23 Pruning, Cutting-Back In a context of devotion we utilise discernment.

Trigrams : devotion (bottom), discernment (top) : with/from devotion comes discernment. [heaven over earth]

The mud from which 23 has emerged is best described by analogy to the under-stated qualities of hexagram 24, return (to the 'light')

Commentary :

In hexagram 23 we recognize that the establishment of history is an important part of social development. It enables the culture to have depth and firm ground to stand on and thus something to balance on. This sense of history, and therefore tradition, is fostered by studying the thoughts of old (26) as well as spiritual celebration. An imbalance can occur when the deeds of the past are interpreted as being relevant and superior to now. Spiritually, this can be a backward step and these thoughts should be discarded; only the core is retained. The context gives the return to the 'correct' path, together with uniting others around the core principles - separating chaff from wheat - Pruning.

(All four hexagrams (26,43,45,23) deal with the social past and it's influences on the now as part of the generic concept of balance seeking as symbolised by their base trigrams.)

Five-Phase Relationships : The trigram of Earth reflects Filtration (through faith, given rules). The trigram of Mountain reflects Filtration (through personal discernment). Filtration-by-faith through Filtration-by-discernment is expressed as 'pruning', cutting things back to essentials.

Goal of 23 - hexagram 27 (or 'how do I 23? - 27)

23 is the goal of 43 (or 'how do I 43? - 23' ' How do I be robust, spreading the word? By pruning things down to their basics, the 'real truth')

The I Ching tells us about hexagram 23:

The Emotional I Ching identifies hexagrams as elements of a language where their form is qualitative, as such hexagrams can take-on the nature of the genetic code (as genotypes) and express themselves (as phenotypes) through contexts described by analogy to other hexagrams.

Thus hexagram 23 in its own context covers the focus on what we can call 'pruning'; the last bastion of 'order'. We can under-exaggerate this label through use of another - that of 'housekeeping' where such covers the 'lite'
pruning of a context, clear away the dust etc. OR we can over-exaggerate the pruning label through reference to some high priest/priestess wrestling with the struggle to purge the faith of accumulated 'stuff' to bring out the true nature of that faith. Any hexagram has this range of magnitudes, intensities, of expression.

The emphasis in pruning is as an act of preparation prior to the emergence of winter, and so preparing for the end of season cycle, and getting ready for spring where the structure imposed by the pruning will enable better development of what has been pruned in that new season.

If we XOR hexagram 23 with any other hexagram we will get its phenotype, the expression of the 'gene' given the influence of a context. For example, if the context is described by analogy to hexagram 01 then we can identify how
01 'prunes' by XORing 01 with 23. This will give us hexagram 43 and its focus on robustness, resoluteness, and so 'spreading the word/seed'. Pruning is usually a contractive act, we cut back, but the context here is of pure yangness and so a focus on expanding and strong on movement (it never stops). AS such pruning here is described through the properties of hexagram
43 with the focus on the particular, singular, 'word' that is heavily promoted, and being such, reflects pruning in that all possible alternatives are excluded, pushed aside as the one 'true' word is promoted - and so an act of 'pruning' but in an expansive, dynamic, form.

Thus XORing hexagram 23 with any other hexagram will describe how some situation/context represented by that hexagram will express 23-ness, pruning.

If I rotate hexagram 23 I get hexagram 24. Hexagram 24 covers the beginning of a cycle (and that includes a cycle yet to be deemed as such!) and XORing it with any hexagram gives us an analogy as to how any hexagram 'begins'.
For example, for a context represented by hexagram 01, the beginning is identified with analogy to hexagram 44 and so an initial focus on intensely persuading/seducing (there is a competitive edge here). If we focus on the beginnings of hexagram 23, and so XOR it with 24, then we have analogy to hexagram 27 and its focus on issues of infrastructure, a focus on the mud/clay from which something is built, and this is so given the pruning focus of 23 where the focus is almost to cut back to that level.

Given the language nature of the I Ching, we can zoom-in for finer details on any hexagram. For example, given hexagram 44 covering the beginnings of a context described by hexagram 01, we can identify the pruning aspect of 44 by XORing it with 23 to give us 28. Thus the I Ching language aids in identifying the properties of a hexagram representing a whole situation, as well as properties representing parts of that situation (e.g. beginnings, endings, etc)

Thus we see the I Ching as able to describe itself, and so interpret itself, by reference to itself through the use of logic operators in our brains where their focus is on deriving 'correct' meanings - if but vague. It is then local context through the actions of consciousness that then contributes the finer details that bring a unique moment to life. The fact that this approach has not been covered in the more traditional texts brings out the fact that our ancestors lacked understanding of the dynamics of meaning derivation 'in here'. Through neuroscience etc we are in a better position to understand meaning derivation and as such 'refine' the abilities of the I Ching to present us with meaningful data for any situation. Below is a table presenting the full spectrum of hexagram 23:

Some PAIRINGS of hexagram 23 with other hexagrams:

• In the binary sequence hexagram 23 pairs with hexagram 02.

This pairing of 02 and 23 reflects the dominating aspects of pure yinness in the context of differentiating and integrating. Thus the pure integrating nature of hexagram 02, its focus on dual-mindedness, on drawing-in another/others through devotion to, absolute trust in, another/others is complemented by the differentiating element expressed through hexagram 23 where the unconditional devotion of 02 become conditional with the focus in 23 on 'pruning', on cutting-back the 'weeds' that have grown around one's faith to restore the 'core' elements of that faith, to make them the standards upon which we 'rest' (and so the analogy in 23 to stripping a bed where the bed is a symbol for our beliefs, for what we rest upon).

At the LOCAL level we are dealing with an octet of hexagrams with the EARTH trigram as base. In this sequence hexagram 23, the focus upon pruning, 'opposes' hexagram 45, congregating (and so exaggerating to celebrate). More so, the exaggerated sense of celebrating one's faith (45) is reflected in a more balanced format through the continuous removal of 'weeds' that can gather around one's faith (23).

• In the binary sequence hexagram 23 opposes hexagram 43.

This pair deals with concepts we find in gardening where 23 reflects a focus on pruning, identifying the 'true' word, and 43 reflects a focus on seeding, 'spreading the word'.

• In the traditional sequence hexagram 23 pairs with hexagram 24.

With this pair, just as 23 prunes, and does so from within the belief, so 24 returns to the belief. Both reflect 'coming back to'.

RETURN TO FAITH:

23 : return to the faith - through refurbishing, pruning; 23 refurbish, prune, comes out of a context described by hexagram 24 - returning

24 : return to the faith - through come back to; 24 returning comes out of a context described by hexagram 23 - pruning

• In the traditional sequence hexagram 23 opposes hexagram 42.

Just as 23 focuses on CUTTING-BACK to get the 'pure' expression, so 42 focuses on augmentation(ADDING-TO) to bring-out the 'pure' expression.

• The generic properties of hexagram 23 reflect the mixing of the generic properties of hexagram 02 with the generic properties of hexagram 24.

A combination of total devotion (02) with a focus on returning to the 'true' path (24) is reflected in the pruning focus of hexagram 23.

• In the variations on a theme sequence, hexagram 23 complements hexagram 27.

Copyright © 2003-2009 C. J. Lofting