l Still the Gong but losing contention l

| February 24, 2004 || 10:18 p.m. |

I love being a Friend in the I Ching Community. There are so many people that help out with interpretations & insight into something that is difficult to see from the inside. Here�s a message from one person that has given me help all the time since I first started with the I Ching back in 1991.

I once listed the names of the people on this forum who have taught me something and thanked them. You were one of the people I was thinking of, but it had been so long since you posted, and I'm short on memory, and I couldn't remember your name. I did a forum search trying to find it... tried to remember the thread we discussed your relationship in... the thread from which I accessed your profile and learned some interesting things about you from your blog. I just couldn't find it, so I ended up adding a thank you to those whose names I'd forgotten.

I just want to take this opportunity to thank you as I meant to do then. I have learned much from you... especially about love. I enjoy the way you love this man. You love him well. I'm so sorry you're having communication problems now. I want the best for you, and I sincerely hope you prosper and grow from your 6 to 23. 6.2.4.5 is really positive. Here's why I think so.

First, it establishes the issue as one of contention, which is exactly what's going on in your heart right now.

Then here comes what I really loved to read from another Online Clarity I Ching Friend about this reading

6.2 talks about not being up to the contention and therefore abandoning it, abandoning the contention (not the man necessarily, but the conflict in your heart or the conflict between you and him, for sure).

6.4 talks again about not being up to the contention, and returning to where you should be and pacifying your heart. Again this means abandoning the conflict, not necessarily the person.

6.5's a wonderful line - it talks about contention being supremely in tune with life. Sometimes' contention's just what the doctor ordered.

Finally, I never consider the so-called 'resulting' hexagram as a legitimate part of the picture. I've got what I think are good reasons for that, but this thread isn't the place for me to soapbox about it. So I don't think 23 is part of this picture at all.

So, to summarize: abandon contention, either in your own heart or with him, as often as you can, but hey, if after taking that approach, contention comes up, it's a legitimate expression of what really needs to be said. Spare your heart.