I Ching: Book 1: Part I

(hexagrams #11–20)

Richard Wilhelm's and Cary F. Baynes translations of the classic "I Ching: Or, Book of Changes"

3rd. ed., Bollingen Series XIX, (Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press, 1967, 1st ed. 1950).   © by Panther Webworks for this online edition January 1, 2007

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11.  T’ai / Peace

☷above K’UN  /  THE RECEPTIVE, EARTH
☰below CH’IEN  /  THE CREATIVE, HEAVEN

The Receptive, which moves downward, stands above; the Creative, which moves upward, is below.  Hence their influences meet and are in harmony, so that all living things bloom and prosper.  This hexagram belongs to the first month (February–March), at which time the forces of nature prepare the new spring.

THE JUDGMENT

PEACE.  The small departs,
The great approaches.
Good fortune.  Success.

This hexagram denotes a time in nature when heaven seems to be on earth.  Heaven has placed itself beneath the earth, and so their powers unite in deep harmony.  Then peace and blessing descend upon all living things.

In the world of man it is a time of social harmony; those in high places show favor to the lowly, and the lowly and inferior in their turn are well disposed toward the highly placed.  There is an end to all feuds.

Inside, at the center, in the key position, is the light principle; the dark principle is outside.  Thus the light has a powerful influence, while the dark is submissive.  In this way each receives its due.  When the good elements of society occupy a central position and are in control, the evil elements come under their influence and change for the better.  When the spirit of heaven rules in man, his animal nature also comes under its influence and takes its appropriate place.

The individual lines enter the hexagram from below and leave it again at the top.  Here the small, weak, and evil elements are about to take their departure, while the great, strong, and good elements are moving up.  This brings good fortune and success.

THE IMAGE

Heaven and earth unite: the image of PEACE.
Thus the ruler
Divides and completes the course of heaven and earth;
He furthers and regulates the gifts of heaven and earth,
And so aids the people.

Heaven and earth are in contact and combine their influences, producing a time of universal flowering and prosperity.  This stream of energy must be regulated by the ruler of men.  It is done by a process of division.  Thus men divide the uniform flow of time into the seasons, according to the succession of natural phenomena, and mark off infinite space by the points of the compass.  In this way nature in its overwhelming profusion of phenomena is bounded and controlled.  One the other hand, nature must be furthered in her productiveness.  This is done by adjusting the products to the right time and the right place, which increases the natural yield.  This controlling and furthering activity of man in his relation to nature is the work on nature that rewards him.

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12.  P’i / Standstill [Stagnation]

☰above CH’IEN  /  THE CREATIVE, HEAVEN
☷below K’UN  /  THE RECEPTIVE, EARTH

This hexagram is the opposite of the preceding one.  Heaven is above, drawing farther and farther away, while the earth below sinks farther into the depths.  The creative powers are not in relation.  It is a time of standstill and decline.  This hexagram is linked with the seventh month (August–September), when the year has passed its zenith and autumnal decay is setting in.

THE JUDGMENT

STANDSTILL.  Evil people do not further
The perseverance of the superior man.
The great departs; the small approaches.

Heaven and earth are out of communion and all things are benumbed.  What is above has no relation to what is below, and on earth confusion and disorder prevail.  The dark power is within, the light power is without.  Weakness is within, harshness without.  Within are the inferior, and without are the superior.  The way of inferior people is in ascent; the way of superior people is one the decline.  But the superior people do not allow themselves to be turned from their principles.  If the possibility of exerting influence is closed to them, they nevertheless remain faithful to their principles and withdraw into seclusion.

THE IMAGE

Heaven and earth do not unite:
The image of STANDSTILL.
Thus the superior man falls back upon his inner worth
In order to escape the difficulties.
He does not permit himself to be honored with revenue.

When, owing to the influence of inferior men, mutual mistrust prevails in public life, fruitful activity is rendered impossible, because the fundaments are wrong.  Therefore the superior man knows what he must do under such circumstances; he does not allow himself to be tempted by dazzling offers to take part in public activities.  This would only expose him to danger, since he cannot assent to the meanness of the others.  He therefore hides his worth and withdraws into seclusion.

