The I Ching or Book of Changes (131 page)

THE JUDGMENT

INNER TRUTH. Pigs and fishes.

Good fortune.

It furthers one to cross the great water.

Perseverance furthers.

Commentary on the Decision

INNER TRUTH. The yielding are within, yet the strong hold the middle. Joyous and gentle: thereby truly the country is transformed.

“Pigs and fishes. Good fortune.” The power of trust extends even to pigs and fishes.

“It furthers one to cross the great water.” One makes use of the hollow of a wooden boat. Inner truth, and perseverance to further one: thus man is in accord with heaven.

The yielding within are the third and the fourth line. The strong in the middle in the two trigrams are the second and the fifth line. The yielding lines in the middle of the hexagram create an empty space. This emptiness of heart, this humility, is necessary to attract what is good. However, central firmness and strength are needed to assure the essential trustworthiness. Thus the foundation on which the hexagram is built is an intermingling of yieldingness and strength.

Joyousness and gentleness are the attributes of the two primary trigrams: Tui means joyousness in following the good, and Sun means penetration into the hearts of men. Thus one establishes the foundation of trust that is necessary in transforming a country.

Pigs and fishes are the least intelligent of all creatures. When even such creatures are influenced, it shows the great power of truth.
¹
Wood and water, wood and a hollowed cavity, are interpreted as the image of a boat with which the great stream can be crossed.

THE IMAGE

Wind over lake: the image of INNER TRUTH.

Thus the superior man discusses criminal cases

In order to delay executions.

Tui is the image of the mouth—hence discussion. Sun is the Gentle, the hesitating—hence delay of executions. In other hexagrams, Sun also means commands. Killing and judging are attributes of Tui.
²

THE LINES

Nine at the beginning:

a
) Being prepared brings good fortune.

If there are secret designs, it is disquieting.

b
) The preparedness of the nine at the beginning brings good fortune: the will has not yet changed.

The character translated as “prepared” originally meant the sacrifice offered on the day after a funeral, and from this it acquires the meaning of preparation. The character
yen
, “quiet” (in “disquieting”), really means the swallow, but from ancient times on it has also been used in combinations in the sense of
an
, “quiet.” This line is strong and dependable, inwardly serene and prepared. Its will is not influenced from without. Secret designs are suggested by its relationship of correspondence to the six in the fourth place. But in the hexagram of INNER TRUTH no secret exclusive relationships should occur.

Nine in the second place:

a
) A crane calling in the shade.

Its young answers it.

I have a good goblet.

I will share it with you.

b
) “Its young answers it”: this is the affection of the inmost heart.

The crane is a lake bird whose cry is heard in the autumn. Tui means lake and autumn. The nuclear trigram Chên denotes inclination to call, hence the image of a calling crane. It is under the nuclear trigram Kên, mountain, in the shadow of two yin lines, in the middle of Tui, the lake, hence “in the shade.” Its son is the nine at the beginning, which is of like kind and belongs to the same body (the lower trigram). According to another interpretation, its relationship is with the nine in the fifth place. This suggestion—of influence at a distance—gains added weight from the explanation given by
Confucius (cf.
here
–
here
). Goblet and drinking are derived from Tui, mouth.

Six in the third place:

a
) He finds a comrade.

Now he beats the drum, now he stops.

Now he sobs, now he sings.

b
) “Now he beats the drum, now he stops.” The place is not appropriate.

A yielding line in a firm place at the high point of joyousness suggests a lack of self-control. The line is attracted by the nine at the top but finds no footing there, because attractions are contrary to the spirit of the hexagram. It also fails to attach itself to the neighboring six in the fourth place (no doubt the comrade referred to), which is of like kind.

Drumming in ancient China was the signal for advance; a retreat, or cessation of an attack, was indicated by the striking of a metal gong. This line stands in the two nuclear trigrams Chên (the Arousing) and Kên (Keeping Still). The alternation of sobbing and laughing is derived from the primary trigram Tui and the nuclear trigram Chên.

Six in the fourth place:

a
) The moon nearly at the full.

The team horse goes astray.

No blame.

b
) “The team horse goes astray.” It separates from its kind and turns upward.

The team horse is the six in the third place. But the fact that there is similarity in kind has no determining effect. The line is correct in its place and has a receiving relationship to the ruler of the hexagram, the nine in the fifth place, whom it serves as minister. Hence the turning away from its mate of like kind toward what is above.

Nine in the fifth place:

a
) He possesses truth, which links together.

No blame.

b
) “He possesses truth, which links together.” The place is correct and appropriate.

The image of linking together derives from the meaning of the upper trigram Sun, rope, and that of the upper nuclear trigram Kên, hand. For the rest, the influence of this line as ruler of the hexagram is shown by the correct, central, and honored position it occupies.

Nine at the top:

a
) Cockcrow penetrating to heaven.

Perseverance brings misfortune.

b
) “Cockcrow penetrating to heaven.” How could such a one last long?

The cock is associated with the trigram Sun. It wants to fly to heaven, but that it cannot do. Hence only the cry issues forth (Sun means a shouting that penetrates everywhere, like the wind). This means an exaggeration: the expression is stronger than the feeling. It creates false pathos, because it is not to be reconciled with inner truth. In the long run misfortune results. The line is too strong in its exposed position and is therefore no longer carried by the strength of the hexagram, hence this misfortune.

62. Hsiao Kuo / Preponderance of the Small

The rulers of the hexagram are the second and the fifth line, because they are yielding and hold the middle. They are in a time when a transition must be made, but without going too far.

The Sequence

When one has the trust of creatures, one sets them in motion; hence there follows the hexagram of PREPONDERANCE OF THE SMALL.

Miscellaneous Notes

PREPONDERANCE OF THE SMALL signifies a transition.

Appended Judgments

The rulers split wood and made a pestle of it. They made a hollow in the ground for a mortar. The use of the mortar and pestle was of benefit to all mankind. They probably took this from the hexagram of PREPONDERANCE OF THE SMALL.

The Chinese word
kuo
cannot be translated in such a way as to render all its secondary meanings. It means to pass by, and then comes the idea of excessiveness, preponderance; in fact, it means everything that results from exceeding the mean. The hexagram deals with transitional states, extraordinary conditions. It is so constructed that the yielding elements are on the outside. When, given such a structure, strong lines predominate, the hexagram of PREPONDERANCE OF THE GREAT (
28
) results; but when the weak lines are in the majority, we have PREPONDERANCE OF THE SMALL. The nuclear trigrams of the present hexagram produce the same structure as the primary trigrams of
hexagram 28
. This hexagram is the opposite of the preceding one.