HEXAGRAM 29: ORIGINAL, INTERPRETATION AND CASES

HEXAGRAM 29 - K'an - The Abysmal (Water)

Above K'AN THE ABYSMAL, WATER

Below K'AN THE ABYSMAL, WATER

This hexagram consists of a doubling of the trigram K'an.

It is one of the eight hexagrams in which doubling occurs.

The trigram K'an means a plunging in.

A yang line

· has plunged in between two yin lines

and

· is closed in by them like water in a ravine.

The trigram K'an is also the middle son.

The Receptive

· has obtained the middle line of the Creative,

and thus

· K'an develops.

As an image it represents water,

the water that

· comes from above

and

· is in motion on earth in streams and rivers,

giving rise to all life on earth.

In man's world K'an represents

· the heart,

· the soul locked up within the body,

· the principle of light inclosed in the dark - that is, reason.

The name of the hexagram, because the trigram is doubled,

has the additional meaning,

"repetition of danger."

Thus the hexagram is intended to designate

· an objective situation to which one must become accustomed,

· not a subjective attitude.

For danger due to a subjective attitude means

either

· foolhardiness

· guile.

Hence too a ravine is used to symbolize danger;

it is a situation in which

a man is in the same pass as

the water in a ravine,

and,

like the water,

· he can escape

· he behaves correctly.

THE JUDGMENT

The Abysmal repeated.

If you are sincere,

· you have success in your heart,

And

· whatever you do succeeds.

Through repetition of danger

we grow accustomed to it.

Water sets the example for the right conduct under such circumstances.

· It

o flows on and on,

and

o merely fills up all the places through which it flows;

· it

o does not shrink from any dangerous spot nor from any plunge,

and

o nothing can make it lose its own essential nature.

· It

o remains true to itself under all conditions.

Thus likewise,

· if one is sincere when confronted with difficulties,

o the heart can penetrate the meaning of the situation.

And

· once we have gained inner mastery of a problem,

o it will come about naturally that the action we take will succeed.

In danger all that counts is really

· carrying out all that has to be done – thoroughness –

and

· going forward, in order not to perish through tarrying in the danger.

Properly used,

danger can have an important meaning as a protective measure.

Thus

· heaven has its perilous height protecting it

o against every attempt at invasion, and

· earth has its mountains and bodies of water,

o separating countries by their dangers.

Thus also

rulers make use of danger to protect themselves

· against attacks from without

and

· against turmoil within.

THE IMAGE

Water

· flows on uninterruptedly

and

· reaches its goal:

The image of the Abysmal repeated.

Thus the superior man

· walks in lasting virtue

And

· carries on the business of teaching.

Water reaches its goal by flowing continually.

It fills up every depression before it flows on.

The superior man follows its example;

he is concerned that goodness should be

· an established attribute of character

rather than

· an accidental and isolated occurrence.

So likewise in teaching others everything depends on consistency,

for

it is only through repetition

that

the pupil makes the material his own.

THE LINES

Six at the beginning means:

Repetition of the Abysmal.

In the abyss one falls into a pit.

Misfortune.

By growing used to what is dangerous,

a man can easily allow it to become part of him.

· is familiar with it

and

· grows used to evil.

With this

· he has lost the right way,

and

· misfortune is the natural result.

0 Nine in the second place means:

The abyss is dangerous.

One should strive to attain small things only.

When

we are in danger

we ought not to attempt to get out of it immediately,

regardless of circumstances;

at first

we must content ourselves with not being overcome by it.

We must

· calmly weigh the conditions of the time

and

· be satisfied with small gains,

because for the time being a great success cannot be attained.

A spring

· flows only sparingly at first,

and

· tarries for some time before it makes its way into the open.

Six in the third place means:

· Forward and backward,

· abyss on abyss.

In danger like this,

· pause at first

and

· wait,

Otherwise you will fall into a pit in the abyss.

Do not act in this way.

