I-Ching
Current
Changing
Transformed
Current
60 - Chieh / Limitation
Above: K`AN THE ABYSMAL, WATER
Below: TUI THE JOYOUS, LAKE
A lake occupies a limited space. When more water comes into it, it overflows. Therefore, limits must be set for the water. The image shows water below and water above, with the firmament between them as a limit. The Chinese word for limitation really denotes the joints that divide a bamboo stalk. In relation to ordinary life it means the thrift that sets fixed limits upon expenditures. In relation to the moral sphere it means the fixed limits that the superior man sets upon his actions, specifically, the limits of loyalty and disinterestedness.
Limitations are troublesome, but they are effective. If we live economically in normal times, we are prepared for times of want. To be sparing saves us from humiliation. Limitations are also indispensable in the regulation of world conditions. In nature there are fixed limits for summer and winter, day and night, and these limits give the year its meaning. In the same way, economy, by setting fixed limits upon expenditures, acts to preserve property and prevent injury to the people. But in limitation we must observe due measure. If a man should seek to impose galling limitations upon his own nature, it would be injurious. And if he should go too far in imposing limitations on others, they would rebel. Therefore, it is necessary to set limits even upon limitation.
A lake is something limited. Water is inexhaustible. A lake can contain only a definite amount of the infinite quantity of water, and this is its peculiarity. In human life too, the individual achieves significance through discrimination and the setting of limits. Therefore, what concerns us here is the problem of clearly defining these discriminations, which are, so to speak, the backbone of morality. Unlimited possibilities are not suited to man, and if they existed, his life would only dissolve in the boundless. To become strong, a man`s life needs the limitations ordained by duty and voluntarily accepted. The individual attains significance as a free spirit only by surrounding himself with these limitations and by determining for himself what his duty is.
Above: K`AN THE ABYSMAL, WATER
Below: TUI THE JOYOUS, LAKE
A lake occupies a limited space. When more water comes into it, it overflows. Therefore, limits must be set for the water. The image shows water below and water above, with the firmament between them as a limit. The Chinese word for limitation really denotes the joints that divide a bamboo stalk. In relation to ordinary life it means the thrift that sets fixed limits upon expenditures. In relation to the moral sphere it means the fixed limits that the superior man sets upon his actions, specifically, the limits of loyalty and disinterestedness.
The Judgement
LIMITATION. Success. Galling limitation must not be persevered in.Limitations are troublesome, but they are effective. If we live economically in normal times, we are prepared for times of want. To be sparing saves us from humiliation. Limitations are also indispensable in the regulation of world conditions. In nature there are fixed limits for summer and winter, day and night, and these limits give the year its meaning. In the same way, economy, by setting fixed limits upon expenditures, acts to preserve property and prevent injury to the people. But in limitation we must observe due measure. If a man should seek to impose galling limitations upon his own nature, it would be injurious. And if he should go too far in imposing limitations on others, they would rebel. Therefore, it is necessary to set limits even upon limitation.
The Image
Water over lake: the image of LIMITATION. Thus, the superior man creates number and measure, and examines the nature of virtue and correct conduct.A lake is something limited. Water is inexhaustible. A lake can contain only a definite amount of the infinite quantity of water, and this is its peculiarity. In human life too, the individual achieves significance through discrimination and the setting of limits. Therefore, what concerns us here is the problem of clearly defining these discriminations, which are, so to speak, the backbone of morality. Unlimited possibilities are not suited to man, and if they existed, his life would only dissolve in the boundless. To become strong, a man`s life needs the limitations ordained by duty and voluntarily accepted. The individual attains significance as a free spirit only by surrounding himself with these limitations and by determining for himself what his duty is.
Changing
Nine in the second place means:
A one-eyed man who is able to see. The perseverance of a solitary man furthers.
Here the situation is that of a girl married to a man who has disappointed her. Man and wife ought to work together like a pair of eyes. Here the girl is left behind in loneliness, as the man of her choice either has become unfaithful or has died. She does not lose the inner light of loyalty, thought the other eye is gone, she maintains her loyalty even in loneliness.
A one-eyed man who is able to see. The perseverance of a solitary man furthers.
Here the situation is that of a girl married to a man who has disappointed her. Man and wife ought to work together like a pair of eyes. Here the girl is left behind in loneliness, as the man of her choice either has become unfaithful or has died. She does not lose the inner light of loyalty, thought the other eye is gone, she maintains her loyalty even in loneliness.
Six in the third place means:
The marrying maiden as a slave. She marries as a concubine.
