The I Ching or Book of Changes (110 page)
THE IMAGE
Water on the mountain:
The image of OBSTRUCTION.
Thus the superior man turns his attention to himself
And molds his character.
Water on the top of a mountain cannot flow down in accordance with its nature, because rocks hinder it. It must stand still. This causes it to increase, and the inner accumulation finally becomes so great that it overflows the barriers. The way of overcoming obstacles lies in turning inward and raising one’s own being to a higher level.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning:
a
) Going leads to obstructions,
Coming meets with praise.
b
) “Going leads to obstructions, coming meets with praise,” because it is right to wait.
Going, as this weak line at the beginning would be inclined to do, would lead into danger. Coming back is in accord with the trigram Kên, Keeping Still.
Six in the second place:
a
) The king’s servant is beset by obstruction upon obstruction,
But it is not his own fault.
b
) “The king’s servant is beset by obstruction upon obstruction.” But in the end there is no blame in this.
This line is in the relationship of correspondence to the ruler of the hexagram, the nine in the fifth place. The ruler stands in the very center of the danger (upper primary trigram K’AN). His servant hastens to his aid, but since his path leads through the nuclear trigram K’an, he meets with one obstruction after another. However, this situation is not due to his own position; the line is in the trigram Kên, Keeping Still, hence it is not inherently necessary for it to go into these dangers. It is only duty, arising from the relation to the ruler, that leads it into peril. Therefore it remains free of fault even in the most dangerous situation.
Six in the third place:
a
) Going leads to obstructions;
Hence he comes back.
b
) “Going leads to obstructions; hence he comes back.” Those within rejoice over it.
This strong line is the ruler of the trigram Kên and has two weak lines depending on it. Its strength might induce it to move outward, but there it encounters the trigram of danger (K’an). Hence it turns back, and the six in the second place, which has a relationship of holding together with it, rejoices.
Six in the fourth place:
a
) Going leads to obstructions,
Coming leads to union.
b
) “Going leads to obstructions, coming leads to union.” In the appropriate place one finds support.
The six in the fourth place is related to the six at the top, but should it wish to go there, it would find a weak line at the pinnacle of danger. Return to its own place leads to union. The fourth place is that of the minister, who serves the strong ruler above, the nine in the fifth place, and who is supported from below by the strong assistant, the nine in the third place. In the appropriate place (the dark fourth place is the proper one for a yielding line), it achieves union with these two strong lines.
Nine in the fifth place:
a
) In the midst of the greatest obstructions,
Friends come.
b
) “In the midst of the greatest obstructions, friends come.” For they are ruled by the central position.
The fifth line is the ruler of the hexagram. As the middle line of the upper trigram K’an, it is in the center of danger—that is, in the midst of the greatest obstructions. However, it is related to the six in the second place, to the six in the fourth place, and also to the six at the top, and these come as friends to help it, because it rules them by virtue of its central position.
Six at the top:
a
) Going leads to obstructions,
Coming leads to great good fortune.
It furthers one to see the great man.
b
) “Going leads to obstructions, coming leads to great good fortune,” for the will is directed to inner things.
“It furthers one to see the great man.” For thus does one follow a man of rank.
If the weak line at the top should try to go forth and overcome the obstacles alone, it would meet with failure. Its nature, its will, direct it toward the great, i.e., strong nine in the third place, which has a relationship of correspondence with it. It furthers one to see the great man because the nine in the fifth
place, the great man of the hexagram, stands at the top of the nuclear trigram Li, eye, light. He is seen in the sense that the present line, together with the nine in the third place, follows him as the man of rank under whose leadership the obstructions are overcome.
The rulers of the hexagram are the nine in the second and the six in the fifth place. Therefore it is said in the Commentary on the Decision, “By going he wins the multitude,” this referring to the fifth place, and further, “He wins the central position,” this referring to the second place.
The Sequence
Things cannot be permanently amid obstructions. Hence there follows the hexagram of DELIVERANCE. Deliverance means release from tension.
Miscellaneous Notes
DELIVERANCE means release from tension.
The idea of release and deliverance is expressed in the fact that the trigram Chên, movement, stands above (without) and moves away from the lower (inner) trigram K’an, danger. In one aspect, this
hexagram is a further development of the situation described in Chun, DIFFICULTY AT THE BEGINNING (
3
); in the latter, there is movement within danger, here movement brings deliverance from danger. In another aspect, this hexagram is the inverse of the preceding one. The obstruction is removed, deliverance has come.
In terms of the Image, thunder—electricity—has penetrated the rain clouds. There is release from tension. The thunderstorm breaks, and the whole of nature breathes freely again.
THE JUDGMENT
DELIVERANCE. The southwest furthers.
If there is no longer anything where one has to go,
Return brings good fortune.
If there is still something where one has to go,
Hastening brings good fortune.
Commentary on the Decision
DELIVERANCE. Danger produces movement. Through movement one escapes danger: this is deliverance.
During deliverance “the southwest furthers”: by going he wins the multitude.
“His return brings good fortune,” because he wins the central position.
“If there is still something where one has to go, hastening brings good fortune.” Then going is meritorious.
When heaven and earth deliver themselves, thunder and rain set in. When thunder and rain set in, the seed pods of all fruits, plants, and trees break open.
The time of DELIVERANCE is great indeed.
Danger incites to movement, and this movement leads out of the danger; this explanation of the name of the hexagram is derived from the attributes of the two primary trigrams. The southwest is the place of the trigram K’un, the Receptive. Its opposite, the northeast, is no longer mentioned, because here the difficulties have already been overcome. K’un also means the multitude. This refers to the six in the fifth place. When
deliverance has only just come, a certain protection is needed, a quiet nurturing under the maternal care of the Receptive. By returning when there is nothing more to be attended to, the nine in the second place attains the center of the lower trigram. If there is still something to be done, it brings good fortune to do it as quickly and carefully as possible, because the movement is then crowned with success; it is not a purposeless, futile effort. Lastly there is mentioned, as an analogy, the release from atmospheric tension that comes with a thunderstorm, which clears the air and causes all seed pods to burst open. Thus the time of DELIVERANCE also has its greatness.
THE IMAGE
Thunder and rain set in:
The image of DELIVERANCE.
Thus the superior man pardons mistakes
And forgives misdeeds.
K’an means lawsuits and transgressions. Chên moves upward and lets the mistakes sink down behind it. In life this brings a release from tension similar to that produced in nature by the clearing of the air after a thunderstorm.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning:
a
) Without blame.
b
) On the border between firm and yielding there should be no blame.
This line is in a strong place, but yielding by nature. It stands in the relationship of correspondence to the nine in the fourth place, which occupies a weak place but is strong by nature. The joint action of these balanced opposites brings order into the whole situation, and naturally everything goes well.
a
) One kills three foxes in the field