Here every step, forward or backward, leads into danger.

Escape is out of the question.

Therefore

· we must not be misled into action, as a result of which

o we should only bog down deeper in the danger;

disagreeable as it may be to remain in such a situation,

· we must wait until a way out shows itself.

Six in the fourth place means:

A jug of wine, a bowl of rice 1' with it

Earthen vessels

Simply handed in through the window.

There is certainly no blame in this.

In times of danger ceremonious forms are dropped.

What matters most is sincerity.

Although as a rule it is customary for an official to present

· certain introductory gifts

and

· recommendations

before he is appointed,

here everything is simplified to the utmost.

The gifts are insignificant,

there is no one to sponsor him,

he introduces himself;

yet

all this need not be humiliating

if only there is the honest intention of mutual help in danger.

Still another idea is suggested.

The window is the place through which light enters the room.

If in difficult times

· we want to enlighten someone,

· we must

o begin with that which is in itself lucid

and

o proceed quite simply from that point on.

0 Nine in the fifth place means:

The abyss is not filled to overflowing,

It is filled only to the rim.

No blame.

Danger comes because one is too ambitious.

In order to flow out of a ravine,

water does not rise higher than the lowest point of the rim.

So likewise

a man when in danger

has only to proceed along the line of least resistance;

thus

he reaches the goal.

Great labors cannot be accomplished in such times;

it is enough to get out of the danger.

Six at the top means:

· Bound with cords and ropes,

· Shut in between thorn-hedged prison walls:

For three years one does not find the way.

Misfortune.

A man who in the extremity of danger

· has lost the right way

and

· is irremediably entangled in his sins

has no prospect of escape.

He is like a criminal who sits shackled behind thorn-hedged prison walls.

1. The usual translation, "two bowls of rice," has been corrected on the basis of Chinese commentaries.

29 THE ABYSMAL

(REPETITION OF DANGER)

MANAGERIAL ISSUE:

The CEO – managing danger.

The CEO finds himself and his corporation under a dangerous position. The I Ching would say the CEO and his corporation are trapped very much the way three elements get trapped:

The water, which gets trapped within a pit as it falls from a precipice,
The heart, which is trapped within the body, and
The light, which is trapped inside darkness.

MANAGERIAL LESSON:

The Superior CEO - to get out of dangerous conditions, he must:

1) Develop the proper attitude to manage under dangerous conditions by looking deeply into it. He must never accept danger as a no way out situation. There is always a way out, but to find it the CEO must develop the proper winning attitude.

2) Draw on his previous experience on managing danger. By getting accustomed to danger he generates more experiences on dealing with danger. That is, the CEO must have lived throughout similar conditions of danger to know how to manage danger. Drawing on his experiences is critical for the CEO’s success. This is a clear message to the Board of Director when it comes to choosing the proper CEO of a corporation in trouble – he must have experience in managing under dangerous conditions.

3) Follow the example of the water:

a) The water faces the danger of the waterfall by heading straight into it, making no effort to avoid it – a deliberately passive attitude similar to the “docility of the cow”. But once it is down in the pit, the water begins to get out of this new predicament by filling it or overwhelming it until it finds the borders and overflows the pit and continues on its way – a winning attitude is needed to find its way out.

b) The water uses the right amount needed to overwhelm the pit; no more, no less – the proper balanced attitude. This means that, for instance, when the CEO faces a managerial gap, he fills it with the right amount, and only the right amount of executives to fix the problem, but never exceeding the amount needed. Then the CEO continues to send the right amount of executives to the other various places where they are needed, but never will he back away from his commitments. Like the water facing the waterfall, the CEO should rush straight into it, knowing full well that once he is inside the hole, he will come out of it. Always uses the right amount of resources to overcome the pit.

4) Channel danger properly to profit the most from it. Because danger and opportunity are the two sides of the same coin, the Superior CEO can actually profit from a dangerous situation if he knows how to manage it.

