes and enriches the soul. 6. Mountain (山, ☶: stop-stop-go): Blessing in disguises. Mountain is a Nature-driven correction system, which forcibly north-aligning (丨) the pit (凵). An ego-soul separation process forced upon by heaven, as blessing in disguises, to restore the 3-D formation. 7. Wind (風, ☴: stop-go-go): A Nature-aided uplift. Wind blows to uplift the ordinary (凡) low life-forms (虫). A wind of change -- blown from a high pressure heaven to a low pressure earth – that elevates the ego to a higher plane of existence. 8. Swamp (澤, ☱: go-go-stop): An ego-soul ecosystem. Swamp preserves prosperity (幸) with an emotion (氵) net (罒). A natural conservation system -- which preserves the natural growth netted – that encourages the ego and soul to coexist. On a lighter note, the natural bāguà is a secret recipe for making an eternal triangle works. On a more serious note, the natural bāguà is a joint ego-soul effort to harness Dào for a glorious life. Generally, the three-way relationships produce eight types of natural processes, which will keep the human world liveable at worst, and heavenly if managed properly. (Picture from ed101.bu.edu)

The Natural Bāguà 1 (The Inconvenient Truths) A trigram has three lines. Really, what are they? At a glance, the trigram looks like a three-beat pulse in motion. When put under the microscope, there are actually three parties (earth, human, heaven) working hand in hand to find the best way forward, democratically. Each of them will either push hard with a go-vote (shown as a yáng or unbroken line), or pull back with a stop-vote (shown as a yīn or broken line), for their agendas to be heard. The three-way pushing and pulling result in a three-beat pulse, a prevailing force of nature domesticated to serve human’s best interest in a given situation. The voice from the baseline advocates balance. That is the conscience -- a soul vibrating freely with a natural frequency closed to the earthly rhythm – calling. A go earth-line represents an energized soul; reversing its passive role to be an active partner, blessed with the ability to act spontaneously but wisely. A stop earth-line shows a passive soul; playing its intrinsic role as a database of integrity that stores only justified knowledge. The voice from the middle is the loudest, always trying to have the final say. That is the will – an unadulterated ego exercising its natural tendency to take charge – at work. A go human-line shows a controlling ego imposing its will; and is a force to be reckoned with, as it holds the last say. A stop human-line reveals an indifferent ego; electing to be an observer rather than a participant. The voice from the top is the most authoritative, but chooses to work in the background; quietly but persistently urging progress. That is Dào – the external life-force that drives one relentlessly towards the destiny – working its magic. Which means the top line is a fate-driver, manifested as a mysterious force of nature. A go heaven-line stimulates growth by opening all doors; while a stop heaven-line forces rest by closing all doors. In a nutshell, a natural guà is a path to heaven generated from a balance platform; surrounded by free flowing and justified emotions, and powered by an invisible force of nature. Unfortunately, the wisdom spoken is often an inconvenient truth, which requires a lot of effort to put into practice; such as cultivating a good conscience, justifying the past, and striking a good working relationship with Dào. As such, the truthful advice is often ignored, or simply treated as a voice in the wilderness.

The Bāguà Theory 5 (The 8 x 8 Algorithms) “四象演八卦、八八六十四卦 The four phenomena evolve into eight trigrams, and eight by eight becomes sixty-four hexagrams.” Previously, the bāguà poem shows how the yīn-yáng force works the human universe with a four-beat gait, which contracts to naturalize and crystallize, and expands to breakthrough and peak. 四象演八卦 (sì xiàng yǎn bāguà) says that the four-beat rhythm continues, and completes a full cycle of eight (2 x 4 = 8) manifestations, called bāguà. The four-beat gait that falls, bottoms, rises, and peaks is called a down cycle. The wind down causes a fall that crystallizes justified knowledge into core ideas; while the wind up stages a rebound that builds up potential energy for a major breakthrough. A falling-rebounding cycle forces rest to stockpile potential energy. The next four-beat gait that rises, peaks, falls, and bottoms is called an up cycle. The unleashing of the potential energy powers a growth that explodes in the sky like firework; while the consolidation caps the rise by converting the kinetic energy back to potential. An expanding-consolidating cycle stimulates growth to disburse kinetic energy. Dào uses the eight-beat gait ingeniously to mold the human universe into its ideal shape. Some of its ways are listed below; but the list is by no means exhaustive as there are still others, yet to be discovered or tested. · A bāguà generator that churns out eight types of natural