I-Ching
Current
Changing
Transformed
Current
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.
Changing
Six at the beginning means:
Boy-like contemplation. For an inferior man, no blame. For a superior man, humiliation.
This means contemplation from a distance, without comprehension. A man of influence is at hand, but his influence is not understood by the common people. This matters little in the case of the masses, for they benefit by the actions of the ruling sage whether they understand them or not. But for a superior man it is a disgrace. He must not content himself with a shallow, thoughtless view of prevailing forces, but must contemplate them as a connected whole and try to understand them.
Boy-like contemplation. For an inferior man, no blame. For a superior man, humiliation.
This means contemplation from a distance, without comprehension. A man of influence is at hand, but his influence is not understood by the common people. This matters little in the case of the masses, for they benefit by the actions of the ruling sage whether they understand them or not. But for a superior man it is a disgrace. He must not content himself with a shallow, thoughtless view of prevailing forces, but must contemplate them as a connected whole and try to understand them.
Six in the second place means:
Contemplation through the crack of the door. Furthering with the perseverance of a woman.
Through the crack of the door one has a limited outlook. One looks outward from within. Contemplation is subjectively limited. One tends to relate everything to oneself and cannot put oneself in anothers place and understand his motives. This is appropriate for a good housewife. It is not necessary for her to be conversant with the affairs of the world. For a man who must take active part in public life, such a narrow, egotistic way of contemplating things is of course harmful.
Contemplation through the crack of the door. Furthering with the perseverance of a woman.
Through the crack of the door one has a limited outlook. One looks outward from within. Contemplation is subjectively limited. One tends to relate everything to oneself and cannot put oneself in anothers place and understand his motives. This is appropriate for a good housewife. It is not necessary for her to be conversant with the affairs of the world. For a man who must take active part in public life, such a narrow, egotistic way of contemplating things is of course harmful.
Six in the third place means:
Contemplation of my life decides the choice between advance and retreat.
This is the place of transition. We no longer look outward to receive pictures that are more or less limited and confused, but direct out contemplation upon ourselves in order to find a guideline for our decisions. This self-contemplation means the overcoming of naive egotism in the person who sees everything solely form his own standpoint. He begins to reflect and in this way acquires objectivity. However, self-knowledge does not mean preoccupation with ones own thoughts. Rather, it means concern about the effects one creates. It is only the effects our lives produce that give us the right to judge whether what we have done means progress or regression.
Contemplation of my life decides the choice between advance and retreat.
This is the place of transition. We no longer look outward to receive pictures that are more or less limited and confused, but direct out contemplation upon ourselves in order to find a guideline for our decisions. This self-contemplation means the overcoming of naive egotism in the person who sees everything solely form his own standpoint. He begins to reflect and in this way acquires objectivity. However, self-knowledge does not mean preoccupation with ones own thoughts. Rather, it means concern about the effects one creates. It is only the effects our lives produce that give us the right to judge whether what we have done means progress or regression.
Nine in the fifth place means:
Contemplation of my life. The superior man is without blame.
A man in an authoritative position to whom others look up must always be ready for self-examination. The right sort of self-examination, however, consists not in idle brooding over oneself but in examining the effects one produces. Only when these effects are good, and when ones influence on others is good, will the contemplation of ones own life bring the satisfaction of knowing oneself to be free of mistakes.
Contemplation of my life. The superior man is without blame.
A man in an authoritative position to whom others look up must always be ready for self-examination. The right sort of self-examination, however, consists not in idle brooding over oneself but in examining the effects one produces. Only when these effects are good, and when ones influence on others is good, will the contemplation of ones own life bring the satisfaction of knowing oneself to be free of mistakes.
Nine at the top means:
Contemplation of his life. The superior man is without blame.
While the preceding line represents a man who contemplates himself, here in the highest place everything that is personal, related to the ego, is excluded. The picture is that of a sage who stands outside the affairs of the world. Liberated from his ego, he contemplates the laws of life and so realizes that knowing how to become free of blame is the highest good.
Contemplation of his life. The superior man is without blame.
While the preceding line represents a man who contemplates himself, here in the highest place everything that is personal, related to the ego, is excluded. The picture is that of a sage who stands outside the affairs of the world. Liberated from his ego, he contemplates the laws of life and so realizes that knowing how to become free of blame is the highest good.