The I Ching says: “As an image it represents water, the water that comes from above and is in motion on earth in streams and rivers, giving rise to all life on earth.”

The Superior CEO uses the following key elements in managing danger:

1) Planning. The Superior CEO draws his plans placing particular attention to those areas where he detects danger and makes them his top priority. This attitude of facing danger squarely or being truthful to himself (to your own self be true) as well as to others will awaken within the CEO’s consciousness the necessary intuition for success. Every CEO, who in the planning stages foresees and dominates the theoretically dangerous situations in all its aspects even before he actually faces them, has already dominated the real danger. The Superior CEO will not freeze when managing danger.

2) Motion. This is perhaps one of the key elements in managing danger because danger is not a condition where we can overstay. To face danger, the CEO must dominate motion and speedy action. The CEO, like a good general (Napoleon) must recognize the superiority of motion/mobility to defeat any danger.

3) Defense. To defend the corporation against possible raiders, the Superior CEO lets his enemies know that the corporation is full of dangers, which only he and his managerial team alone are capable of dominating. This makes the raiders think twice before trying to buy it out. The “shark repellent” and “poison pill” strategies must be implemented.

4) Loyalty. To generate loyalty from his employees, the Superior CEO makes sure they know there will always be dangerous situations, which he and his managerial team can solve.

5) Training and education. Perhaps one of the greatest dangers the CEO must face is ignorance - lack of knowledge of the workers and managers. A Superior CEO is willing to spend all the necessary resources to train and educate all the employees. In this way, he creates more value added to the work of each employee and makes sure that their product will be better than that of its competitors. This education effort is not just a passing fad. The educational effort must be a constant element so that all the employees year after year continue to receive all kinds of courses. Such courses should not only be directly related to their own work but to all the areas of the corporation so that employees’ input will always be greater. Education, education, always, always, always education.

INVESTMENT ADVICE:

For the investor, the Abysmal (Danger) Time-Space is not the best of times to invest. Few CEOs can manage through such difficult conditions.

By itself (no lines) the Hexagram is not positive.

The Abysmal repeated.

If you are sincere, you have success in your heart,

And whatever you do succeeds.

Through repetition of danger we grow accustomed to it. Water sets the example for the right conduct under such circumstances. It flows on and on, and merely fills up all the places through which it flows; it does not shrink from any dangerous spot nor from any plunge, and nothing can make it lose its own essential nature. It remains true to itself under all conditions. Thus likewise, if one is sincere when confronted with difficulties, the heart can penetrate the meaning of the situation. And once we have gained inner mastery of a problem, it will come about naturally that the action we take will succeed. In danger all that counts is really carrying out all that has to be done – thoroughness - and going forward, in order not to perish through tarrying in the danger.

Properly used, danger can have an important meaning as a protective measure. Thus heaven has its perilous height protecting it against every attempt at invasion, and earth has its mountains and bodies of water, separating countries by their dangers. Thus also rulers make use of danger to protect themselves against attacks from without and against turmoil within.

There are no Good Fortune lines in the entire Hexagram and therefore no lines that could be considered a recommendation to invest. This is only natural given the Abysmal represents an extremely difficult time for the corporation. Almost all lines point to the inability of the CEO to manage the Abysmal. In a couple of instances, the CEO might be able to manage to survive, but survival is not a substitute for growth.

The following cases are those of corporations under Abysmal Time-Space:

· Micron Technology Inc. MU under CEO Steven R. Appleton

· Amazon.com Inc. AMZN under CEO Jeffrey P. Bezos

· Biogen Idec Inc. BIIB under CEO George A. Scangos

(Read at end of Hexagram)

THE LINES

SIX IN THE FIRST PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing danger – fails to move in the face danger.

Managerial Lesson: Be in motion.

