Tao Applied to the Changes

1. The Book of Changes is vast and great. When one speaks of what is far, it knows no limits. When one speaks of what is near, it is still and right. When one speaks of the space between heaven and earth, it embraces everything.

The Book of Changes is vast and great.

It is vast because it includes everything in the heavens and on earth.

It is the nature of the receptive to include everything.

It is great because it is the standard of light and its actions.

Light is the nature of the creative.

When one speaks of what is far, it knows no limits.

It includes the light in the heavens itself, with its constellations, stars, and celestial lights.

There is no limit to it.

No matter how far away something is, it will be included.

This is the measure of heaven and earth.

Even galaxies can be considered within the zodiac and the astrological houses, that is; within the lights in the heavens and the lines on the earth.

When one speaks of what is near, it is still and right.

This refers to the circumstances around us, our attachment to them, our thoughts and feelings, and our relationship to our heart (love and peace).

The advice in the changes is about outer competence and inner tranquility.

It is peaceful, centred in our hearts and correct in its perspective.

The awareness of change presents a valid approach to life and its meaning.

When one speaks of the space between heaven and earth, it embraces everything.

The space between heaven and earth includes the lights in the heavens and the affairs of people on earth.

This includes the zodiac (heavenly light), the moving lights (sun, moon and planets) and the astrological houses (lines on the earth), as well as the relationships between them.

The changes reveal how light creates life and serves to guide the affairs of people.

It includes everything that needs to be considered.

It is the source of understanding.

Everything is included.

Nothing is left out.

Where else is there to look?

2. In a state of rest the Creative is one, and in a state of motion it is straight; therefore it creates that which is great. The Receptive is closed in a state of rest, and in a state of motion it opens; therefore it creates that which is vast.

In a state of rest the Creative is one,

The creative is light and in a state of rest it is the source of light, or the beginning of things.

It is not divided.

Its symbol is the solid line.

and in a state of motion it is straight;

Light shines directly out from its source.

The sun shines on all.

therefore it creates that which is great.

The direct light of the sun makes things grow bigger.

It stimulates or causes one to be more than one appears to be at the moment.

Creative action leads to greatness and it creates that which is great.

In astrology the sun represents the purpose of life and its creative power.

The implications of one’s sun sign shows the way for each person to live up to his or her capability and destiny, gain confidence, make things happen and become great.

The Receptive is closed in a state of rest,

The receptive is darkness.

It is the earth.

When it rests it is still and not receptive to light.

This refers to the darkness within or the darkness at night after the sun has set.

There is no light or action.

It is closed to creativity.

and in a state of motion it opens;

As the earth turns it is receptive to light in stages.

The darkness opens to the increasing light and its warmth.

Life manifests from earth’s receptivity to light and creativity.

It opens to all possible actions and options.

The symbol of the receptive is a broken line, a line that is open in the middle.

therefore it creates that which is vast.

The receptive is the space or darkness that holds the light.

The creative is the light that lights up the darkness and enlivens space.

Because the receptive is the space that holds everything, it is vast and represents the sense of distance.

Because the creative is the light that enlivens and energizes everything, it is great and represents a sense of immediacy.

3. Because of its vastness and greatness, it corresponds with heaven and earth. Because of its changes and its continuity, it corresponds with the four seasons. Because of the meaning of light and the dark, it corresponds with the sun and moon. Because of the good in the easy and the simple, it corresponds with the supreme power.

Because of its vastness and greatness, it corresponds with heaven and earth.

This is an affirmation of the relationship of the changes to the lights in the heavens (stars and constellations) and the darkness of the earth (astrological houses).

Because of its changes and its continuity, it corresponds with the four seasons.

This refers to the changing light and darkness each day across the year, or one cycle of the earth around the sun.

This is measured by the zodiac and the months of the year.

Each zodiac sign (and month) has a different ratio of light and darkness.

Half of the year daylight is increasing (Dec. 22 to Jun. 21).

This is the half that includes winter and spring.

Half of the year darkness is increasing (Jun. 21 to Dec. 22).

This is the half that includes summer and fall.

Half of the year there is more daylight than darkness (Mar. 21 to Sept. 23).

This is the half that includes spring and summer.

Half of the year there is more darkness than daylight

(Sept.23 to Mar.21 ).

This is the half that includes fall and winter.

In the winter daylight is increasing but there is still more darkness than light.

This refers to the zodiac signs of Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces.

In spring daylight is increasing and there is more daylight than darkness.

This refers to the zodiac signs of Aries, Taurus and Gemini.

In summer darkness is increasing but there is more daylight than darkness.

This refers to the zodiac signs of Cancer, Leo and Virgo.

In the fall darkness is increasing and there is more darkness than daylight.

 This refers to the zodiac signs of Libra, Scorpio and Sagittarius.

Because of the meaning of light and the dark, it corresponds with the sun and moon.

In Chinese the symbol or word picture for the sun and the moon are the same as the symbols for day and night.

It is common that the sun would be referred to as representing the day, and the moon as representing the night.

The moon however is a moving light and not the darkness.

The changes and their meanings also correspond to the hours of the day or the astrological houses.

They also correspond to the cycles of the sun and moon or moving lights.

Within the moon’s cycle in its relationship to the sun, it has phases from the darkness of the new moon to the brightness of the full moon.

The moon waxes bright and then it wanes.

This cycle of moon phases is also known as an aspect cycle or relationship, and it contains the changes in their natural sequence with the subsequent implications and advice implied.

Within the day cycle we have the greatest darkness at midnight, then the daylight increases to sunrise and keeps increasing until noon.

After noon the light decreases to sunset and keeps decreasing until midnight.

From sunrise to sunset there is more light than darkness.

From sunset to sunrise there is more darkness than light.

This gives us the four phases of the day with its changing relationship to the light and the darkness.

The four phases determine the natural sequence of the changes.

Because of the good in the easy and the simple,

This refers to the good in both the creative and the receptive.

The creative knows through the easy.

The receptive can do things through the simple.

This implies that the ways of the creative and the receptive are good, and of course that the study of heaven and earth and its relevance to individuals is also beneficial.

it corresponds with the supreme power.

This study of the changes in heaven and on earth is good, and it also represents the study and wisdom of the supreme power.

The changes and astrology give advice from on high.

They give divine advice.

Where else would one go for true understanding?