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Takashima Ekidan · hexagram readings
Takashima Ekidan · Hexagram 3 Water over Thunder, Sprouting: Sprouting: supreme success; favorable to steadfastness. Do not undertake undertakings; favorable to establishing feudal lords.
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Water over Thunder, Sprouting: Sprouting: supreme success; favorable to steadfastness. Do not undertake undertakings; favorable to establishing feudal lords.
Sprouting: supreme success; favorable to steadfastness. Do not undertake undertakings; favorable to establishing feudal lords.
03 Water over Thunder, Sprouting
Sprouting [20]: The upper image represents earth, the middle image a mountain, and the lower image grass roots bent and twisted—grass and trees breaking through the earth and beginning to emerge, wishing to stretch but not yet able to do so. The inner trigram is Zhen, thunder, which can stir and bring forth the growth of all things; the outer trigram is Kan, water, which can moisten and nourish all things to maturity. Note: The hexagram is thunder within water, corresponding to the time of the winter solstice. Thunder wishes to emerge from beneath the earth, but the water above ground is frozen and congealed, pressed down and unable to emerge suddenly from the earth. Its image is hardship and suppressed stagnation, like a plant bud not yet unfurled; hence it is named Sprouting.
Sprouting: supreme success; favorable to steadfastness. Do not undertake undertakings; favorable to establishing feudal lords.
▲ Oracle-bone script for Sprouting
▲ Seal script for Sprouting
The two words “fundamental success” summarize the beginning and end of the entire hexagram; they do not mean that the time of Difficulty is immediately smooth and successful. In all affairs under Heaven, when one is just beginning an enterprise, there will certainly be difficulties. Only by enduring hardship and persevering without cease can one naturally emerge from Difficulty and eventually reach a time of great success; hence it says, “fundamental success.” When a person encounters a period of Difficulty, one should restrain one’s impulses, endure patiently, remain steadfast, and be content with “not acting”; one must not rashly act ahead of the proper time and thereby fall again into danger. Although one knows that later it will be favorable to undertake a course of action and success will be attained, one must not lightly embark on it; hence it says, “It is not favorable to undertake a course of action.” In this hexagram there are only two yang lines: the Fifth Yang is the principal line of the dangerous Abyss, while the First Yang is the principal line of movement. The ruler represented by the Fifth Yang, on a difficult day, may wish to attack the capable person represented by the First Yang, but this would instead bring calamity. It is better to treat him generously and appoint him a feudal lord, so that together they may overcome the difficulties of the time; hence it says, “Favorable to establish feudal lords.” A feudal lord is symbolized by movement, which is why the Tuan Commentary of Joyousness also says, “Establish feudal lords.”
The Tuan Commentary says: Difficulty: the firm and yielding first begin to interact, and difficulty arises. Movement within danger; great success through steadfastness. The movement of thunder and rain fills everything. Heaven is creating the primordial confusion; it is fitting to establish feudal lords, and there is no tranquility.
Qian is pure yang, and Kun is pure yin. In this hexagram, the First Yang inside and the Fifth Yang outside, together with the firmness of the second line and the yielding nature of the fourth line, begin to interact. The thunder of the inner trigram wishes to emerge from the earth, but the water of the outer trigram, the Abyss, obstructs it, creating the situation of Difficulty and danger; hence it says, “The firm and yielding first begin to interact, and difficulty arises.” The Explanation of the Trigrams says, “Thunder takes the first son,” which is precisely the image of beginning to interact. It also says, “Thunder is movement; the Abyss is falling into a pit.” Movement, possessing the yang nature, lies beneath the yin of the Abyss and cannot yet emerge; hence it says, “Movement within danger.” Yet within danger and difficulty, if one can maintain steadfastness and correctness without excess, great success will naturally come later; hence it is called “great success through steadfastness.” Thunder is the vigorous exertion of yang qi; rain from the Abyss is the universal spreading of yin moisture; hence it says, “The movement of thunder and rain fills everything.” The First Yang is the principal line of Thunder and the Fifth Yang the principal line of the Abyss, so they are taught not to oppose or harm each other, but to imitate the function of thunder and rain and become close and mutually supportive. Since yin and yang are beginning to interact, it says, “Heaven is creating the primordial confusion.” The Explanation of the Trigrams says that Thunder is reeds, from which the character for grass derives; the Abyss is the moon, when Heaven is not yet bright, from which the idea of darkness derives. At such a time, the minister represented by the Fourth Yin should treat the officials represented by the First Yang with courtesy, and together assist one another so that they may jointly overcome the difficulties of the age; hence it says, “It is fitting to establish feudal lords.” The time is one of founding a new enterprise, not a day of peaceful prosperity and preserving what has been achieved. How could one drift in ease and pleasure? Hence it says, “There is no tranquility.” When Heaven and Earth are first being created and yin and yang first interact, essence and qi unite, giving birth to living things and forming their shapes. Thunder is reeds, growing in the earth of the shared Kun body, strengthening the organization of the terrestrial foundation; thereafter eggs hatch and shelled creatures multiply. The First and Fifth Yang lines both belong to firmness, yet within them is the softness of the Kun body, forming the image of mussels and clams. All things that are born possess their own spirit and can naturally fly, dive, move, and leap; this is the principle of nature. In our country’s old customs, the deity in charge of clay soil was called the Venerable Clay-Soil Deity; the deity in charge of sand and earth was called the Venerable Sand-Soil Deity; the deity in charge of animals was called the Venerable Face-and-Feet Deity; and the deity in charge of plants was called the Venerable Root Deity. This is like the belief that the Southern Dipper governs birth and the Northern Dipper governs death. Thus every thing and every life has a deity who presides over it. Generally, the moment of initial birth is just like plants meeting spring: their reproduction, with each rain producing more than the last, is what is meant by “the movement of thunder and rain fills everything.” Human reproduction likewise cannot proceed without a ruler of great virtue to govern it. A ruler cannot govern alone; he must appoint worthy people as assistants. This is what is meant by “It is fitting to establish feudal lords.” Heaven and Earth have only recently emerged from closure, so one must especially avoid indulging in ease and desire and becoming absorbed in comfort and pleasure; hence the warning, “There is no tranquility.”
Applying this hexagram to human affairs, it represents a firm and worthy person beginning to associate with a weak and petty person. Their dispositions differ, so arguments immediately arise between them. This is called, “The firm and yielding first begin to interact, and difficulty arises.” Why? The inner trigram represents me: it has the fierce nature of thunder and wishes to strive forward and establish its purpose. The outer trigram represents the other: it has the moist nature of water and employs the crooked schemes of flowing downward to hinder my actions. Whatever I wish to revive and develop, the other obstructs, preventing success. I wish to advance but cannot; I wish to go forward but cannot. This is Difficulty, hence it says, “It is not favorable to undertake a course of action.” Thus everything is difficult, just as if one were trapped in water and unable to move freely; this is called “movement within danger.” Nevertheless, the movement of fortune changes. When hardship reaches its extreme, success must come, just as winter passes and spring arrives, ice melts of itself, and the energy of thunder arises. Difficulty changes into Release; the difficulties disperse and the fortune takes on a new aspect. Therefore one should not rush to pursue achievement. One should firmly hold one’s position and await destiny. When fortune turns, yang rises and yin descends; one will see the worthy person take power and the petty person withdraw. This is emerging from Difficulty and entering success. During the time of Difficulty, one must not forget this principle.
Applying this hexagram to a state, the lower trigram represents the people. It has the image of violent thunder roaring above, storing up unusual schemes and advocating unusual opinions, wishing to shake the government represented by the upper trigram. The upper trigram represents the government, issuing orders like flowing water to stop the rash actions of the people below, even restraining them through penal laws. The ancient form of the character for punishment was composed of a knife and a well, meaning that a lawbreaker is like someone who has fallen into a well; this is the Difficulty of the lower trigram. Although the government possesses political measures and penal laws, it may be unable to stop the people below and may instead be troubled by them, obstructing the progress of the nation’s fortunes; this is the Difficulty of the upper trigram. It is called, “The firm and yielding first begin to interact, and difficulty arises.” The First Yang is the ruler of the thunder in the lower trigram, a slight movement of one yang beneath the water of the Abyss. When the world is peaceful, heroes are no different from ordinary people. But now, in a time of Difficulty, the one yang of the First Line, endowed with the firm and vigorous talent of a worthy person, is about to rise and accomplish something. How could one remain complacent? Those in higher positions should honor his rank, value his emolument, and treat him courteously, enabling him to relieve the state’s Difficulty. Otherwise, if they try to suppress him by force and authority, unforeseen disorder and calamity will arise; those struggling for merit will rise together, and the people’s minds will become even more disturbed. This is called, “Heaven is creating the primordial confusion; it is fitting to establish feudal lords, and there is no tranquility.” “Heaven creating” is like the movement of Heaven’s fortune; “grass” refers to the people’s minds becoming chaotic and losing their proper order; “darkness” means stubborn ignorance and lack of clarity. This is precisely the image of Difficulty.
The I Ching has four hexagrams of difficulty: Difficulty, the Abyss, Obstruction, and Exhaustion. Difficulty means “the firm and yielding first begin to interact”; not knowing where the other’s intentions lie, one gives rise to suspicion. It is the time when difficulty is first brewing. The Abyss is the image of two people drowning, both trapped in difficulty; only by enduring and maintaining oneself through the difficulty of the day can one attain later success. Obstruction means recognizing that the other is creating danger, and therefore stopping rather than advancing, like a lame person unable to take a single step. Exhaustion is the image of a marsh without water, like plants in a pot whose nourishing moisture has already run dry. Difficulty is the beginning of difficulty; the Abyss is difficulty continuing and spreading; Obstruction is difficulty at its midpoint; Exhaustion is difficulty at its end.
Viewed as a whole, this hexagram shows the First Yang, though possessing the ability to establish feudal lords, remaining hesitant and not advancing during the time of Difficulty, occupying the position of steadfast correctness and, when encountering danger, preserving its integrity. The Second Yin occupies the responsive position to the Fifth Yang but is enticed by the First Yang and cannot work together with the Fifth Yang. It is like a chaste woman who resists the advances of a violent man and, after ten years, finally returns to her proper responding husband. The Third Yin is a petty person who seeks profit, taking advantage of this unclear time to claim the achievement for himself. The Fourth Yin responds to the First Yang and is also adjacent to the Fifth Yang; because of apprehension, it cannot work together with him. Although it encounters the Difficulty symbolized by “horses returning in formation,” it ultimately returns to the auspicious proper response with the First Yang. The Fifth Yang is centered and correct and possesses both position and virtue, yet being placed between two yin lines, it cannot abundantly spread the beneficence of thunder and rain. The Upper Sixth, at the end of Difficulty, is incapable of doing anything for the age. The Difficulty of the Third and Upper lines is without response; the Difficulty of the Second and Fourth has response. When all six lines move, at a time of being trapped in danger, one must be especially cautious and dignified. After passing through the fortune of Difficulty, a day of fulfilling one’s aspirations will naturally come. It says, “Great success through steadfastness”; great success means the time when Difficulty has just been resolved.
The Commentary on the Image says: Clouds and thunder: Difficulty. Thus the worthy person organizes and regulates.
It says clouds rather than rain because, in the time of Difficulty, clouds open above and thunder moves below but cannot yet produce rain. Since rain has not yet formed, it is Difficulty. The worthy person models the marvelous functioning of these two qi and uses it to organize government and education. “Organizing and regulating” means assisting and saving. The warp is the longitudinal thread on a loom, which cannot be altered, like the great principles of a state, in which governance, teaching, and the people’s hearts correspond and cannot be thrown into disorder. The woof is the transverse thread on a loom, like drawing on the strengths of the various countries within the realm, observing what suits the time, and organizing the political system. “Organizing and regulating” means managing all government affairs.
[Divination]
○ Asked about achievement and recognition: The inner trigram Thunder and the outer trigram Abyss form Difficulty. Thunder is lightning; the Abyss is clouds, hence “clouds and thunder.” Thunder means emerging; the Abyss means entering. One wishes to emerge but returns inside, hence Difficulty. Thunder also represents a person and what is above; the Abyss represents the warp and laws. Hence, “The worthy person organizes and regulates.” A worthy person is applying the talent of organization and regulation, but the current fortune is in Difficulty; it is appropriate to wait for the time and then act.
○ Asked about military campaigns: To labor with troops and maintain a defensive position is called Difficulty. “Clouds and thunder” means storing up one’s power; “organizing and regulating” means holding one’s talent in reserve. Yet while in Difficulty, one should defend, not advance.
○ Asked about conducting business: The Tuan Commentary says, “The firm and yielding first begin to interact, and difficulty arises,” so this must concern beginning a business for the first time. Whatever is newly established usually suffers hardship. Organizing and regulating is an occupation involving thread, so the business must be related to silk, cotton, or similar goods.