Managerial Warning: At the first stage of the Abysmal Time-Space, the CEO and his corporation face a considerable danger; however, he is so accustomed to seeing the corporation under dangerous conditions that he has forgotten there are other more normal conditions. Danger cannot be a perennial corporate condition. Unfortunately, he might well be corrupt himself and might have lost his way (TAO). His reckless behavior will only produce losses.

Managerial Advice: The Superior CEO uses motion to bring the corporation back to equilibrium. He never stays put in the face of the initial face danger.

Investment Advice: Do not invest.

NINE IN THE SECOND PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing danger – moving too quickly in the face of danger.

Managerial Lesson: Be methodical.

Managerial Warning: At the second stage of the Abysmal Time-Space, the CEO and his corporation face a considerable danger from powerful forces, which oppose its progress. He might attempt to get out of danger too fast. He might lack the discipline necessary to keep the corporation out of danger.

Managerial Advice: The Superior CEO follows a series of gradual steps when facing danger. The first step is to be grateful the corporation survived the danger, and the second is to gradually overcome the danger on a step-by-step basis. The Superior CEO realizes that under the threat of danger he can only hope to attain small gains. His main objective is to see the corporation survive these dangers. The gradual steps help him maintain the discipline to keep the corporation out of danger.

Investment Advice: Do not invest.

SIX IN THE THIRD PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing danger – acting at the wrong time.

Managerial Lesson: Be patient.

Managerial Warning: At the third stage of the Abysmal Time-Space, the CEO and his corporation face a very dangerous situation without an apparent way out.

Managerial Advice: The Superior CEO refrains from action when any action on his part could only lead to grave errors. He knows refraining from action is as important as acting when necessary. He is patient and exercises a degree of self-discipline to refrain from acting. In this way, the Superior CEO patiently awaits until the way out becomes evident to him.

Investment Advice: Do not invest.

SIX IN THE FOURTH PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing danger – planning and prioritizing when facing danger.

Managerial Lesson: Be sincere.

Managerial Warning: At the fourth stage of the Abysmal Time-Space, the CEO and his corporation face a considerable danger which requires the utmost sincerity to differentiate between the superfluous and the really important. Humility is once again crucial. Like a desperate man who is drowning and whose first priority is breathing, the CEO must order the priorities according to the actual situation, forgetting completely about the superfluous.

Managerial Advice: The Superior CEO:

· Sincerely acknowledges the dangers the corporation faces, and

· Establishes a clear set of priorities for dealing with this danger with the basics or the obvious, with that which is in everyone’s sight, with what is in the light. He knows only then will the rest of the priorities come to light.

Investment Advice: Do not invest.

NINE IN THE FIFTH PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing danger – caused by his excessive ambition.

Managerial Lesson: Be still.

Managerial Warning: At the fifth stage of the Abysmal Time-Space, the CEO and his corporation face a dangerous condition; however, even so, he tries to accomplish great tasks.

Managerial Advice: The Superior CEO remains quiet and allows the danger to pass. He knows that any interference in this dangerous condition by trying to do too much, could turn a passing danger condition into a permanent one. At times of danger the Superior CEO postpones any grand project/investment.

Investment Advice: Do not invest.

SIX IN THE SIXTH PLACE

Managerial Issue: The CEO – managing danger – failing to face danger because of his own corruption and ignorance.

Managerial Lesson: Be virtuous.

Managerial Warning: At the sixth stage of the Abysmal Time-Space, the CEO and his corporation face a situation so dangerous that there is no way out. The cause of this situation is that he not only missed the opportunity to turn the corporation into a profitable operation, but now he has locked himself within his own corruption and misery.

Managerial Advice: The superior CEO:

· walks in lasting virtue, and

· carries on the business of teaching.

Investment Advice: Do not invest.

