The I Ching or Book of Changes (81 page)
THE LINES
Six at the beginning:
a
) If one does not perpetuate the affair,
There is a little gossip.
In the end, good fortune comes.
b
) Not perpetuating the affair: one must not prolong the conflict.
Although “there is a little gossip,” the matter is finally decided clearly.
The six is weak and at the very bottom. Therefore, although there is a brief altercation with the neighboring nine, which comes from without, the conflict cannot continue—the place and the character of the line are too weak. Since the nuclear trigram Li, standing above it, has clarity as its attribute, everything is finally decided justly—a fortunate thing in a conflict. As the six changes, there arises the trigram Tui, speech.
Nine in the second place:
a
) One cannot engage in conflict;
One returns home, gives way.
The people of his town,
Three hundred households,
Remain free of guilt.
b
) “One cannot engage in conflict: one returns home, gives way.” Thus one escapes. To contend from a lowly place with someone above brings self-incurred suffering.
One cannot engage in conflict, although in this hard line in the middle of the trigram K’an, the Abysmal, intention to contend with the nine in the fifth place is inherently present. This second line, being a nine, moves; that is, it changes into a yin line. Thereby it conceals itself, and with the two other yin lines it forms the town of three hundred families, who remain free of all entanglement.
Six in the third place:
a
) To nourish oneself on ancient virtue induces perseverance.
Danger. In the end, good fortune comes.
If by chance you are in the service of a king,
Seek not works.
b
) “To nourish oneself on ancient virtue.” To obey the one above brings good fortune.
Because the line is weak in a strong place, it is not correct. Above and below are strong lines hemming it in. Moreover, being in a place of transition, it is inwardly restless. All these circumstances constitute elements of danger. Still, everything goes well, provided the line rests content with what it has honorably acquired from its ancestors. It corresponds with the third line of the “mother” hexagram, K’un; hence the oracle for this line in K’un is repeated here in part.
Nine in the fourth place:
a
) One cannot engage in conflict.
One turns back and submits to fate,
Changes one’s attitude,
And finds peace in perseverance.
Good fortune.
b
) “One turns back and submits to fate, changes one’s attitude, and finds peace in perseverance.” Thus nothing is lost.
This line is neither central nor correct, and therefore originally intended to quarrel. But it cannot do so. Over it is the strong judge in the fifth place, with whom one may not quarrel. Below it is the weak line in the third place, and standing in the relationship of correspondence to it is the weak line at the beginning, neither of which gives cause for quarrel. Its position in a yielding place gives this line the possibility of being converted and of turning away from conflict.
Nine in the fifth place:
a
) To contend before him
Brings supreme good fortune.
b
) “To contend before him brings supreme good fortune,” because he is central and correct.
This line is the ruler of the hexagram; it occupies the place of honor, is central, correct, and strong. All this fits it for the task of settling the quarrel, so that great good fortune comes about through it.
Nine at the top:
a
) Even if by chance a leather belt is bestowed on one,
By the end of a morning
It will have been snatched away three times.
b
) To attain distinction through conflict is, after all, nothing to command respect.
A strong line at the high point of CONFLICT seeks to win distinction through conflict. But this does not last.
NOTE. The nine in the fifth place is the judge, the other lines the contenders, but only the strong lines really contend. The weak lines in the first and the third place hold back. The strong lines in the second and the fourth place are inclined by nature to contend, but cannot quarrel with the judge in the fifth place, and the weak lines below them offer no resistance. Therefore they too withdraw from the conflict in good time. Only the strong top line carries the conflict through to the end and, being in the relationship of correspondence to the weak line in the third place, it triumphs and receives a distinction. Yet the line is analogous to the top line—the “arrogant dragon”—of the hexagram Ch’ien. It will have cause to rue the matter. What is won by force is wrested away by force.
The rulers of the hexagram are the nine in the second place and the six in the fifth. The former, positioned below, is the strong man, while the latter, being above, has capacity to employ the strong man.
The Sequence
When there is conflict, the masses are sure to rise up. Hence there follows the hexagram of THE ARMY. Army means mass.
Miscellaneous Notes
THE ARMY means mourning.
THE JUDGMENT
THE ARMY. The army needs perseverance
And a strong man.
Good fortune without blame.
Commentary on the Decision
THE ARMY means the masses. Perseverance means discipline.
The man who can effect discipline through the masses may attain mastery of the world.
The strong one is central and finds response.
One does a dangerous thing but finds devotion.
The man who thus leads
1
the world is followed by the people.
Good fortune. How could this be a mistake?
This hexagram consists of a mass of yielding lines in the midst of which, in a central although subordinate place, is a single strong line. As a general, not as a ruler, it holds the others under control. From this arises the idea of the mass (the many yielding lines) and of the army—a disciplined multitude. The firm line in the second place finds support, because of correspondence, in the yielding line in the fifth place, the place of the ruler. The danger of the action is indicated by the lower trigram, K’an, and devotion by the upper, K’un.
THE IMAGE
In the middle of the earth is water:
The image of THE ARMY.
Thus the superior man increases his masses
By generosity toward the people.
Owing to the compulsory military service customary in antiquity, the supply of soldiers available from the populace was as plentiful as water underground. Hence fostering the people ensured an efficient army.
Great expanse is the attribute of the earth, which also represents the masses. Water stands for serviceability; everything flows toward water.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning:
a
) An army must set forth in proper order.
If the order is not good, misfortune threatens.
b
) “An army must set forth in proper order.”
2
Losing order is unfortunate.
This line is at the very bottom and therefore indicates the beginning, the marching forth of the army. The water trigram indicates order and the correct use of the army. If the line changes, the lower trigram becomes Tui, joyousness, whereby of course order is upset, for joyousness is not the proper frame of mind for the onset of war.
a
) In the midst of the army.
Good fortune. No blame.
The king bestows a triple decoration.
b
) “In the midst of the army. Good fortune.” He receives grace from heaven.
“The king bestows a triple decoration.” He has the welfare of all countries at heart.
The second place is that of the official, in this case a general, as this is the hexagram of THE ARMY. The grace of heaven derives from the six in the fifth place, which, occupying a place in the sphere of heaven, stands in the relationship of correspondence to this line. The triple decoration derives from the three lines all of like kind composing the upper trigram K’un.
Six in the third place:
a
) Perchance the army carries corpses in the wagon.
Misfortune.
b
) “Perchance the army carries corpses in the wagon.”
This is quite without merit.
The upper trigram is K’un, whose image is the wagon. This line is weak; it stands at the peak of danger, and in the middle of the nuclear trigram Chên, agitation. All of these are circumstances suggesting a severe defeat.