○ Asked about the home: Thunder is the east; the Abyss is the north. Thunder means movement, and the Abyss means sinking. There may be activity in the northeastern part of the residence, which should be managed and repaired.
○ Asked about marriage: Thunder is yang qi and clouds are yin qi. “The firm and yielding first begin to interact, and difficulty arises” means that at the beginning of the marriage there will surely be disharmony; a righteous person should advise and reconcile them.
○ Asked about pregnancy: A boy will be born, but the beginning of the delivery may involve danger and difficulty.
03 Water over Thunder, Sprouting
Sprouting [20]: The upper image represents earth, the middle image a mountain, and the lower image grass roots bent and twisted—grass and trees breaking through the earth and beginning to emerge, wishing to stretch but not yet able to do so. The inner trigram is Zhen, thunder, which can stir and bring forth the growth of all things; the outer trigram is Kan, water, which can moisten and nourish all things to maturity. Note: The hexagram is thunder within water, corresponding to the time of the winter solstice. Thunder wishes to emerge from beneath the earth, but the water above ground is frozen and congealed, pressed down and unable to emerge suddenly from the earth. Its image is hardship and suppressed stagnation, like a plant bud not yet unfurled; hence it is named Sprouting.
Sprouting: supreme success; favorable to steadfastness. Do not undertake undertakings; favorable to establishing feudal lords.
▲ Oracle-bone script for Sprouting
▲ Seal script for Sprouting
The two words “fundamental success” summarize the beginning and end of the entire hexagram; they do not mean that the time of Difficulty is immediately smooth and successful. In all affairs under Heaven, when one is just beginning an enterprise, there will certainly be difficulties. Only by enduring hardship and persevering without cease can one naturally emerge from Difficulty and eventually reach a time of great success; hence it says, “fundamental success.” When a person encounters a period of Difficulty, one should restrain one’s impulses, endure patiently, remain steadfast, and be content with “not acting”; one must not rashly act ahead of the proper time and thereby fall again into danger. Although one knows that later it will be favorable to undertake a course of action and success will be attained, one must not lightly embark on it; hence it says, “It is not favorable to undertake a course of action.” In this hexagram there are only two yang lines: the Fifth Yang is the principal line of the dangerous Abyss, while the First Yang is the principal line of movement. The ruler represented by the Fifth Yang, on a difficult day, may wish to attack the capable person represented by the First Yang, but this would instead bring calamity. It is better to treat him generously and appoint him a feudal lord, so that together they may overcome the difficulties of the time; hence it says, “Favorable to establish feudal lords.” A feudal lord is symbolized by movement, which is why the Tuan Commentary of Joyousness also says, “Establish feudal lords.”
The Tuan Commentary says: Difficulty: the firm and yielding first begin to interact, and difficulty arises. Movement within danger; great success through steadfastness. The movement of thunder and rain fills everything. Heaven is creating the primordial confusion; it is fitting to establish feudal lords, and there is no tranquility.
Qian is pure yang, and Kun is pure yin. In this hexagram, the First Yang inside and the Fifth Yang outside, together with the firmness of the second line and the yielding nature of the fourth line, begin to interact. The thunder of the inner trigram wishes to emerge from the earth, but the water of the outer trigram, the Abyss, obstructs it, creating the situation of Difficulty and danger; hence it says, “The firm and yielding first begin to interact, and difficulty arises.” The Explanation of the Trigrams says, “Thunder takes the first son,” which is precisely the image of beginning to interact. It also says, “Thunder is movement; the Abyss is falling into a pit.” Movement, possessing the yang nature, lies beneath the yin of the Abyss and cannot yet emerge; hence it says, “Movement within danger.” Yet within danger and difficulty, if one can maintain steadfastness and correctness without excess, great success will naturally come later; hence it is called “great success through steadfastness.” Thunder is the vigorous exertion of yang qi; rain from the Abyss is the universal spreading of yin moisture; hence it says, “The movement of thunder and rain fills everything.” The First Yang is the principal line of Thunder and the Fifth Yang the principal line of the Abyss, so they are taught not to oppose or harm each other, but to imitate the function of thunder and rain and become close and mutually supportive. Since yin and yang are beginning to interact, it says, “Heaven is creating the primordial confusion.” The Explanation of the Trigrams says that Thunder is reeds, from which the character for grass derives; the Abyss is the moon, when Heaven is not yet bright, from which the idea of darkness derives. At such a time, the minister represented by the Fourth Yin should treat the officials represented by the First Yang with courtesy, and together assist one another so that they may jointly overcome the difficulties of the age; hence it says, “It is fitting to establish feudal lords.” The time is one of founding a new enterprise, not a day of peaceful prosperity and preserving what has been achieved. How could one drift in ease and pleasure? Hence it says, “There is no tranquility.” When Heaven and Earth are first being created and yin and yang first interact, essence and qi unite, giving birth to living things and forming their shapes. Thunder is reeds, growing in the earth of the shared Kun body, strengthening the organization of the terrestrial foundation; thereafter eggs hatch and shelled creatures multiply. The First and Fifth Yang lines both belong to firmness, yet within them is the softness of the Kun body, forming the image of mussels and clams. All things that are born possess their own spirit and can naturally fly, dive, move, and leap; this is the principle of nature. In our country’s old customs, the deity in charge of clay soil was called the Venerable Clay-Soil Deity; the deity in charge of sand and earth was called the Venerable Sand-Soil Deity; the deity in charge of animals was called the Venerable Face-and-Feet Deity; and the deity in charge of plants was called the Venerable Root Deity. This is like the belief that the Southern Dipper governs birth and the Northern Dipper governs death. Thus every thing and every life has a deity who presides over it. Generally, the moment of initial birth is just like plants meeting spring: their reproduction, with each rain producing more than the last, is what is meant by “the movement of thunder and rain fills everything.” Human reproduction likewise cannot proceed without a ruler of great virtue to govern it. A ruler cannot govern alone; he must appoint worthy people as assistants. This is what is meant by “It is fitting to establish feudal lords.” Heaven and Earth have only recently emerged from closure, so one must especially avoid indulging in ease and desire and becoming absorbed in comfort and pleasure; hence the warning, “There is no tranquility.”
Applying this hexagram to human affairs, it represents a firm and worthy person beginning to associate with a weak and petty person. Their dispositions differ, so arguments immediately arise between them. This is called, “The firm and yielding first begin to interact, and difficulty arises.” Why? The inner trigram represents me: it has the fierce nature of thunder and wishes to strive forward and establish its purpose. The outer trigram represents the other: it has the moist nature of water and employs the crooked schemes of flowing downward to hinder my actions. Whatever I wish to revive and develop, the other obstructs, preventing success. I wish to advance but cannot; I wish to go forward but cannot. This is Difficulty, hence it says, “It is not favorable to undertake a course of action.” Thus everything is difficult, just as if one were trapped in water and unable to move freely; this is called “movement within danger.” Nevertheless, the movement of fortune changes. When hardship reaches its extreme, success must come, just as winter passes and spring arrives, ice melts of itself, and the energy of thunder arises. Difficulty changes into Release; the difficulties disperse and the fortune takes on a new aspect. Therefore one should not rush to pursue achievement. One should firmly hold one’s position and await destiny. When fortune turns, yang rises and yin descends; one will see the worthy person take power and the petty person withdraw. This is emerging from Difficulty and entering success. During the time of Difficulty, one must not forget this principle.
Applying this hexagram to a state, the lower trigram represents the people. It has the image of violent thunder roaring above, storing up unusual schemes and advocating unusual opinions, wishing to shake the government represented by the upper trigram. The upper trigram represents the government, issuing orders like flowing water to stop the rash actions of the people below, even restraining them through penal laws. The ancient form of the character for punishment was composed of a knife and a well, meaning that a lawbreaker is like someone who has fallen into a well; this is the Difficulty of the lower trigram. Although the government possesses political measures and penal laws, it may be unable to stop the people below and may instead be troubled by them, obstructing the progress of the nation’s fortunes; this is the Difficulty of the upper trigram. It is called, “The firm and yielding first begin to interact, and difficulty arises.” The First Yang is the ruler of the thunder in the lower trigram, a slight movement of one yang beneath the water of the Abyss. When the world is peaceful, heroes are no different from ordinary people. But now, in a time of Difficulty, the one yang of the First Line, endowed with the firm and vigorous talent of a worthy person, is about to rise and accomplish something. How could one remain complacent? Those in higher positions should honor his rank, value his emolument, and treat him courteously, enabling him to relieve the state’s Difficulty. Otherwise, if they try to suppress him by force and authority, unforeseen disorder and calamity will arise; those struggling for merit will rise together, and the people’s minds will become even more disturbed. This is called, “Heaven is creating the primordial confusion; it is fitting to establish feudal lords, and there is no tranquility.” “Heaven creating” is like the movement of Heaven’s fortune; “grass” refers to the people’s minds becoming chaotic and losing their proper order; “darkness” means stubborn ignorance and lack of clarity. This is precisely the image of Difficulty.
The I Ching has four hexagrams of difficulty: Difficulty, the Abyss, Obstruction, and Exhaustion. Difficulty means “the firm and yielding first begin to interact”; not knowing where the other’s intentions lie, one gives rise to suspicion. It is the time when difficulty is first brewing. The Abyss is the image of two people drowning, both trapped in difficulty; only by enduring and maintaining oneself through the difficulty of the day can one attain later success. Obstruction means recognizing that the other is creating danger, and therefore stopping rather than advancing, like a lame person unable to take a single step. Exhaustion is the image of a marsh without water, like plants in a pot whose nourishing moisture has already run dry. Difficulty is the beginning of difficulty; the Abyss is difficulty continuing and spreading; Obstruction is difficulty at its midpoint; Exhaustion is difficulty at its end.
Viewed as a whole, this hexagram shows the First Yang, though possessing the ability to establish feudal lords, remaining hesitant and not advancing during the time of Difficulty, occupying the position of steadfast correctness and, when encountering danger, preserving its integrity. The Second Yin occupies the responsive position to the Fifth Yang but is enticed by the First Yang and cannot work together with the Fifth Yang. It is like a chaste woman who resists the advances of a violent man and, after ten years, finally returns to her proper responding husband. The Third Yin is a petty person who seeks profit, taking advantage of this unclear time to claim the achievement for himself. The Fourth Yin responds to the First Yang and is also adjacent to the Fifth Yang; because of apprehension, it cannot work together with him. Although it encounters the Difficulty symbolized by “horses returning in formation,” it ultimately returns to the auspicious proper response with the First Yang. The Fifth Yang is centered and correct and possesses both position and virtue, yet being placed between two yin lines, it cannot abundantly spread the beneficence of thunder and rain. The Upper Sixth, at the end of Difficulty, is incapable of doing anything for the age. The Difficulty of the Third and Upper lines is without response; the Difficulty of the Second and Fourth has response. When all six lines move, at a time of being trapped in danger, one must be especially cautious and dignified. After passing through the fortune of Difficulty, a day of fulfilling one’s aspirations will naturally come. It says, “Great success through steadfastness”; great success means the time when Difficulty has just been resolved.
The Commentary on the Image says: Clouds and thunder: Difficulty. Thus the worthy person organizes and regulates.
It says clouds rather than rain because, in the time of Difficulty, clouds open above and thunder moves below but cannot yet produce rain. Since rain has not yet formed, it is Difficulty. The worthy person models the marvelous functioning of these two qi and uses it to organize government and education. “Organizing and regulating” means assisting and saving. The warp is the longitudinal thread on a loom, which cannot be altered, like the great principles of a state, in which governance, teaching, and the people’s hearts correspond and cannot be thrown into disorder. The woof is the transverse thread on a loom, like drawing on the strengths of the various countries within the realm, observing what suits the time, and organizing the political system. “Organizing and regulating” means managing all government affairs.
[Divination]
○ Asked about achievement and recognition: The inner trigram Thunder and the outer trigram Abyss form Difficulty. Thunder is lightning; the Abyss is clouds, hence “clouds and thunder.” Thunder means emerging; the Abyss means entering. One wishes to emerge but returns inside, hence Difficulty. Thunder also represents a person and what is above; the Abyss represents the warp and laws. Hence, “The worthy person organizes and regulates.” A worthy person is applying the talent of organization and regulation, but the current fortune is in Difficulty; it is appropriate to wait for the time and then act.
○ Asked about military campaigns: To labor with troops and maintain a defensive position is called Difficulty. “Clouds and thunder” means storing up one’s power; “organizing and regulating” means holding one’s talent in reserve. Yet while in Difficulty, one should defend, not advance.
○ Asked about conducting business: The Tuan Commentary says, “The firm and yielding first begin to interact, and difficulty arises,” so this must concern beginning a business for the first time. Whatever is newly established usually suffers hardship. Organizing and regulating is an occupation involving thread, so the business must be related to silk, cotton, or similar goods.