processes to run a human universe; coded as heaven, earth, water, fire, thunder, mountain, wind, and swamp. · A motivator that energizes with a purpose and direction. · A normalizer that forcibly justifies a middle path forward, free of extremes and excesses, with the up and down popping in life. · A pulse maker that propels one steadily forward amidst strong resistances. · A life-sustaining device that regulates the heartbeats for a peaceful existence. · A signalling system that warns of crisis or opportunity brewing in the background. · An inspirational source that supplies knowledge that are original and justified. · A decoding system that translates the unknowns into knowns. If Dào is left to work undisturbed, it can remake earth in the image of heaven, theoretically speaking. A peaceful life for those with a low-amplitude vibration, which pops up and down merrily along a middle path till the end of time. They are the happy “nobodies”. A colorful life for those with an average amplitude, which rises from a “nobody” to “somebody” by going through the trials and tribulations of life. Which means most of us shall be a “somebody” -- not just any “somebody”, but a happy “somebody” – someday, somehow. A larger-than-life life for those with a high amplitude, which has to survive a free fall to ground zero, for a big rebound to a great height, and a game-changing achievement that can withstand the test of time, i.e. forever. Fortunately, most of us are spared the excruciating falls; but at the huge expense of an everlasting glory, and an intensely happy life. On the other hand, if an altered ego is calling the shots, life becomes erratic and unpredictable; as the actions are now driven by the desires to possess rather than motivations to progress. An altered ego is an ego under siege by a dense mass of negatives, accumulated emotions that are never refreshed; no thanks to a severed earth-heaven link that disables the emotion cycle. The cutoff is the work of an emotional thatch, a hardened layer of extreme (unjustified) emotions; comprising unresolved issues, traumatic experiences, extreme thoughts, half-truths, and trivialities. So, a stage is set for a classic nature-human fight; with Dào heading north determinedly regardless of how one feels; and the altered ego insisting on going south despite the dire consequences. In mild cases, the clash often surfaces as a constant tussle between evil and good thoughts. In serious cases, the fight is a life-threatening struggle between imaginary and reality. Thanks to Mr. Fúxī who simulated the nature-human conflict with a hexagram; by placing nature as the top trigram, and human as the lower trigram. 八八六十四卦 (bā bā liù shí sì guà) says that the clash between the natural and man-made bāguà results in sixty-four (8 x 8 = 64) hexagrams. In this context, a hexagrams is the path resulted from the clash between the man-made guà at the bottom, and the natural guà at the top. Subsequently, the sixty-four resultant paths were compiled into a classic – The Book of Changes --which offers advices as sure bets to win the fight, every time and in any circumstances; i.e. provided human participates willingly by not participating, a real catch-22 situation. (Picture sourced from taobabe.files.wordpress.com)

The Bāguà Theory 4 (The Normal Cycle) “兩儀生四象: 即少陰、太陰、少陽、太陽、 The two forms produce four phenomena -- the lesser yīn, greater yīn, lesser yáng, and greater yáng.” Basically, it says: “a young and old yīn + a young and old yáng = four manifestations.” Notes (sourced from ctext.org): 少 (shǎo): few / less / inadequate 少 (shǎo) reduces by downsizing (小) with a restraining force (丿). 小 (xiǎo): small / tiny / insignificant 小 (xiǎo) shrinks when the dots (丶) and strokes (丿) are divided (丨), a grounding phenomenon whence everything is simplified by justification. That makes 少 (shǎo) a grounding force that simplifies; or a naturalization process. 陰 (yīn) is a place (阝) where the present (今) is clouded (云); or an emotion cycle that refreshes and enriches the emotion. Which means 少陰 (shǎo yīn: lesser yīn) is an emotion cycle that naturalizes. As a process, the lesser-yīn mirrors the nucleation in a crystallization process, whence solute (dissolved matters) cluster to form nuclei; or a cloud formation process, when air rises and cools, and the moisture in it condenses into a visible form. Visually, the naturalization process is best illustrated by the fall season of autumn, whence everything cools down and returns to their simplest forms. 陽 (yáng) is a place (阝) where the earth (一) is connected to the sun (日) to break through resistances (勿); or an earth-heaven energizing process that powers breakthroughs. Which means 少陽 (shǎo yáng: lesser yáng) is a sprouting force that breaks out of incubation; powered by the earth-heaven energizing process. As a process, a lesser-yáng works like the heating of a solid to its melting point to weaken the solid structure; or a rocket blasting off from the launching pad to offset the weight of the rocket. Visually, the powered breakthrough is shown live by an invigorating spring, whence new growths are sprouting everywhere. 