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13.  T’ung Jên / Fellowship with Men

☰above CH’IEN  /  THE CREATIVE, HEAVEN
☲below LI  /  THE CLINGING, FLAME

The image of the upper trigram Ch’ien is heaven, and that of the lower, Li, is flame.  It is the nature of fire to flame up to heaven.  This gives the idea of fellowship.  It is the second line that, by virtue of its central character, unites the five strong lines around it.  This hexagram forms a complement to Shih, THE ARMY (7).  In the latter, danger is within and obedience without—the character of a warlike army, which, in order to hold together, needs one strong man among the many who are weak.  Here, clarity is within and strength without—the character of a peaceful union of men, which, in order to hold together, needs one yielding nature among many firm persons.

THE JUDGMENT

FELLOWSHIP WITH MEN in the open.
Success.
It furthers one to cross the great water.
The perseverance of the superior man furthers.

True fellowship among men must be based upon a concern that is universal.  It is not the private interests of the individual that create lasting fellowship among men, but rather the goals of humanity.  That is why it is said that fellowship with men in the open succeeds.  If unity of this kind prevails, even difficult and dangerous tasks, such as crossing the great water, can be accomplished.  But in order to bring about this sort of fellowship, a persevering and enlightened leader is needed—a man with clear, convincing, and inspiring aims and the strength to carry them out.  (The inner trigram means clarity; the outer, strength.)

THE IMAGE

Heaven together with fire:
The image of FELLOWSHIP WITH MEN.
Thus the superior man organizes the clans
And makes distinctions between things.

Heaven has the same direction of movement as fire, yet it is different from fire.  Just as the luminaries in the sky serve for the systematic division and arrangement of time, so human society and all things that really belong together must be organically arranged.  Fellowship should not be a mere mingling of individuals or of things—that would be chaos, not fellowship.  If fellowship is to lead to order, there must be organization within diversity.

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14.  Ta Yu / Possession in Great Measure

☲above LI  /  THE CLINGING, FLAME
☰below CH’IEN  /  THE CREATIVE, HEAVEN

The fire in heaven above shines far, and all things stand out in the light and become manifest.  The weak fifth line occupies the place of honor, and all the strong lines are in accord with it.  All things come to the man who is modest and kind in a high position.

THE JUDGMENT

POSSESSION IN GREAT MEASURE.
Supreme success.

The two trigrams indicate that strength and clarity unite.  Possession in great measure is determined by fate and accords with the time.  How is it possible that the weak line has power to hold the strong lines fast and to possess them?  It is done by virtue of unselfish modesty.  The time is favorable—a time of strength within, clarity and culture without.  Power is expressing itself in graceful and controlled way.  This brings supreme success and wealth.

THE IMAGE

Fire in heaven above:
The image of POSSESSION IN GREAT MEASURE.
Thus the superior man curbs evil and furthers good,
And thereby obeys the benevolent will of heaven.

The sun in heaven above, shedding light over everything on earth, is the image of possession on a grand scale.  But a possession of this sort must be administered properly.  The sun brings both evil and good into the light of day.  Man must combat and curb the evil, and must favor and promote the good.  Only in this way does he fulfill the benevolent will of God, who desires only good and not evil.

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15.  Ch’ien / Modesty

☷above K’UN  /  THE RECEPTIVE, EARTH
☶below KÊN  /  KEEPING STILL, MOUNTAIN

This hexagram is made up of the trigrams Kên Keeping Still, mountain, and K’un.  The mountain is the youngest son of the Creative, the representative of heaven and earth.  It dispenses the blessings of heaven, the clouds and rain that gather round its summit, and thereafter shines forth radiant with heavenly light.  This shows what modesty is and how it functions in great and strong men.  K’un, the earth, stands above.  Lowliness is a quality of the earth: this is the very reason why it appears in this hexagram as exalted, by being placed above the mountain.  This shows how modesty functions in lowly, simple people: they are lifted up by it.

THE JUDGMENT

MODESTY creates success.
The superior man carries things through.

It is the law of heaven to make fullness empty and to make full what is modest; when the sun is at its zenith, it must, according to the law of heaven, turn toward its setting, and at its nadir it rises toward a new dawn.  In obedience to the same law, the moon when it is full begins to wane, and when empty of light it waxes again.  This heavenly law works itself out in the fates of men also.  It is the law of earth to alter the full and to contribute to the modest.  High mountains are worn down by the waters, and the valleys are filled up.  It is the law of fate to undermine what is full and to prosper the modest.  And men also hate fullness and love the modest.