○ Asked about the home: Thunder is the east; the Abyss is the north. Thunder means movement, and the Abyss means sinking. There may be activity in the northeastern part of the residence, which should be managed and repaired.
○ Asked about marriage: Thunder is yang qi and clouds are yin qi. “The firm and yielding first begin to interact, and difficulty arises” means that at the beginning of the marriage there will surely be disharmony; a righteous person should advise and reconcile them.
○ Asked about pregnancy: A boy will be born, but the beginning of the delivery may involve danger and difficulty.
First Yang: Hesitation. Favorable to remain in steadfast correctness; favorable to establish feudal lords.
First Yang: Hesitation. Favorable to remain in steadfast correctness; favorable to establish feudal lords.
The Commentary on the Image says: Though hesitant, its intention proceeds correctly. By lowering oneself from nobility to the lowly, one wins the people greatly.
Every hexagram has a principal line, and that line embodies the virtue of the hexagram. For example, the Fifth Yang of Qian embodies the virtue of Qian, and the Second Yin of Kun embodies the virtue of Kun. In Difficulty, the First Yang is the principal line of the inner trigram, so its line statement closely resembles the Tuan statement. The principal lines of the other hexagrams follow this same pattern. “Rock” means a great stone; “pillar” means a column. This line is firm in a correct position. It can move while situated in danger and possesses the ability to relieve Difficulty, but now it is beneath the multitude of yin lines and responds above to the danger of the Abyss. It deeply fears falling into danger and is not yet sufficient to sustain itself. It can only preserve itself, remain steadfast, and endure hardship while awaiting the arrival of the proper opportunity. Hence it resembles a rock and pillar standing below: the image of a minister who serves as a foundation stone and supports others through difficulty. If this is divined regarding an opposing enemy, it indicates a powerful enemy who is firmly entrenched and cannot be shaken. At such a time, we must simply defend firmly and act with gravity; we must not move rashly. If we advance rashly, not only will we fail to achieve our aims, we will also suffer defeat; hence it says, “Favorable to remain in steadfast correctness.” The Tuan statement, “It is not favorable to undertake a course of action,” likewise expresses the difficulty of advancing. It means that achievement is not easily attained: one hesitates, neither advancing nor retreating, awaiting the right opportunity. This is the meaning of being “in a low position and not gaining the support of those above, so the people cannot be governed.” One must first clearly understand the good, maintain a sincere heart, and trust one’s friends; then, by taking advantage of the time and obtaining the proper position, achievement can be completed, and the benefit of great success will follow. “Rock” and “remaining in place” both symbolize the feet of Thunder. The three words “favorable to establish feudal lords” are the same as in the Tuan statement but have a different meaning here. The Tuan statement concerns the ruler represented by the Fifth Yang; the line statement concerns the person represented by the First Yang. Therefore, there it means to establish feudal lords, while here it means the feudal lord who is to be established. To the king, a feudal lord is a minister. If he peacefully fulfills his ministerial duties and, as a subordinate, does not violate his proper role, that is “remaining in steadfast correctness.”
The meaning of the Commentary on the Image is that “noble” refers to yang and “lowly” refers to yin. This line, with one yang above three yin lines, is the image of “lowering oneself from nobility to the lowly.” Though the time is obstructed and the position humble, it cannot employ its strength. It is like rivers and seas lying low, to which all streams flow. When a ruler can place himself below others, the multitude will turn toward him. In an age of Difficulty, when state and throne are easily changed, this line uses the virtue of firmness and vigor while occupying a low position, thereby winning great popular esteem and establishing the foundation for its future standing; hence it says, “By lowering oneself from nobility to the lowly, one wins the people greatly.” Yet viewed through the image of hesitation, it seems to lose the virtue of yang. What matters is that the inner mind remain firm and certain and not lose its correctness; hence it says, “Though hesitant, its intention proceeds correctly.” When this line changes, it becomes Fellowship. The First Yin of Fellowship says, “With sincerity, join with them; no blame. When sincerity fills the jar, in the end it comes; there is another [21] auspiciousness.” From this, one can infer the meaning of not hastily seeking success.
[Divination]
○ Asked about military campaigns: Hesitation means the appearance of not advancing. It says, “Favorable to remain in steadfast correctness; favorable to establish feudal lords.” Having fully experienced the time of Difficulty, one should remain correct and defend inwardly, while seeking worthy people for assistance outwardly. Then the people’s hearts will turn toward one, their united purpose will form an unbreakable fortress, and in the end nothing will be unfavorable.
○ Asked about conducting business: For the First Yang, the cyclical earthly branch is Zi, the north; directly above it is the Void Lodge [22], called Yuanxiao [23]. The word for “empty” implies depletion, and “void” likewise implies depletion, so it is unfavorable to travel for trade. If one can remain steadfast and entrust matters to capable people, there may still be some benefit.
○ Asked about achievement and recognition: The First Line necessarily indicates seeking recognition for the first time. “Hesitation” means wanting to advance but not advancing. One must ensure that one’s intention and conduct are upright, withdraw humbly, and place oneself below others; in the end, there will be attainment.
○ Asking about the household: The character for “pan” contains the stone radical; the saying “secure as a rock” shows that the foundation of the residence is firm. “Favorable to remain steadfast in one’s dwelling” shows that the residence is secure; “favorable to establish a lord” shows that it must be an illustrious residence.
○ Asking about marriage: “Bowing before the lowly despite one’s noble status” shows an auspicious sign of a wealthy and noble person marrying down.
○ Asking about pregnancy: The first line indicates a boy.
【Case】 In the twelfth month of Meiji 26, a certain eminent person divined his fortune and received Sprouting changing to Fellowship.
Judgment: The Zhun hexagram is the image of thunder stirring within water, corresponding to the season between winter and spring. Thunder is about to emerge from beneath the earth; the water above the earth has frozen and not yet thawed, so it cannot rise straight upward. It must wait until the ice melts before it can produce its sound. Since the proper time has not arrived, it is called Zhun, meaning difficulty. When the time does arrive, however, water vapor rises and becomes rain; thunder, meeting its proper time, ascends, and thunder and rain harmonize to nurture all things and accomplish the work of transformation. This is called “great success.” Before the time arrives, it is beneficial to remain steadfast through hardship. If one moves rashly and advances lightly, one will inevitably fall into danger; therefore the warning says: “It is beneficial to be steadfast; do not undertake a journey.” This hexagram represents the beginning of an uncivilized age. Those in high positions should employ worthy people below them to overcome difficulties and bring peace to the people; those below should not invade or oppress those above, but should honor and support the leader in hopes of securing peace for the state. This is called “beneficial to establish feudal lords.” A certain eminent person once obtained this hexagram and line. At the beginning of the Restoration, he rose to prominence and organized the finances, ensuring that there would be no shortages and laying the foundation for national wealth and strength, much as Xiao He did for Emperor Gaozu of Han. His magnificent achievements and outstanding accomplishments shone brilliantly in his own age. As the saying goes, “Those who complete great deeds fall; those whose fame flourishes suffer disgrace.” Because this person disagreed with his fellow officials in discussion, he was dismissed overnight. Yet his devotion to serving the country was never forgotten for even a single day. Viewing the matter through this divination, we may say: “It is beneficial to be steadfast; do not undertake a journey.” “Beneficial to be steadfast” means that it is advantageous to preserve one’s integrity and remain firm, but not advantageous to advance impatiently. “Do not undertake a journey” means that the present time is one for withdrawing and remaining hidden. “Undertake a journey” also indicates that he may be employed again in the future. As for organizing a political party in the hope of accomplishing something, there is concern that the righteous and the wicked among its members would become mixed together, eventually bringing about disaster. The second and third six lines of Zhun provide a warning that may be taken as a lesson: they are both followers of the receptive yin principle, which chiefly seeks advantage. The first nine line of Zhun, yang occupying a yang place, clearly shows firm talent and strong resolve. Above it lies the danger of Kan, represented by water; yang is trapped in danger, and therefore the text says “hesitating and lingering.” “Hesitating and lingering” is like using a massive rock as a pillar that cannot yet be moved or shaken; it expresses difficulty in advancing. When the course of events changes, the spring ice melts and thunder and rain arise; “all fruits, grasses, and trees split open their protective shells.” The difficulties of Zhun disappear, and suspicions dissolve of themselves. The ruler in the fifth place then invites him with proper ceremony, and he responds immediately to the ruler’s command. He is thereby able to manage the affairs of the state and display his talents and virtue to the fullest; therefore it says, “beneficial to establish feudal lords.” Such is the course of fortune for this eminent person. Since he did not believe this divination, I shall say nothing more.
【Case】 Nemoto Tsūmei of Akita Prefecture was deeply learned in the Classics and tireless in teaching others; he was also a beneficial friend of mine. One day I visited him, and he showed me a scroll, saying: “This scroll is traditionally said to have been painted by a certain Ming painter. Since it bears no signature or inscription, its authenticity cannot be determined. Please examine it.” I have never been skilled at connoisseurship, so I divined whether it was genuine and received Sprouting changing to Fellowship.
The judgment said: The inner trigram is Zhen, the dragon; the outer trigram is Kan, cloud and water. Could this painting be a cloud dragon? The line statement says “hesitating on solid rock.” Solid rock is the rock of the earth, meaning firm and not easily moved. Since it cannot easily be moved, it is clearly not a forgery. It also says “favorable to remain steadfast”; steadfastness means genuine, so this must be an authentic work. “Bowing before the lowly despite one’s noble status” means that something precious is despised because no one recognizes its value.
When the painting was brought out and displayed, it proved to be a picture of a cloud dragon. Its brushwork was vigorous and powerful, clearly beyond that of an ordinary painter, so I used the words of this hexagram to authenticate it.
【Case】 Divining the outcome of the Franco-Prussian War. A friend named Masuda had studied in Europe and understood the affairs of the Western countries thoroughly. In Meiji 3, when France and Prussia went to war, Masuda came and said: “A telegram announcing the outbreak of war between France and Prussia arrived from Europe last night. I once lived in France for a long time and know well how strong that country is, so I made a wager with an Englishman on which country would win. I wagered on France and this morning we each entrusted a certain amount of silver dollars to a bank. Please divine the result.” I said: “You have already wagered on France’s victory, so why divine?” He replied: “Please try it!” He pleaded repeatedly. I cast the yarrow stalks and obtained Sprouting with its upper line changing to Fellowship.
The judgment said: Alas! France will surely be defeated, and you will lose a certain number of dollars. You favor France, so France is assigned to the inner trigram. In the inner trigram, France takes the first line as its ruler. It occupies Sprouting’s first line, possessing the nature of thunder, wishing to move but obstructed by the upper trigram Kan; therefore it cannot advance. This is the meaning of Sprouting. “Hesitating on solid rock” is the appearance of difficulty in advancing, because the enemy army is firm and hard, like rock that cannot be confronted. “Favorable to remain steadfast” means that one must not lightly undertake a great military action. Yet France’s army is now advancing recklessly to attack Prussia. Carefully considering this divination, its inability to win is certain. The Commentary on the Image says, “Bowing before the lowly despite one’s noble status is to win the people greatly.” The first line changes to yin, which is “bowing before the lowly despite one’s noble status”; will the French emperor surrender to the enemy army? If the sovereign surrenders, the single yang of Zhen changes into Kun. Kun represents ministers, the multitude, and the people—the image of a country without a monarch. Will the people later elect a great president, open a republic, and govern it? The inner trigram Zhen means movement; the outer trigram Kan means danger. This is “movement within danger, from which difficulty arises.” France’s inner trigram moves first and encounters the danger of the outer trigram: France initiates the war and is blocked by Prussian troops. Yang represents generals and yin represents soldiers. The Prussian general in the outer trigram occupies the central and correct position of the fifth nine, an image of soldiers protecting their commander; thus the harmony between Prussia’s ruler and people is clear. The French general in the inner trigram occupies the first nine, a position neither central nor correct, showing likewise the lack of harmony between France’s ruler and people. The great general is after the mutual Kun trigram, with his person connected to military affairs; it is also clear that his mind first treats the nation and its people as a wager. As for strategy, it appears in the first line of the inner trigram, corresponding to the fourth line of the outer trigram; the fifth line of the outer trigram corresponds to the second line of the inner trigram. This is the image of mutual internal cooperation. Yet the line corresponding to Prussia, the second line of the inner trigram, is France’s central and correct line, so its response is effective; the line corresponding to France, the fourth line of the outer trigram, is Prussia’s neither-central-nor-correct line, so its response is ineffective. The initial yang changes to yin, an image of losing the commander; France’s defeat is already decided. Originally, when discussing relations between the two countries from France’s viewpoint, France regarded itself as Zhen, the eldest son, and Prussia as Kan, the middle son, and thus initiated the war. From Prussia’s viewpoint, although it is Kan, the middle son, it regards France as Gen, the youngest son, and responds to it. Sprouting reverses into Enveloping. Its line statement says, “Strike the ignorant; it is not favorable to become a bandit; it is favorable to resist bandits.” France caused the war, while Prussia resisted it. Thus France is Enveloping, and Prussia strikes and punishes the ignorant; Prussia defends against France’s aggression rather than becoming the aggressor. Its inevitable victory is therefore clear. Moreover, the inner trigram is Kan, danger, which is not easy to attack; the outer trigram is Gen, stopping, so it cannot advance. This makes France’s inability to defeat Prussia even clearer.
