The I Ching or Book of Changes (111 page)
And receives a yellow arrow.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
b
) The good fortune of the perseverance of the nine in the second place is due to its attaining the middle way.
The trigram K’AN denotes a fox, Li denotes bow and arrow. The second place, as the upper of the two lowest places, is the place of the field (cf. the nine in the second place in
hexagram 1
, Ch’ien, THE CREATIVE). The three foxes are three of the four yin lines, omitting the six in the fifth place.
Six in the third place:
a
) If a man carries a burden on his back
And nonetheless rides in a carriage,
He thereby encourages robbers to draw near.
Perseverance leads to humiliation.
b
) “If a man carries a burden on his back and nonetheless rides in a carriage,” he should really be ashamed of himself.
When I myself thus attract robbers, on whom shall I lay the blame?
This line is at the place where the lower primary trigram K’an and the upper nuclear trigram K’an come in contact. K’an means carriage and robbers. The structure of the hexagram is such that this six, a yin line and weak by nature, seeks to occupy the top place in the lower trigram. Its strength being insufficient for this, it carries a heavy burden. In this untenable position it necessarily attracts robbers. Persisting in this state naturally leads to humiliation.
Nine in the fourth place:
a
) Deliver yourself from your great toe.
Then the companion comes,
And him you can trust.
b
) “Deliver yourself from your great toe”: for the place is not the appropriate one.
The trigram Chên means foot; the six in the third place is under Chên and so gives rise to the image of the big toe. The present line and the nine in the second place are friends of kindred nature, jointly rendering loyal help to the ruler in the fifth place. But to do this it is necessary first to exclude the interfering six in the third place, to which the present line stands in the relationship of holding together. The place is not appropriate, because this is a yin place, while the line is a yang line.
1
Six in the fifth place:
a
) If only the superior man can deliver himself,
It brings good fortune.
Thus he proves to inferior men that he is in earnest.
b
) The superior man delivers himself, because inferior men then retreat.
The fifth place is that of the ruler. In times of deliverance, the yielding—disposition of this line is appropriate, because it is in the relationship of correspondence to the strong assistants. But it is important to liberate oneself from inferior men who are also yielding in temperament. When they notice this attitude, they retreat of their own accord, The line delivers itself, as does the preceding line, by moving upward in accord with the trigram Chên.
Six at the top:
a
) The prince shoots at a hawk on a high wall.
He kills it. Everything serves to further.
b
) “The prince shoots at a hawk”: thereby he delivers himself from those who resist.
The dark line at the top is injurious. With the exception of the six in the fifth place, all the yin lines in the time of DELIVERANCE tend to have a negative influence, in so far as this
is not neutralized by relationships with yang lines. This highly placed evildoer is shot from below, where the trigram K’an (arrow) is situated, because the movement is upward, and thus deliverance from the last obstacle is achieved.
The hexagram Sun is based on the idea that the top line of the lower trigram is decreased in order to increase the top line of the upper trigram; hence it is the six in the third place and the nine at the top that are the constituting rulers of the hexagram. But, since the ruler is the one who is enriched through decrease of what is below and increase of what is above, the governing ruler of the hexagram is the six in the fifth place.
The Sequence
Through release of tension something is sure to be lost. Hence there follows the hexagram of DECREASE.
Miscellaneous Notes
The hexagrams of DECREASE and INCREASE are the beginning of flowering and of decline.
This hexagram consists of Tui below and Kên above. The depth of the lake is decreased in favor of the height of the mountain. The top line of the lower trigram is decreased in favor of the top line of the upper trigram. In both cases, what is (below is decreased in favor of what is above, and this means out-and-out decrease.
When decrease has reached its goal, flowering is sure to begin. Hence DECREASE is the beginning of flowering, as INCREASE, through fullness, ushers in decline.
Appended Judgments
DECREASE shows the cultivation of character. It shows first what is difficult and then what is easy. Thus it keeps harm away.
THE JUDGMENT
DECREASE combined with sincerity
Brings about supreme good fortune
Without blame.
One may be persevering in this.
It furthers one to undertake something.
How is this to be carried out?
One may use two small bowls for the sacrifice.
Commentary on the Decision
DECREASE. What is below is decreased, what is above is increased; the direction of the way is upward.
“DECREASE combined with sincerity brings about supreme good fortune without blame. One may be persevering in this. It furthers one to undertake something. How is this to be carried out? One may use two small bowls for the sacrifice.”
“Two small bowls” is in accord with the time. There is a time for decreasing the firm, and a time for increasing the yielding. In decreasing and increasing, in being full and being empty, one must go with the time.
The firm top line of the lower trigram is decreased, that is, replaced by a yielding line; at the same time, the yielding top line of the upper trigram is increased, that is, replaced by a
strong line, and this strong line makes its way upward. The upper element is enriched at the expense of the lower. Those below bring a sacrifice to the ruler. If this sacrifice is offered sincerely it is not wrong; rather, it results in success and all things desirable. Nor is thrift then a disgrace. All that matters is that things should happen at the right time.
THE IMAGE
At the foot of the mountain, the lake:
The image of DECREASE.
Thus the superior man controls his anger
And restrains his instincts.
The lake evaporates; its waters decrease and benefit the mountain’s vegetation, which thereby is furthered in its growth and enriched. Anger rises mountain high; the instincts drown the heart like the depths of a lake. Inasmuch as the two primary trigrams represent the youngest son and youngest daughter, passions are especially strong. The anger aroused must be restrained by keeping still (upper trigram Kên), and the instincts must be curbed by the confining quality of the lower trigram Tui, as the lake confines its waters within its banks.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning:
a
) Going quickly when one’s tasks are finished
Is without blame.
But one must reflect on how much one may decrease others.
b
) “Going quickly when one’s tasks are finished”: this is right because the mind of the one above accords with one’s own.
The lowest line stands for people of the lower classes. Though strong itself, it stands in the relationship of correspondence to the weak six in the fourth place, which represents an official. The one above needs help from the one below, and it is readily offered by the latter. Instead of the word for “finished” the
word for “through” or “with” appears in old texts (cf. the
Shuo Wên
,
1
where the wording is cited); thus the sentence would read: “Going quickly with services”—i.e., to help the one above—”is without blame.” This means self-decrease on the part of the one below for the benefit of the one above. The second half of the line, which reads literally, “One must weigh how much one may decrease him,” refers to the one above, who claims the services of the one below. It is his duty to weigh in his mind how much he may require without injuring the one below. Only when this is the attitude of the one above does it fit in with the self-sacrifice of the one below. If the one above should make inconsiderate demands, the joy in giving felt by the one below would be decreased.
Nine in the second place:
a
) Perseverance furthers.
To undertake something brings misfortune.
Without decreasing oneself,
One is able to bring increase to others.
b
) That the nine in the second place furthers through perseverance is due to the fact that it has the correct mean in its mind.
The nine is strong and stands in a central place. Hence perseverance in this attitude serves to further. The line stands at the beginning of the nuclear trigram Chên, the Arousing. This would suggest that it might of its own initiative go to the six in the fifth place, with which it has a relationship of correspondence. If it did this, however, it would demean itself somewhat. It is in keeping with its central position to increase the other without decreasing itself.
Six in the third place: