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Above; Thunder
and awakening
Below; Earth the receptive
The attributes
of the upper trigram, are movement and danger. The
attributes of the lower trigram are passivity and
obedience. The movement, meeting devotion, inspires
enthusiasm. The strong yang line in the fourth place,
the place of the minister, demands obedience from
all the weak yin lines. But there is inherent danger
in this arrangement.
It is advantageous
to establish a number of tributary princes and place
the army in a state of readiness.
The thunder awakes
in heaven and the earth is docile below. The sun and
the moon keep their courses and the four seasons do
not change their appointed times. So action according
to the will of heaven gives rise to anticipation and
calm confidence. The sage also follows heaven’s
will, and the people follow his judgement with little
need for punishment or for any form of penalty. Great
indeed are the moment and the meaning of Yu.
Thunder bursts
from the earth into heaven. In such a way did the
ancient kings do honour to heaven and its supreme
lord with solemn music and appropriate sacrifice,
remembering also in this way their revered ancestors.
Line 1
He proclaims his
anticipation of pleasure. Evil omen.
Here the lowly
person looks forward selfishly to his own satisfaction.
He boasts arrogantly of what he desires the near future
to bring him and so invites his own misfortune.
Line 2
He is firm as
a rock, but not the whole day. Persistence brings
success.
The wise man is
not led astray by illusion. He sees what is to come
without dissipating his energies in unnecessary actions.
He knows exactly the right moment at which to move.
Adherence to this way will bring him good fortune.
Line 3
Ignorant anticipation
brings regrets. Hesitation leads to repentance.
The inferior man
looks upward, placing his reliance upon those above
him without understanding that he too should take
action. If he does not appreciate the right moment
for movement he will regret it.
Line 4
He is the source
of harmony and satisfaction and achieves great things.
Have no doubts. Gather friends around you as the clasp
gathers the hair.
The Superior Man
is an inspiration to all. He inspires joyful anticipation
through his own confidence and freedom from hesitation.
He gathers and holds men together by the support he
affords them.
Line 5
He is constantly
sick but does not die.
Continuing to look
forward, he finds himself obstructed at every turn.
But provided he does not expend his hopeful anticipation
in empty enthusiasm he will survive.
Line 6
His anticipation
is deluded. He is devoted to self-satisfaction. But
if he changes his course, even when all seems completed,
there is no blame.
It is easy to be
led astray by foolish enthusiasm, but even at the
last moment a sober awakening can save the situation
© 1979 Neil
Powell
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