yo
tyler
61

Zhongfu :: Holding The Center

Auspicious : sacrifice piglets1 and fishes :: Favorable for crossing the great river: favorable augury

中孚
䷼
6 :: first
Keeping still brings good fortune. Unexpected mishap. No celebration.
Keep still. Even though your actions seem insignificant they are still in error. Likewise, do not overreact to a small error or loss. Be like a distant relative at a funeral.
9 :: second
A crane calls in the dark.2 Her brood follows. I share the wine cup.
Superiors protect you from danger. Reliable allies and/or family offer protection and inspiration. You need not act in your own defense.
6 :: third
Taking captives. Beating drums. Some weep; some sing.
You experience the sadness of defeat, but, at the same time, resignation provides an opportunity to join forces with the winner. The situation is emotionally difficult and it is hard to know what to do. New alliances are not yet strong.
9 :: fourth
There is a full moon. A horse is lost. No misfortune.
At the peak of a cycle of growth, there is an inevitable reversal. It is important to not get bogged down in external details at this time. Do not obsess about the past or speculate about your gains and losses. Things are bound to go well in the end.
9 :: fifth
Sacrificing captives. Bonds are made. No misfortune.
As a leader you must stay focused and to do what others cannot do. True leaders must act forcefully at times. Those who do not join the new order must be sacrificed. There is no misfortune in this. The real future beckons you forward and idealistic fantasies must be relinquished.
6 :: top
Sacrificial bird beats its wings. Ill omen.
You struggle inappropriately. Struggling against a fated defeat wastes energy and brings on greater disaster. Let things be. Accept even a bitter fate with equanimity.
Image

Zhongfu is about the inner strength that comes from a modest acceptance (pig-let) of a heavy fate (crossing the river). "Holding to the center"3 is a kind of meditative composure that is not unhinged by danger, success or failure. The image is that of inner confidence. This confidence expresses itself in the courage to act when others cannot.

Auspices

Zhongfu is favorable for accomplishing what is difficult. It is favorable for being fearlessness in the face of difficult decisions.

Good for travel, moving house, meditation, family matters, and marriage.
Bad for excessive emotion, sentimentality, enthusiasm, and complaint.
Comment

Zhongfu has diverse interpretations, but it all boils down to having a sane and solid sense of what is valuable. This sense of value comes from and is sustained by a contemplative outlook, not conventional morality or rationalism. It is the practice and inspiration of non-conceptual meditation.

Where do we go when things go well? Where do we go when things go badly? The Zhouyi says we should go within--to the center. The action that arises from stillness is able to "work wonders." A Zen archer lets the arrow find the target without meddling.

It is only when we have a strong center that we can survive difficulties and adapt to change. It takes strength (gi) to win, it takes strength (qi) to lose and, most importantly, it takes strength (qi) to adapt to change. Do not waste qi celebrating success or complaining about failure--demonstrate your qi through adaptation and then return to the quiet within.

Other Correspondences
Business: Restructuring or retooling a company, firing staff, and company takeovers.
Disharmonies: Coronary thrombosis, stroke, and injury.
Prognosis: Fair. The patients recover if they find and use inner resources for self-healing.