42 story

The image of hexagram 42
Yì, Increase

Hexagram 42 has trigram Zhèn below or inside, Xùn above or outside. Zhèn renews, awakens the seeds and jumpstarts all beginnings. Xùn goes on and on in a gentle but persistent way.

What does it mean, 'inner' and 'outer trigram' (popup)

When trigram Zhèn is below (popup)

When trigram Xùn is above (popup)

Zhèn below Xùn: Zhèn has no second thoughts or intentions, it is what it is and nothing else. Pure honesty, acting out Heaven's will. When Xùn spreads that around, so it lasts longer than just during the moment of shock, it will better everything it encounters. Good intentions will be pushed toward good acts, bad intentions will be diluted with better ones.

Oracle bones Bronze

The old diviners gave this combination of trigrams a name: Yì, Increase. The vapors from the cauldron spread out and are received by the ancestors or spirits. They will assist you and your people.

Ideogram of the hexagram name: a bowl with water. It might simply be containing water, or maybe water 'into' the pot, or it might flow over or cook over, but probably the water is steam rising up from the boiling contents, up to the spirits. YÌ on oracle bones: ‘effectuate the sacrifice’. W-Zhou: to give, to grant, grant an honorary title.
Meanings: overflow, augment, increase, add, assistance, raise, advantage, profit(able), advantage, benefit, good, beneficial, come too, more, even more, arrogant, in a higher degree, progressively, help, support, abundant, fill, flow over, proud, exaggerate, excess.

The Image says: Wind and Thunder increase. When the noble one sees good, his rule is to improve, when there are transgressions, his rule is to reform.

Hex.42 is the contrast of 32, which does not care about increase or decrease. It follows its own course.
Hex.42 is about increasing every act, every step.

  Story:
  Effectuating a sacrifice means to 'make holy'. Your acts, your life or the gifts you receive, making them holy, means to increase. A great thought, which is not being put into practice, will never reach the Gods. But if you cook your food with reverence in your own little pot, the vapors will ascend to Heaven.
  And put out all your pot and pans, so you will catch every drop of rain. One little shower brings a lot of drops. Without a pot, even torrents of refreshing water will drain away unused.
  For every blessing, you have to bring along a pot.

The image of hexagram 42 Yì, Increase

The image of hexagram 42
Yì, Increase