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Above; Thunder
and awakening
Below; Wind, gentleness, penetration.
This hexagram with
the strong trigram above the weak one represents the
bonds of an enduring marriage.
Endurance signifies
steady progress with success and freedom from error.
Righteous persistence brings its reward. It is certainly
favourable to have a destination in view.
Thunder and wind
work together, representing gentleness combined with
arousal. The interplay of strong and weak lines makes
for endurance and success. Freedom from error and
the rewards of righteous persistence indicate that
the established way can be pursued for a long time.
The way, as it is followed by heaven and earth, sun
and moon, endures forever. The four seasons continuing
their endless cycle of transformation extend their
influence for eternity.
The wise man keeps steadfastly to his chosen path,
succeeding in transforming all things under heaven
and rendering them perfect.
The true nature of everything in heaven and earth
can be discovered in contemplating what it is that
makes them endure.
Thunder and wind,
the one influencing the other are the image of endurance.
The Superior Man stands firm, his direction unaltered.
Line 1
Lasting success
is not attained hastily by digging a burrow for oneself.
Persistence in this course brings misfortune for one
who is without destination.
Whatever is to
endure must be developed slowly, and after careful
consideration. The man who attempts to establish a
lasting position by entrenching in his present circumstances
shows no thought for the future, or for the direction
in which he should go.
Line 2
There are no regrets.
Although forward
movement is necessary, one should avoid taking action
before the time is ripe. To preserve the continuity
of one’s life it is important to hold to one’s
principals. The man who realizes that he is not yet
ready, who does not attempt anything beyond his present
powers, will have no regrets.
Line 3
Lacking persistence
in his virtuous conduct he meets with disgrace and
lasting humiliation.
A man who changes
with the wind, leaving his emotions at the mercy of
what happens in the world around him, sacrifices the
inner endurance of his character. Friends and supporters
will desert him, and he will end his life in shame.
Line 4
There is no quarry
in the field.
Persistence itself
is not enough. A man who takes his bow to the field,
hunting where there is no game to be shot at, is foolish.
In the same way, the trader who persists in attempts
to sell where there are no customers, the politician
who speaks without an audience, the general who pursues
a non-existent foe, is not seeking his is true goal.
Line 5
Obstinate constancy
is favourable for a woman but not for a man.
The Chinese held
that a wife should follow her man for the whole of
her life. But a man should decide upon his own duty
as the circumstances determined it. Adhering blindly
to tradition and conformity, he loses sight of his
ultimate destination.
Line 6
Persisting in
ceaseless activity brings misfortune.
Impatience is as
much to be deplored as conservatism, for insisting
upon immediate action a man will not give himself
time to see and avoid errors into which he is hurrying
himself. Headstrong endurance can only lead to misfortune.
© 1979 Neil
Powell
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