reading results for : what is my current understanding level of i-ching ? and how to improve it ?

[waterdrop]

I asked the i-ching what is my current level of understanding of the i-ching ?  and how i can improve it ?          (both in same reading)            the results i got is hexagram 23    with changing line at the top ... which makes it change to hexagram  2          (hidden hex is 2 as well) 

I wonder what are peoples thoughts on this  ? 

and since people always ask  what i understand  i will say that i am not sure at all what is the reply to what is my current level of understanding  -  but it seems that hex 23  basically says not to try to improve my i-ching  (so in my case to not start to use it again  - at least not now at this time)  and doesnt show how to improve my i ching understanding 

Would love to read what people think about the results  and how they interpret  them ? 

[mcoolio]

23 is darkness or rather, nearing the darkness. But 6th line changing can mean the end of a situation, so this can mean the end of a dark period perhaps? The end of a cycle?

 

Perhaps the end of a period of being stuck in your studies, where you were searching but not finding the next step.

 

2 can be the fertile soil which is waiting to receive the seeds. So this can indicate your readiness and receptivity for reengaging your I Ching studies again? It also indicates the idea of being open, receptive.

 

23 also carries the idea of dropping old useless ideas to make place for new ones and of course, this works good together with the 2 in this case.

 

I once heard someone say, you may think you know I Ching, but then it opens up again and you can keep going deeper and deeper. So it doesn't really matter what your level is. The practitioner just keeps going.

 

So my interpretation is that you have been feeling a little bit stuck in your I Ching studies, but you are ready to reengage your studies. It may be good to put aside the I Ching material you have been studying up to this point. And to be open to new suggestions.

 

This interpretation seems to align with your post...

 

[waterdrop]

@mcoolio  Thanks for the good reply

 

Quote

23 is darkness or rather, nearing the darkness. But 6th line changing can mean the end of a situation, so this can mean the end of a dark period perhaps? The end of a cycle?

Perhaps the end of a period of being stuck in your studies, where you were searching but not finding the next step.

But if the one changing line is the one yang line ....   than it all becomes yin   (change to hex 2)    -  doesnt this mean the situation is entering a period of darkness ? 

maybe trying to change things will cause me to be stuck ?   or that no matter what i will be stuck so best not waste effort on it  - and in this case not try to use the i ching ?

the general judgment of the hex seems to fit that :
 

Quote

 

Legge:Disintegration means that it is not advantageous to make a movement in any direction whatever.

Wilhelm/Baynes:Splitting Apart. It does not further one to go anywhere.
Liu: Decay. It is unfavorable to undertake anything.
Shaughnessy: Flaying: Not beneficial to have someplace to go.
Wu: Tearing indicates that it is not advantageous to have any undertaking.

 

The changing line thing is the most confusing thing to me  - cause i did see in some place that the situation is too stable and fixed so its good to change it (which is opposite of general judgment)   ...  but if that was the case than why would that changing line lead to an even more "fixed" situation (hex 2)  ?

I guess when asking 2 point question that includes also a question about my current level was for several reasons , to test the accuracy of the reply , to make it easier for me to see as a check point   (  because i know my current understanding of the i-ching is very low) and to understand the difference  -  like hoped maybe first hex would be bad in nature and second really good   - and that the changing line would be some hint on what i should do in order to improve my level of understanding

(about my situation ... in the past i tried the i ching but didnt have much success with it ,i stopped , than was considering re taking it but someone i adviced with said i-ching might be evil ,  but he said that without knowing much about it now he read about it and said it is ok   ...   so now i want go give i-ching another go  -  and this was my first reading since )

Edited August 19, 2022 by waterdrop

[mcoolio]

In general

1st line changing indicates something which has yet to happen

6th line changing indicates something which has passed already

 

So for 23.6 it indicates the end of the decline.

 

I can see the confusion with 23 being about this last yang being overcome by 5 yin and this last yang changing to yin so it seems as if it's not good. But I think it's wrong to see it this way and the description of line 6 reflects this pretty clearly I would say. It is a rather positive line.

 

I would not say 2 carries the idea of 'fixed'. It can be an hexagram of doing. Of putting into action the ideas that have been lingering in your head (learning i ching).

 

So I think personally think i ching is telling you it's safe to give it another go.

[waterdrop]

Awesome , thanks , and it makes sense