Sincerity in Hexagram 41

[OldDog]

The other day I was reading David Hinton's Classical Chinese Poetry. This is only incidental in that it suggests the frame of mind I was in at the time. As I was reading, an image from my childhood came to mind. It was that of being on a lake in the early morning at the base of a large stone cliff, fishing with my father. This was an actual memory. Now, it has been many years since I have even thought about that location and fishing but the image was clear and strong. 

 

It then occured to me to look up the hexagram where Gen (mountain) is above and Dui (lake) is below; hexagram 41, to see what it had to say about this image. In reading about Sun, special emphasis is placed on Sincerity. Consultiing severaI Chings confirmed this emphasis but not in all cases. Sincerity seems to be pivotal to understanding Decrease in favorable terms.

 

My question has to do with the origin of the notion of sincerity. Does it come from the lower trigram, Dui? Is there some special significance to sincerity, perhaps cultural, that neeeds to be understood? Can sincerity be thought of more like humility, which also seems appropriate to understanding this hexagram?

 

To be clear, this hexagram was not the result of a casting but occurred to me during a reflective moment of the day. I would appreciate any insights on this hexagram.

[Harmen]

The notion of 'sincerity' probably comes from the phrase youfu 有孚, sometimes translated as 'there is sincerity', that is mentioned in the Judgement text. But there is more to this phrase than just that - see here.

[OldDog]

When I first read about hexagram 41, Sun, image of Decrease with Sincerity (Wilhelm), my attention was drawn to the idea of Sincerity. I brushed over Decrease, assuming that the context of the inquiry would provide the insight to what should decrease. This may have been a mistake but more on that in a bit.

 

On inquiring about the nature of sincerity and following up on hmesker's semantic discussions on youfu an fu, much was revealed about the nature of sincerity, if not the origin of sincerity. Most revealing is the notion of sincerity as a quality of appropriate response/activity that has two main attributes, correctness and connectedness. Correctness has to do with the manner or form of the response/activity. No single word is adequate but in reading several I Ching translations it is variously described as genuine, faithful, respectful and perseverant. Connectedness is revealed as having two potentials: being connected to the outcome or being connected to the process of the response/activity. I found this to be remarkable in that it is only when I think of being connected to the process that the correctness of the effort comes into meaning. 

 

This then brings me back to the notion of Decrease. The use of the word decrease leaves some ambiguity as to whether it is an end result, as in state of being, or an activity, as in process. Some translators prefer the use of the word Reduction (Cleary). Reduction seems more descriptive of a process and seems to align with notions of correctness. If process is the better way of thinking about Decrease/Reduction, then what is it that is to be decreased or reduced. Does it vary with context or is there something that could be the object of the process that is appropriate for all contexts? 

 

At this point, I have to say that I am seeing two different traditions of Taoism at work here and this is where my understanding is feeling a little thin. There seems to be a more mainstream tradition, probably influenced more by Confucianists, and one that seems to be more Neidan oriented. Cleary's, The Taoist I Ching, appears to be representative of the latter. He makes frequent reference to Liu I-ming who comes from the Niedan tradition. It is in Cleary's translation that I find the notion of Reduction explained as a process that seems to provide the best overall explanation of hexagram 41.

 

"... reduction as a path means not following desires but stopping desires; many people cannot be sincere in it. If one cannot be sincere, one may start but will not finish; then not only will one fail to gain good fortune, one will also bring on blame."

 

So, hexagram 41 advises that the times call for decrease/reduction of excess (desire, emotions), which must be done with sincerity (humility and correctness) over the long haul (perseverance). Through sincerity you remain connected to the process of reduction. This path leads to success not misfortune. Thus the process and manner of performance are specified. This advise would be appropriate for most, if not all, contexts.

 

This investigation of hexagram 41 has been a good exercise for me. I would appreciate hearing others thoughts. Thanks