Kan (The Abysmal) shows water over water. A rushing river in a gorge. It stands for danger, the abyss, and fear. But water has a superpower: It flows. It gets stuck nowhere, it fills every gap, it flows around every rock. The I Ching says: Face the danger. Don't run away. Like water, you must flow through the gorge. You cannot resolve the situation through rigid resistance, only through complete surrender to the current of life ('flow'). Trust is the key here.

DangerFlow

The Abysmal repeats itself. If you are truthful, you hold success in your heart, and your deeds meet with success.

Resilience Training

Kan is the training camp for character. Those who go through the abyss lose their naivety but gain an indestructible depth.

Operative Resources

Courage. Not the absence of fear, but acting in spite of fear.

System Blocks

Victim role – The feeling of being helplessly at the mercy of the situation.

System-Hacks

Navigate the abyss.

Cold Showers: Practice staying calm even in uncomfortable moments.
Fear Inventory: Write down the worst thing that could happen (worst case).

Image

The water flows on unbroken and arrives at its goal: the image of the Abysmal. So the noble one walks in constant virtue and pursues the work of teaching.

Shadow Challenge

Shadow: Panic – Freezing with fear or losing hope. Feeling like a victim of circumstances ('drowning').

Strategy

Keep moving. Keep flowing. Don't stand still and don't brood. Trust that the river will carry you to the sea. Practice radical acceptance.

The Lines

Beginning: Habituation (Fall)Repeating the Abysmal. One ends up in the pit. Misfortune. One grows used to what is bad or loses one's bearings entirely (downward spiral).
Level 2: Danger (Survival Mode)In the abyss there is danger. One should aim to gain only small things. Be modest. Don't try to land the big win; survive first.
Level 3: Dead End (Standstill)Abyss ahead and behind. In danger one should rest for the time being, or else one lands in a hole within the abyss. No way out. Keep still and wait until a gap appears.
Level 4: Help (Support)A pitcher of wine, a bowl of rice, clay vessels. Just passed in through the window. No fault. In times of need, simple, honest gestures of support are what count.
Level 5: Glimmer of Hope (Easing)The abyss does not fill completely; it is filled only up to the edge. Order comes into it. No fault. The danger eases. Land in sight. One has come through the worst.
Conclusion: Fetters (Captivity)Tied with cords and ropes. Locked in between thorn-fenced dungeon walls. For three years one cannot find one's bearings. Misfortune. Complete loss of freedom.

Reflection Journal

What am I most afraid of right now, and what would happen if I simply kept flowing?