I Ching, Yijing or Zhou Yi
"Oracle of the moon": © 2000 LiSe
Yi Jing, Oracle of the Moon
The image of hexagram 23
Bō, Stripping
Mountain indicates everything which has borders, which is solid and desists letting things in.
What does it mean, 'inner' and 'outer'?
In hex.23 With Mountain, Earth shows itself as the facts of reality. Life means there will be death. Growth means there will be decay. They form the severity of life, but if you heed them, life can be rich. The worthy mountain catches the rain and benefits the valley below, but the aloof mountain harms it with its shadows and dangers. It is not easy, cutting away something pretty which will be harmful if it can go its course. Accepting loss or having to decide what to leave behind are difficult decisions, but life will deteriorate without them. Holding on to what has been can suffocate the present. Letting go what will make a mess in the future will save that future.
two characters "bo"
The left part of this character might be a picture of a suspended sack or sacrificial animal, dripping. Another meaning is to record, to take notes. At right a knife. Meanings: shell, peel, skin, flay.
The 'Great Image' says: The mountain depends on the earth, Bō. The high ones make their house peaceful by generosity to the low ones.
Hex.23 is the contrast of 43, proclaiming your opinions, to speak up about what you think is not right.
In 23 you have to deal with living on this earth. You need to be strict. Remove what is not right. The way a farmer tends to his field, both severe and nurturing. Weed and prune when necessary, or else it will be done to you.
Lay bare what is in or behind things. It is dangerous when on the outside it seems all quiet and fine, and one does not know the inside.
And when things do not work the way they should, then find out if there is something rotten behind the scene.
And also: the outside of things decays some day, but if there is a strong and true inside, this will survive and find a new form. The ripe fruit of the top line is not eaten, it will rot away. If there is a noble inside - the seeds - it is an improvement or progress. If there is no good inside - the small man, no seeds - it falls apart and nothing remains.