In any situation, there are a multitude of possible courses of action. The route that the I Ching suggests is the one that the sage would follow. It is also the course of action that is in tune with the laws of nature, with the inevitable morality of the Universe. 

In the original text and the symbolism of the illustrations in this book, the emphasis is often placed on the changing seasons. It makes no sense to sow a summer seed in winter because it will not stand the cold, and therefore will not be able to grow and bloom. There is a good time for everything. 

Free will allows us to deposit our “seeds” on earth at the wrong time of year, but if we move too far from natural laws our choice will be doomed to failure. How we act before the I Ching council will ultimately depend on us.

Life is a total experience and reality always arises from within.