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Triad or Narrative Process Perspective
Initial State, Development Growth, and Final Product
Triad or dialectic or narrative process is the perspective that describes the growth from initial conditions through an overall development to a final result. The seed germinates and grows to a plant that forms a fruit which can be harvested. This is the story narrative with a beginning, middle and ending which is universally attractive and intriguing to humans of all cultures and all ages.
The Monad expresses everything in a single all-encompassing Gestalt. The Dyad highlights the two sides of the Monad coin and their implicit interaction dynamic. The Triad tells the narrative story of how this new beginning grows and develops through its interaction with its environment or resistance to eventually produce its final product.
The notion of timing and development is added in the triad to the potential and tension of the Dyad and the holistic Gestalt of the Monad. Together these three perspectives fully expand philosophical analysis in terms of the dimensions of time and timing. There yet remains the final development of the Tetrad perspective of the double dichotomy which will nail down the full extent of analysis in terms of space or extension. These four perspectives together produce the Total Analysis of the Tetraktys or Tai Ji.
The Pythagorean image or Eidos for the Triad is a set of three dots along a single line that extends a central point along a line towards its two extremes representing the relevant circumference formed about the middle dot as Center. In the Tai Ji symbolism, the Triad appears in the three stages envisioned: - Two Eyes as the centers or beginnings of the two half circles that…
- construct the two large swirls of Yang and Yin…
- that forms the Tai Ji Symbol within the outer Circumference.
The ultimate Tetrad perspective will illustrate the double dichotomy of the Tai Ji as the White Eye or Center and White Swirl in the other hemisphere; and the Black Eye or Center and its opposite Black Swirl. In the Pythagorean Tetraktys this Tetrad is represented by the two pairs of dots forming a square upon the 4-dot face of the Dice Cube or the perpendicular axes of Cartesian Co-Ordinates.
The Triad hexagrams expand the Monad topic as a narrative process telling the story of the decad or set of ten hexagrams. In the first half of the I Ching, the three narrative stories are: - The Water Cycle as the interplay of topography and water vapor.
- Agriculture as the absorption of solar flux into the development of plant growth.
- Justice as assuring proper Cause-and-Effect results to each situation.
In the second half, three more Triad narratives develop: - Monogamous Love as the thrust for development of the next generation.
- Spiritual yearning as the awareness of the Miracle of living growth.
- The personal impact of the Divine developing the individual’s Quest.
Triad process narrative in terms of the Pythagorean Eidos
Initial conditions, turf corners marked. Creating a situation within which this new reality can germinate and develop in its own terms and private space. This is before conditions are ready to allow the Center of this new development become clear focus. At this stage, the distinction is being made between the inner space and development of this new entity and the general environment and prior situations.
Development within its own private space allows the expression of its own center and organization to manifest as it expands, grows and takes its place with the overall process narrative. This is the ongoing process narrative with its full momentum on display.
The final product or fruit of the process narrative becomes the prime focus. Seeds form within the fruit or pod in parallel sets along the edges in preparation of taking flight into the Next. At the same time, new open space is developing toward center which will become the context of another center to emerge as part of the Next. The final product of the process narrative takes its place in reality and by its development launches its climax and then eventual decline into subsequent conditions.
These six Triad narratives describe how each decad develops as a process:
Triad of 1st Decad Hex1-10
The Water Cycle:
Narrative Process of Rainfall
The initial conditions for the triad or narrative process of the Water Cycle are: Hex 4 Pupal. Trigrams: Peaks over Depths. Here is the image of the artesian spring or fountain resulting from the interaction of Planet Earth Topography with the general rainfall from the Heavens. The available gravitational potential is the same everywhere. However, when rain falls upon high mountains, a special situation develops in the valley below where the rain water doesn’t just run off but can carry the energy of its mountain potential to form the impressive natural phenomenon of the artesian fountain in the overall desert (such as Palm Springs, CA).
The development of the triad or narrative process of the Water Cycle involves hex 5 Watering trigrams: Depths over Sunshine. Water vapor rises up through the action of sunshine evaporating water where it forms clouds and weather systems that will create the rain showers essential to supply energized water to flow down the topography becoming the Water Cycle.