Before I had finished speaking, Masuda burst into a cold laugh and said: “A hexagram is merely an argument plucked from thin air, no more worth hearing than the ravings of a dream.” I said: “I calculate by relying on the images and numbers in order to determine the turning point between victory and defeat. Although you have lived in France for a long time and witnessed its wealth and power, you believe it must win. You have seen only its outward appearance, not its marrow. The I Ching shows that the numbers ordained by Heaven are predetermined. Having now investigated this divination, I shall also discuss current affairs in detail. When the third Napoleon rose to the imperial throne, the disturbances of 1848 first brought him great merit through the civil party, and he was consequently elected supreme president. Taking advantage of his authority and benefits, he violated the constitution, manipulated power, and ascended the imperial throne. France is now enriching the country and strengthening its military, almost like the leader of the European powers. It has also allied with Britain to attack Russia and captured the fortified city of Sevastopol in the west. He truly seems capable of inheriting the heroic stature of Napoleon the First, and my expectation of his certain victory rests on this. I observe that Napoleon’s heroic genius, taking advantage of the times and seizing the throne, looked down on the nations of Europe and was invincible wherever he went. Relying on his power and prestige, he wished to make the imperial throne hereditary for his descendants. Yet signs appeared that his wishes could not be fulfilled. He went to war with Prussia and gambled the nation on it, intending to decide its survival or ruin in a single stroke. Thus this peerless hero was also deceived by private interests, undertook an ignorant course of action, and fell into the danger of Qian’s difficulties. The hexagram image and the affairs of the time correspond in every detail. Why, then, must you doubt it?”
Afterward, the Prussian king led six hundred thousand men against the French army on the banks of the Rhine. After repeated defeats, the French finally retreated to Sedan; the Prussian siege grew increasingly tight and seemed almost impossible to withstand. In August, Napoleon III led his entire army in surrender to Prussia. I record this to attest that the images of the I Ching do not fail.
The Commentary on the Image says: Though hesitant, its intention proceeds correctly. By lowering oneself from nobility to the lowly, one wins the people greatly.
Every hexagram has a principal line, and that line embodies the virtue of the hexagram. For example, the Fifth Yang of Qian embodies the virtue of Qian, and the Second Yin of Kun embodies the virtue of Kun. In Difficulty, the First Yang is the principal line of the inner trigram, so its line statement closely resembles the Tuan statement. The principal lines of the other hexagrams follow this same pattern. “Rock” means a great stone; “pillar” means a column. This line is firm in a correct position. It can move while situated in danger and possesses the ability to relieve Difficulty, but now it is beneath the multitude of yin lines and responds above to the danger of the Abyss. It deeply fears falling into danger and is not yet sufficient to sustain itself. It can only preserve itself, remain steadfast, and endure hardship while awaiting the arrival of the proper opportunity. Hence it resembles a rock and pillar standing below: the image of a minister who serves as a foundation stone and supports others through difficulty. If this is divined regarding an opposing enemy, it indicates a powerful enemy who is firmly entrenched and cannot be shaken. At such a time, we must simply defend firmly and act with gravity; we must not move rashly. If we advance rashly, not only will we fail to achieve our aims, we will also suffer defeat; hence it says, “Favorable to remain in steadfast correctness.” The Tuan statement, “It is not favorable to undertake a course of action,” likewise expresses the difficulty of advancing. It means that achievement is not easily attained: one hesitates, neither advancing nor retreating, awaiting the right opportunity. This is the meaning of being “in a low position and not gaining the support of those above, so the people cannot be governed.” One must first clearly understand the good, maintain a sincere heart, and trust one’s friends; then, by taking advantage of the time and obtaining the proper position, achievement can be completed, and the benefit of great success will follow. “Rock” and “remaining in place” both symbolize the feet of Thunder. The three words “favorable to establish feudal lords” are the same as in the Tuan statement but have a different meaning here. The Tuan statement concerns the ruler represented by the Fifth Yang; the line statement concerns the person represented by the First Yang. Therefore, there it means to establish feudal lords, while here it means the feudal lord who is to be established. To the king, a feudal lord is a minister. If he peacefully fulfills his ministerial duties and, as a subordinate, does not violate his proper role, that is “remaining in steadfast correctness.”
The meaning of the Commentary on the Image is that “noble” refers to yang and “lowly” refers to yin. This line, with one yang above three yin lines, is the image of “lowering oneself from nobility to the lowly.” Though the time is obstructed and the position humble, it cannot employ its strength. It is like rivers and seas lying low, to which all streams flow. When a ruler can place himself below others, the multitude will turn toward him. In an age of Difficulty, when state and throne are easily changed, this line uses the virtue of firmness and vigor while occupying a low position, thereby winning great popular esteem and establishing the foundation for its future standing; hence it says, “By lowering oneself from nobility to the lowly, one wins the people greatly.” Yet viewed through the image of hesitation, it seems to lose the virtue of yang. What matters is that the inner mind remain firm and certain and not lose its correctness; hence it says, “Though hesitant, its intention proceeds correctly.” When this line changes, it becomes Fellowship. The First Yin of Fellowship says, “With sincerity, join with them; no blame. When sincerity fills the jar, in the end it comes; there is another [21] auspiciousness.” From this, one can infer the meaning of not hastily seeking success.
[Divination]
○ Asked about military campaigns: Hesitation means the appearance of not advancing. It says, “Favorable to remain in steadfast correctness; favorable to establish feudal lords.” Having fully experienced the time of Difficulty, one should remain correct and defend inwardly, while seeking worthy people for assistance outwardly. Then the people’s hearts will turn toward one, their united purpose will form an unbreakable fortress, and in the end nothing will be unfavorable.
○ Asked about conducting business: For the First Yang, the cyclical earthly branch is Zi, the north; directly above it is the Void Lodge [22], called Yuanxiao [23]. The word for “empty” implies depletion, and “void” likewise implies depletion, so it is unfavorable to travel for trade. If one can remain steadfast and entrust matters to capable people, there may still be some benefit.
○ Asked about achievement and recognition: The First Line necessarily indicates seeking recognition for the first time. “Hesitation” means wanting to advance but not advancing. One must ensure that one’s intention and conduct are upright, withdraw humbly, and place oneself below others; in the end, there will be attainment.
○ Asking about the household: The character for “pan” contains the stone radical; the saying “secure as a rock” shows that the foundation of the residence is firm. “Favorable to remain steadfast in one’s dwelling” shows that the residence is secure; “favorable to establish a lord” shows that it must be an illustrious residence.
○ Asking about marriage: “Bowing before the lowly despite one’s noble status” shows an auspicious sign of a wealthy and noble person marrying down.
○ Asking about pregnancy: The first line indicates a boy.
【Case】 In the twelfth month of Meiji 26, a certain eminent person divined his fortune and received Sprouting changing to Fellowship.
Judgment: The Zhun hexagram is the image of thunder stirring within water, corresponding to the season between winter and spring. Thunder is about to emerge from beneath the earth; the water above the earth has frozen and not yet thawed, so it cannot rise straight upward. It must wait until the ice melts before it can produce its sound. Since the proper time has not arrived, it is called Zhun, meaning difficulty. When the time does arrive, however, water vapor rises and becomes rain; thunder, meeting its proper time, ascends, and thunder and rain harmonize to nurture all things and accomplish the work of transformation. This is called “great success.” Before the time arrives, it is beneficial to remain steadfast through hardship. If one moves rashly and advances lightly, one will inevitably fall into danger; therefore the warning says: “It is beneficial to be steadfast; do not undertake a journey.” This hexagram represents the beginning of an uncivilized age. Those in high positions should employ worthy people below them to overcome difficulties and bring peace to the people; those below should not invade or oppress those above, but should honor and support the leader in hopes of securing peace for the state. This is called “beneficial to establish feudal lords.” A certain eminent person once obtained this hexagram and line. At the beginning of the Restoration, he rose to prominence and organized the finances, ensuring that there would be no shortages and laying the foundation for national wealth and strength, much as Xiao He did for Emperor Gaozu of Han. His magnificent achievements and outstanding accomplishments shone brilliantly in his own age. As the saying goes, “Those who complete great deeds fall; those whose fame flourishes suffer disgrace.” Because this person disagreed with his fellow officials in discussion, he was dismissed overnight. Yet his devotion to serving the country was never forgotten for even a single day. Viewing the matter through this divination, we may say: “It is beneficial to be steadfast; do not undertake a journey.” “Beneficial to be steadfast” means that it is advantageous to preserve one’s integrity and remain firm, but not advantageous to advance impatiently. “Do not undertake a journey” means that the present time is one for withdrawing and remaining hidden. “Undertake a journey” also indicates that he may be employed again in the future. As for organizing a political party in the hope of accomplishing something, there is concern that the righteous and the wicked among its members would become mixed together, eventually bringing about disaster. The second and third six lines of Zhun provide a warning that may be taken as a lesson: they are both followers of the receptive yin principle, which chiefly seeks advantage. The first nine line of Zhun, yang occupying a yang place, clearly shows firm talent and strong resolve. Above it lies the danger of Kan, represented by water; yang is trapped in danger, and therefore the text says “hesitating and lingering.” “Hesitating and lingering” is like using a massive rock as a pillar that cannot yet be moved or shaken; it expresses difficulty in advancing. When the course of events changes, the spring ice melts and thunder and rain arise; “all fruits, grasses, and trees split open their protective shells.” The difficulties of Zhun disappear, and suspicions dissolve of themselves. The ruler in the fifth place then invites him with proper ceremony, and he responds immediately to the ruler’s command. He is thereby able to manage the affairs of the state and display his talents and virtue to the fullest; therefore it says, “beneficial to establish feudal lords.” Such is the course of fortune for this eminent person. Since he did not believe this divination, I shall say nothing more.
【Case】 Nemoto Tsūmei of Akita Prefecture was deeply learned in the Classics and tireless in teaching others; he was also a beneficial friend of mine. One day I visited him, and he showed me a scroll, saying: “This scroll is traditionally said to have been painted by a certain Ming painter. Since it bears no signature or inscription, its authenticity cannot be determined. Please examine it.” I have never been skilled at connoisseurship, so I divined whether it was genuine and received Sprouting changing to Fellowship.
The judgment said: The inner trigram is Zhen, the dragon; the outer trigram is Kan, cloud and water. Could this painting be a cloud dragon? The line statement says “hesitating on solid rock.” Solid rock is the rock of the earth, meaning firm and not easily moved. Since it cannot easily be moved, it is clearly not a forgery. It also says “favorable to remain steadfast”; steadfastness means genuine, so this must be an authentic work. “Bowing before the lowly despite one’s noble status” means that something precious is despised because no one recognizes its value.
When the painting was brought out and displayed, it proved to be a picture of a cloud dragon. Its brushwork was vigorous and powerful, clearly beyond that of an ordinary painter, so I used the words of this hexagram to authenticate it.
【Case】 Divining the outcome of the Franco-Prussian War. A friend named Masuda had studied in Europe and understood the affairs of the Western countries thoroughly. In Meiji 3, when France and Prussia went to war, Masuda came and said: “A telegram announcing the outbreak of war between France and Prussia arrived from Europe last night. I once lived in France for a long time and know well how strong that country is, so I made a wager with an Englishman on which country would win. I wagered on France and this morning we each entrusted a certain amount of silver dollars to a bank. Please divine the result.” I said: “You have already wagered on France’s victory, so why divine?” He replied: “Please try it!” He pleaded repeatedly. I cast the yarrow stalks and obtained Sprouting with its upper line changing to Fellowship.
