I Ching, Yijing or Zhou Yi
"Oracle of the moon": © 2000 LiSe
Yi Jing, Oracle of the Moon
The image of hexagram 14
Dá You, big possession
What does it mean, 'inner' and 'outer trigram' (popup)
Heaven below Fire: when powerful inner laws and structure manifest themselves, big enterprises can be accomplished.
Ideogram of the hexagram name: the first, upper character is a big person: big, large. The second character is is a hand, later holding a piece of meat: have, possess, exist, there is, occurs, some (like in ‘some day’). Da you is also a big harvest, a profitable year.
The 'Great Image' says:
Fire high in Heaven: great assets.
The noble one by terminating evil
raises good,
by yielding to Heaven
relaxes in fate.
Hex.14 is the contrast of 8, which is about cooperation. In 14 you do it all yourself by acting according to the laws of Heaven. It depends on your personal strength, wits and timing.
Hex.14 is the upside-down of 13, where you are compared with others. Similar or different, but not an entity on your own. Hex.14 is about the individual who creates his/her life, with her own talents and flaws, and makes the best of it. You reap what you sow. And if you work hard to care for the seeds, wind and weather serving, your harvest will be substantial.
There is a higher purpose behind your abilities, behind all gifts from Heaven. And there is a desire to respond to that higher purpose. Talents derive their value from the target they are used for.
If you use every talent you have as best you can, then you will attract the blessings from Heaven. Don’t expect Heaven to carry you though, its gifts come with the condition to use them and also use them free from egoism. The talents for living and loving are the really big ones. But small ones can also achieve a lot.
Every creature, including plants, has its own road to go, its own Dao. It depends on your choices and efforts if it will be the best one, the one Heaven bestowed on you.