The final product of the triad or narrative process of the Water Cycle is:hex 6 Striving. Trigrams: Sunshine over Depths. Rain drops fall from the heavens that will nourish the crop fields and run off into the streams, rivers and great rivers running into the deep Lakes or the Sea as their final destination.
Triad of 2nd Decad Hex 11-20 Agriculture:
The work of society upon the
topography of Planet Earth to develop food supply.
Agriculture involves harnessing the active energy of the sun and its celestial dynamics which creates the growing season to produce food crops. The advantage of the Northern latitudes is that the net solar flux available through the spring and summer seasons allows for greater energy for photosynthesis to develop nourishing food crops for harvest. The tropics have more heat but less overall available solar flux for annual food harvest.
hex 14:True Gold. Trigrams: Flames over Sunshine. The initial conditions of the triad or narrative process of Agriculture are the rays of the sun interacting with the crop fields to provide a good and proper growing season. The power of solar flux in the Northern latitudes to provide greater crop yields than those closer to the equator represents the initial conditions required for the energy from the regular course of the sun to power the crops growth toward the harvest.
The development of the triad or narrative process of Agriculture involves hex 15 Churning. Trigrams: Heartland over Peaks. The topography of the local elevation, drainage and situation of the crop fields are the essential requirement to allow the crops to grow their maximum yield over the growing season. The celestial dynamics of solar flux creates the growing season and supplies the energy for photosynthesis and crop development. However, it is the extensive preparation of the fields to control the drainage which is essential to nurture the crop growth from sowing seed through the harvest.
The final product of the triad or narrative process of Agriculture is: Hex 16 Singing. Trigrams: Swoops over Heartland. The green growing crops emerge from the fields as an expression of the energy and enthusiasm of agriculture nurtured by the fertile Earth interacting with the regular sunshine of the growing season cared for by the daily efforts of the peasant workers.
Triad of 3rd Decad Hex 21- 30
Justice, Karma or Cause-and-Effect:
The initial conditions of the triad or narrative process for Justice, Karma or cause-and-effect are: hex 24:Spring’s Back. Trigrams: Heartland over Swoops. The fundamental energy of thunder manifests the spring thunderstorms to initiate the growing season. The new timing begins to make itself known as the emergence of different events and situations to establish the narrative process. It is the isolated focus upon this initial reality with all the other line places ignored context or background which enables the clear analysis of what is cause and what will eventually follow as effect or Karma.
The development of the triad or narrative process of Justice or Karma involves hex 25 Naïveté. Trigrams: Sunshine Over Swoops. The two forms of energy, sunshine (or lightning) and thunder follow one another as cause and effect. The Monad of this decad has these the literal trigram Flames or the Sun itself. This hexagram is not the disc of the Sun, but the energy effects of sunshine which is the result of the thunder.
Sunshine beats down upon the Planet while Thunder was believed by the Chinese to emerge from the Earth as an expression of its power and fertility. In this context the Sun’s energy is the cause of the thunder that will be experienced as part of the thunderstorms that begin the growing season and nourish the crops in the fields.
This is the hexagram of Naïveté or of things being as they are in their own essence and expression of their innermost core existence. Justice develops as individuals and situations express their natural tendencies and society monitors the results of these actions to make sure that the final consequences comport with the needs and expectations of proper society.
The final product of the triad or narrative process of Justice or Karma is: hex 26 Virgin Land. Trigrams: Sunshine within Peaks. Justice, Karma or proper expression of Cause-and-Effect creates the fertile new reality which is the essence of success and opportunity. Happiness can be defined as secure surplus. A vast heap of fertile land implies opportunities for great success and stored resources. Not just fertile topography, but fertile mountains of topography. The results of Karma, Justice or proper Cause-and-Effect is that opportunity and success stands out for all to see as a mountain filled with sunshine would.
