51. Taking Action

Name and Structure

Zhen means shake, shock, or quake. In the I Ching, it is the symbol of Thunder. Wilhelm translates Zhen as The Arousing (Shock, Thunder), and Blofeld translates it as Thunder. Here I consider the significance of Thunder and employ the term Taking Action.

Sequence of the Gua

For taking charge of a sacrificial vessel,
no one is more suitable than the eldest son.
Thus, after Establishing the New,
Taking Action follows.

Decision

Taking Action.
Prosperous and smooth.
Thunder comes—alarm! alarm!
Laughing and talking—ha! ha!
Thunder shocks a hundred li.
The sacrificial spoon and chalice do not fall.

Commentary on the Decision

Thunder—Taking Action.
Prosperous and smooth.

Thunder comes—alarm! alarm!
Being fearful brings good fortune.
Laughing and talking—ha,ha!
After that, there is a principle to follow.

Thunder shocks a hundred li.
It startles the distant and frightens the near.
Coming forth, he is able to protect the temple of ancestors,
and the state as well,
And take charge of all sacrifices.

Commentary on the Symbol

Thunder is dul.
Action is doubled.
In correspondence with this,
The superior person with fearful mind
Is cultivating his virtue and examining his fault.

Significance

This gua is one of the eight among the sixty-four accomplished gua that is made by doubling one of the eight primary gua. Here, the accomplished gua is Zhen, Taking Action, and the primary gua is Thunder. The structure of the gua is Thunder above, Thunder below. When Thunder is doubled, the potential energy is tremendous. In the I Ching, Thunder represent the eldest son of Heaven and Earth. It symbolizes the beginning of a created being. After the eldest son is born, a new cycle starts, and a new generation starts out. Thunder is a gua of the spring season. An ancient Chinese adage says, “Once the spring thunder bursts, myriad beings on Earth are awakened.”k After that, the Earth will be green again and farmers can begin work in the field. Tis is a picture of prosperity.

Taking Action advises people to adopt a cautious heart and a cautious mind in dealing with a new situation before expecting success. Taking action brings success, and it is tempting to try to enhance success. But the wise man keeps himself calm and remains at ease. He does not let the excitement lead to failure in important matters. With a cautious mind, he cultivates his virtues and examines his errors. This is the key to success. The host of the gua is unusual—it is the solid line at the bottom. I hints that the positive energy is taking action and moving upward from below.

After King Wen’s new system was established, people were shocked, feeling as if a thunderstorm was striking. Some felt alrm. When the benefits became known, they talked to each other and laughed together. However, King Wen, from beginning to end, was as calm in carrying out the reformation as a priest holding a sacrificial spoon and chalice without letting them fall. The Duke of Zhou records how the people were happy but not the slave owners. Dangerous counterattacks were anticipated, for some in-laws o the tyrant stood against the reformation.

4. Childhood

Sequence of the Gua

Zhun denotes what has just been born.
What has just been born is in its childhood,
Thus, after Beginning, Childhood follows.

Decision:

Childhood.
Prosperous and smooth.
It is not I who seek the ignorant,
The ignorant seeks me.
On the first divination, I give light.
Repeating again is contemptuous.
Being contemptuous, I give no more instruction.
Favorable to be steadfast and upright.

Commentary on the Decision

Unenlightened ignorant.
At the foot of a mountain lies difficulty;
Difficulty makes him stand still.
It is ignorant behavior.

The ignorant can be prosperous and smooth
If he acts in accordance with the proper time
And follows the principle of the central way.
It is not I who seeks the ignorant.
The ignorant seeks me.
His will responds to mine.

On the first divination, I give light.
He was firm and in a central position

Repeating again is contemptuous.
Being contemptuous, no more instruction.
Showing contempt causes ignorance.
Uncovering the covered is to nourish the correct nature.
It is a holy task.

Commentary on the Symbol

A spring flows out of a mountain.
The symbol of an unenlightened ignorant.
In correspondence with this,
The superior person makes every effort
To cultivate virtue with resolute deeds.

Top Nine

Punishing the ignorant.
Not favorable to treat like a foe.
Favorable to prevent further mischief.

Preventing further mischief.
UIpper and lower go well.

Significance

The image of the gua is a spring flowing out of a mountain and becoming a murmuring stream. Afterward, the stream grows into a great river, nurturing myriad beings. However, as the river flows over the ground it becomes dirty. This gua takes this image to expound upon the importance of enlightening and educating the ignorant while in the infant stage.

The host of the gua is the yang element at the second place. It is central and firm, able to revere the teacher and therefore teach others. The yin element at the fifth place responds to this yang element. Two analogies are employed to expound upon the gua. One is about education; the other is about marriage. The yang element at the second place is a firm line at the central place of the lower gua. In the I Ching, the lower gua stands in a position inferior to the upper gua. Here, the yang element at the second place plays a major role. It represents a teacher who is enlightening and educating the ignorant. Because it is a firm line in the lower gua, it symbolizes the quality of magnanimity. There are four yielding lines surrounding it, one below and three above. Symbolically, these yielding lines are the ignorant who are to enlightened. the Chinese believed that every ignorant person is different. According to the ancient Chinese tradition, they should be taught in accordance with their aptitudes. The unenlightened should be humble and devout and take the initial step to seek enlightenment. In other words, they should be ready and willing to accept education. On the other hand, one acting as a source of enlightenment should also be patient and forgiving.

The image of this gua is Mountain above Water. In the I Ching, Mountain symbolizes a family, and Water represents the middle son. The four yin lines around a yang line can be viewed as four women approaching a man and intending to marry him. The solid line at the second place is a yang element, a man. The yielding line at the fifth place is a yin element, a woman. They respond to each other, and because both of them are in a central place and they yin and yang, a perfect match.

King Wen arranged this gua as a continuation of the preceding one. The preceding gua pertained to establishing feudal lords; it was a question of foreign affairs. This gua was meant to educate his own people; it had to do with internal affairs. King Wen realized the importance of education in abolishing the old system and establishing a new one. His policy was to start with those who were humble and devout and willing to accept education. In ancient China, divination was part of the social fabric bringing people together. Through divination the king promulgated decrees. In accepting an elder’s instruction, one should be as devout as when accepting the instruction of a divination.

In the Yao Text, the Duke of Zhou gives specific social advice; education, for example, should be used to lead the ignorant to the right path. Punishment should not be employed. A norm of proper behavior should be set up. It is important to be magnanimous to docile minority tribes and to educate them in the way to establish harmonious families and help their descendants sustain their families. It is better not to form alliances with half-hearted tribes, because they are not ready. And for isolated minority tribes, it is necessary to help them come into contact with other people.

Top Nine: Childhood alternates to Multitude (7)

The yang element at the top is at the uppermost place. In this place one reaches the extreme and becomes self-willed and opinionated. the ignorant one is too firm and fiery tempered. The upper gua is Mountain. In the I Ching, the character for Mountain also represents hands; thus the Duke of Zhou refers to punishing an unenlightened child. The ancient way of correcting a child rarely employed punishment. Only when there was no alternative was punishment employed. This gua gives warning that one should not treat the ignorant as a foe. The purpose of punishment is to prevent further mischief. This gua expounds upon a way of correcting mischief. The attitude should be firm, but the means should be gentle. Even punishment should contain gentleness within and express firmness without. The commentary says, “Preventing further mischief. Upper and lower go well.” The upper is the teacher, the lower is the student. The student should be humble and open-minded and the teacher should be patient and forgiving. Then, upper and lower, teacher and student, will do well.