The I Ching Series: A Contemplation of Ancient Chinese Text
Each week I have been sharing one of the 64 hexagrams’ Decision as well as Confucius’ Commentary on the Decision and Symbol. I then meditate on the hexagram for a week, review the Significance of the hexagram, and write my own reflection on each hexagram. I invite you to join me in contemplating this ancient Confuscian and Taoist philosophy.
You can read previous Introductions and Contemplations here.
This past week I contemplated Hexagram 5:
Xü ● Needing:
Decision
Needing.
Being sincere and faithful,
Brilliantly prosperous and smooth.
Being steadfast and upright: good fortune.
Favorable to cross great rivers.
Commentary on the Decision
Needing:
Requiring faith and confidence to wait;
Danger lies ahead.
Being firm and strong,
One does not allow oneself to be involved in danger.
The conduct is right;
One will not fall into straits.
Needing, being sincere and faithful.
There will be brilliant success.
Be steadfast and upright.
Good fortune.
Being in the place assigned by Heaven;
It is central and correct.
Favorable to cross great rivers.
Going forward, your work will be accomplished.
Commentary on the Symbol
Clouds ascending in the sky.
An image of Needing.
In correspondence with this,
The superior person eats and drinks, feasting with joy.
.
Contemplation
I am noticing a theme emerging from my reflections on the I Ching. This theme surrounds my profession, vocation, and life’s work. I find it interesting how this theme is coalescing only after a few weeks.
As I reflected on Xü ● Needing this week, I was reminded not only about remaining true to one’s mission and vision, but also to have confidence and faith in one’s mission and vision. Confucius’ Commentary on the Decision reads:
“Needing:
Requiring faith and confidence to wait;
Danger lies ahead.
Being firm and strong,
One does not allow oneself to be involved in danger.
The conduct is right;
One will not fall into straits.
Needing, being sincere and faithful.
There will be brilliant success.
Be steadfast and upright.
Good fortune.
Being in the place assigned by Heaven;
It is central and correct.
Favorable to cross great rivers.
Going forward, your work will be accomplished.”
Confucius’ Commentary fleshes out a deeper meaning of the Decision. For me, Confucius is suggesting the importance of remaining true to oneself as well as remaining confident and strong. In doing so, success will follow and your goals will be accomplished.
I have been going through a small crisis this year. It has been a crisis of reflection – reflecting on my profession, vocation, and life’s work as well as my mission and vision. Yes. I actually have a personal mission and vision that I review every few years. This year, these reflections have all collided.
I am an individual of constant reflection – to the point that I sometimes question my decisions.
I have spent the past several years defining and refining my personal and professional mission, vision, and vision in action. Each time I make a revision and make course corrections to align with the revised version, I sometimes spend months questioning:
- Was this change right for me?
- Do my personal and professional missions align with each other?
- What if these changes are a mistake?
- Will these changes negatively impact my future?
- How do others view my/our mission?
These questions sometimes weigh on me and sometimes affect the faith and confidence that I have in my mission, vision, values, and sometimes even myself. This year has definitely been a year of reflection in all of these areas. After this reflection, I find myself recommitting to my mission and vision. As long as I remain faithful to my mission and vision and approach all my interactions with sincerity, success and good fortune will follow.
How often do you reflect on your profession, vocation, and life purpose? Have you ever remained true to what is important, remained steadfast in your resolve, and reaped the rewards for such dedication? Have you considered crafting a personal and professional mission and vision? Do you ever doubt your resolve? Where have you reaped rewards from your steadfastness?
About the Author
As a practitioner and healer in Washington, DC for more than a decade, I take a patient-centered approach to care through acupuncture, cupping, herbal medicines, and mind-body coaching, with a specialty in full-spectrum reproductive health care.
