# 3 Difficulty at Beginning

Difficulty at Beginning: inherently auspicious, beneficent, and innocent; do not employ force but can move forward, excellent for constructing states.

《Tuan- Commentary on the Judgment》：Difficulty at the beginning, when hard Yang and soft Yin combine to create numerous things in the universe, the process is intricate and must adhere to universal law. Rain is the culmination of the exchange of energy between water (cloud) and lightning, and it gives birth to the flavor of plants; it is a complicated process. As a result, instead of fighting or conquering, it is better to build states and territories.

《Xian-Overall Image》:  The 屯 Tun hexagram depicts clouds, lightning, and thunder. A gentleman or king should take note of such events and plan accordingly.

屯Tun: Difficulty at Beginning.  The upper trigram is åŽ Kan stands for the cloud, and the lower trigram é›· Lei means lightning. When clouds combine with lightning to become rain, it sustains all living things on Earth, yet no one knows how much precipitation will fall.

The lower hexagram é›·Lei lightning symbolizes shock, and the upper hexagram Kan indicates danger. This hexagram represents the urge to turn inward and forth while still being aware of external threats. This hexagram is named Difficult at the Beginning because everything that is born will face challenges and barriers, but everything that overcomes adversity will flourish.

What might seem like chaos and cofusion around a person or within right now is actually a much-needed jolt. Whether a person thinks they are ready or not, the outgown is already falling away. Just as the smallest seed requires tremendous energy to break open, once it does, it leaves the shell behind.

Rather than feeling sorry for oneself, or mourning what is lost, prepare to face the new challenges and possibilities that will soon appear on the horizon. The nature of this particular journey is that once it has begun, there is no turning back. Keep a steady pace and stay in touch with the real needs of the moment rather than projecting into the future. Be gentle and kind towards yourself.

Don’t be shy or too proud to ask for help when it is needed, and receive it with humility and gratitude when it is offered. Put the pride aside; this is time for support and encouragement.

spiritually, this is the time for you to gain your inner strength. inner knowing and inner clarity in times of difficulty, trust the universe and yourself, and things will work out in the end.