MANAGERIAL CASES

Micron Technology Inc. MU under CEO Steven R. Appleton

Steven Appleton’s Performance: ROI= (47.53%) Annualized Return= (14.23%)

SPY performance ROI= (20.14%) Annualized Return= (5.21%)

Steven Appleton became CEO of Micron Technology in June 2007. Since then, he has done much worse than the SPY which is typical of a corporation under the Abysmal Time-Space. Unfortunately, he drew lines three and four which are not auspicious for the CEO. In particular, the third line shows he was not supposed to make any moves during these times of danger Micron Technology is going through. He was supposed to wait until a way out would show itself.

Points the investor should consider:

1) THE HEXAGRAM

HEXAGRAM 29 - K'an - The Abysmal (Water)

This hexagram consists of a doubling of the trigram K'an. It is one of the eight hexagrams in which doubling occurs. The trigram K'an means a plunging in. A yang line has plunged in between two yin lines and is closed in by them like water in a ravine. The trigram K'an is also the middle son. The Receptive has obtained the middle line of the Creative, and thus K'an develops. As an image it represents water, the water that comes from above and is in motion on earth in streams and rivers, giving rise to all life on earth.

In man's world K'an represents the heart, the soul locked up within the body, the principle of light inclosed in the dark - that is, reason. The name of the hexagram, because the trigram is doubled, has the additional meaning, "repetition of danger." Thus the hexagram is intended to designate an objective situation to which one must become accustomed, not a subjective attitude. For danger due to a subjective attitude means either foolhardiness or guile. Hence too a ravine is used to symbolize danger; it is a situation in which a man is in the same pass as the water in a ravine, and, like the water, he can escape if he behaves correctly.

THE JUDGMENT

The Abysmal repeated.

If you are sincere, you have success in your heart,

And whatever you do succeeds.

2) THE ADVICE

Water flows on uninterruptedly and reaches its goal: The image of the Abysmal repeated.

Thus the superior man walks in lasting virtue

And carries on the business of teaching.

Water reaches its goal by flowing continually. It fills up every depression before it flows on. The superior man follows its example; he is concerned that goodness should be an established attribute of character rather than an accidental and isolated occurrence. So likewise in teaching others everything depends on consistency, for it is only through repetition that the pupil makes the material his own.

3) THE LINES:

Six in the third place means:

Forward and backward, abyss on abyss.

In danger like this, pause at first and wait,

Otherwise you will fall into a pit in the abyss.

Do not act in this way.

Here every step, forward or backward, leads into danger. Escape is out of the question. Therefore we must not be misled into action, as a result of which we should only bog down deeper in the danger; disagreeable as it may be to remain in such a situation, we must wait until a way out shows itself.

Six in the fourth place means:

A jug of wine, a bowl of rice 1' with it

Earthen vessels

Simply handed in through the window.

There is certainly no blame in this.

In times of danger ceremonious forms are dropped. What matters most is sincerity. Although as a rule it is customary for an official to present certain introductory gifts and recommendations before he is appointed, here everything is simplified to the utmost. The gifts are insignificant, there is no one to sponsor him, he introduces himself; yet all this need not be humiliating if only there is the honest intention of mutual help in danger.

Still another idea is suggested. The window is the place through which light enters the room. If in difficult times we want to enlighten someone, we must begin with that which is in itself lucid and proceed quite simply from that point on.

1. The usual translation, "two bowls of rice," has been corrected on the basis of Chinese commentaries.

4) THE MOVING HEXAGRAM

HEXAGRAM 28 - Ta Kuo - Preponderance of the Great

This hexagram consists of four strong lines inside and two weak lines outside. When the strong are outside and the weak inside, all is well and there is nothing out of balance, nothing extraordinary in the situation. Here, however, the opposite is the case. The hexagram represents a beam that is thick and heavy in the middle but too weak at the ends. This is a condition that cannot last; it must be changed, must pass, or misfortune will result.

THE JUDGMENT

PREPONDERANCE OF THE GREAT.

The ridgepole sags to the breaking point.

It furthers one to have somewhere to go.

Success.