Triad of 4th Decad Hex 31- 40:
Narrative Process of Monogamous Love forming Family
The initial conditions for the triad or narrative process of Monogamous Love are: hex34 Plows. Trigrams: Swoops over Sunshine. Four Yang lines charging into the final two Yin line places demonstrating the process of launching the sexual initiative of the young married company to make their own new reality and accepting the next step of the pregnancy to be expected forthwith.
The development of the triad or narrative process of Monogamous Love involves hex 35: Rising Son. Trigrams: Flames over Heartland. The family obligations of the newly wed couple involve marshalling their growing brood of children to serve the overall needs and interests of the nation. As the prince unites the feudal lords to serve the King, the parents raise their children to serve their village and through their local efforts to do their part in making the social organization of the family the fundamental structure of the entire Chinese nation.
The final product the triad or narrative process of Monogamous Love is: hex 36 Setting Son. Trigrams: Flames within Heartland. The result of the successful investment of the loving efforts of the newly wed couple into their process of creating their own family is the warm and loving hearth, the home fires burning bright that supports all the clan while offering the private refuge for the young couple as they proceed with their lives.
Triad of 5th Decad Hex 41-50:
Spiritual Yearning For the Divine
The initial conditions of the triad for spiritual yearning are: hex 44 Lady Luck. Trigrams: Sunshine over Streaks. This is the hexagram of confronting the opportunities and dangers of meeting possible new circumstances. The process of development cut free from its roots to allow alternative possibilities. The individual spiritual yearning and inner realization is only possible in those special private spaces where the expected has been broken open to meet novel considerations that present themselves with their new offers.
The development of the triad of spiritual yearning involves hex 45 Deep Feelings. Trigrams: Contents over Heartland. The gathering together of large communities in public ceremony is the group involvement for the greater good and recognition of the Divine in their personal and social lives. Here deep feelings well up and bathe both the individual and the society in opportunities to deepen and expand their spiritual awareness and growth.
The final product of the triad of spiritual yearning is: hex 46 Unfurling. Trigrams: Streaks within Heartland. This is the hexagram of growing plants pushing up through the Earth to take their place in the sunshine for their development. The ultimate result of the process of spiritual yearning (sacrifice) is the creation of the total person able to put their personal interests in service of their ultimate goals within a context of Divine Plan.
Triad of 6th Decad Hex 51-60:
The personal impact of the Divine Within Self
Hex. 51, the monad of this decad is composed of only two Yang lines in the 6-place hexagram matrix. Yang lines only in the initial line place of the transition from prior conditions, and the fourth line place of the heart's feeling and one's soul.
Hex 51 is related to thunder, though not ultimately to the booming acoustic energy set loose by the electrical discharge involved in lightning.This is all about the impact of sudden realization of principle or the power of the Divine in human life. cf. Wilhelm comments in his commentary before the Judgment, upon the Judgment and again in the remarks upon hex 51.3.
The initial conditions of the triad of the personal impact of the Divine are: hex 54 Chasing Rainbows. Trigrams: Swoops over Contents. This process starts with hex 54: Chasing Rainbows or being shot with Cupid's arrow, the gentleman who is smitten by love or lust and therefore marries younger sister as a concubine. The beginning of awareness of the power of the Divine is overwhelming desire to satisfy one’s deepest urges.
The development of this narrative of personal impact of the Divine involves hex 55: Total Solar Eclipse. Trigrams: Swoops over Flames. The development of this process of realizing the Divine power in one's life is like the coming together of common observed celestial bodies, like the sun and moon in their normal courses from rising to setting creating the awesome magic of the Total Solar Eclipse, or to a lesser extent noted only by sundial folks High Noon. It is the juxtaposition of common elements with just the right timing that produces the sense of awe and Divine majesty which has a true impact upon the individual’s spiritual awareness and growth.
The final product of this narrative process of personal impact of the Divine is: hex 56: Just Passing. Trigrams: Flames Over Peaks. Here the individual has been uprooted by the traumatic shock and set loose to wander upon the roads away from family roots and social connections, the Rambling Boy who has been struck and smitten with wanderlust or the Siren call of the open road that seduces the individual to abandon home, family and ancestral territory to ride off into the sunset seeking his fortune and his adventures.
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