Induction

The term agnostic was fittingly coined by the 19th-century British scientist Thomas H. Huxley, who believed that only material phenomena were objects of exact knowledge. He made up the word from the prefix a-, meaning “without, not,” as in amoral, and the noun Gnostic. Gnostic is related to the Greek word gn?, “knowledge,” which was used by early Christian writers to mean “higher, esoteric knowledge of spiritual things”; hence, Gnostic referred to those with such knowledge. In coining the term agnostic, Huxley was considering as “Gnostics” a group of his fellow intellectuals—“ists,” as he called them— who had eagerly embraced various doctrines or theories that explained the world to their satisfaction. Because he was a “man without a rag of a label to cover himself with,” Huxley coined the term agnostic for himself, its first published use being in 1870.

Saturday, February 6, 2016

Jie 解 Sign of 下坎上震 1/9/2015

1. 解:利西南,无所往,其來復吉。有攸往,夙吉。
    Jie: In (the state indicated by) Jie advantage will be found in the south-west. If no (further) operations be called for, there will be good fortune in coming back (to the old conditions). If some operations be called for, there will be good fortune in the early conducting of them.
    彖傳:解,險以動,動而免乎險,解。解利西南,往得眾也。其來復吉,乃得中也。有攸往夙吉,往有功也。天地解,而雷雨作,雷雨作,而百果草木皆甲坼,解之時大矣哉!
Tuan Zhuan: In Jie we have (the trigram expressive of) peril going on to that expressive of movement. By movement there is an escape from the peril: - (this is the meaning of) Jie. 'In (the state indicated by) Jie, advantage will be found in the south-west:' - the movement (thus) intimated will win all. That 'there will be good fortune in coming back (to the old conditions)' shows that such action is that of the due medium. That 'if some operations be necessary, there will be good fortune in the early conducting of them' shows that such operations will be successful. When heaven and earth are freed (from the grasp of winter), we have thunder and rain. When these come, the buds of the plants and trees that produce the various fruits begin to burst. Great indeed are the phenomena in the time intimated by Jie.
    象傳:雷雨作,解;君子以赦過宥罪。
    Xiang Zhuan: (The trigram representing) thunder and that for rain, with these phenomena in a state of manifestation, form Jie. The superior man, in accordance with this, forgives errors, and deals gently with crimes.
2. 初六:无咎。
    The first SIX, divided, shows that its subject will commit no error.
    象傳:剛柔之際,義无咎也。
    Xiang Zhuan: The strong (fourth) line and the weak line here are in correlation: - we judge rightly in saying that 'its subject will commit no error.'
3. 九二:田獲三狐,得黃矢,貞吉。
    The second NINE, undivided, shows its subject catch, in hunting, three foxes, and obtain the yellow (= golden) arrows. With firm correctness there will be good fortune.
    象傳:九二貞吉,得中道也。
    Xiang Zhuan: 'The good fortune springing from the firm correctness of the second NINE, (undivided),' is due to its subject holding the due mean.
4. 六三:負且乘,致寇至,貞吝。
    The third SIX, divided, shows a porter with his burden, (yet) riding in a carriage. He will (only) tempt robbers to attack him. However firm and correct he may (try to) be, there will be cause for regret.
    象傳:負且乘,亦可醜也,自我致戎,又誰咎也。
    Xiang Zhuan: For 'a porter with his burden to be riding in a carriage' is a thing to be ashamed of. 'It is he himself that tempts the robbers to come:' - on whom besides can we lay the blame? (See Appendix III, i, 48.)
5. 九四:解而拇,朋至斯孚。
    (To the subject of) the fourth NINE, undivided, (it is said), 'Remove your toes. Friends will (then) come, between you and whom there will be mutual confidence.'
    象傳:解而拇,未當位也。
    Xiang Zhuan: 'Remove your toes:' - the places (of this line and of the third and first) are all inappropriate to them.
6. 六五:君子維有解,吉;有孚于小人。
    The fifth SIX, divided, shows (its subject), the superior man (= the ruler), executing his function of removing (whatever is injurious to the idea of the hexagram), in which case there will he good fortune, and confidence in him will be shown even by the small men.
    象傳:君子有解,小人退也。
    Xiang Zhuan: When 'the superior man executes his function of removing (whatever is injurious to the idea of the hexagram),' small men will of themselves retire.
7. 上六:公用射隼于高墉之上,獲之,无不利。
    In the sixth SIX, divided, we see a feudal prince (with his bow) shooting at a falcon on the top of a high wall, and hitting it. (The effect of his action) will be in every way advantageous.
    象傳:公用射隼,以解悖也。
    Xiang Zhuan: 'A prince with his bow shoots a falcon:' - thus he removes (the promoters of) rebellion.
    (by James Legge)

Friday, February 5, 2016

Sign 22/8/2015

Part 1
Verse:
〖诗曰〗:门内起干戈,亲仇两不和,朱衣临日月,始觉笑呵呵。
〖签释〗:干戈,就是战争,人斗,窝里闹,都是同门之争,手足相残,兄弟反目,亲人变成仇人。这真是令亲者痛仇者快的事。两虎相争必有一伤。受伤者是自己的亲人,这怎么也说不过去,决非好事,一位身着朱衣的女性出现了。这位红衣女郎象太了产热情,象月亮一般温柔。她给这个杀得天昏地暗的家带来了光明,使兄弟之间明白了自己的错误,终于握手言和,重归于好,恢复了往日的宁静。日和月,组合起来便是光明,明亮,明白,另一组合的间义就是一个昼夜,二十四小时。这也意味着问题解决的时间。这个红衣女郎,是值得赞美的,她将成为这个家族的精神支柱。这位来自北方的姑娘,她的名字中可能带有冰,霞,虹,,彩,明,霓,月,或带有金旁的姓,如钱,钊,刘,钟,银,刚。

Part 2
Verse:
〖卦语〗:蜗角蝇头利,而今已变通,草头人笑汝,宜始不宜终。
〖释义〗:苏东坡有词云:"蜗角虚名,蝇头微早,算来着甚奔忙?事皆前定谁弱谁又强!" 本签以经商之道为例,论及多方,还需细细品味,方能识得真谛。 蜗角蝇头之利为数区区,多不为人重视。若论生意经,将本求利,去辄便是求利几倍几番,多多益善。这种生意经,如今不行了,变成了另一回事儿,那便是薄利多销,广种薄收,最终收获信是多多,且能长久。你所执的生意方略就是这样,也应当如此。 可是却遭到一位草头姓氏朋友的反对和讥笑,认为你太嫩了点儿,不通生意经。其实这位先生才真是食古不化,不懂得变通的道理。这样一个时代,不这样行吗?他的生意经将是不可能长久的,而且风险值过大,必遭到失败。 走自己的路,让人家去嘲笑好了。