The destinies of men are subject to immutable laws that must fulfill themselves.  But man has it in his power to shape his fate, according as his behavior exposes him to the influence of benevolent or of destructive forces.  When a man holds a high position and is nevertheless modest, he shines with the light of wisdom; if he is in a lowly position and is modest, he cannot be passed by.  Thus the superior man can carry out his work to the end without boasting of what he has achieved.

THE IMAGE

Within the earth, a mountain:
The image of MODESTY.
Thus the superior man reduces that which is too much,
And augments that which is too little.
He weighs things and makes them equal.

The wealth of the earth in which a mountain is hidden is not visible to the eye, because the depths are offset by the height of the mountain.  Thus high and low complement each other, and the result is the plain.  Here an effect that it took a long time to achieve, but that in the end seems easy of accomplishment and self–evident, is used as the image of modesty.  The superior man does the same thing when he establishes order in the world; he equalizes the extremes that are the source of social discontent and thereby creates just and equable conditions.

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16.  Yü / Enthusiasm

☳above CHÊN  /  THE AROUSING, THUNDER
☷below K’UN  /  THE RECEPTIVE, EARTH

The strong line in the fourth place, that of the leading official, meets with response and obedience from all the other lines, which are all weak.  The attribute of the upper trigram, Chên, is movement; the attributes of K’un, the lower, are obedience and devotion.  This begins a movement that meets with devotion and therefore inspires enthusiasm, carrying all with it.  Of great importance, furthermore, is the law of movement along the line of least resistance, which in this hexagram is enunciated as the law for natural events and for human life.

THE JUDGMENT

ENTHUSIASM.  It furthers one to install helpers
And to set armies marching.

The time of ENTHUSIASM derives from the fact that there is at hand an eminent man who is in sympathy with the spirit of the people and acts in accord with it.  Hence he finds universal and willing obedience.  To arouse enthusiasm it is necessary for a man to adjust himself and his ordinances to the character of those whom he has to lead.  The inviolability of natural laws rests on this principle of movement along the line of least resistance.  These laws are not forces external to things but represent the harmony of movement immanent in them.  That is why the celestial bodies do not deviate from their orbits and why all events in nature occur with fixed regularity.  It is the same with human society: only such laws as are rooted in popular sentiment can be enforced, while laws violating this sentiment merely arouse resentment.

Again, it is enthusiasm that enables us to install helpers for the completion of an undertaking without fear of secret opposition.  It is enthusiasm too that can unify mass movements, as in war, so that they achieve victory.

THE IMAGE

Thunder comes resounding out of the earth:
The image of ENTHUSIASM.
Thus the ancient kings made music
In order to honor merit,
And offered it with splendor
To the Supreme Deity,
Inviting their ancestors to be present.

When, at the beginning of summer, thunder—electrical energy—comes rushing forth from the earth again, and the first thunderstorm refreshes nature, a prolonged state of tension is resolved.  Joy and relief make themselves felt.  So too, music has power to ease tension within the heart and to loosen the grip of obscure emotions.  The enthusiasm of the heart expresses itself involuntarily in a burst of song, in dance and rhythmic movement of the body.  From immemorial times the inspiring effect of the invisible sound that moves all hearts, and draws them together, has mystified mankind.

Rulers have made use of this natural taste for music; they elevated and regulated it.  Music was looked upon as something serious and holy, designed to purify the feelings of men.  It fell to music to glorify the virtues of heroes and thus to construct a bridge to the world of the unseen.  In the temple men drew near to God with music and pantomimes (out of this later the theater developed).  Religious feeling for the Creator of the world was united with the most sacred of human feelings, that of reverence for the ancestors.  The ancestors were invited to these divine services as guests of the Ruler of Heaven and as representatives of humanity in the higher regions.  This uniting of the human past with the Divinity in solemn moments of religious inspiration established the bond between God and man.  The ruler who revered the Divinity in revering his ancestors became thereby the Son of Heaven, in whom the heavenly and the earthly world met in mystical contact.

These ideas are the final summation of Chinese culture.  Confucius has said of the great sacrifice at which these rites were performed: “He who could wholly comprehend this sacrifice could rule the world as though it were spinning on his hand.”