Transformed
20 - Kuan / Contemplation (View)
Above: SUN THE GENTLE, WIND
Below: K`UN THE RECEPTIVE, EARTH
A slight variation of tonal stress gives the Chinese name for this hexagram a double meaning. It means both contemplating and being seen, in the sense of being an example. These ideas are suggested by the fact that the hexagram can be understood as picturing a type of tower characteristic of ancient China. A tower of this kind commanded a wide view of the country, but at the same time, when situated on a mountain, it became a landmark that could be seen for miles around. Thus, the hexagram shows a ruler who contemplates the law of heaven above him and the ways of the people below, and who, by means of good government, sets a lofty example to the masses.
This hexagram is linked with the eight month (September-October). The light-giving power retreats and the dark power is again on the increase. However, this aspect is not material in the interpretation of the hexagram as a whole.
The sacrificial ritual in China began with an ablution and a libation by which the Deity was invoked, after which the sacrifice was offered. The moment of time between these two ceremonies is the most sacred of all, being the moment of deepest inner-concentration. If piety is sincere and expressive of real faith, the contemplation of it has a transforming and awe-inspiring effect on those who witness it.
Thus also in nature a holy seriousness is to be seen in the fact that natural occurrences are uniformly subject to law. Contemplation of the divine meaning underlying the workings of the universe gives to the man who is called upon to influence others the means of producing like effects. This requires that power of inner concentration which religious contemplation develops in great men strong in faith. It enables them to apprehend the mysterious and divine laws of life, and by means of the most profound inner-concentration they give expression to these laws in their own persons. Thus, a hidden spiritual power emanates from them, influencing and dominating others without their being aware of how it happens.
When the wind blows over the earth it goes far and wide, and the grass must bend to its power. These two occurrences find confirmation in the hexagram. The two images are used to symbolize a practice of the kings of old of making regular journeys to survey his realm. The ruler could, in the first place, survey his realm and make certain that none of the existing usages of the people escaped notice, and in the second, he could exert influence through which such customs that were unsuitable could be changed.
All of this points to the power possessed by a superior personality. On the one hand, such a man will have a view of the real sentiments of the great mass of humanity and therefore cannot be deceived. On the other, he will impress the people so profoundly, by his mere existence and by the impact of his personality, that they will be swayed by him as the grass by the wind.
Above: SUN THE GENTLE, WIND
Below: K`UN THE RECEPTIVE, EARTH
A slight variation of tonal stress gives the Chinese name for this hexagram a double meaning. It means both contemplating and being seen, in the sense of being an example. These ideas are suggested by the fact that the hexagram can be understood as picturing a type of tower characteristic of ancient China. A tower of this kind commanded a wide view of the country, but at the same time, when situated on a mountain, it became a landmark that could be seen for miles around. Thus, the hexagram shows a ruler who contemplates the law of heaven above him and the ways of the people below, and who, by means of good government, sets a lofty example to the masses.
This hexagram is linked with the eight month (September-October). The light-giving power retreats and the dark power is again on the increase. However, this aspect is not material in the interpretation of the hexagram as a whole.
The Judgement
CONTEMPLATION. The ablution has been made, but not yet the offering. Full of trust they look up to him.The sacrificial ritual in China began with an ablution and a libation by which the Deity was invoked, after which the sacrifice was offered. The moment of time between these two ceremonies is the most sacred of all, being the moment of deepest inner-concentration. If piety is sincere and expressive of real faith, the contemplation of it has a transforming and awe-inspiring effect on those who witness it.
Thus also in nature a holy seriousness is to be seen in the fact that natural occurrences are uniformly subject to law. Contemplation of the divine meaning underlying the workings of the universe gives to the man who is called upon to influence others the means of producing like effects. This requires that power of inner concentration which religious contemplation develops in great men strong in faith. It enables them to apprehend the mysterious and divine laws of life, and by means of the most profound inner-concentration they give expression to these laws in their own persons. Thus, a hidden spiritual power emanates from them, influencing and dominating others without their being aware of how it happens.
The Image
The wind blows over the earth: The image of CONTEMPLATION. Thus, the kings of old visited the regions of the world, and contemplated upon the people, and gave them instruction.When the wind blows over the earth it goes far and wide, and the grass must bend to its power. These two occurrences find confirmation in the hexagram. The two images are used to symbolize a practice of the kings of old of making regular journeys to survey his realm. The ruler could, in the first place, survey his realm and make certain that none of the existing usages of the people escaped notice, and in the second, he could exert influence through which such customs that were unsuitable could be changed.
All of this points to the power possessed by a superior personality. On the one hand, such a man will have a view of the real sentiments of the great mass of humanity and therefore cannot be deceived. On the other, he will impress the people so profoundly, by his mere existence and by the impact of his personality, that they will be swayed by him as the grass by the wind.