Yi: Russia’s relationship with Ukraine after SMO 42 >< 23

The ideograph of Yi is simple and clear. The lower part is the image of a household container. Above the container is an ancient ideograph for water, shui. It looks exactly like the symbol of the original gua Kan, Water ☵. Water above a container symbolizes that water is pouring into the container, an act of increasing. The structure of the gua is Wind ☴ above, Thunder ☳ below. When Wind and Thunder support each other, their energy is doubled. It is also an image of increase. The inner gua, Thunder, indicates that there is firm resolution within. The outer gua, Wind, indicates that there is penetrating outward action. Confucius’s Commentary on the Symbol says, “The superior person follows the good when he sees it, and corrects his fault when he finds it.” This tells us that a superior person follows the good as quickly as the wind and corrects his faults as firmly as thunder.

The theme of the previous gua is to decrease what is lower in order to increase what is higher. This gua discusses how to decrease what is above in order to increase what is below.

When Heaven ☰ loses a yang element, it becomes Wind. And when earth ☷ gains a yang element, it becomes Thunder. This is precisely an image of diminishing the lower to increase the upper. Increasing comes from Pi, Hindrance (12) ䷋. In Hindrance, there are three solid lines in the upper gua and three yielding lines in the lower gua. When the topmost solid line of Hindrance moves to the bottom, Hindrance alternates to Increasing. The Commentary on the Decision says, “To decrease what is above is to increase what is lower.” The upper gua is Wood as well as Wind. Here it symbolizes that a wooden boat is moving forward, driven by the wind. The lower gua is Thunder, symbolizing action. Thus King Wen’s Decision says, “Favorable to have somewhere to go. Favorable to cross great rivers.” [Huang Complete I Ching]