The weight of the great is excessive. The load is too heavy for the strength of the supports. The ridgepole, on which the whole roof rests, sags to the breaking point, because its supporting ends are too weak for the load they bear. It is an exceptional time and situation; therefore extraordinary measures are demanded. It is necessary to find a way of transition as quickly as possible, and to take action. This promises success. For although the strong element is in excess, it is in the middle, that is, at the center of gravity, so that a revolution is not to be feared. Nothing is to be achieved by forcible measures.

The problem must be solved by gentle penetration to the meaning of the situation (as is suggested by the attribute of the inner trigram, Sun); then the change-over to other conditions will be successful. It demands real superiority; therefore the time when the great preponderates is a momentous time.

THE IMAGE

The lake rises above the trees: The image Of PREPONDERANCE OF THE GREAT.

Thus the superior man, when he stands alone,

Is unconcerned,

And if he has to renounce the world,

He is undaunted.

Extraordinary times when the great preponderates are like flood times when the lake rises over the treetops. But such conditions are temporary. The two trigrams indicate the attitude proper to such exceptional times: the symbol of the trigram Sun is the tree, which stands firm even though it stands alone, and the attribute of Tui is joyousness, which remains undaunted even if it must renounce the world.

Amazon.com Inc. AMZN under CEO Jeffrey P. Bezos

Jeffrey Bezos’s Performance: ROI= 12,718.16% Annualized Return= 40.77%

SPY performance ROI= 36.59% Annualized Return= 2.22%

Jeffrey P. Bezos became CEO of Amazon in May 1996. Since then, he has outperformed the SPY many times over proving he has been a Superior CEO

However, because he has been CEO for 16 years, it is necessary to ask the Oracle every 7 or 10 years about his performance. The Oracle warns Bezos that in spite of his previous success, Amazon is in danger, particularly the sixth line which points to misfortune. After all, Amazon has eaten the lunch of many corporations and industries such as the publishing industry and they are not going to take it so easily. It is possible that the tablets will take away the success of the Kindle or that Apple will sell more eBooks or new disruptive technologies will appear in the next decade. Whatever the reason, the Oracle’s warning to Bezos is that Amazon is in the Abyss Time Space.

This is the I Ching’s warning to Jeff Bezos going forward from 2011 on.

Points the investor should consider:

1) THE HEXAGRAM

(Same as Above).

2) THE ADVICE

(Same as Above).

3) THE LINES:

Six in the fourth place means:

A jug of wine, a bowl of rice 1' with it

Earthen vessels

Simply handed in through the window.

There is certainly no blame in this.

Six at the top means:

Bound with cords and ropes,

Shut in between thorn-hedged prison walls:

For three years one does not find the way.

Misfortune.

A man who in the extremity of danger has lost the right way and is irremediably entangled in his sins has no prospect of escape. He is like a criminal who sits shackled behind thorn-hedged prison walls.

1. The usual translation, "two bowls of rice," has been corrected on the basis of Chinese commentaries.

4) THE MOVING HEXAGRAM

HEXAGRAM 06 – Sung - Conflict

The upper trigram, whose image is heaven, has an upward movement; the lower trigram, water, in accordance with its nature, tends downward. Thus the two halves move away from each other, giving rise to the idea of conflict.

The attribute of the Creative is strength that of the abysmal is danger, guile. Where cunning has force before it, there is conflict.

A third indication of conflict, in terms of character, is presented by the combination of deep cunning within and fixed determination outwardly. A person of this character will certainly be quarrelsome.

THE JUDGMENT

CONFLICT. You are sincere

And are being obstructed.

A cautious halt halfway brings good fortune.

Going through to the end brings misfortune.

It furthers one to see the great man.

It does not further one to cross the great water.

Conflict develops when one feels himself to be in the right and runs into opposition. If one is not convinced of being in the right, opposition leads to craftiness or high-handed encroachment but not to open conflict.