The judgment said: Alas! France will surely be defeated, and you will lose a certain number of dollars. You favor France, so France is assigned to the inner trigram. In the inner trigram, France takes the first line as its ruler. It occupies Sprouting’s first line, possessing the nature of thunder, wishing to move but obstructed by the upper trigram Kan; therefore it cannot advance. This is the meaning of Sprouting. “Hesitating on solid rock” is the appearance of difficulty in advancing, because the enemy army is firm and hard, like rock that cannot be confronted. “Favorable to remain steadfast” means that one must not lightly undertake a great military action. Yet France’s army is now advancing recklessly to attack Prussia. Carefully considering this divination, its inability to win is certain. The Commentary on the Image says, “Bowing before the lowly despite one’s noble status is to win the people greatly.” The first line changes to yin, which is “bowing before the lowly despite one’s noble status”; will the French emperor surrender to the enemy army? If the sovereign surrenders, the single yang of Zhen changes into Kun. Kun represents ministers, the multitude, and the people—the image of a country without a monarch. Will the people later elect a great president, open a republic, and govern it? The inner trigram Zhen means movement; the outer trigram Kan means danger. This is “movement within danger, from which difficulty arises.” France’s inner trigram moves first and encounters the danger of the outer trigram: France initiates the war and is blocked by Prussian troops. Yang represents generals and yin represents soldiers. The Prussian general in the outer trigram occupies the central and correct position of the fifth nine, an image of soldiers protecting their commander; thus the harmony between Prussia’s ruler and people is clear. The French general in the inner trigram occupies the first nine, a position neither central nor correct, showing likewise the lack of harmony between France’s ruler and people. The great general is after the mutual Kun trigram, with his person connected to military affairs; it is also clear that his mind first treats the nation and its people as a wager. As for strategy, it appears in the first line of the inner trigram, corresponding to the fourth line of the outer trigram; the fifth line of the outer trigram corresponds to the second line of the inner trigram. This is the image of mutual internal cooperation. Yet the line corresponding to Prussia, the second line of the inner trigram, is France’s central and correct line, so its response is effective; the line corresponding to France, the fourth line of the outer trigram, is Prussia’s neither-central-nor-correct line, so its response is ineffective. The initial yang changes to yin, an image of losing the commander; France’s defeat is already decided. Originally, when discussing relations between the two countries from France’s viewpoint, France regarded itself as Zhen, the eldest son, and Prussia as Kan, the middle son, and thus initiated the war. From Prussia’s viewpoint, although it is Kan, the middle son, it regards France as Gen, the youngest son, and responds to it. Sprouting reverses into Enveloping. Its line statement says, “Strike the ignorant; it is not favorable to become a bandit; it is favorable to resist bandits.” France caused the war, while Prussia resisted it. Thus France is Enveloping, and Prussia strikes and punishes the ignorant; Prussia defends against France’s aggression rather than becoming the aggressor. Its inevitable victory is therefore clear. Moreover, the inner trigram is Kan, danger, which is not easy to attack; the outer trigram is Gen, stopping, so it cannot advance. This makes France’s inability to defeat Prussia even clearer.
Before I had finished speaking, Masuda burst into a cold laugh and said: “A hexagram is merely an argument plucked from thin air, no more worth hearing than the ravings of a dream.” I said: “I calculate by relying on the images and numbers in order to determine the turning point between victory and defeat. Although you have lived in France for a long time and witnessed its wealth and power, you believe it must win. You have seen only its outward appearance, not its marrow. The I Ching shows that the numbers ordained by Heaven are predetermined. Having now investigated this divination, I shall also discuss current affairs in detail. When the third Napoleon rose to the imperial throne, the disturbances of 1848 first brought him great merit through the civil party, and he was consequently elected supreme president. Taking advantage of his authority and benefits, he violated the constitution, manipulated power, and ascended the imperial throne. France is now enriching the country and strengthening its military, almost like the leader of the European powers. It has also allied with Britain to attack Russia and captured the fortified city of Sevastopol in the west. He truly seems capable of inheriting the heroic stature of Napoleon the First, and my expectation of his certain victory rests on this. I observe that Napoleon’s heroic genius, taking advantage of the times and seizing the throne, looked down on the nations of Europe and was invincible wherever he went. Relying on his power and prestige, he wished to make the imperial throne hereditary for his descendants. Yet signs appeared that his wishes could not be fulfilled. He went to war with Prussia and gambled the nation on it, intending to decide its survival or ruin in a single stroke. Thus this peerless hero was also deceived by private interests, undertook an ignorant course of action, and fell into the danger of Qian’s difficulties. The hexagram image and the affairs of the time correspond in every detail. Why, then, must you doubt it?”
Afterward, the Prussian king led six hundred thousand men against the French army on the banks of the Rhine. After repeated defeats, the French finally retreated to Sedan; the Prussian siege grew increasingly tight and seemed almost impossible to withstand. In August, Napoleon III led his entire army in surrender to Prussia. I record this to attest that the images of the I Ching do not fail.
Six in the second place: Hesitating and turning back, the mounted horses move in formation. Not [24] bandits but suitors. The girl remains steadfast and does not marry [25]; after ten years, she marries.
Six in the second place: Hesitating and turning back, the mounted horses move in formation. Not [24] bandits but suitors. The girl remains steadfast and does not marry [25]; after ten years, she marries.
The Commentary on the Image says: The difficulty of the second six is caused by riding upon the firm yang. “After ten years, she marries” means returning to the ordinary course［26］.
Among the three hundred eighty-four lines of the I Ching, lines that first reveal a character from the hexagram name usually speak of the time represented by the hexagram. “Hesitating” describes difficulty in advancing; “turning back” describes traveling without progressing, circling and lingering; “moving in formation” describes being half inclined to advance and half inclined to retreat, unable to decide. “Not bandits but suitors” means that the second six rides upon the yang of the first line, while the yin of the fourth line responds to it. The one riding a horse who does not advance is not connected with banditry and disaster but is my marriage partner. Yet at the time represented by this line, although she clearly knows he is her proper counterpart, she cannot go directly to meet him, hence “the girl remains steadfast and does not marry.” The phrase “not bandits but suitors” appears three times in the I Ching: here, in the fourth six of Adornment, and in the top nine of Opposition. “The girl remains steadfast and does not marry” means that this line is central and correct and responds to the yang of the fifth nine, so the meaning could be followed. Yet because it is weak yin, it cannot go forth to resolve Sprouting’s distress and relieve the fifth nine from the hardship of Kan’s danger. Therefore the first nine takes advantage of the opening and comes to press her. This line occupies the center and treads correctness, holding to principle and guarding her chastity, so she dares not consent. When it changes, it becomes Opening, pairing a young girl with Kan’s middle son; therefore the statement is attached to a girl. “Marry” means to consent to marriage, saying that the girl has a proper husband. In the time of Sprouting, the inner and outer are separated and she cannot follow him. Hesitating between advancing and retreating, she is therefore “hesitating and turning back.” “The mounted horses move in formation” is because both Zhen and Kan have the image of a horse; thus riding upon firm yang is called riding a horse. At that time, the man of the first nine is compared with me. Although he wishes to marry me, I dare not answer his request, fearing and avoiding him as though he were an enemy. Yet the first nine is actually not an enemy; he wishes to work together with me and is truly a marriage partner. I, however, maintain correctness and do not abandon the Way, which is the image of remaining steadfast and not marrying. The mutual trigram contains Kun. Kun’s number is ten, the ultimate number. Also, Zhen corresponds to the earthly branch Mao and Kan to Zi; from Mao to Zi is ten in number. After the ten heavenly stems complete a cycle and the earthly number reaches its limit, numbers are exhausted and affairs change, stars shift and things are transformed. After ten years, the one who made the rash request says to himself that the difficulties of Sprouting have been resolved, and only then does she obtain permission to marry the fifth nine, her proper counterpart. This is what is meant by “after ten years, she marries.” This line is like Jiang Taigong by the Wei River, Yi Yin in the fields of Xin, and Zhuge Liang in Nanyang. In the time of Sprouting’s difficulties, numerous heroes rise together. It is not only the ruler who chooses ministers; ministers also choose rulers. Thus the second six’s “hesitating and turning back” is not without reason. The Commentary on the Image says, “The difficulty of the second six is caused by riding upon the firm yang.” The reason the second six suffers such hardship is that it rides upon the firmness of the first nine. This explains the meaning of “hesitating and turning back.” In general, for a line, yang riding upon yin is favorable, while yin riding upon yang is contrary. When contrary, their feelings are discordant and they do not suit each other, like having a powerful and rigid minister below, making it difficult for me to control and govern him. The Image says, “After ten years, she marries; returning to the ordinary course.”For ten long years she still guarded her chastity and followed the fifth nine, returning to the ordinary way of a woman. Why? A woman is born wishing to have a household of her own; this is the ordinary pattern of human relations. A woman marries at twenty, and after ten years she marries; hence it says, “returning to the ordinary course.”
[Divination]
○ Asking about marriage: The line says “not bandits but suitors,” clearly referring to a good match, not a resentful pairing. But it also says “the girl remains steadfast and does not marry; after ten years, she marries,” showing that the wedding still awaits a later time.
○ Asking about warfare: The second six is yin in a yin place, an image of being held back and delayed, hence “hesitating.” The Spring and Autumn Tradition says, “There was the sound of horses returning in formation, and the Qi army then withdrew.” In ancient times, withdrawing an army was called returning in formation; hence “moving in formation.” This shows that the army must not advance hastily; it must conserve its strength, and only after ten years can it achieve victory.
○ Asking about commerce: The words for suitors and purchasing have the same pronunciation and are also related in meaning. Seeking to purchase goods implies delay and indecision, hence “hesitating and turning back.” It also says “after ten years, she marries.” Ten is mentioned according to the completed number; goods cannot be stored for too long—perhaps it means ten days or ten months?
○ Asking about recognition and office: A scholar’s pursuit of fame is like a girl’s pursuit of marriage. “Hesitating,” “turning back,” and “moving in formation” all say that it will not be achieved for the time being. “After ten years, she marries” indicates when the time will come.
○ Asking about pregnancy: A son will be born.
【Case】 In Meiji 25, a certain nobleman divined his fortune and received Sprouting changing to Limitation.
Judgment: This hexagram marks the beginning of the interaction between yin and yang, a time when the birth of the myriad things is difficult; hence it is called “Difficulty at the Beginning.” “Difficulty at the Beginning” means hardship. Generally, at the start of anything, there is nothing that is not difficult. From the sprouting of plants to their flourishing, they must first endure the destruction brought by frost and snow before they can fully thrive. How much more difficult, then, is it to organize and govern the world for a gentleman! This hexagram has the movement of Thunder encountering the peril of Water, so advancing inevitably leads into danger. Whenever an undertaking remains unfinished or a thought remains unrealized, that is “Difficulty at the Beginning.” Yet nothing is ever accomplished without beginning in difficulty. To set the world right and save it from hardship is the greatest example; this is what the Tuan Commentary means by “supreme success; beneficial perseverance.” If one can observe the admonition to remain steadfast and upright, one may eventually attain a time of supreme success. Therefore it says, “Do not undertake to go anywhere.” The person in question has drawn this hexagram. His insight is outstanding, his talent high, and his intelligence profound. At the beginning of reform, he rendered great service to the state. Although he later resigned and withdrew from office, he never for a moment forgot his duty to the ruler. Now he has again been entrusted with a major responsibility and is about to go forth to accomplish something, yet the line statement says, “Horses hesitate and turn back.” “Difficulty at the Beginning” means hardship; “hesitate and turn back” describes delaying and not advancing; “horses hesitate and turn back” means mounting a horse to advance, then retreating again. This line occupies the position of an assisting minister and corresponds above with the ruler at the fifth place. Yet yin occupies a yin place, so it cannot resolve the crisis of initial difficulty; he may go forth, but still may not be able to emerge quickly. It resembles a woman longing to marry: although she has a proper husband, circumstances separate them internally and externally, preventing her from following him, and thus this image arises. Yin is what yang seeks, and the yielding is what the firm oppresses. When the time is one of initial difficulty, the yielding nature of the second line cannot overcome the hardship by itself. Moreover, being adjacent to the firmness of the first line, it may not escape suspicion. How could one fail to be cautious and vigilant?
Later, because he met with a certain party leader, he aroused the government’s suspicion and resentment, and consequently resigned again. The clarity with which the lines of the I Ching reveal matters is truly like this. Although he did not fulfill his intention for the time being, ten years later, when Difficulty at the Beginning had reached its extreme, it necessarily opened into communication. If a woman’s yielding nature can preserve her chastity and integrity, then in time she must attain success; how much more so a worthy person or gentleman who preserves his way and, with central correctness, supports the family and state?
The Commentary on the Image says: The difficulty of the second six is caused by riding upon the firm yang. “After ten years, she marries” means returning to the ordinary course［26］.
