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Hexagram 29

The mind is uncontrolled.
The person is quick to anger.
Most problems in this person's life are self-created.
Spiritual achievement is lacking.
The person faces important life decisions and problems that should be overcome.
The person does not take responsibility for his emotions and states of mind.
The person is likely to blame others for his problems.

Danger and the Way of Dealing With Danger

The hexagram itself represents danger because the yang lines are enclosed by two yin lines, like an abyss ( see Hexagram 29, left). The hexagram also represents the way to deal with danger:
First, know that the danger is external to your true self. Second, your true nature will not be affected even by great suffering because the danger is external to your spiritual essence. All great spiritual beings have experienced great suffering in their lives. Indeed, suffering is necessary if one is to penetrate to real meaning of life. Take heart in the time of danger!
In dealing with danger one should imitate the element of water which the hexagram represents: This teaching below is taken from The Book of Changes and the Unchanging Truth by Hua-ching Ni.

• Be content with a "low" position. Like Water, by remaining low, one may be safe and free from competition.
• Remain profound. A profound mind is as quiet as the deep ocean. Therefore, it is undisturbed by the waves on the surface.
• Give generously. Water constantly gives without asking to be repaid.
• Speak faithfully. The flow of Water is always faithfully towards the sea.
• Be gentle. Water moves with gentleness, it can overcome even the hardest obstacle under Heaven.
• Work capably and be adaptable. Water can fit what is square or what is round. It keeps its true nature in any container or circumstance.
• Take action opportunely. Water freezes in Winter and melts in Spring. Its inflexibility in Winter is like death. Its softness in the Spring generates new life.
• Never fight. Water does not fight for itself, thus is beyond blame.

The Myth

The Dark Lord of the North or Xuan Wu Da Di is a deity that comes from the pre- history of shamanic times (c. 6000 BC). In relatively modern Chinese prehistory (c. 1200 BC) the Dark Lord has become the human figure of a warrior with wild, unruly black hair, dressed in the primitive clothing of the tribal peoples of Neolithic times. He is powerful and strong deity capable of powerful punishments and redemptive deliverance. He is frequently depicted as the black tortoise who rules over the direction North in Chinese cosmology. He is called "Xuan" for the color black and "Wu" meaning "tortoise.
Prehistory: The Snake and the Tortoise
The Dark Lord speaks to a more ancient myth, that of the snake and the tortoise, in religious prehistory. Very ancient drawings of a black snake and tortoise together symbolize the Dark Lord. These reptilian creatures, the snake and tortoise, were probably themselves worshipped or were powerful medicine to help in overcoming one's enemies. From Shang times onward, the flag bearing this symbol was part of the king's color guard. In Neolithic prehistory the tortoise - also known as the somber warrior- and snake together are the symbols or totems of a powerful shaman who fights evil against the demons of the Invisible World. (Above, 3rd Century BC drawing of the black turtle and the snake, colorized. According to ancient tradition, the black tortoise is yin; the snake, yang.)
This shaman, among some tribes was called the "black shaman." This shaman would be a great warrior, menacing and powerful, with the ability to slay enemies by raining down catastrophe upon them. The specialty of the black shaman was exorcism and he often fought battles with the demons of the Lord of Death. (Left, probably the most ancient known inscription of this symbol)
The Dark Lord In Chinese Mythology
Xuan Wu, also called "Zhuanxu" was said to have been born during the period of the Yellow Emperor. He was a crown prince in the country of Jing Le. Like Buddha he refused to made a king and left worldly life to study religion. Xuan Wu thereafter devoted his life to the study of Taoism and eventually became an Immortal. The Jade Emperor, one of the Supreme Deities, then made him lord over the northern heavens because Xuan Wu was the only deity strong enough to deal with dark powers inherent in the primal direction of the North. Talismans such as the one above originally were for warding off evil spirits. Later the talisman became a method for achieving ecstatic union with the deity.
This deity, The Dark Lord, was especially worshipped in northern China during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 BC). The mountain Wu Dan, which is named for him, is his sacred place. At the peak of the mountain at Tian Zhu Peak stands the Golden Temple built in honor of him during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD). The Golden Temple still stands there today and is a place of pilgrimage for his followers. Fittingly for Western movie enthusiasts, The Golden Child sits to the right of the Dark Lord as he grants audiences on his throne in the northern heavens. The epic film of the Manchu warrior-woman, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, takes place at the monastery of the Dark Lord on Wu Dan Mountain.
The Dark Warrior is often shown with long, wild hair and dressed in primitive, tribal clothing. This manner of dress symbolizes his wild, atavistic and dark, powerful nature. He is a strong martial deity who has sworn to kill all the evil spirits in the world. The Dark Lord of the North is often the chosen deity of those who study the martial arts and war.

All immortals and enlightened beings were also once human and did very bad things and for this they often experienced profound suffering. Yet they were able to gain control over their minds by constant perseverance. This control of our lower nature is the gateway to higher realizations.