ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author explores the processes of change and balance as reflected in the hexagrams for the contemporary reader. The image of 'darkened' light or of 'injured' brightness is a powerful one, resonant with echoes of the eternal struggle between good and evil. Throughout life there may be times and circumstances in which it is advisable to hide our light, times in which we have not actively sought to be involved but have, none the less, been caught up. The entire hexagram refers to the historical period in which King Wen was imprisoned and his life in danger. Our behaviour requires patience, forbearance, and trust in the ever-changing patterns of life and its energies. Hard times require us to focus and to simplify, and we may even prefer this to the complexity of choice and demand that accompanies a less obviously stressful life.
