Saturday, August 17, 2013

I Ching: Hexagram 51 - The Judgment

SHOCK brings success.
Shock comes — oh, oh!
Laughing words — ha, ha!
The shock terrifies for a hundred miles,
And he does not let fall the sacrificial spoon and chalice.


The shock that comes from the manifestation of God within the depths of the earth makes man afraid, but this fear of God is good, for joy and merriment can follow upon it.

When a man has learned within his heart what fear and trembling mean, he is safeguarded against any terror produced by outside influences. Let the thunder roll and spread terror a hundred miles around: he remains so composed and reverent in spirit that the sacrificial rite is not interrupted. This is the spirit that must animate leaders and rulers of men — a profound inner seriousness from which all terrors glance off harmlessly.
Translator of this version of the I Ching is Richard Wilhelm. If you missed any posts in this series, please utilize the I Ching label below.

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