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HEXAGRAM 31 – Hsien – Influence (Wooing)
Above TUI THE JOYOUS, LAKE
Below KEN KEEPING STILL, MOUNTAIN
The name of the hexagram means
- “universal,”
- “general,”
and in a figurative sense
- “to influence,”
- “to stimulate.”
- The upper trigrams is Tui, the Joyous;
- the lower is Ken, Keeping Still.
By its persistent, quiet influence, the lower, rigid trigram
- stimulates the upper, weak trigram, which
- responds to this stimulation cheerfully and joyously.
- Ken, the lower trigram, is the youngest son;
- the upper, Tui, is the youngest daughter.
Thus the universal mutual attraction between the sexes is represented.
In courtship, the masculine principle must
- seize the initiative
and
- place itself below the feminine principle.
Just as
-
the first part of book I begins with the hexagrams of
- heaven
and
- earth,
- heaven
the foundations of all that exists,
-
the second part begins with the hexagrams of
- courtship
and
- marriage,
- courtship
the foundations of all social relationships.
THE JUDGMENT
Influence.
Success.
Perseverance furthers.
To take a maiden to wife brings good fortune.
- The weak element is above,
- the strong below;
hence
- their powers attract each other,
so that
- they unite.
This brings about success, for
all success depends on the effect of mutual attraction.
By keeping still within while experiencing joy without,
one can
- prevent the joy from going to excess
and
- hold it within proper bounds.
This is the meaning of the added admonition, “Perseverance furthers,” for
it is perseverance that makes the difference between
- seduction
and
- courtship;
in the latter
the strong man
- takes a position inferior to that of the weak girl
and
- shows consideration for her.
This attraction between affinities is a general law of nature.
Heaven and earth
- attract each other
and thus
- all creatures come into being.
Through such attraction
- the sage influences men’s hearts,
and thus
- the world attains peace.
From the attractions they exert
we can learn the nature of all beings
- in heaven
and
- on earth.
THE IMAGE
A lake on the mountain: The image of influence.
Thus
the superior man encourages people to approach him
By his readiness to receive them.
A mountain with a lake on its summit is stimulated by the moisture from the lake.
It has this advantage because its summit
- does not jut out as a peak
but
- is sunken.
The image counsels that the mind should be kept
- humble
and
- free,
so that
it may remain receptive to good advice.
People soon give up counseling a man who thinks
that
he knows everything better than anyone else.
THE LINES
0 Nine in the fourth place means:
Perseverance brings good fortune.
Remorse disappears.
If a man
- is agitated in mind,
And
- his thoughts go hither and thither,
Only those friends On whom he fixes his conscious thoughts Will follow.
Here the place of the heart is reached.
The impulse that springs from this source is the most important of all.
It is of particular concern that this influence be
- constant
and
- good;
then, in spite of the danger arising from the great susceptibility of the human heart,
there will be no cause for remorse.
When the quiet power of a man’s own character is at work,
the effects produced are right.
All those who are receptive to the vibrations of such a spirit will then be influenced.
Influence over others should not express itself
as a conscious and willed effort to manipulate them.
Through practicing such conscious incitement,
-
one becomes wrought up and is exhausted
by the eternal stress and strain.
Moreover,
-
the effects produced are then limited
to those on whom one’s thoughts are consciously fixed.
Six at the top means:
The influence shows itself in the
- jaws,
- cheeks,
and
- tongue.
The most superficial way of trying to influence others is
through talk that has nothing real behind it.
The influence produced by such mere tongue wagging must necessarily
remain insignificant.
Hence no indication is added regarding good or bad fortune.
MOVING HEXAGRAM
HEXAGRAM 53 – Chien – Development (Gradual Progress)
Above SUN THE GENTLE, WIND, WOOD
Below KEN KEEPING STILL, MOUNTAIN
This hexagram is made up of
- Sun (wood, penetration) above, i.e., without, and
- Ken (mountain, stillness) below, i.e., within.
A tree on a mountain
- develops slowly according to the law of its being and consequently
- stands firmly rooted.
This gives the idea of
a development that proceeds gradually, step by step.
The attributes of the trigrams also point to this:
-
within is tranquility,
- which guards against precipitate actions, and
- which guards against precipitate actions, and
-
without is penetration,
- which makes development and progress possible.
- which makes development and progress possible.
THE JUDGMENT
DEVELOPMENT.
The maiden
Is given in marriage.
Good fortune.
Perseverance furthers.
- The development of events that
leads to a girl’s following a man to his home proceeds slowly.
The various formalities must be disposed of before
the marriage takes place.
This principle of gradual development can be applied to other situations as well;
it is always applicable where
- it is a matter of correct relationships of co-operation,
as for instance in
the appointment of an official.
The development must be allowed to take its proper course.
Hasty action would not be wise.
This is also true, finally, of
- any effort to exert influence on others,
for here too
the essential factor is a correct way of development
through cultivation of one’s own personality.
No influence such as that exerted by agitators has a lasting effect.
Within the personality too,
development must follow the same course
if lasting results are to be achieved.
Gentleness
- that is adaptable,
- but at the same time penetrating,
is the outer form that should proceed from inner calm.
The very gradualness of the development
makes it necessary to have perseverance,
for perseverance alone prevents slow progress from dwindling to nothing.
THE IMAGE
On the mountain, a tree: The image of DEVELOPMENT.
Thus the superior man
abides in dignity and virtue,
In order to improve the mores.
The tree on the mountain
- is visible from afar, and
- its development influences the landscape of the entire region.
It does not shoot up like a swamp plant;
its growth proceeds gradually.
Thus also
the work of influencing people can be only gradual.
No sudden influence or awakening is of lasting effect.
Progress must be quite gradual, and
in order to obtain such progress
- in public opinion and
- in the mores of the people,
it is necessary for the personality to acquire
- influence and
- weight.
This comes about through careful and constant work
on one’s own moral development.