太 (tài): very / too much / big / extreme 太 (tài) reaches its extreme by driving growth (大) with a positive force (丶). 大 (dà): big / great / vast / large / high 大 (dà) is the growth attained when human (人) breakthroughs resistances (一). That makes 太 (tài) a peaking (bottoming) force driven by the external life-force. Which means 太陰 (tài yīn: greater yīn) is the bottoming out of the emotion cycle; driven by the external life-force. As a process, the greater-yīn reflects the crystal growth in crystallization, when a highly ordered crystal structure is formed; or the precipitation of fresh emotion (rain) or/and crystallized ideas (snow) in an emotion cycle. Visually, the bottoming out process is played out by a freezing winter that blankets everything in sight into a snow-white and homogeneous landscape. Conversely, 太陽 (tài yáng: greater yáng) is the peaking of a growth driven by the external life-force. As a process, the greater yáng is equivalent to the melting point, when the solid breaks down to a less ordered state, and melts to become a liquid; or a rocket accelerating to its escape velocity to burst through the atmosphere, and put the vessel into space. Visually, the climaxing process is brought to life by a blistering summer that brings everything to fruition; marked by bustling activities (excitement) and fulfilment (contentment), the two main ingredients of happiness. 兩儀生四象: 即少陰、太陰、少陽、太陽、 (liáng yí shēng sì xiàng: jí shǎo yīn, tài yīn, shǎo yáng, tài yáng) says that the two appearances (兩儀) yields four manifestations (四象); that is lesser yīn, greater yīn, lesser yáng, and greater yáng. In plain English, it says: “The yīn-yáng phenomenon is manifested as a normal cycle that falls and rises like the four seasons.” Furthermore, the normal cycle is a visual illustration of the yīn-yáng crossover principle – yīn crossovers to yáng when it turns extreme, and vice versa. No wonder people always say: “It's always darkest just before the dawn.” (Picture sourced from shutterstock.com)

The Bāguà Theory 3 (The Yīn-Yáng Phenomenon) “太極生兩儀、即陰陽; The supreme limits give rise to two forms, namely: yīn and yáng.” Exactly, it says: “A supreme existence is exemplified by a yīn-yáng phenomenon.” Behind the proclamation, there lies a secret message; hidden in the character 儀 (yí: appearance), which says that the look of the supreme existence is controlled by two invisible forces, the dots (丶) and strokes (丿). A dot (丶, zhǔ) is a point highlighted for action. So, an invisible dot is a spiritual signal that urges one to act; signifying a “go” order, driven by a positive force. A strokes (丿, piě) is a point struck off. So, an invisible stroke is an inappropriate act censored by heaven; signifying a “stop” order, enforced by a negative force. Scientifically, the positive and negative forces at work can be explained by the north-south magnetic field, resulted from the lowest-highest configuration. A magnetic field is a vector field, which forcibly realigns everything within the field into north-south orientations, with an invisible but powerful force originated from the north. A more exciting vision is to compare them with the binary numbers -- the dot as “1” and the stroke as “0”. Binary numbers are the on/off switch of the Universe; credited for advancing the human civilization exponentially to its present form. What about the dots/strokes? What if they are used just like the binary numbers? A highly sophisticated human in the making? Absolutely so, logically speaking, and that’s exciting! As a matter of fact, an ego-soul pair as an on/off switch is one such application. An earth-heaven link as a motivation generator is another. A yīn-yáng vision (e.g. crisis/opportunity, or regress/progress) as a reality checker is yet another. Meanwhile, mysticism always outweighs logic; leading to many creative names for the invisible yīn-yáng force; i.e. despite I-Ching’s choice of a non-spiritual name: Dào (道): direction / way / method / road / path / principle / truth / reason / skill Personally, I choose to embrace both beliefs simultaneously as a mystical-scientific pair. The mysticism is good for powering the leaps of faith needed to breakthrough resistances; while the scientific facts offer a solid supporting platform when doubts persist during the downtime. Ultimately, a persistent go/stop effort will simulate in a powerful pulse-generator, which propels one forward no matter how strong the resistances are. Whereas an obsessive myth seeker is often blind to facts; thereby upsetting the equilibrium needed for the divine messages to come through. Oppositely, an absolute fact-based person tends to exclude; thereby missing the many divine messages routinely popping up in their surroundings. Notes (sourced from ctext.org): 陰 (yīn): female principle / dark / secret 陽 (yáng): male principle / light / sun 儀 (yí): The look of a person (亻) whose ego (我) is governed (王) by the dots (丶) and strokes (丿). 兩儀 (liáng yí) is a yīn-yáng look; yīn is stroke-produced, and yáng is dot-generated. A dot-look shows a person on the go; while a stroke-look depicts a person slowing down. 太極生兩儀、即陰陽 (tài jí shēng liáng yí, jí yīn yáng) says that an earth-heave link (太極) will yield two appearances (兩儀): that is yīn (陰) and yáng (陽). Such a yīn-yáng setting is called a justified environment, an inner sanctuary created by justifying the past; otherwise also known also as an enlightened inner self, a blissful nirvana, or a growing human universe. (Picture sourced from plenthoeng.blogspot.my)

