The I Ching or Book of Changes (103 page)
b
) “The influence shows itself in the thighs.” For he cannot keep still.
When the will is directed to things that one’s followers hold to, this is very base.
Since the two lower lines are weak by nature, it is not surprising that they let themselves be influenced by others. But this strong line could easily master itself and not yield to every stimulus from below. It makes itself contemptible by conforming to the aims of the two lower lines, its followers.
Nine in the fourth place:
a
) Perseverance brings good fortune.
Remorse disappears.
If a man is agitated in mind,
And his thoughts go hither and thither,
Only those friends
On whom he fixes his conscious thoughts
Will follow.
b
) “Perseverance brings good fortune. Remorse disappears.” Because in this way one does not stir up anything injurious.
Thoughts going hither and thither in agitation: by this one shows that one has as yet no clear light.
This is a strong line in a weak place, hence it has a twofold possibility. It can remain firm and, resisting the temptation to use special influence, quietly make itself felt as one of the rulers of the hexagram, by virtue of its character; in this case it does not stimulate anything injurious, since it is in harmony with the right. Or it can instead yield to the influence of the six at the beginning, to which it is related. Thereby it limits its influence; everything is shifted to the conscious plane, and the inner light darkens. This possibility is suggested by the fact that the line is the lowest in the trigram Tui, hence deepest within the realm of the shadowy (Tui is a yin trigram, therefore dark). Confucius says of this line:
What need has nature of thought and care? In nature all things return to their common source and are distributed along different paths; through one action, the fruits of a hundred thoughts are realized. What need has nature of thought, of care?
a
) The influence shows itself in the back of the neck.
b
) “The influence shows itself in the back of the neck.”
The will is directed to the ramifications.
The back of the neck is immobile. The influence is sound at the root. And where the root is sound the ramifications are also sound. Therefore the influence is good. The line is strong and central and ruler of the hexagram, hence it influences through the perfect calm of inner equilibrium. At the same time the will is not inert; by controlling the chief organic processes, it achieves order in particulars as well.
Six at the top:
a
) The influence shows itself in the jaws, cheeks, and tongue.
b
) “The influence shows itself in the jaws, cheeks, and tongue.” He opens his mouth and chatters.
This is a weak line that in itself has little influence. The trigram Tui means the mouth. The top line is divided; hence opening of the mouth.
Duration means that which always is. What is in the middle abides always. In the hexagram the second and the fifth place are middle positions. But the six in the fifth place, although central, is weak, whereas the nine in the second place is central and strong as well. Hence the second line is the ruler of the hexagram.
While in the preceding hexagram the correspondence of the lines comes into account as more of a hindrance than a help, here the fact that all the lines correspond is proof of a firm inner organization of the hexagram that guarantees duration. The strong second line stands in the relationship of correspondence to the weak six in the fifth place.
The Sequence
The way of husband and wife must not be other than long-lasting. Hence there follows the hexagram of DURATION. Duration means long-lasting.
Miscellaneous Notes
DURATION means that which lasts long.
Appended Judgments
DURATION brings about firmness of character. DURATION shows manifold experiences without satiety. DURATION brings about unity of character.
THE JUDGMENT
DURATION. Success. No blame.
Perseverance furthers.
It furthers one to have somewhere to go.
Commentary on the Decision
DURATION means that which lasts long. The strong is above, the weak below; thunder and wind work together.
Gentle and in motion. The strong and the weak all correspond: this signifies duration.
“Success. No blame. Perseverance furthers”: this means lasting perseverance in one’s course. The course of heaven and earth is enduring and long and never ends.
“It furthers one to have somewhere to go.” This means that an end is always followed by a new beginning.
Sun and moon have heaven and can therefore shine forever. The four seasons change and transform, and thus can forever bring to completion. The holy man remains forever in his course, and the world reshapes itself to completion. If we meditate on what gives duration to a thing, we can understand the nature of heaven and earth and of all beings.
The organization of the hexagram shows the strong Chên above and the weak Sun below; this is the enduring condition in the world. Here the eldest son and the eldest daughter are united in marriage, in contrast to the situation in the preceding hexagram, which represents entering into marriage.
The images show thunder, which is carried still farther by the power of wind, and wind, which is strengthened by the power of thunder. Their combined action imparts duration to both. The attribute of the trigram Sun is gentleness, that of Chên is movement. The outer movement, supported within by devotion, is likewise such that it is capable of duration.
Finally, the hexagram is given inner firmness by the correspondence between the individual lines. The six in the first place corresponds with the nine in the fourth; the nine in the second place with the six in the fifth; the nine in the third place with the six at the top.
All this serves to explain the name of the hexagram.
On the basis of the Judgment, the conditions necessary for duration are then set forth. They consist in perseverance in the right course, that is to say, continuity in change. This is the secret of the eternity of the universe.
Perseverance in a course leads to the goal, the end. However, since the course is cyclic, a new beginning is joined with every end. Movement and rest beget each other. This is the rhythm of all happening. The operation of this principle in specific instances, in relation to the macrocosm and the microcosm, is then pointed out.
THE IMAGE
Thunder and wind: the image of DURATION.
Thus the superior man stands firm
And does not change his direction.
Thunder is that which is mobile, wind is that which is penetrating—the most mobile of all things that have duration under the law of motion. Wood is an attribute of both Chên and Sun, hence the idea of standing firm. Sun is within and penetrates, Chên is without and moves; hence the idea of a fixed direction.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning:
a
) Seeking duration too hastily brings misfortune persistently.
Nothing that would further.
b
) The misfortune of seeking duration too hastily arises from wanting too much immediately at the outset.
The first line is the ruler of the trigram Sun, penetration. The line seeks to penetrate too hastily and too deeply. This impetuosity interferes with the influence, otherwise good, of the strong line in the fourth place, whose affinity with the first line is thus prevented from having effect.
a
) Remorse disappears.
b
) Remorse disappears for the nine in the second place, because it is permanently central.
A strong line in a weak place might in itself produce occasion for remorse. But since the line is strong and central and in correct relation to the six in the fifth place, there is no danger of overstepping the limits of moderation, and thus no occasion for remorse.