51. Taking Action
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 Decision:
Thunder is dual.
Action is doubled.
In correspondence with this,
The superior person with fearful mind
Is cultivating his virtue and examining his fault.
Commentary on the Fourth Nine:
Thunder comes.
Stuck in the mud.
Thunder comes, stuck in the mud.
Its radiance is not able to shine.
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. When Thunder is doubled, the potential energy is tremendous. In the I Ching, Thunder represents 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 sets out. Thunder is the gua of the spring season. An ancient Chinese adage says, “Once the spring thunder burst, Myriad beings on Earth are awakened.” After that, the Earth will be green again and farmers can begin work in the field. This 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. It 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 alarm. 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 of the tyrant stood against the reformation.
From The Complete I Ching, Alfred Huang
Significance of Fourth Nine:
The fourth line is a yang element at a yin place, neither central nor correct. There a two yin elements above and another two below. They restrict his motion. Thus the Yao Text says, “Stuck in the mud.” One at this place is lost in the darkness. If one lowers one’s guard and becomes careless, even if success ensues, one will not know how to deal with it. One of the main aspects of the Tao of I is that events move forward in waves. After King Wen’s reformation went smoothly for a while, it became stuck in the mud again.