The Bāguà Theory 2 (Defining Limits) “無極生有極、有極是太極、 Evolve from a growth without limits to a growth with limits, and the limits must be supreme limits.” The bāguà poem starts off by describing the evolution of a human universe -- from nothing (無) to something (有), and then to its supreme form (太). The first line casts its spotlight exclusively on 極 (jí: limit). Why? Notes (sourced from ctext.org and chinese-dictionary.org): 無 (wú): -less / not to have / no / none / not / to lack / un- 有 (yǒu): to have / there is / there are / to exist / to be 太 (tài): highest / greatest / too (much) / very / extremely 極 (jí: limit): A natural growth (木) reaches its end (了) when the earth (一) is connected (又) to an opening (口). Simply put, a true limit must have an earth-opening link; or a start-to-finish link in today’s language. 無極 (wú jí): Without limits. A growth that has no limits is an unnatural growth, either because it is not grounded, or there is no opening for growth. A groundless growth tends to drift, like the homeless people wondering on the streets; while a restrained growth is inevitably distorted, like the malnourished people living in extreme poverty. 有極 (yǒu jí): With limits. A growth with limits is a natural growth; as it is driven by an earth-opening link. However, how far it can grow will depend on the type of opening. So, the definition of “opening” becomes the determinant of one’s fate. If it is set too low, one is shortchanging oneself; too high, it is going to be a stressful life; and in the wrong direction, it will get one nowhere, or worse, into troubles. 太極 (tài jí): With supreme limits. An ideal human universe has two supreme limits – earth being the lowest, below which life will not be supported; and heaven, the highest, beyond which there will be no openings. The earthly base is one’s natural home base, or the original level of existence registered at birth; while the heavenly limit is one’s maximum growth potential unleashed at the moment of birth. This is a controversial statement that needs to be substantiated. A scientific argument will be offered in due course. Still, there will be no solid evidence. At best, it is just food for thought. So, an earth-heaven link defines a human growth limits; the lowest being a “nobody” at the time of birth, and the highest being “somebody” at the pinnacle of one’s life. Essentially, the lowest limit is a base that has to be defended at all cost, like one’s own goalpost in a football game; or a ground for psyching up the mind, body, and spirit for a major event, like the starting line of a 100-meter dash. On the other hand, the highest limit is a target for scoring amidst strong resistances, like the opponent’s goalpost in a football game; or a destiny that draws out one’s best potential, like the finishing line in a 100-meter dash. 無極生有極 (wú jí shēng yǒu jí) spells out the condition for a natural growth, which will occur only if there is an earth-opening link. 有極是太極 (yǒu jí shì tài jí) emphasizes that only an earth-heaven link has the power to draw out one’s absolute best to grow a larger-than-life life. (Picture sourced from dreamstime.com)

The Bāguà Theory 1 (The Inventor of Bāguà) Fúxī (伏羲), a Chinese legend, invented the bāguà (八卦) during the mid-29th century BCE. “In the beginning there was as yet no moral or social order. Men knew their mothers only, not their fathers. When hungry, they searched for food; when satisfied, they threw away the remnants. They devoured their food hide and hair, drank the blood, and clad themselves in skins and rushes. Then came Fúxī and looked upward and contemplated the images in the heavens, and looked downward and contemplated the occurrences on earth. He united man and wife, regulated the five stages of change, and laid down the laws of humanity. He devised the eight trigrams, in order to gain mastery over the world.” (Story sourced from en.wikipedia.org) Bāguà (八卦) is a set of eight trigrams, each with three lines that are either broken or unbroken. Each of the eight trigrams carries a natural element that tells on them. ☰ Qián (乾) is symbolized by heaven (天, tiān). ☷ Kūn (坤) is symbolized by earth (地, dì). ☵ Kǎn (坎) is symbolized by water (水, shuǐ). ☲ Lí (离) is symbolized by fire (火, huǒ). ☳ Zhèn (震) is symbolized by thunder (雷, léi). ☶ Gèn (艮) is symbolized by mountain (山, shān). ☴ Xùn (巽) is symbolized by wind (風, fēng). ☱ Duì (兌) is symbolized by swamp (泽, zé). A broken line is called a yīn (陰) line; while an unbroken line is called a yáng (陽) line. 