Among the three hundred eighty-four lines of the I Ching, lines that first reveal a character from the hexagram name usually speak of the time represented by the hexagram. “Hesitating” describes difficulty in advancing; “turning back” describes traveling without progressing, circling and lingering; “moving in formation” describes being half inclined to advance and half inclined to retreat, unable to decide. “Not bandits but suitors” means that the second six rides upon the yang of the first line, while the yin of the fourth line responds to it. The one riding a horse who does not advance is not connected with banditry and disaster but is my marriage partner. Yet at the time represented by this line, although she clearly knows he is her proper counterpart, she cannot go directly to meet him, hence “the girl remains steadfast and does not marry.” The phrase “not bandits but suitors” appears three times in the I Ching: here, in the fourth six of Adornment, and in the top nine of Opposition. “The girl remains steadfast and does not marry” means that this line is central and correct and responds to the yang of the fifth nine, so the meaning could be followed. Yet because it is weak yin, it cannot go forth to resolve Sprouting’s distress and relieve the fifth nine from the hardship of Kan’s danger. Therefore the first nine takes advantage of the opening and comes to press her. This line occupies the center and treads correctness, holding to principle and guarding her chastity, so she dares not consent. When it changes, it becomes Opening, pairing a young girl with Kan’s middle son; therefore the statement is attached to a girl. “Marry” means to consent to marriage, saying that the girl has a proper husband. In the time of Sprouting, the inner and outer are separated and she cannot follow him. Hesitating between advancing and retreating, she is therefore “hesitating and turning back.” “The mounted horses move in formation” is because both Zhen and Kan have the image of a horse; thus riding upon firm yang is called riding a horse. At that time, the man of the first nine is compared with me. Although he wishes to marry me, I dare not answer his request, fearing and avoiding him as though he were an enemy. Yet the first nine is actually not an enemy; he wishes to work together with me and is truly a marriage partner. I, however, maintain correctness and do not abandon the Way, which is the image of remaining steadfast and not marrying. The mutual trigram contains Kun. Kun’s number is ten, the ultimate number. Also, Zhen corresponds to the earthly branch Mao and Kan to Zi; from Mao to Zi is ten in number. After the ten heavenly stems complete a cycle and the earthly number reaches its limit, numbers are exhausted and affairs change, stars shift and things are transformed. After ten years, the one who made the rash request says to himself that the difficulties of Sprouting have been resolved, and only then does she obtain permission to marry the fifth nine, her proper counterpart. This is what is meant by “after ten years, she marries.” This line is like Jiang Taigong by the Wei River, Yi Yin in the fields of Xin, and Zhuge Liang in Nanyang. In the time of Sprouting’s difficulties, numerous heroes rise together. It is not only the ruler who chooses ministers; ministers also choose rulers. Thus the second six’s “hesitating and turning back” is not without reason. The Commentary on the Image says, “The difficulty of the second six is caused by riding upon the firm yang.” The reason the second six suffers such hardship is that it rides upon the firmness of the first nine. This explains the meaning of “hesitating and turning back.” In general, for a line, yang riding upon yin is favorable, while yin riding upon yang is contrary. When contrary, their feelings are discordant and they do not suit each other, like having a powerful and rigid minister below, making it difficult for me to control and govern him. The Image says, “After ten years, she marries; returning to the ordinary course.”For ten long years she still guarded her chastity and followed the fifth nine, returning to the ordinary way of a woman. Why? A woman is born wishing to have a household of her own; this is the ordinary pattern of human relations. A woman marries at twenty, and after ten years she marries; hence it says, “returning to the ordinary course.”
[Divination]
○ Asking about marriage: The line says “not bandits but suitors,” clearly referring to a good match, not a resentful pairing. But it also says “the girl remains steadfast and does not marry; after ten years, she marries,” showing that the wedding still awaits a later time.
○ Asking about warfare: The second six is yin in a yin place, an image of being held back and delayed, hence “hesitating.” The Spring and Autumn Tradition says, “There was the sound of horses returning in formation, and the Qi army then withdrew.” In ancient times, withdrawing an army was called returning in formation; hence “moving in formation.” This shows that the army must not advance hastily; it must conserve its strength, and only after ten years can it achieve victory.
○ Asking about commerce: The words for suitors and purchasing have the same pronunciation and are also related in meaning. Seeking to purchase goods implies delay and indecision, hence “hesitating and turning back.” It also says “after ten years, she marries.” Ten is mentioned according to the completed number; goods cannot be stored for too long—perhaps it means ten days or ten months?
○ Asking about recognition and office: A scholar’s pursuit of fame is like a girl’s pursuit of marriage. “Hesitating,” “turning back,” and “moving in formation” all say that it will not be achieved for the time being. “After ten years, she marries” indicates when the time will come.
○ Asking about pregnancy: A son will be born.
【Case】 In Meiji 25, a certain nobleman divined his fortune and received Sprouting changing to Limitation.
Judgment: This hexagram marks the beginning of the interaction between yin and yang, a time when the birth of the myriad things is difficult; hence it is called “Difficulty at the Beginning.” “Difficulty at the Beginning” means hardship. Generally, at the start of anything, there is nothing that is not difficult. From the sprouting of plants to their flourishing, they must first endure the destruction brought by frost and snow before they can fully thrive. How much more difficult, then, is it to organize and govern the world for a gentleman! This hexagram has the movement of Thunder encountering the peril of Water, so advancing inevitably leads into danger. Whenever an undertaking remains unfinished or a thought remains unrealized, that is “Difficulty at the Beginning.” Yet nothing is ever accomplished without beginning in difficulty. To set the world right and save it from hardship is the greatest example; this is what the Tuan Commentary means by “supreme success; beneficial perseverance.” If one can observe the admonition to remain steadfast and upright, one may eventually attain a time of supreme success. Therefore it says, “Do not undertake to go anywhere.” The person in question has drawn this hexagram. His insight is outstanding, his talent high, and his intelligence profound. At the beginning of reform, he rendered great service to the state. Although he later resigned and withdrew from office, he never for a moment forgot his duty to the ruler. Now he has again been entrusted with a major responsibility and is about to go forth to accomplish something, yet the line statement says, “Horses hesitate and turn back.” “Difficulty at the Beginning” means hardship; “hesitate and turn back” describes delaying and not advancing; “horses hesitate and turn back” means mounting a horse to advance, then retreating again. This line occupies the position of an assisting minister and corresponds above with the ruler at the fifth place. Yet yin occupies a yin place, so it cannot resolve the crisis of initial difficulty; he may go forth, but still may not be able to emerge quickly. It resembles a woman longing to marry: although she has a proper husband, circumstances separate them internally and externally, preventing her from following him, and thus this image arises. Yin is what yang seeks, and the yielding is what the firm oppresses. When the time is one of initial difficulty, the yielding nature of the second line cannot overcome the hardship by itself. Moreover, being adjacent to the firmness of the first line, it may not escape suspicion. How could one fail to be cautious and vigilant?
Later, because he met with a certain party leader, he aroused the government’s suspicion and resentment, and consequently resigned again. The clarity with which the lines of the I Ching reveal matters is truly like this. Although he did not fulfill his intention for the time being, ten years later, when Difficulty at the Beginning had reached its extreme, it necessarily opened into communication. If a woman’s yielding nature can preserve her chastity and integrity, then in time she must attain success; how much more so a worthy person or gentleman who preserves his way and, with central correctness, supports the family and state?
Six in the third place: Pursuing a deer without a guide, only to enter the forest. The noble man, at the first sign of danger [27], would do better to give up; going on would bring regret.
Six in the third place: Pursuing a deer without a guide, only to enter the forest. The noble man, at the first sign of danger [27], would do better to give up; going on would bring regret.
The Commentary on the Image says: Pursuing a deer without a forester means being driven by the desire to capture game. A gentleman abandons it; going forward would lead to exhaustion and ruin.
“Pursuing a deer” means chasing a deer. The word for deer sounds like and is connected with emolument and profit; the deer refers to the ruler at the fifth place. A “forester” was an official in charge of mountains and marshes, functioning like a local guide; this refers to the first line. Since the first line is the human position, it is called a gentleman, as in the same convention used for the third line of Qian. “It would be better to abandon it after recognizing the signs”: to abandon means to stop; knowing that the undertaking will not succeed, one should recognize the opportunity and stop. “Going forward brings humiliation”: humiliation here means mean-spirited shame and greed, indicating that if one proceeds in order to fulfill one’s ambition, one will surely ruin one’s reputation and integrity. The nuclear hexagram is Gen, which means stopping. This line is yin in a yang place, possessing the yielding yet restless nature of yin; moreover, both its neighboring and corresponding lines are yin, and it has no worthy teacher or good friend to instruct and guide it. It is like a hunter entering the forest alone without a forester’s guidance: even if he advances at risk, he cannot catch the deer; the sun is sinking in the west, the horse is exhausted, and the body is weary—there is nothing he can do. The dangers in the forest are not something one must enter before recognizing. Without the forester’s guidance, the sign is already apparent at the very beginning of the pursuit. Yet because of greed for the game, one continues forward without giving up. To abandon and to enter the forest both result in not catching the deer; abandoning it makes one a gentleman, entering makes one a petty person. The distinction between gentleman and petty person is nothing other than the distinction between profit and righteousness. The Commentary on the Image’s words “being driven by the desire to capture game” mean being controlled by greed. The line statement says “recognize the signs and abandon it,” while the Commentary on the Image says “abandon it”; these are decisive words of renunciation. When this line changes, it becomes Ji Ji. The third line of Ji Ji says, “The High Ancestor attacked the Ghost Fang; it took three years to conquer them.” The meaning of establishing a state can also be seen here.
[Divination]
○ Regarding warfare: The line says, “Pursuing a deer without a forester, only entering the forest,” which is like marching without a guide and rashly advancing into dangerous territory. One should recognize the signs and retreat; otherwise, disaster is certain.
○ Regarding business: From the line statement, one can see that the person is unfamiliar with commerce and does not know the geography. Going forward to seek goods will bring not only an absence of goods but also losses. If he abandons the venture and leaves, there will at least be no major harm.
○ Regarding marriage: This is like seeking marriage by crawling through a hole or crack; the path is exhausted and has reached its end.
○ Regarding reputation and office: Climbing the ladder of honor and begging for favor—the way of the scholar has reached its end.
○ Regarding pregnancy: Six in the third place is yin in a yang position; a boy will be born.
[Case] In the summer of Meiji 18, a prominent official responded to a certain person’s invitation. The official said: “I am now about to devise a plan for advancing the interests of the nation. Please divine whether it will succeed.” The divination produced Difficulty at the Beginning changing to Completion.
Judgment: Difficulty at the Beginning is the first birth of things, an image of shoots still curled and not yet opened. The energies of yin and yang have only just met and have not yet flowed freely; this is called Difficulty at the Beginning. When there is hardship in the world and no smooth passage, this is also called Difficulty at the Beginning. When one encounters danger and does not advance rashly, this too is called Difficulty at the Beginning. Applied to human affairs, the Thunder of the inner trigram has a moving nature and wishes to exert itself and accomplish something, while the Water of the outer trigram, by nature, sinks downward and is dangerous. The image is of movement falling into danger. If a person wishes to accomplish something but danger lies ahead, he cannot act according to his wishes. This is not because his ability is insufficient; it is truly because his circumstances have the image of Difficulty at the Beginning. “Pursuing a deer without a forester” means wanting to enter the mountains to hunt a deer without a guide, thereby losing the way and certainly gaining nothing. Since this hexagram has no yang line to correspond with or support it, entering the forest is like advancing greedily in pursuit of office and ultimately being unable to avoid shame. The Image says, “A gentleman abandons it,” because he can recognize the signs; the petty person does the opposite: “Going forward brings humiliation and exhaustion.” The second line says, “After ten years, a child is born,” meaning a return to the ordinary course. Now that the third line has been obtained, nine years later the movement of fortune will change, and the person will surely fulfill his aspirations.
At that time, the prominent official ignored this divination, went out to seek influential connections, and eventually resigned without fulfilling his ambition. Twenty-five years later, he was indeed employed again and rose once more to an important position—counting from the earlier event, exactly nine years later, it is said.
The Commentary on the Image says: Pursuing a deer without a forester means being driven by the desire to capture game. A gentleman abandons it; going forward would lead to exhaustion and ruin.
“Pursuing a deer” means chasing a deer. The word for deer sounds like and is connected with emolument and profit; the deer refers to the ruler at the fifth place. A “forester” was an official in charge of mountains and marshes, functioning like a local guide; this refers to the first line. Since the first line is the human position, it is called a gentleman, as in the same convention used for the third line of Qian. “It would be better to abandon it after recognizing the signs”: to abandon means to stop; knowing that the undertaking will not succeed, one should recognize the opportunity and stop. “Going forward brings humiliation”: humiliation here means mean-spirited shame and greed, indicating that if one proceeds in order to fulfill one’s ambition, one will surely ruin one’s reputation and integrity. The nuclear hexagram is Gen, which means stopping. This line is yin in a yang place, possessing the yielding yet restless nature of yin; moreover, both its neighboring and corresponding lines are yin, and it has no worthy teacher or good friend to instruct and guide it. It is like a hunter entering the forest alone without a forester’s guidance: even if he advances at risk, he cannot catch the deer; the sun is sinking in the west, the horse is exhausted, and the body is weary—there is nothing he can do. The dangers in the forest are not something one must enter before recognizing. Without the forester’s guidance, the sign is already apparent at the very beginning of the pursuit. Yet because of greed for the game, one continues forward without giving up. To abandon and to enter the forest both result in not catching the deer; abandoning it makes one a gentleman, entering makes one a petty person. The distinction between gentleman and petty person is nothing other than the distinction between profit and righteousness. The Commentary on the Image’s words “being driven by the desire to capture game” mean being controlled by greed. The line statement says “recognize the signs and abandon it,” while the Commentary on the Image says “abandon it”; these are decisive words of renunciation. When this line changes, it becomes Ji Ji. The third line of Ji Ji says, “The High Ancestor attacked the Ghost Fang; it took three years to conquer them.” The meaning of establishing a state can also be seen here.
