I-Ching

37 - Chia Jên / The Family (The Clan)
Above: SUN THE GENTLE, WIND
Below: LI THE CLINGING, FIRE
The hexagram represents the laws obtaining within the family. The strong line at the top represents the father, the lowest the son. The strong line in the fifth place represents the husband, the yielding second line the wife. On the other hand, the two strong lines in the fifth and the third place represent two brothers, and the two weak lines correlated with them in the fourth and the second place stand for their respective wives. Thus, all the connections and relationships within the family find their appropriate expression. Each individual line has the character corresponding with its place. The fact that a strong line occupies the sixth place, where a weak line might be expected, indicates very clearly the strong leadership that must come from the head of the family. The line is to be considered here not in its quality as the sixth but in its quality as the top line. THE FAMILY shows the laws operative within the household that, transferred to outside life, keep the state and the world in order. The influence that goes out from within the family is represented by the symbol of the wind created by fire.

The Judgement

THE FAMILY. The perseverance of the woman furthers.
The foundation of the family is the relationship between husband and wife. The tie that holds the family together lies in the loyalty and perseverance of the wife. Her place is within (second line), while that of the husband is without (fifth line). It is in accord with the great laws of nature that husband and wife take their proper places. Within the family a strong authority is needed, and this is represented by the parents. If the father is really a father and the son a son, if the elder brother fulfills his position, and the younger fulfills his, if the husband is really a husband and the wife a wife, then the family is in order. When the family is in order, all the social relationships of mankind will be in order.
Three of the five social relationships are to be found within the family, that between father and son, which is the relation of love, that between the husband and wife, which is the relation of chaste conduct, and that between elder and younger brother, which is the relation of correctness. The loving reverence of the son is then carried over to the prince in the form of faithfulness to duty, and the affection and correctness of behavior existing between the two brothers is extended to a friend in the form of loyalty, and to a person of superior rank in the form of deference. The family is society in an embryonic form, as it is the native soil on which performance of moral duty is made easy through natural affection, so that within a small circle a basis of moral practice is created, and this is later widened to include human relationships in general.

The Image

Wind comes forth from fire: The image of THE FAMILY. Thus, the superior man has substance in his words and duration in his way of life.
Heat releases energy, and this is signified by the wind stirred up by the fire and issuing forth from it. This represents influence working from within, outward. The same thing is needed in the regulation of the family. Here too, the influence on others must proceed form ones own person. In order to be capable of producing such an influence, ones words must have power, and this they can have only if they are based on something real, just as flame depends on its fuel, words have influence only when they are pertinent and clearly related to definite circumstances. General discourses and admonitions have no effect whatsoever. Furthermore, the words must be supported by ones entire conduct, just as the wind is made effective by its duration. Only firm and consistent conduct will make such an impression on others that they can adapt and conform to it. If words and conduct are not in accord and not consistent, they will have no effect.