“#5 需 Needs – Wait/Patience” with Water trigram at the top (i.e. clouds) and Heaven trigram at the bottom. The Chinese word means needs or wants and is extended to mean waiting for the right time and opportunities. The formation of clouds in the sky is the sign of impending rain and hence the extended meaning for waiting, or getting ready, the actions of preparation for rain.
A close English word is ‘Patience’. The Dictionary definition of patience is ‘tolerant and even-tempered perseverance’. I just want to add ‘until the goal is achieved to complete the definition. Benjamin Franklin said, ‘He that can have patience can have what he will’. We can see from Benjamin’s quote that ‘Patience‘ is not passive but an active strength. This active waiting is exactly what this Hexagram 5 需 means.
Waiting here is not idle waiting or killing time. It is an intense preparation, watchfulness, and most interesting of all, waiting with celebration and joy! Let’s look at the details:
Description:
- 有孚: have integrity and honesty.
- 光亨: have light and smooth flowing
- 贞吉: righteous and good
- 利涉大川: suitable to start the big project (original: cross wide rivers)
The textual description said that it means ‘wait’ because there is danger at the front. Move with integrity and strength and you will not fall into the pit. Neither will you be trapped in a dead end. The position is in the sky, and there needs to hold the righteous central. It is good for crossing great rivers. Moving forward is rewarding.
Moral Teaching: Have Some Fun While Waiting
Fun is needed in the midst of waiting, especially for long waiting on a long journey.
The most interesting description is given in the pictorial text: 云上於天，需；君子以饮食宴乐。 Clouds rise up to the sky is, 需-Xu, waiting for the right moment; The Wise man has joy by partying with food and drinks.
The secret to the ability for a long and fruitful wait is the attitude of joy and celebration. In the midst of preparing for the right opportunities, we must work with joy and gladness in our hearts. We can intersperse fun times in the waiting period.
The common reaction to delay and waiting is frustration and anger. We wasted much energy complaining and on futile activities killing time. This hexagram tells us to make the best of the waiting time for preparation and some fun, keeping our expectations and hope alive. We will then be in the best position to exploit the opportunity when the time is ripe. Keeping happy and busy will also make the waiting time seem short.
Stage 1 – Begin Nine: Waiting in the wilderness. Good to have perseverance. No-fault.
We are just starting and we must prepare to wait and work for a long time. Remember to have fun in the meantime. Please take note that we are not idly waiting but in preparation and making progress even though progress is hard. We must not lose our calmness and there will be no fault. We can picture the army moving forward to take a city starting from a far place in the wilderness.
Stage 2 – Second Nine: Waiting at the sands. Have some complaints. Good ending.
Some more waiting and there are people getting impatience and you can hear some complaints. Some encouragement and fun will help and we can continue in a good state of readiness.
Stage 3 – Third Nine: Waiting in the mud. Enemy (original: Robbers) came.
We are getting closer but now there are external harmful factors coming in to interfere with our progress. We need to be watchful and careful to handle them well so that we will not lose out.
Stage 4 – Fourth Six: Waiting in a bloody place. Escape out of danger and traps.
If we are in a war, we are so near the target that the enemy comes to attack us and there are injuries and bleeding. If we are in business, the long build-up time is bleeding our cash. Our competitors may have some news about our plans and intentions and started taking action to counter us. Be not discouraged by the actions of our competitors. It shows that we are doing well enough to affect their business. Being watchful of the external trends, and listening to the market, we manage to escape from traps.
Stage 5 – Fifth Nine: Waiting with Drink and Food. Righteous perseverance brings forth fortune.
We are all ready to celebrate. It is like the eve of the product launch. Continue with the care and excellent work and you shall have good success.
Stage 6 – Top Six: Back home and meet three uninvited guests. Treat them with respect and you will end up with a good fortune.
A successful launch brings forth customers that you have not expected. Respect and understand their requests. Make the needed changes and they will bring you to the next stage of greater success.
Don’t waste this waiting time. Get prepared, be watchful, and have a happy and expectant attitude.
Waiting is Not Quiet – It is full of Activities and Noises from within and without
The 6 stages also show us what waiting looks like. Waiting is not doing anything and is also not quiet. We need to prepare for a long wait and hence perseverance, live with noises of dissatisfaction and complaints, undermining stealth activities and attacks from the enemies. With all these challenges, we are busily watching, preparing, adapting, and improving to move forward. Remember to keep our spirit up with fun and celebration at suitable times now and then. We will eventually be greatly rewarded.
Another suggestion in the meantime of waiting is given in Joy of Waiting to improve the process in the meantime.
Summary:
We may need to wait for the opportune time. But waiting is not a lack of activity. We need to prepare and walk with integrity in this period. Getting ready allows one to benefit most when the time is ripe. When the waiting is long, we need to have fun to be encouraged and uplifted in spirit. More so, when in this waiting process, we may encounter complaints and attacks. The bigger the opportunity, the greater the challenges you will face.
The six-stage lines of wisdom tell us:
- Have perseverance – be prepared for a long wait.
- Don’t mind the complaints
- Be prepared for some sabotage
- Be prepared for attacks
- Be prepared to celebrate
- Be prepared for good surprises – keep integrity and respect all along.
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