[Divination]
○ Regarding warfare: The line says, “Pursuing a deer without a forester, only entering the forest,” which is like marching without a guide and rashly advancing into dangerous territory. One should recognize the signs and retreat; otherwise, disaster is certain.
○ Regarding business: From the line statement, one can see that the person is unfamiliar with commerce and does not know the geography. Going forward to seek goods will bring not only an absence of goods but also losses. If he abandons the venture and leaves, there will at least be no major harm.
○ Regarding marriage: This is like seeking marriage by crawling through a hole or crack; the path is exhausted and has reached its end.
○ Regarding reputation and office: Climbing the ladder of honor and begging for favor—the way of the scholar has reached its end.
○ Regarding pregnancy: Six in the third place is yin in a yang position; a boy will be born.
[Case] In the summer of Meiji 18, a prominent official responded to a certain person’s invitation. The official said: “I am now about to devise a plan for advancing the interests of the nation. Please divine whether it will succeed.” The divination produced Difficulty at the Beginning changing to Completion.
Judgment: Difficulty at the Beginning is the first birth of things, an image of shoots still curled and not yet opened. The energies of yin and yang have only just met and have not yet flowed freely; this is called Difficulty at the Beginning. When there is hardship in the world and no smooth passage, this is also called Difficulty at the Beginning. When one encounters danger and does not advance rashly, this too is called Difficulty at the Beginning. Applied to human affairs, the Thunder of the inner trigram has a moving nature and wishes to exert itself and accomplish something, while the Water of the outer trigram, by nature, sinks downward and is dangerous. The image is of movement falling into danger. If a person wishes to accomplish something but danger lies ahead, he cannot act according to his wishes. This is not because his ability is insufficient; it is truly because his circumstances have the image of Difficulty at the Beginning. “Pursuing a deer without a forester” means wanting to enter the mountains to hunt a deer without a guide, thereby losing the way and certainly gaining nothing. Since this hexagram has no yang line to correspond with or support it, entering the forest is like advancing greedily in pursuit of office and ultimately being unable to avoid shame. The Image says, “A gentleman abandons it,” because he can recognize the signs; the petty person does the opposite: “Going forward brings humiliation and exhaustion.” The second line says, “After ten years, a child is born,” meaning a return to the ordinary course. Now that the third line has been obtained, nine years later the movement of fortune will change, and the person will surely fulfill his aspirations.
At that time, the prominent official ignored this divination, went out to seek influential connections, and eventually resigned without fulfilling his ambition. Twenty-five years later, he was indeed employed again and rose once more to an important position—counting from the earlier event, exactly nine years later, it is said.
Nine in the fifth place: Horses hesitate and turn back. Seek a marriage alliance; going forward is auspicious, and nothing is unfavorable.
Nine in the fifth place: Horses hesitate and turn back. Seek a marriage alliance; going forward is auspicious, and nothing is unfavorable.
The Commentary on the Image says: To seek and then go forward is clarity.
“Horses hesitate and turn back” is explained below under Six in the second place. The position of Six in the fourth place connects firm and yielding with the ruler at the fifth place. Yet because yin occupies a yin place, its ability cannot save the world from Difficulty at the Beginning, so it wishes to advance but stops again—“horses hesitate and turn back.” A minister need not worry about lacking ability; what matters is the inability to use ability. If one can seek worthy people to assist oneself, one may be called wise. The image is the same as that of Six in the second place: the first line represents firm, clear, capable talent. If one seeks it and goes together with it, assisting the firm and centered ruler, one may hope for “auspiciousness, with nothing unfavorable.” This means having the clarity to recognize the worthy and no private jealousy of the worthy. Hence the Commentary on the Image says, “To seek and then go forward is clarity.” The first line is the same: if one goes without waiting for its invitation, not understanding the principle of knowing when to go and when to withdraw, how could one call that clarity? When this line changes, it becomes Following. The fourth line of Following says, “There is trust in the Way, which brings clarity; what blame could there be?” From this one can understand the proper way of marriage.
[Divination]
○ Regarding warfare: “Horses hesitate and turn back” means that the route of attack is not clear. Once it is clear and one advances, nothing can withstand one’s direction; hence, “going forward is auspicious, and nothing is unfavorable.”
○ Regarding reputation and office: A scholar should keep his abilities in reserve and await the right time, not advance rashly. When the call reaches him, he should emerge and serve the people; then nothing will be unfavorable.
○ Regarding marriage: The Book of Songs says, “A graceful and virtuous maiden is the gentleman’s good mate.” “Mate” means to seek; one must wait for the gentleman to seek her before she goes to marry, and therefore it is auspicious.
○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born.
[Case] A certain person sent an intermediary on behalf of Kihachiro Okura to request a divination concerning his fortunes. The result was Difficulty at the Beginning changing to Following.
Judgment: As a hexagram, Difficulty at the Beginning means that I wish to advance vigorously and accomplish something, but the other party is stubborn and foolish and obstructs me, so I cannot succeed. That is the meaning of Difficulty at the Beginning. Observing the fourth line now, it is adjacent to the fifth and occupies a position of assistance, but because the fifth does not use my strategy, I should change my intention and respond to the yang line at the first place. The line statement, “Horses hesitate and turn back,” means wishing to advance but still being undecided. “Seek a marriage alliance; going forward is auspicious” means that one should seek the yang firmness of the first line to provide mutual assistance.
Later, as reported, Okura’s intermediary and his manager both went to Hiroshima to handle commercial affairs for the garrison. Subsequently he disagreed with the manager, felt wronged and resentful, directly resigned from Okura’s service, went to Osaka on his own, and opened a shop beside the same garrison. He employed a certain manager from his former line of business; this apparently corresponded to the hexagram’s omen of seeking help from the first line.
The Commentary on the Image says: To seek and then go forward is clarity.
“Horses hesitate and turn back” is explained below under Six in the second place. The position of Six in the fourth place connects firm and yielding with the ruler at the fifth place. Yet because yin occupies a yin place, its ability cannot save the world from Difficulty at the Beginning, so it wishes to advance but stops again—“horses hesitate and turn back.” A minister need not worry about lacking ability; what matters is the inability to use ability. If one can seek worthy people to assist oneself, one may be called wise. The image is the same as that of Six in the second place: the first line represents firm, clear, capable talent. If one seeks it and goes together with it, assisting the firm and centered ruler, one may hope for “auspiciousness, with nothing unfavorable.” This means having the clarity to recognize the worthy and no private jealousy of the worthy. Hence the Commentary on the Image says, “To seek and then go forward is clarity.” The first line is the same: if one goes without waiting for its invitation, not understanding the principle of knowing when to go and when to withdraw, how could one call that clarity? When this line changes, it becomes Following. The fourth line of Following says, “There is trust in the Way, which brings clarity; what blame could there be?” From this one can understand the proper way of marriage.
[Divination]
○ Regarding warfare: “Horses hesitate and turn back” means that the route of attack is not clear. Once it is clear and one advances, nothing can withstand one’s direction; hence, “going forward is auspicious, and nothing is unfavorable.”
○ Regarding reputation and office: A scholar should keep his abilities in reserve and await the right time, not advance rashly. When the call reaches him, he should emerge and serve the people; then nothing will be unfavorable.
○ Regarding marriage: The Book of Songs says, “A graceful and virtuous maiden is the gentleman’s good mate.” “Mate” means to seek; one must wait for the gentleman to seek her before she goes to marry, and therefore it is auspicious.
○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born.
[Case] A certain person sent an intermediary on behalf of Kihachiro Okura to request a divination concerning his fortunes. The result was Difficulty at the Beginning changing to Following.
Judgment: As a hexagram, Difficulty at the Beginning means that I wish to advance vigorously and accomplish something, but the other party is stubborn and foolish and obstructs me, so I cannot succeed. That is the meaning of Difficulty at the Beginning. Observing the fourth line now, it is adjacent to the fifth and occupies a position of assistance, but because the fifth does not use my strategy, I should change my intention and respond to the yang line at the first place. The line statement, “Horses hesitate and turn back,” means wishing to advance but still being undecided. “Seek a marriage alliance; going forward is auspicious” means that one should seek the yang firmness of the first line to provide mutual assistance.
Later, as reported, Okura’s intermediary and his manager both went to Hiroshima to handle commercial affairs for the garrison. Subsequently he disagreed with the manager, felt wronged and resentful, directly resigned from Okura’s service, went to Osaka on his own, and opened a shop beside the same garrison. He employed a certain manager from his former line of business; this apparently corresponded to the hexagram’s omen of seeking help from the first line.
Nine in the fifth place: Its rich nourishment is blocked. Small-scale perseverance is auspicious; great-scale perseverance is ominous.
Nine in the fifth place: Its rich nourishment is blocked. Small-scale perseverance is auspicious; great-scale perseverance is ominous.
The Commentary on the Image says: “His grace is blocked; its distribution has not yet shone forth.”
“Grace” means nourishing moisture and bounty; Kan is symbolized by rain and clouds. “His grace is blocked” means that, in a time of obstruction and difficulty, he cannot send benevolent favor down to the people. Consequently, public finances become stagnant: those who have rendered service cannot be rewarded, and those who have labored cannot be recompensed. The fifth line is centered and correct, occupying the honored position. If it had a worthy, firm, and enlightened minister to assist it, it could overcome the obstruction. But it lacks such a minister; hence, “his grace is blocked.” The Initial Nine is suited for selection as a duke’s envoy. Remaining below, it observes the times and preserves its brightness in obscurity; the Fourth Six responds to it, and the people’s hopes turn toward it. The Fifth Nine occupies the honored position, yet is trapped amid Kan’s dangers, having lost the advantage of time and circumstances. Its corresponding minister, the Second Six, is weak in ability and insufficient to overcome the obstruction. In small matters, holding firmly to what is right can bring good fortune. This is what is meant by “broaden its administrative instruction and simplify its commands”; in this way, it may gradually undertake governance. Only in major matters is this impossible. If one were to rush into reform, people throughout the realm might become alarmed and scatter; that would be a path toward misfortune. Since ancient times, rulers whose age had entered its decline often grew resentful of power shifting downward and hastily removed powerful obstructions, only to be devoured in return by treacherous ministers. This is what is meant by “correctness in small matters is fortunate; correctness in great matters is ominous.” For the Son of Heaven, personally to decide all affairs of state, the most urgent task is to nurture and educate the myriad people, enabling each of them to bathe in the beneficent grace of peace and prosperity, so that not one person fails to find a proper place. Now the ruler represented by the Fifth Nine is trapped amid Kan’s dangers, in an age of obstruction and difficulty; the ministers serving at his sides are also all yielding and weak, lacking the strength to escape the danger. He therefore cannot extend grace down to those below. Hence the Commentary on the Image says: “His grace is blocked; its distribution has not yet shone forth.”
[Divination]
○ Regarding reputation and office: A scholar’s advancement depends entirely on the superior’s bestowal of favor and nourishment. If the superior blocks that nourishment, what hope can the scholar have?
○ Regarding warfare: If those above offer generous rewards, those below will gladly fight to the death. If benevolence does not descend, hearts and loyalty will inevitably break apart, and the great undertaking is lost. Ominous.
○ Regarding business: “Nourishment” refers to commercial capital. “Its rich nourishment is blocked” means funds are accumulated and do not circulate. A small business may still hold on, but a large enterprise will inevitably fall into hardship. Ominous.
○ Regarding illness: In a person, nourishment refers to fat and blood. When these are blocked and do not circulate, it is a disorder of stagnation and obstruction. An illness at its beginning is still easy to treat; a long-standing illness is dangerous.
○ Regarding pregnancy: Nine in the fifth place occupies the honored position; a boy will be born, and he will likely be distinguished.
[Case] In early summer of Meiji 19, a certain judge visited and said: “I am usually stationed in a certain jurisdiction. There is a bank there that is considered quite prosperous. I once heard a friend say that he was a shareholder of the bank, so I bought a number of its shares, which I still hold. Recently I heard that the bank’s business is poor and that it may collapse, and I am very worried. Please divine whether the bank will make a profit or suffer a loss.” The divination produced Difficulty at the Beginning changing to Return.
