To come back once more to our hexagram. Though the IChing not only seems to be satisfied with its new editionbut even expresses emphatic optimism, this still does notforetell anything about the effect it will have on the public itis intended to reach. Since we have in our hexagram twoyang lines stressed by the numerical value nine, we are in aposition to find out what sort of prognosis the I Chingmakes for itself. Lines designated by a six or a nine haveaccording to the ancient conception, an inner tension sogreat as to cause them to change into their opposites, that isyang into yin, and vice versa. Through this change weobtain in the present instance hexagram 55, Chin,PROGRESSThe subject of this hexagram is someone who meets withall sorts of vicissitudes of fortune in his climb upward, andthe text describes how he should hehave. The I Ching is inthis same situation: it rises like the sun and declares itself.but it is rebuffed and finds no confidence. it isprogressing, but in sorrow. " However, "one obtains greathappiness from one's ancestress "Psychology can help us toelucidate this obscure passage. In dreams and fairy tales thegrandmother, or ancestress, often represents the unconscious. because the latter in a man contains the femininecomponent of the psyche. If the I Ching is not accepted bythe conscious, at least the unconscious meets it halfway, andthe I Ching is more closely connected with the unconsciousthan with the rational attitude of consciousness. Since theunconscious is often represented in dreams by a femininefigure, this may be the explanation here. The feminineperson might be the translator, who has given the book hermaternal care, and this might easily appear to the I Ching asa"great happiness. It anticipates general understantling, butis afraid of misuse."Progress like a hamster. "But it ismindful of the admonition, Take not gain and loss toheart." It remains free of"partisan motives. It does notthrust itself on anyone
The I Ching therefore faces its future on the Americanbook market calmly and expresses itself here just about asanv reasonable person would in regard to the fate of socontroversial a work. This prediction is so very reasonableand full of common sense that it would be hard to think of amore titting answerAll of this happened before I had written the foregoingparagraphs. When I reached this point, I wished to know theattitude of the I Ching to the new situation. The state ofthings had been altered by what I had written, inasmuch as Imyself had now entered upon the scene, and I thereforeexpected to hear something referring to my own action. Imust confess that I had not been feeling too happy in thecourse of writing this foreword, for, as a person with a senseof responsibility toward science, I am not in the habit ofasserting something I cannot prove or at least present asacceptable to reason. It is a dubious task indeed to try tointroduce to a critical modern public a collection of archaicmagic spells, with the idea of making them more or lessacceptable. I have undertaken it because I myself think thatthere is more to the ancient Chinese way of thinking thanmeets the eye. But it is embarrassing to me that I mustappeal to the good will and imagination of the reader,inasmuch as I have to take him into the obscurity of an ageold magic ritual. Unfortunately I am only too well aware ofthe arguments that can be brought against it. we are noteven certain that the ship that is to carry us over theunknown seas has not sprung a leak somewhere. May notthe old text be corrupt? Is Wilhelms translation accurate?Are we not self-deluded in our explanations?
The I Ching insists upon self-knowledge throughout. Themethod by which this is to be achieved is open to every kindof misuse. and is therefore not for the frivolous-minded andimmature nor is it for intellectualists and rationalists. It isappropriate only for thoughtful and reflective people wholike to think about what they do and what happens to thema predilection not to be confused with the morbid broodingof the hypochondriac. As I have indicated above, I have noanswer to the multitude of problems that arise when we seekto harmonize the oracle of the I Ching with our acceptedscientific canons. But needless to say. nothing " occult"is tobe inferred. My position in these matters is pragmatic, andthe great disciplines that have taught me the practicalusefulness of this viewpoint are psychotherapy and medicalpsychology. Probably in no other field do we have to reckonwith so many unknown quantities, and nowhere else do webecome more accustomed to adopting methods that workeven though for a long time we may not know why theywork. Unexpected cures may arise from questionable the-rapes and unexpected failures from allegedly reliablemethods. In the exploration of the unconscious we comeupon very strange things, from which a rationalist turnsaway with horror, claiming afterward that he did not seeanything. The irrational fullness of life has taught me neverto discard anything, even when it goes against all ourtheories(so short-lived at best) or otherwise admits of noimmediate explanation. It is of course disquieting, and oneis not certain whether the compass is pointing true or not;but security, certitude, and peace do not lead to discoveriesIt is the same with this Chinese mode of divination. Clearlythe method aims at self-knowledge, though at all times it hasalso been put to superstitious use