If a man is entangled in a conflict, his only salvation lies in being so clear-headed and inwardly strong that he is always ready to come to terms by meeting the opponent halfway. To carry on the conflict to the bitter end has evil effects even when one is in the right, because the enmity is then perpetuated. It is important to see the great man, that is, an impartial man whose authority is great enough to terminate the conflict amicably or assure a just decision.

In times of strife, crossing the great water is to be avoided, that is, dangerous enterprises are not to be begun, because in order to be successful they require concerted unity of forces. Conflict within weakens the power to conquer danger without.

THE IMAGE

Heaven and water go their opposite ways: The image of Conflict.

Thus in all his transactions the superior man

Carefully considers the beginning.

The image indicates that the causes of conflict are latent in the opposing tendencies of the two trigram. Once these opposing tendencies appear, conflict is inevitable. To avoid it, therefore, everything must be taken carefully into consideration in the very beginning. If rights and duties are exactly defined, or if, in a group, the spiritual trends of the individuals harmonize, the cause of conflict is removed in advance.

Biogen Idec Inc. BIIB under CEO George A. Scangos

George Scangos’ Performance: ROI= 85.49% Annualized Return= 73.33%

SPY performance ROI= 17.38% Annualized Return= 15.33%

George Scangos became CEO of Biogen in July of 2010. Since then, he has done much better that the SPY. However, it is a bit early to evaluate his performance. What should keep the investor worried are the two lines which point to Misfortune, particularly the one in the sixth place.

Points the investor should consider:

1) THE HEXAGRAM

(Same as Above).

2) THE ADVICE

(Same as Above).

3) THE LINES:

Six at the beginning means:

Repetition of the Abysmal.

In the abyss one falls into a pit.

Misfortune.

By growing used to what is dangerous, a man can easily allow it to become part of him. He is familiar with it and grows used to evil. With this he has lost the right way, and misfortune is the natural result.

Six in the fourth place means:

A jug of wine, a bowl of rice 1' with it

Earthen vessels

Simply handed in through the window.

There is certainly no blame in this.

Six at the top means:

Bound with cords and ropes,

Shut in between thorn-hedged prison walls:

For three years one does not find the way.

Misfortune.

4) THE MOVING HEXAGRAM

HEXAGRAM 10 – Lu - Treading (Conduct)

The name of the hexagram means on the one hand the right way of conducting oneself. Heaven, the father, is above, and the lake, the youngest daughter, is below. This shows the difference between high and low, upon which composure, correct social conduct, depends. On the other hand, the word for the name of the hexagram, TREADING, 1 means literally treading upon something. The small and cheerful [Tui] treads upon the large and strong [Ch'ien]. The direction of movement of the two primary trigrams is upward. The fact that the strong treads on the weak is not mentioned in the Book of Changes, because it is taken for granted. For the weak to take a stand against the strong is not dangerous here, because it happens in good humor [Tui] and without presumption, so that the strong man is not irritated but takes it all in good part.

THE JUDGMENT

TREADING.

Treading upon the tail of the tiger.

It does not bite the man.

Success.

The situation is really difficult. That which is strongest and that which is weakest are close together. The weak follows behind the strong and worries it. The strong, however, acquiesces and does not hurt the weak, because the contact is in good humor and harmless.

In terms of a human situation, one is handling wild, intractable people. In such a case one's purpose will be achieved if one behaves with decorum. Pleasant manners succeed even with irritable people.

THE IMAGE

Heaven above, the lake below: The image Of TREADING.

Thus the superior man discriminates between high and low,

And thereby fortifies the thinking of the people.

Heaven and the lake show a difference of elevation that inheres in the natures of the two, hence no envy arises. Among mankind also there are necessarily differences of elevation; it is impossible to bring about universal equality. But it is important that differences in social rank should not be arbitrary and unjust, for if this occurs, envy and class struggle are the inevitable consequences. If, on the other hand, external differences in rank correspond with differences in inner worth, and if inner worth forms the criterion of external rank, people acquiesce and order reigns in society.