By DAVID KOH & JOE CHOO | Aug 21, 2009
Dawn of a New Era
Over the past few issues, our environology tour of the Klang Valley paused at Parliament House to explore an aspect of the I Ching or Book of Changes. Drawing from the orientation of the building and its date of inauguration, we calculated that it was represented by Hexagram 64 or “Wei Chi” (Before Completion).
From this hexagram, we can infer six periods of changes totalling 45 years. In our previous article, we covered Period 5, considered to be the summit of achievement, be it for a person, building, company or country. It is analogous to a person reaching the peak of life.
Thereafter, in Period 6 we come to the twilight years when the elderly must exit and gracefully make way for the next generation to take over. A wise person will know when to retire and keep his peace, much like a grandparent stepping back to let their children become the new authority figures.
Otherwise, they would be considered meddlesome old folk. Interestingly, in this period (1999-2008), we could observe how the “retired” Tun Dr Mahathir continued to interfere in the affairs of his successor, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
The twilight Period 6 also happens to be a relatively slow and quiet period under the Abdullah administration. Coincidentally or otherwise, the period ended with the surprising results of the 12th general election: the ruling Barisan Nasional government suffered shock defeats that ended its two-thirds majority in Parliament and the loss of four more states to the Opposition.
With the completion of this Period, the hexagram changes in Hexagram 63 or “Chi Chi” (After Completion). The dawn of this new era is also marked by the ascendance of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to the premiership.
It would be interesting to see what the future would be like. Of course, anything at this point is purely conjecture. It should not be construed as a prediction or prophecy, which can be self-fulfilling.
We say this simply because, if Parliament House had undergone massive renovations or a “re-ignition” process, the hexagram would then be different, depending on the date of such an event. Since we do not have access to such information or the extent of renovations, it is very difficult to make any forecast accurately. We could actually be barking up the wrong tree.
Yet, we’re sure our regular readers would be keen to know, just out of curiosity, what it could be like. So, permit us a small flight of fantasy on what could happen if no major renovations or ignition were done.
A New Hexagram
Hexagram 63 is actually a complete reversal of trigrams found in the previous hexagram. The top trigram is “K’an” (the Abysmal Water) while the bottom trigram is “Li” (the Clinging Fire). We started out with “Li” above “K’an”.
The Judgement: After Completion. Success in small matters. Perseverance furthers. At the beginning good fortune, at the end disorder.
The Image. Water over fire: the image of the condition in After Completion. Thus the superior man takes thought of misfortune and arms himself against it in advance.
We should interpret this in collaboration with the original Hexagram 64 of Parliament House. If you recall, that hexagram described a fox crossing the river but wetting its tail. This fox was leaping across the river but overestimated its ability and could not quite clear it. As a result, its tail got wet.
A wet tail is, according to Chinese sages, no good and can bring problems to the fox if it is not dried quickly. It has to be dried within three years or else there will be problems and plenty of regrets. The tail simply cannot be allowed to remain wet.
This would suggest that problems from the earlier hexagram (leading to the fox getting its tail wet) must be cleared within the first three years of the current hexagram. Otherwise, it could escalate and create more difficulties.
Thus in anticipation of trouble, swift moves are made to solve the problems and to prevent them from worsening.
We find it fascinating as the ancient texts of I Ching could very well have been describing the determination of the Najib administration to regain the advantage, beginning with the takeover of the Perak State Assembly and the massive 1Malaysia campaign to regain the hearts and minds of disenfranchised Malaysians.
Each line of Hexagram 63 tells an interesting sequential story. We will paraphrase the quotes from Richard Wilhelm and Cary F Baynes’ translation of the I Ching:
The first line (from the bottom up): He brakes his wheels. He gets his tail in the water. No blame.
The second line: The woman loses the curtain of her carriage. Do not run after it; on the seventh day you will get it.
The third: The Illustrious Ancestor disciplines the Devil’s Country. After three years he conquers it. Inferior people must not be employed.
The fourth: The finest clothes turn to rags. Be careful all day long.
The fifth: The neighbour in the east who slaughters an ox does not attain as much real happiness as the neighbour in the west with his small offering.
The sixth (top line): He gets his head in the water. Danger.
Sounds ominous, does it not? Will the Najib administration be faced with relentless pressure and difficulty from the wet tail? Will it “conquer” the difficulties in three years with the help of a veteran and purge itself of incompetent people?
Will there be a fall from grace if the leaders let their guard down? Will there be an ally from the west that will be more beneficial than the east? Could this be an allegory for Peninsular and East Malaysia? There are many interpretations, of course, and one must examine various other factors before coming to a more meaningful and accurate forecast. It could actually mean nothing, of course, simply because some renovation work, a relocation of Parliament, and many other factors could render this hexagram inapplicable.
Next week, our tour continues to the other “Golden Triangle” of Kuala Lumpur: Bangsar.
*This series on feng shui and real estate properties appear courtesy of the Malaysia Institute of Geomancy Sciences (MINGS). David Koh is the founder of MINGS and has been a feng shui master and teacher for the past 35 years.
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