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HEXAGRAM 17 – Sui – Following
Above TUI THE JOYOUS, LAKE
Below CHEN THE AROUSING, THUNDER
The trigram Tui, the Joyous, whose attribute is gladness, is above;
Chen, the Arousing, which has the attribute of movement, is below.
Joy in movement induces following.
The Joyous is the youngest daughter, while
the Arousing is the eldest son.
An older man
- defers to a young girl and
- shows her consideration.
By this he moves her to follow him.
THE JUDGMENT
FOLLOWING has supreme success.
Perseverance furthers.
No blame.
In order to obtain a following one must first know how to adapt oneself.
If a man would rule he must first learn to serve,
for only in this way does he secure from those below him the joyous assent
that is necessary if they are to follow him.
If he has to obtain a following
- by force or cunning,
- by conspiracy or
- by creating factions,
he invariably arouses resistance, which obstructs willing adherence.
But even joyous movement can lead to evil consequences,
hence the added stipulation,
“Perseverance furthers”-that is, consistency in doing right – together with “No blame.”
- Just as we should not ask others to follow us unless this condition is fulfilled,
- so it is only under this condition that we can in turn follow others without coming to harm.
The thought of obtaining a following through adaptation to the demands of the time is a great and significant idea;
this is why the appended judgment is so favorable.
THE IMAGE
Thunder in the middle of the lake: The image of FOLLOWING.
Thus the superior man at nightfall
Goes indoors for rest and recuperation.
In the autumn electricity withdraws into the earth again and rests.
Here it is the thunder in the middle of the lake that serves as the image –
- thunder in its winter rest,
- not thunder in motion.
The idea of following in the sense of adaptation to the demands of the time
grows out of this image.
Thunder in the middle of the lake indicates times of
- darkness and
- rest.
Similarly, a superior man, after being tirelessly active all day,
allows himself rest and recuperation at night.
No situation can become favorable until one
- is able to adapt to it and
- does not wear himself out with mistaken resistance.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning- means:
The standard is changing,
Perseverance brings good fortune.
To go out of the door in company
Produces deeds.
There are exceptional conditions in which the relation between leader and followers changes.
It is implicit in the idea of following and adaptation that if
- one wants to lead others,
- one must remain accessible and responsive to the views of those under him.
At the same time, however,
- he must have firm principles, so that
- he does not vacillate where there is only a question of current opinion.
Once
- we are ready to listen to the opinions of others,
- we must not associate exclusively with people who share our views or with members of our own party; instead,
- we must go out and mingle freely with all sorts of people, friends or foes.
That is the only way to achieve something.
Nine in the fourth place means:
Following creates success.
Perseverance brings misfortune.
To go one’s way with sincerity brings clarity.
How could there be blame in this?
It often happens,
when
a man exerts a certain amount of influence, that
he obtains a following by condescension toward inferiors.
But the people who attach themselves to him are not honest in their intentions.
They
- seek personal advantage and
- try to make themselves indispensable through flattery and subservience.
If one
- becomes accustomed to such satellites and
- cannot do without them,
it brings misfortune.
Only when
a man is
- completely free from his ego, and
- intent, by conviction, upon what is right and essential,
does he
- acquire the clarity that enables him to see through such people, and
- become free of blame.
MOVING HEXAGRAM
HEXAGRAM 08 – Pi – Holding Together [Union]
Above K’AN THE ABYSMAL, WATER
Below K’UN THE RECEPTIVE, EARTH
The waters on the surface of the earth flow together wherever they can,
as for example in the ocean,
where all the rivers come together.
Symbolically this connotes
- holding together and
- the laws that regulate it.
The same idea is suggested by the fact that
all the lines of the hexagram except the fifth, the place of the ruler, are yielding.
The yielding lines hold together because they are influenced by
- a man of strong will in the leading position,
- a man who is their center of union.
Moreover, this strong and guiding personality in turn holds together with the others,
finding in them the complement of his own nature.
THE JUDGMENT
HOLDING TOGETHER brings good fortune.
Inquire of the oracle once again
Whether you possess sublimity, constancy, and perseverance;
Then there is no blame.
Those who are uncertain gradually join.
Whoever comes too late
Meets with misfortune.
What is required is that we unite with others, in order that
all may complement and aid one another through holding together.
But such holding together calls for a central figure around whom other persons may unite.
To become a center of influence holding people together is a
- grave matter and
- fraught with great responsibility.
It requires
- greatness of spirit,
- consistency, and
- strength.
Therefore let him who wishes to gather others about him ask himself whether he is equal to the undertaking,
for anyone attempting the task without a real calling for it
only makes confusion worse than if no union at all had taken place.
But when there is a real rallying point,
those who at first are hesitant or uncertain gradually come in of their own accord.
Late-comers must suffer the consequences, for in holding together the question of the right time is also important.
Relationships are formed and firmly established according to definite inner laws.
Common experiences strengthen these ties, and he who comes too late to share in these basic experiences must suffer for it if, as a straggler, he finds the door locked.
If a man
- has recognized the necessity for union and
- does not feel strong enough to function as the center,
it is his duty to become a member of some other organic fellowship.
THE IMAGE
On the earth is water: The image Of HOLDING TOGETHER.
Thus the kings of antiquity
- Bestowed the different states as fiefs And
- cultivated friendly relations With the feudal lords.
Water
- fills up all the empty places on the earth and
- clings fast to it.
The social organization of ancient China was based on this principle of the holding together of
- dependents and
- rulers.
Water flows to unite with water, because all parts of it are subject to the same laws.
So too should human society hold together through a community of interests that
allows each individual to feel himself a member of a whole.
The central power of a social organization must see to it that
every member finds that his true interest lies in holding together with it,
as was the case in the paternal relationship between king and vassals in ancient China.
