Man, I remember when the whole I Ching thing first hit me. Not like, really hit me, but more like, I kept bumping into it. Friends would bring it up, sometimes I’d see an old book on a shelf, and I always thought, “This is some deep stuff, way over my head.” I mean, it looked like a bunch of ancient riddles, right? All those lines, changing lines, judgments… it just felt dense, a real brick wall. And honestly, who has time to dig through all that for some simple advice?
But then, a couple of years back, I kept noticing this one hexagram popping up, both for myself and for buddies who were asking about some big decisions they had to make. It was Hexagram 5, the one they call ‘Waiting’ or ‘Nourishment.’ And every time it showed up, people would scratch their heads. “Waiting? So I just sit around?” That’s what everyone thought. And I’ll tell you, I thought the same damn thing. It felt like a cop-out answer. Like, thanks, I Ching, for telling me to do nothing when I’m freaking out about what to do!
So, I decided to tackle this ‘Waiting’ thing head-on. Not because I’m some ancient wisdom guru, but because it annoyed me that something so seemingly simple could feel so complicated. I pulled out this dusty old I Ching book I’d picked up God knows when, and I just focused on Hexagram 5. I told myself, “Okay, no getting lost in the whole damn book. Just this one.”
First off, I just read the main judgment for it, over and over. It talked about waiting, having sincerity and light, about not eating rashly. My initial thought was, “Alright, I get it, be patient.” But that didn’t feel like enough. It had to be more, right? An oracle wouldn’t just tell you to chill if there wasn’t something to the chilling.
Then I moved to the ‘Image’ part, about how the superior person feasts and relaxes. That confused me even more. Feast and relax while waiting? What the heck? I figured it wasn’t about sitting on your couch and doing nothing. It had to be active. So, I started jotting down simple words, just trying to rephrase what I read into something a normal person would say.
What I really started doing was looking at the pictures in my mind. Water over Heaven. Clouds gathering. That’s what the symbol shows. You see clouds gathering, you know rain is coming. You don’t run out into the field unprepared. You wait. But you also get ready, right? You bring in your laundry, maybe you set up a bucket to catch water, or you just get under cover. That’s not doing nothing. That’s preparing.
Then I dug into the individual lines. Oh man, those lines can be a trip. But I tried to simplify them too. Like, one line talks about waiting in the wilderness, another about waiting on sand, then on mud, then blood, and finally, waiting at the banquet. What hit me was the progression. Each step was about a different stage of waiting, and each carried a different kind of challenge or opportunity. It wasn’t just one type of waiting.
It slowly started clicking for me. ‘Waiting’ isn’t just sitting idle. It’s about being present where you are. It’s about not forcing things before their time. It’s about nurturing your spirit and strengthening your resolve during the wait. Like, if you’re waiting for a job offer, you don’t just stare at your phone. Maybe you use that time to brush up on new skills, or connect with other people, or just make sure your resume is perfect for the next thing if this one falls through. You nourish yourself, literally and figuratively.
My Simple Takeaways for Waiting
- Don’t Rush It: Seriously, some things just need time to cook. Trying to push them only makes a mess.
- Get Ready: Waiting isn’t passive. It’s prime time for preparation. Sharpen your tools, physically or mentally.
- Maintain Your Inner Peace: This one was huge. If you’re constantly stressing, you’ll burn out before the opportunity even arrives. Feast and relax means take care of yourself, keep your spirits up.
- Observe the Signs: Just like watching clouds, be aware of what’s happening around you. Things might be shifting, giving you cues for when it’s time to act.
- Have Faith: This hexagram often implies a positive outcome, but only if you wait wisely. Trust the process, as annoying as that sounds.
I started telling my friends these simpler insights. One buddy was totally stressed about a big project at work that was stalled. He was ready to throw in the towel. We talked about Hexagram 5, and I said, “Look, you’re in the ‘waiting in the mud’ phase. It sucks, but what can you do now to make sure you’re strong when the green light hits?” He ended up using the time to learn a new software that actually made his part of the project even better when it finally moved forward.
Another time, my sister was agonizing over a house offer. She felt like she had to do something constantly. I just told her, “Just wait, focus on making your current place comfortable, and be ready to move when the time is right, not a second before.” She calmed down, and sure enough, two weeks later, everything lined up perfectly.
So yeah, that’s how I cracked Hexagram 5 for myself and for others. It went from being some mystical, confusing riddle to just a really practical guide on how to handle delays and uncertainties. It’s not about doing nothing; it’s about doing the right kind of nothing – which often means a whole lot of internal preparing and smart observation.
