3. Initial Difficulties/Resolving Chaos (Water over Thunder)

This hexagram suggests the image of dark clouds before storm.

The situation is chaotic. But the chaos clears up.

A thunderstorm brings release of tension and all things breathe freely again.

This is a period when new situations are full of potential development.
We should devote our energies for careful preparation.

___ ___ This is a time to get out from difficulties

_______ Proceed step by step with cautiousness, modesty, and consciousness

___ ___ Taking the first step, accept a right help

___ ___ Wait for a proper time and the proper guidance

___ ___ Wait for a proper time, don't seek imediate solution

_______ Hesitation, find friends to support

2. Receptive (Earth over Earth)

This hexagram describes the female life forces of the universe. Its image is the earth. It represents nature. Nature's richness lies in its power to nourish all living things. The strength of earth lies in quietness, firmness and perseverance.

__ __ The Receptive must be led by the Creative

__ __ Authenticity and maturity should be expressed with great discretion

___ __ In the dangerous time, one has to be cautious and reserved

___ __ A lot can be accomplished without drawing attention to oneself

___ __ Be like nature: true, calm, respectful, tolerant, and reliable

___ __ Be attentive and watchfull

1. Creative (Heaven over Heaven)

Spiritual power originates from heaven. It is active within us, initiates our action, gives our life meaning, direction and creativity.

_________ Maturation

_________ Integration, Highest point of creation

_________ Bifurcation point: outside or inside development

_________ Inner conflict, anxiety, crisis, differentiation

_________ Set goal, beginning of action

_________ No action, concentration, meditation

Book of Changes and Chaos Theory

During the last two years I have studied "I Ching" or "Book of Changes." It is the oldest and greatest Chinese classic and became the foundation of the Taoist and Confucian philosophies.

The main idea of "I Ching" is the continuous changes and transformations of all beings expressed by a system of archetypal symbols, called the hexagrams.

I look at this system of hexagrams through the prism of Chaos Theory. For better understanding the meanings of hexagrams I created 64 collages applying my own photographs of nature.

Hexagrams reflect all human situations as a sequence of continual transformation from chaos to order (self-organization) and an order is replaced by new chaos (self-disorganization), and this goes on. The idea of the transition from one kind of order to another through a state of chaos is developed in the process of self-organization.

I analyze in details some hexagrams like: "Fellowship", "Humility", "Grace", "Love", "Family", and "Happy Union" and describe them as dissipative structures.

The hexagrams: "Resolving Order", "Disintegration", "Dispersion", "Revolution", "Conflict", and "Oppresion" are the chaotic states.

Some hexagrams like: "Break-through", "The Turning Point", "The Shock", "Progress", and "Transition" can be described as bifurcation points or self-organized criticality where the system spontaneously develops into a critical state and minor perturbations lead to a qualitative change of behavior.