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17.  Sui / Following

☱above TUI  /  THE JOYOUS, LAKE
☳below CHÊN  /  THE AROUSING, THUNDER

The trigram Tui, the Joyous, whose attribute is gladness, is above; Chên, the Arousing, which has the attribute of movement, is below.  Joy in movement induces following.  The Joyous is the youngest daughter, while the Arousing is the eldest son.  An older man defers to a young girl and shows her consideration.  By this he moves her to follow him.

THE JUDGMENT

FOLLOWING has supreme success.
Perseverance furthers.  No blame.

In order to obtain a following one must first know how to adapt oneself.  If a man would rule he must first learn to serve, for only in this way does he secure from those below him the joyous assent that is necessary if they are to follow him.  If he has to obtain a following by force or cunning, by conspiracy or by creating factions, he invariably arouses resistance, which obstructs willing adherence.  But even joyous movement can lead to evil consequences, hence the added stipulation, “Perseverance furthers”—that is, consistency in doing right—together with “No blame.”  Just as we should not ask others to follow us unless this condition is fulfilled, so it is only under this condition that we can in turn follow others without coming to harm.

The thought of obtaining a following through adaptation to the demands of the time is a great and significant idea; this is why the appended judgment is so favorable.

THE IMAGE

Thunder in the middle of the lake:
The image of FOLLOWING.
Thus the superior man at nightfall
Goes indoors for rest and recuperation.

In the autumn electricity withdraws into the earth again and rests.  Here it is the thunder in the middle of the lake that serves as the image—thunder in its winter rest, not thunder in motion.  The idea of following in the sense of adaptation to the demands of the time grows out of this image.  Thunder in the middle of the lake indicates times of darkness and rest.  Similarly, a superior man, after being tirelessly active all day, allows himself rest and recuperation at night.  No situation can become favorable until one is able to adapt to it and does not wear himself out with mistaken resistance.

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18.  Ku / Work on what has been spoiled [Decay]

☶above KÊN  /  KEEPING STILL, MOUNTAIN
☴below SUN  /  THE GENTLE, WIND

The Chinese character ku represents a bowl in whose contents worms are breeding.  This means decay.  It is come about because the gentle indifference in the lower trigram has come together with the rigid inertia of the upper, and the result is stagnation.  Since this implies guilt, the conditions embody a demand for removal of the cause.  Hence the meaning of the hexagram is not simply “what has been spoiled” but “work on what has been spoiled.”

THE JUDGMENT

WORK ON WHAT HAS BEEN SPOILED
Has supreme success.
It furthers one to cross the great water.
Before the starting point, three days.
After the starting point, three days.

What has been spoiled through man’s fault can be made good again through man’s work.  It is not immutable fate, as in the time of STANDSTILL, that has caused the state of corruption, but rather the abuse of human freedom.  Work toward improving conditions promises well, because it accords the possibilities of the time.  We must not recoil from work and danger—symbolized by crossing of the great water—but must take hold energetically.  Success depends, however, on proper deliberation.  This is expressed by the lines, “Before the starting point, three days.  After the starting point, three days.”  We must first know the causes of corruption before we can do away with them; hence it is necessary to be cautious during the time before the start.  Then we must see to it that the new way is safely entered upon, so that a relapse may be avoided; therefore we must pay attention to the time after the start.  Decisiveness and energy must take the place of inertia and indifference that have led to decay, in order that the ending may be followed by a new beginning.

THE IMAGE

The wind blows low on the mountain:
The image of DECAY.
Thus the superior man stirs up the people
And strengthens their spirit.

When the wind blows low on the mountain, it is thrown back and spoils the vegetation.  This contains a challenge to improvement.  It is the same with debasing attitudes and fashions; they corrupt human society.  His methods likewise must be derived from the two trigrams, but in such a way that their effects unfold in orderly sequence.  The superior man must first remove stagnation by stirring up public opinion, as the wind stirs everything, and must strengthen and tranquillize the character of the people, as the mountain gives tranquillity and nourishment to all that grows in its vicinity.

