Fear no more

There is a limit for everything, just like the description in Yi Jing. When you reach to the top, you will fall down and start a new beginning. Hence, the purpose of Yi Jing is to prevent rulers and government for making big mistakes. What are considered big mistakes? For example, a country reaches a stage that people are no more fearing death and willing to scarify their lives.

In Chapter 75 of Laozi (Dao De Jing), Laozi describes why people are willing to die and no more fearing death.

Chapter 75 (第七十五章):
People's poverty,
Is caused by parasitic exploitation by superiors,
Hence there is poverty.
People's complicatedness,
Is caused by ambitions of superiors,
Hence there are complications.
People's willingness to sacrifice,
Is because of the weight given to life,
Hence there are sacrifices.
Only those who are not ambitious for achievements in life,
Are truly capable of appreciating life. 民之饑，
以其上食稅之多，
是以饑。
民之難治，
以其上之有為，
是以難治。
民之輕死，
以其求生之厚，
是以輕死。
夫惟無以生為者，
是賢於貴生。
Source: wikisource

Look at what happened in Tunisia and Egypt, people in these countries have reached the limit of tolerance and want to have a change of government. The Jasmine Revolution is the catalyst of change, some predict the situation will be worst than before after the revolution. Some see life is a better tomorrow. No matter what, the current government will have to go as they are discarded by the people. And the rulers have pushed the country to the limit or reaching the sixth yao of a hexagram (gue). They have only themselves to blame for reaching the sixth yao. A clever ruler or government will want to prevent reaching the limit.

Yi Jing has 8 trigrams (each trigram has 3 yao – broken or unbroken lines).

Source: wikipedia

There are 64 hexagrams (each hexagram is made up of 2 trigrams) and there are 384 (64x6) yao (broken and unbroken lines). Each hexagram will provide a general situation and each yao will provide the position and the time. From the first yao to the sixth yao, it is a cycle. First yao is the beginning (e. g. new born baby) and sixth yao is the ending (old age and dying). When the cycle reaches its maximum, i.e. sixth yao, it will jump to another hexagram and may or may not start from the beginning with another hexagram. To prevent from reaching the sixth yao, the best way is to jump to another hexagram but even that there is no guarantee that you will be at the right position and time (yao).

Below is a formation of Qian hexagram and it is a combination of 2 Qian trigrams.

_______ Sixth yao
_______ Fifth yao
_______ fourth yao
_______ Third yao
_______ Second yao
_______ First yao

First, second and third yao form the inner trigram.
Fourth, fifth and sixth yao form the outer trigram.
First to sixth yao form a hexagram.

When a country reaches to the sixth yao, it will have no choice and force to move into another hexagram. It is likely, in such a situation, there is a change in leadership, government and political system. New situation will emerge and different people will be in charge.

This is why governments in the world need to listen to the people. And importantly, they always want to prevent themselves by reaching the sixth yao. So, in election time, the governments will introduce policies to please the voters. However, in Tunisia and Egypt, the governments don’t even want to please to people.

If the government continues to ignore the demand of the people and worst still want to prevent people from airing their demands, the end result will be like the ones in Eastern Europe in 1990s and currently in North Africa and Middle East.

If you look at the Eastern Europe, some nearly 20 years later, you will see some countries are performing better than the others and some are joining the greater European Union. These countries have moved to a “good” hexagram or at a “better” yao (position and time). Some are not so lucky, and are still struggling to change for a better life.

The Jasmine Revolution should bear the similar result for the former dictator-ruled Islamic countries in North Africa and Middle East. Some will be better off and some will take longer time to turn around. But they will not face the same hexagram any more as they have reached the sixth yao and they have to start from the beginning or some lucky ones with better infrastructure and establishment can jump to better hexagram or begin at a better position and time (yao).

Good luck to all the people who want a change!