A girl who is in a lowly position and finds no husband may, in some circumstances, still win shelter as a concubine. This pictures the situation of a person who longs too much for joys that cannot be obtained in the usual way. He enters upon a situation not altogether compatible with self-esteem. Neither judgment nor warning is added to this line. It merely lays bare the actual situation, so that everyone may draw a lesson from it.
The marrying maiden as a slave. She marries as a concubine.
A girl who is in a lowly position and finds no husband may, in some circumstances, still win shelter as a concubine. This pictures the situation of a person who longs too much for joys that cannot be obtained in the usual way. He enters upon a situation not altogether compatible with self-esteem. Neither judgment nor warning is added to this line. It merely lays bare the actual situation, so that everyone may draw a lesson from it.
Transformed
54 - Kuei Mei / The Marrying Maiden
Above: CHÊN THE AROUSING, THUNDER
Below: TUI THE JOYOUS, LAKE
Above we have Chên, the eldest son, and below, Tui, the youngest daughter. The man leads and the girl follows him in gladness. The picture is that of the entrance of the girl into her husbands house. In all, there are four hexagrams depicting the relationship between husband and wife. Hsien, INFLUENCE, (31), describes the attraction that a young couple have for each other. Hêng, DURATION (32), portrays the permanent relationships of marriage, Chien, DEVELOPMENT (53), reflects the protracted, ceremonious procedures attending the arrangement of a proper marriage. Finally, Kuei Mei, THE MARRYING MAIDEN, shows a young girl under the guidance of an older man who marries her.
A girl who is taken into the family, but not as the chief wife, must behave with special caution and reserve. She must not take it upon herself to supplant the mistress of the house, for that would mean disorder and lead to untenable relationships. The same is true of all voluntary relationships between human beings. While legally regulated relationships evince a fixed connection between duties and rights, relationships based on personal inclination depend in the long run entirely on tactful reserve. Affection as the essential principle of relatedness is of the greatest importance in all relationships in the world. For the union of heaven and earth is the origin of the whole of nature. Among human beings likewise, spontaneous affection is the all-inclusive principle of union.
Thunder stirs the water of the lake, which follows it in shimmering waves. This symbolizes the girl who follows the man of her choice. However, every relationship between individuals bears within it the danger that wrong turns may be taken, leading to endless misunderstandings and disagreements. Therefore, it is necessary constantly to remain mindful of the end. If we permit ourselves to drift along, we come together and are parted again as the day may determine. If on the other hand a man fixes his mind on an end that endures, he will succeed in avoiding the reefs that confront the closer relationships of people.
Above: CHÊN THE AROUSING, THUNDER
Below: TUI THE JOYOUS, LAKE
Above we have Chên, the eldest son, and below, Tui, the youngest daughter. The man leads and the girl follows him in gladness. The picture is that of the entrance of the girl into her husbands house. In all, there are four hexagrams depicting the relationship between husband and wife. Hsien, INFLUENCE, (31), describes the attraction that a young couple have for each other. Hêng, DURATION (32), portrays the permanent relationships of marriage, Chien, DEVELOPMENT (53), reflects the protracted, ceremonious procedures attending the arrangement of a proper marriage. Finally, Kuei Mei, THE MARRYING MAIDEN, shows a young girl under the guidance of an older man who marries her.
The Judgement
THE MARRYING MAIDEN. Undertakings bring misfortune. Nothing that would further.A girl who is taken into the family, but not as the chief wife, must behave with special caution and reserve. She must not take it upon herself to supplant the mistress of the house, for that would mean disorder and lead to untenable relationships. The same is true of all voluntary relationships between human beings. While legally regulated relationships evince a fixed connection between duties and rights, relationships based on personal inclination depend in the long run entirely on tactful reserve. Affection as the essential principle of relatedness is of the greatest importance in all relationships in the world. For the union of heaven and earth is the origin of the whole of nature. Among human beings likewise, spontaneous affection is the all-inclusive principle of union.
The Image
Thunder over the lake: The image of THE MARRYING MAIDEN. Thus, the superior man understands the transitory, in the light of the eternity of the end.Thunder stirs the water of the lake, which follows it in shimmering waves. This symbolizes the girl who follows the man of her choice. However, every relationship between individuals bears within it the danger that wrong turns may be taken, leading to endless misunderstandings and disagreements. Therefore, it is necessary constantly to remain mindful of the end. If we permit ourselves to drift along, we come together and are parted again as the day may determine. If on the other hand a man fixes his mind on an end that endures, he will succeed in avoiding the reefs that confront the closer relationships of people.