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19.  Lin / Approach

☷above K’UN  /  THE RECEPTIVE, EARTH
☱below TUI  /  THE JOYOUS, LAKE

The Chinese word lin has a range of meanings that is not exhausted by any single word of another language.  The ancient explanations in the Book of Changes give as its first meaning, “becoming great.”  What becomes great are the two strong lines growing into the hexagram from below; the light–giving power expands with them.  The meaning is then further extended to include the concept of approach, especially the approach of what is strong and highly placed in relation to what is lower.  Finally the meaning includes the attitude of condescension of a man in high position toward the people, and in general the setting to work on affairs.  This hexagram is linked with the twelfth month (January–February), when, after the winter solstice, the light power begins to ascend again.

THE JUDGMENT

APPROACH has supreme success.
Perseverance furthers.
When the eighth month comes,
There will be misfortune.

The hexagram as a whole points to a time of joyous, hopeful progress.  Spring is approaching.  Joy and forbearance bring high and low nearer together.  Success is certain.  But we must work with determination and perseverance to make full use of the propitiousness of the time.  And one thing more: spring does not last forever.  In the eighth month the aspects are reversed.  Then only two strong, light lines are left; these do not advance but are in retreat (see next hexagram).  We must take heed of this change in good time.  If we meet evil before it becomes reality—before it has even begun to stir—we can master it.

THE IMAGE

The earth above the lake:
The image of APPROACH.
Thus the superior man is inexhaustible
In his will to teach,
And without limits
In his tolerance and protection of the people.

The earth borders upon the lake from above.  This symbolizes the approach and condescension of the man of higher position to those beneath him.  The two parts of the image indicate what his attitude toward these people will be.  Just as the lake is inexhaustible in depth, so the sage is inexhaustible in his readiness to teach mankind, and just as the earth is boundlessly wide, sustaining and caring for all creatures on it, so the sage sustains and cares for all people and excludes no part of humanity.

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20.  Kuan / Contemplation (View)

☴above SUN  /  THE GENTLE, WIND
☷below K’UN  /  THE RECEPTIVE, EARTH

A slight variation of tonal stress gives the Chinese name for this hexagram a double meaning.  It means both contemplating and being seen, in the sense of being an example.  These ideas are suggested by the fact that the hexagram can be understood as picturing a type of tower characteristic of ancient China.

A tower of this kind commanded a wide view of the country; at the same time, when situated on a mountain, it became a landmark that could be seen for miles around.  Thus the hexagram shows a ruler who contemplates the law of heaven above him and the ways of the people below, and who, by means of good government, sets a lofty example to the masses.

This hexagram is linked with the eight month (September–October).  The light–giving power retreats and the dark power is again on the increase.  However, this aspect is not material in the interpretation of the hexagram as a whole.

THE JUDGMENT

CONTEMPLATION.  The ablution has been made,
But not yet the offering.
Full of trust they look up to him.

The sacrificial ritual in China began with an ablution and a libation by which the Deity was invoked, after which the sacrifice was offered.  The moment of time between these two ceremonies is the most sacred of all, the moment of deepest inner concentration.  If piety is sincere and expressive of real faith, the contemplation of it has a transforming and awe–inspiring effect on those who witness it.

Thus also in nature a holy seriousness is to be seen in the fact that natural occurrences are uniformly subject to law.  Contemplation of the divine meaning underlying the workings of the universe gives to the man who is called upon to influence others the means of producing like effects.  This requires that power of inner concentration which religious contemplation develops in great men strong in faith.  It enables them to apprehend the mysterious and divine laws of life, and by means of profoundest inner concentration they give expression to these laws in their own persons.  Thus a hidden spiritual power emanates from them, influencing and dominating others without their being aware of how it happens.

THE IMAGE

The wind blows over the earth:
The image of CONTEMPLATION.
Thus the kings of old visited the regions of the world,
Contemplated the people,
And gave them instruction.

When the wind blows over the earth it goes far and wide, and the grass must bend to its power.  These two occurrences find confirmation in the hexagram.  The two images are used to symbolize a practice of the kings of old; in making regular journeys the ruler could, in the first place, survey his realm and make certain that none of the existing usages of the people escaped notice; in the second, he could exert influence through which such customs as were unsuitable could be changed.

All of this points to the power possessed by a superior personality.  On the one hand, such a man will have a view of the real sentiments of the great mass of humanity and therefore cannot be deceived; on the other, he will impress the people so profoundly, by his mere existence and by the impact of his personality, that they will be swayed by him as the grass by the wind.

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