Following up on this thread, I'd like to continue to explore the connections between hexagram judgment texts and image texts. This series will not go in order, though.
Moose Elk suggested in that thread that we look at Hexagram 44 next, and indeed, this is one of the more enigmatic patterns.
Here is the judgment text of 44:
Wilhelm-Baynes: "Coming to Meet. The maiden is powerful. One should not marry such a maiden."
Hilary: "Coupling, the woman is powerful. Do not take this woman."
Legge: "Temptation shows a female who is bold and strong. It will not be good to marry such a female.
And here is the image text:
WB: "Under heaven, wind: the image of Coming to Meet. Thus does the prince act when disseminating his commands and proclaiming them to the four quarters of heaven."
Hilary: "Below heaven is the wind. Coupling. The prince sends out mandates and commands to the four corners of the earth."
Legge: "The image of wind with the sky above it forms Temptation. The sovereign, in accordance with this, delivers his charges, and promulgates his announcements throughout the four quarters of the kingdom."
Now what could be the connection between the judgment and image texts?
In her latest blog post on this hexagram, Hilary focuses on the trigrams and suggests that the hexagram is about "heaven-powered wind," and that the image suggests an alignment with that to "bring creative change." Though she writes this may not always be possible, since the wind in question is so powerful and untamable.
Rosada suggests that "While disseminating his commands and proclaiming to the four quarters of heaven he does not marry such a maiden [or get detained by her or sidetracked by anything else for that matter]" i.e. "look but don't touch!" The idea is not to get distracted by problematic unconscious/subliminal impulses.
Lavalamp writes that 44 is about "powers of persuasion" and that just like the woman is trying to persuade you to "give her your seed" to bring forth an heir, the prince is trying to convince everyone that his ideas are correct and should be followed.
I personally find the connection that strikes me is that the temptation is some kind of problem which must be warned about. This is clearest in the Legge rendering of the image: "The image of wind with the sky above it forms Temptation. The sovereign, in accordance with this, delivers his charges, and promulgates his announcements throughout the four quarters of the kingdom." There is a dangerous force ("temptation") afoot, and therefore the sovereign does x, y, and z to deal with it -- to get everyone to see the danger and avoid it. If a tornado is coming, then the tornado alert must be sounded. All the relevant parties must be cautioned.
Another connection is that in the judgment text, "the woman is powerful." Misfortune is not indicated -- only the long-term idea of marriage is discouraged. As Hilary suggests, the power may be harnessed. There is the idea in psychology and philosophy of "sublimation" -- of using lower/baser instincts and impulses and energies channeling them towards higher ends. So that though the "woman" may not be marriage material, still something powerful can come of it, as reflected in the 5th line:
WB 44.5: "A melon covered with willow leaves. Hidden lines. Then it drops down to one from heaven."
As Hilary points out, this is an image of pregnancy.
But if this wild energy is going to somehow be sublimated instead of just avoided, if it's to result in a child instead of a problem, it's a matter of using the excitement for communicative purposes.
What are your thoughts/feelings?
Moose Elk suggested in that thread that we look at Hexagram 44 next, and indeed, this is one of the more enigmatic patterns.
Here is the judgment text of 44:
Wilhelm-Baynes: "Coming to Meet. The maiden is powerful. One should not marry such a maiden."
Hilary: "Coupling, the woman is powerful. Do not take this woman."
Legge: "Temptation shows a female who is bold and strong. It will not be good to marry such a female.
And here is the image text:
WB: "Under heaven, wind: the image of Coming to Meet. Thus does the prince act when disseminating his commands and proclaiming them to the four quarters of heaven."
Hilary: "Below heaven is the wind. Coupling. The prince sends out mandates and commands to the four corners of the earth."
Legge: "The image of wind with the sky above it forms Temptation. The sovereign, in accordance with this, delivers his charges, and promulgates his announcements throughout the four quarters of the kingdom."
Now what could be the connection between the judgment and image texts?
In her latest blog post on this hexagram, Hilary focuses on the trigrams and suggests that the hexagram is about "heaven-powered wind," and that the image suggests an alignment with that to "bring creative change." Though she writes this may not always be possible, since the wind in question is so powerful and untamable.
Rosada suggests that "While disseminating his commands and proclaiming to the four quarters of heaven he does not marry such a maiden [or get detained by her or sidetracked by anything else for that matter]" i.e. "look but don't touch!" The idea is not to get distracted by problematic unconscious/subliminal impulses.
Lavalamp writes that 44 is about "powers of persuasion" and that just like the woman is trying to persuade you to "give her your seed" to bring forth an heir, the prince is trying to convince everyone that his ideas are correct and should be followed.
I personally find the connection that strikes me is that the temptation is some kind of problem which must be warned about. This is clearest in the Legge rendering of the image: "The image of wind with the sky above it forms Temptation. The sovereign, in accordance with this, delivers his charges, and promulgates his announcements throughout the four quarters of the kingdom." There is a dangerous force ("temptation") afoot, and therefore the sovereign does x, y, and z to deal with it -- to get everyone to see the danger and avoid it. If a tornado is coming, then the tornado alert must be sounded. All the relevant parties must be cautioned.
Another connection is that in the judgment text, "the woman is powerful." Misfortune is not indicated -- only the long-term idea of marriage is discouraged. As Hilary suggests, the power may be harnessed. There is the idea in psychology and philosophy of "sublimation" -- of using lower/baser instincts and impulses and energies channeling them towards higher ends. So that though the "woman" may not be marriage material, still something powerful can come of it, as reflected in the 5th line:
WB 44.5: "A melon covered with willow leaves. Hidden lines. Then it drops down to one from heaven."
As Hilary points out, this is an image of pregnancy.
But if this wild energy is going to somehow be sublimated instead of just avoided, if it's to result in a child instead of a problem, it's a matter of using the excitement for communicative purposes.
What are your thoughts/feelings?