陰 (yīn) is a place (阝) where the present (今) is clouded (云). Clouding is part of an emotion cycle (as in a water cycle) that refreshes excited emotion; while present is now, not the past nor future. Translated: Yīn is an incubation phase that pins one down for emotion refreshment. Putting it another way, yīn is a restraining force that stops one from messing with natural processes, which need time to complete their natural courses. So, yīn is often perceived as a negative force that obstructs one’s progress. 陽 (yáng) is a place (阝) where the earth (一) is connected to the sun (日) to break through resistances (勿). Translated: Yáng is a growing phase that breaks through resistances with an earth-heaven link. Alternatively, yáng is a heavenly force that motivates one to go forward against all odds. So, yáng is often perceived as a positive force that facilitates one’s progress. The yīn and yáng forces are believed to be the only two forms of energy that exist in a human universe, a virtual space made out of a stable earthly base, an emotional human domain, and an expanding heavenly realm. The products of their 3-D interactions, bāguà (2 x 2 x 2 = 8), become the building blocks of the I-Ching hexagrams; constructed basing on the 3-D energy model (earth-human-heaven). Fúxī presented his Bāguà Theory in a beautiful poem. The poem tells the story of how a human universe evolves from nothingness to its ideal form; and reasons out how the sixty-four I-Ching hexagrams are formed, to capture all the possible distortions of a human universe one can experience in a lifetime. (Picture sourced from fengshuimall.com)

The Big Bang Theory 2 (The Earth-Heaven Link) Next is a crippling sensation; overpowered by a sudden burst of energy that inflates the entire body, and oozes out from every single pore. “Crippling” because the energized “being” literally took over the running of the body and mind; totally disregarding how one felt. I am talking about my first “energizing” experience, which ended with an injured back for attempting a somersault, instigated by the “high”. Gosh, the last somersault I did was in high school, during the sixties. “Motivated” is the correct term to describe the energy oozing sensation, which usually comes with a purpose and direction. Lesson learned – never put the cart before the horse! I had acted impulsively before the birth process was completed; like a baby crying out while still in the mother’s womb. Also, impulsiveness tells of a half-baked ego-soul separation job. A double whammy. I should have waited for the emergence of a fully charged and grounded “being”, the incoming master of my universe; taking over from the retired ego. The new master is a highly motivated soul yet remains firmly grounded at the natural home base; with the ego as an out-of-body observer. The motivation comes from a mysterious force of nature called by many names – the force, fate-driver, north-south magnetic force, external life-force, spiritual potential, heaven, or Dào (道: The Way, a term coined by I-Ching). The grounding force is derived from the soul’s natural frequency, which vibrates closed to the earthly rhythm to form a rock-solid earthly base. The free vibration represents the original level of one’s existence at the moment of birth; hence “the natural home base.” And the soul-charging is done through a direct earth-heaven link, which is free of human interference since the ego is now passive. Finally, such a “spirited” formation is called a spiritual self (a grounded soul guided by a heavenly ego); blessed with an intense joy fuelled by the earth-heaven energizing process. Done! A baby human universe comprises a stable earthly-base anchored at the present, an ego detached from the past, and a future driven relentlessly towards a destiny by a heavenly force. I-Ching calls the human universe a 3-D existence (earth-human-heaven); marked by a yīn-yáng sensation (a concoction of contentment and excitement) otherwise known as happiness, and wholesomeness derived from realizing one’s fullest potential in partnership with heaven. (Picture below sourced from universeadventure.org)

The flow can be enhanced. That's what I-Ching is for. The wind of change is definitely blowing (as indicated by the top xùn-guà); but I am not flowing smoothly with it; thereby slowing down the progress I am stuck in a jam; the result for responding to an opportunity from a position of weakness (as told by the bottom gèn-guà). I have a few response options. One is to strengthen either spiritually through meditation; or physically by changing to a stronger working platform to pursue my goal, like facebook. Another one is to change the way I perceive opportunity -- from chances to grow to openings for strengthening my position. The third option is to exercise patience; by building up the platform step by the step the old fashion way. My choice goes to option three; with the other two as complementary efforts. Thanks again Taomeow, for the pointer.