Chapter 63: Petition to Resign for Parental Care or Illness

原文

Overall Paraphrased Translation

When divining matters related to applying for retirement, medical leave, or resignation, if the descendant line is strong or activated 🌱, it indicates the ability to break free from official duties and smoothly achieve the desire for a leisurely life. Conversely, if the official line holds the world line or activates to restrain the world line, it suggests difficulty in escaping the shackles of fame and gain, with matters often not going as desired.

Applying for leave or parental care involves temporary departure from duties, and encountering a fan yin hexagram (a hexagram indicating repeated changes) is not considered inauspicious, as it may foreshadow future reappointment. However, resigning from office should not coincide with a fan yin hexagram, as it may indicate not repeated resignations but potential reappointment in the future. If a fu yin hexagram (a hexagram indicating stagnation) appears, resignation becomes entirely unfeasible. If the official line or world line transforms into retreat (the line change shows a trend of withdrawal), both leave and resignation can be achieved as desired. If the world line or official line transforms into advance (the line change shows a trend of progress), official duties will become overwhelming, making it difficult to disengage.

【Modern Supplement】: When inquiring about retirement, medical leave, or resignation, refer to this chapter. It is favorable for the official line to be weak and dormant, and for the descendant line to be strong and supportive.

🧠 In-Depth Understanding

Core Concepts 💡

Descendant Line Represents Liberation: Symbolizing freedom, leisure, and freedom from official burdens; if strong, desires are easily fulfilled.
Official Line Represents Restraint: Symbolizing official duties, fame, gain, and responsibilities; if it restrains the world line, disengagement becomes difficult.
Key Dynamics of Hexagram Changes: Fan yin hexagrams indicate repeated changes, while fu yin hexagrams indicate stagnation; transformation into retreat favors resignation, while transformation into advance suggests overwhelming duties.

Modern Interpretation 🌟

Application in Contemporary Contexts: In the modern workplace, this is equivalent to assessing the feasibility of resignation or retirement. A strong descendant line is akin to having sufficient savings or passive income (e.g., investments, pensions), while an official line restraining the world line resembles workplace pressure or contractual constraints that are hard to break.
Modern Metaphors for Fan Yin and Fu Yin: A fan yin hexagram is similar to economic fluctuations or policy changes forcing a return to work; a fu yin hexagram resembles rigid systems or long-term contracts that cannot be broken. A trend of transformation into retreat can be interpreted as actively reducing burdens (e.g., smooth handovers), while transformation into advance is like increasing projects or temptations of promotion.
Key Decision-Making Points: If the descendant line is strong, one can confidently apply; if the official line restrains the world line, careful evaluation of breach risks or career gaps is necessary.

Practical Value ⚡

Resignation Planning: Divination results can serve as a reference, combined with practical factors (e.g., financial status, family needs) to make decisions and avoid impulsive actions.
Risk Warning: An official line restraining the world line signals potential legal or economic disputes (e.g., penalty clauses), necessitating early consultation with professionals.
Mindset Adjustment: A strong descendant line encourages the pursuit of life balance but requires rational planning to avoid idealistic escapism.

Philosophical Reflection 🤔

Balance Between Freedom and Responsibility: The ancients used line symbols to explore humanity’s struggle with the shackles of fame and gain. Modern individuals similarly face trade-offs between work and life, fundamentally redefining self-worth.
Constancy in Change: Fan yin hexagrams reveal the cyclical nature of things, reminding us that resignation is not an endpoint but the beginning of a new phase, requiring adaptability.
Subjective Initiative: Hexagrams provide trends, but the outcome ultimately depends on individual action—resignation is not passively waiting for "line changes" but actively creating conditions for change.

📚 Related Knowledge

Associated Concepts:
- Descendant Line: In Six Lines divination, it represents children, leisure, and liberation; its five-element attribute is water 🌊, symbolizing flow and freedom.
- Official Line: Represents official duties, pressure, and constraints; its five-element attribute is fire 🔥, symbolizing passion and consumption.
- Fan Yin*/*Fu Yin: Types of hexagram changes; fan yin indicates repeated changes, while fu yin indicates stagnation; derived from the philosophy of change in the I Ching.
Further Reading:
- Discussions on "movement leads to change" in the I Ching·Xi Ci Zhuan.
- Chapters on "interactions between the world and response lines" in Zhengzong of Divination, deepening the understanding of the interplay between official and descendant lines.
Modern Research:
- Contemporary I Ching scholars like Liu Dajun propose that divination can serve as a psychological projection tool to help resolve decision-making conflicts.
- Management studies show that emotional factors (e.g., the desire for leisure) often conflict with rational assessments in resignation decisions, and ancient divination provides a structured framework for reflection.

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