Judgment: Difficulty at the Beginning means extreme hardship. The fifth line is in the heavenly position but cannot bestow rain and moisture; this is called “its rich nourishment is blocked.” The Book of Songs says, “Lush are the millet seedlings; shade and rain nourish them.” In governmental terms, this is an image of interest on public bonds being unable to be paid out. Accordingly, a bank such as this will certainly have constricted accounts and be unable to produce profits for its shareholders. Yet the Tuan statement of Difficulty at the Beginning says, “supreme success; beneficial perseverance,” and the Commentary says, “The gentleman organizes and manages.” Therefore, although it is now trapped in difficulty, when the time of supreme success arrives, it will certainly be able to organize itself and accomplish the work of relief. Let us test the numbers: the second line says, “After ten years, a child is born,” meaning a return to the ordinary course. Counting from the second line down to the fifth line of the lower trigram, which is the fifth line of Childhood, gives ten years. This bank has now passed four years; in another six years, it should naturally recover today’s losses and show great improvement. Moreover, the fifth line of Childhood says, “Youthful ignorance; auspicious.” This symbolizes shareholders who, like innocent children without personal schemes, receive the loving nurture of parents and the instruction of teachers, gaining profits without exhausting their minds. Do not worry about today’s stagnation; hold on to the shares and wait for future prosperity.
The gentleman clapped his hands, astonished at the extraordinary accuracy of my words, and said: “The divination of the I Ching is truly divine! What I referred to was the Fukushima Bank. Its head had previously been in Tokyo, secretly dabbling in the stock market and suffering heavy losses. The resulting damage affected the bank’s accounts, to the point that it could not distribute profits. Having received this clear judgment, my mind is at ease.”
[Case] In September of year 27, our country undertook an expedition against Qing China. Shibusawa Eiichi and wealthy men from Tokyo and Yokohama advocated that wealthy people throughout the country donate funds for military expenses. They reported the proposal to me, so I divined whether the undertaking would succeed. The divination produced Difficulty at the Beginning changing to Return.
Judgment: In this hexagram, the inner trigram represents those who take the lead. It has the nature of thunder, wishing to give voice and shake everything for a hundred miles. The outer trigram represents the other wealthy men. It has the nature of water, which follows downward and cannot respond to what is above—like thunder moving within water, unable to produce an immediate response. This is called Difficulty at the Beginning. Difficulty at the Beginning means that affairs are obstructed. Now the state urgently needs funds, yet the solicitation has not gathered enough contributions. It resembles dense clouds that bring no rain; hence the phrase, “Difficulty in accumulating its rich moisture.” The wealthy may be able to provide small sums but cannot contribute huge amounts, hence, “Small rectitude is auspicious; great rectitude is ominous.” This undertaking will probably not fulfill its hopes. When the state faces a major matter, seeking minute resources from those with resolve is like treating a great wound with medicinal plaster; the mismatch in scale is obvious. If others devised such a plan, they would inevitably laugh at the poverty of my judgment. I say that affairs of state should be deliberated through public discussion. Later I heard that the assembly of legislators in Hiroshima had resolved to raise a public loan of 150 million yen.
The Commentary on the Image says: “His grace is blocked; its distribution has not yet shone forth.”
“Grace” means nourishing moisture and bounty; Kan is symbolized by rain and clouds. “His grace is blocked” means that, in a time of obstruction and difficulty, he cannot send benevolent favor down to the people. Consequently, public finances become stagnant: those who have rendered service cannot be rewarded, and those who have labored cannot be recompensed. The fifth line is centered and correct, occupying the honored position. If it had a worthy, firm, and enlightened minister to assist it, it could overcome the obstruction. But it lacks such a minister; hence, “his grace is blocked.” The Initial Nine is suited for selection as a duke’s envoy. Remaining below, it observes the times and preserves its brightness in obscurity; the Fourth Six responds to it, and the people’s hopes turn toward it. The Fifth Nine occupies the honored position, yet is trapped amid Kan’s dangers, having lost the advantage of time and circumstances. Its corresponding minister, the Second Six, is weak in ability and insufficient to overcome the obstruction. In small matters, holding firmly to what is right can bring good fortune. This is what is meant by “broaden its administrative instruction and simplify its commands”; in this way, it may gradually undertake governance. Only in major matters is this impossible. If one were to rush into reform, people throughout the realm might become alarmed and scatter; that would be a path toward misfortune. Since ancient times, rulers whose age had entered its decline often grew resentful of power shifting downward and hastily removed powerful obstructions, only to be devoured in return by treacherous ministers. This is what is meant by “correctness in small matters is fortunate; correctness in great matters is ominous.” For the Son of Heaven, personally to decide all affairs of state, the most urgent task is to nurture and educate the myriad people, enabling each of them to bathe in the beneficent grace of peace and prosperity, so that not one person fails to find a proper place. Now the ruler represented by the Fifth Nine is trapped amid Kan’s dangers, in an age of obstruction and difficulty; the ministers serving at his sides are also all yielding and weak, lacking the strength to escape the danger. He therefore cannot extend grace down to those below. Hence the Commentary on the Image says: “His grace is blocked; its distribution has not yet shone forth.”
[Divination]
○ Regarding reputation and office: A scholar’s advancement depends entirely on the superior’s bestowal of favor and nourishment. If the superior blocks that nourishment, what hope can the scholar have?
○ Regarding warfare: If those above offer generous rewards, those below will gladly fight to the death. If benevolence does not descend, hearts and loyalty will inevitably break apart, and the great undertaking is lost. Ominous.
○ Regarding business: “Nourishment” refers to commercial capital. “Its rich nourishment is blocked” means funds are accumulated and do not circulate. A small business may still hold on, but a large enterprise will inevitably fall into hardship. Ominous.
○ Regarding illness: In a person, nourishment refers to fat and blood. When these are blocked and do not circulate, it is a disorder of stagnation and obstruction. An illness at its beginning is still easy to treat; a long-standing illness is dangerous.
○ Regarding pregnancy: Nine in the fifth place occupies the honored position; a boy will be born, and he will likely be distinguished.
[Case] In early summer of Meiji 19, a certain judge visited and said: “I am usually stationed in a certain jurisdiction. There is a bank there that is considered quite prosperous. I once heard a friend say that he was a shareholder of the bank, so I bought a number of its shares, which I still hold. Recently I heard that the bank’s business is poor and that it may collapse, and I am very worried. Please divine whether the bank will make a profit or suffer a loss.” The divination produced Difficulty at the Beginning changing to Return.
Judgment: Difficulty at the Beginning means extreme hardship. The fifth line is in the heavenly position but cannot bestow rain and moisture; this is called “its rich nourishment is blocked.” The Book of Songs says, “Lush are the millet seedlings; shade and rain nourish them.” In governmental terms, this is an image of interest on public bonds being unable to be paid out. Accordingly, a bank such as this will certainly have constricted accounts and be unable to produce profits for its shareholders. Yet the Tuan statement of Difficulty at the Beginning says, “supreme success; beneficial perseverance,” and the Commentary says, “The gentleman organizes and manages.” Therefore, although it is now trapped in difficulty, when the time of supreme success arrives, it will certainly be able to organize itself and accomplish the work of relief. Let us test the numbers: the second line says, “After ten years, a child is born,” meaning a return to the ordinary course. Counting from the second line down to the fifth line of the lower trigram, which is the fifth line of Childhood, gives ten years. This bank has now passed four years; in another six years, it should naturally recover today’s losses and show great improvement. Moreover, the fifth line of Childhood says, “Youthful ignorance; auspicious.” This symbolizes shareholders who, like innocent children without personal schemes, receive the loving nurture of parents and the instruction of teachers, gaining profits without exhausting their minds. Do not worry about today’s stagnation; hold on to the shares and wait for future prosperity.
The gentleman clapped his hands, astonished at the extraordinary accuracy of my words, and said: “The divination of the I Ching is truly divine! What I referred to was the Fukushima Bank. Its head had previously been in Tokyo, secretly dabbling in the stock market and suffering heavy losses. The resulting damage affected the bank’s accounts, to the point that it could not distribute profits. Having received this clear judgment, my mind is at ease.”
[Case] In September of year 27, our country undertook an expedition against Qing China. Shibusawa Eiichi and wealthy men from Tokyo and Yokohama advocated that wealthy people throughout the country donate funds for military expenses. They reported the proposal to me, so I divined whether the undertaking would succeed. The divination produced Difficulty at the Beginning changing to Return.
Judgment: In this hexagram, the inner trigram represents those who take the lead. It has the nature of thunder, wishing to give voice and shake everything for a hundred miles. The outer trigram represents the other wealthy men. It has the nature of water, which follows downward and cannot respond to what is above—like thunder moving within water, unable to produce an immediate response. This is called Difficulty at the Beginning. Difficulty at the Beginning means that affairs are obstructed. Now the state urgently needs funds, yet the solicitation has not gathered enough contributions. It resembles dense clouds that bring no rain; hence the phrase, “Difficulty in accumulating its rich moisture.” The wealthy may be able to provide small sums but cannot contribute huge amounts, hence, “Small rectitude is auspicious; great rectitude is ominous.” This undertaking will probably not fulfill its hopes. When the state faces a major matter, seeking minute resources from those with resolve is like treating a great wound with medicinal plaster; the mismatch in scale is obvious. If others devised such a plan, they would inevitably laugh at the poverty of my judgment. I say that affairs of state should be deliberated through public discussion. Later I heard that the assembly of legislators in Hiroshima had resolved to raise a public loan of 150 million yen.
Top Six: Riding horses, they move back and forth; weeping blood in an endless stream.
Top Six: Riding horses, they move back and forth; weeping blood in an endless stream.
The Commentary on the Image says: “Weeping blood in an endless stream”—how could this continue for long?
“Riding horses, they move back and forth” is explained under Six in the Second Place. “Weeping blood” means grieving and weeping so intensely that, once the tears are exhausted, blood follows. The trigram of the Abyss is associated with blood, hence “weeping blood.” “In an endless stream” describes tears falling continuously. When this line changes, it becomes the trigram of the Gentle Wind: water from the Abyss follows the gentle wind, forming the image of ceaseless tears. The Top Six is yin in a yin position, at the end of the whole hexagram, at the extreme of danger in the Abyss. Its fortune is exhausted and its way has reached an impasse, so it cannot bring relief. The three yin lines do not respond to it. Although it is close below to the Fifth, the Fifth is afflicted by hoarding its rich moisture and is ominous in steadfastness, so it is not enough to rely upon. Thus it is trapped in poverty and distress, unable to bear its anxiety and fear. Its desperate search for rescue is like someone wishing to mount a horse and gallop away. Its grief is so profound that tears never cease; truly, its sorrow has become unbearable. Yet when things reach an extreme, they change, and when circumstances become exhausted, they shift. If anxiety gives rise to resolve and effort, it will not be difficult to turn misfortune into blessing, and then the difficulty can be overcome. This line, together with the Third and Fourth lines, has the will to overcome the difficulty but lacks the ability. The divination does not call it ominous because this is caused by the circumstances of the time, not by its fault. The Commentary on the Image says, “Weeping blood in an endless stream—how could this continue for long?” This means that before long, the times and fortune will change. When this line changes, it becomes Increase. The Top Nine of Increase says, “No one benefits him; someone may strike him. Establishing a mind without constancy is ominous.” This further reveals how extreme his exhaustion is.
In Difficulty at the Beginning’s management of the state, the First line is public-minded and forgets personal interest and family for the sake of the state. This is the era of Earth over Water, when establishing feudal lords and assisting governance brings peace and stability. The Fourth line goes forth to seek the worthy, and, like the First line establishing feudal lords, belongs to the era of Lake over Thunder; it too obtains peace and stability. The Top line occupies the highest position, striving to act with vigor; this is the era of Wind over Thunder, Increase, and the state’s fortunes can advance. Yet the First, Fourth, and Second lines distrust one another and yield nothing to one another. If the Top line wishes to advance but retreats again, the day when the difficulty is finally resolved will never come.
[Divination]
○ Question about warfare: The Top line is at the extreme of Difficulty at the Beginning, caught between advancing and retreating. Its poverty and distress are already extreme, reaching the point of weeping blood. This is the day when the army is defeated and the state perishes. Ominous.
○ Question about business: The phrase “Riding horses, they move back and forth” has already been repeated three times above. Business is marked by hesitation and indecision, already occurring again and again. At the extreme comes weeping blood; it is clear that much loss has already been suffered. Hence, “How could this continue for long?”
○ Question about achievement and reputation: The Top line is at the end of the Abyss, with no further advance possible. It is fortunate merely to preserve one’s person.
○ Question about illness: It is certainly a disorder involving vomiting blood. Ominous.
○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born, but there is also fear that she may not grow up.
[Case] In the twenty-fourth year of the Meiji era, divination was performed concerning the fortunes of the cabinet, resulting in Difficulty at the Beginning changing to Increase.
Judgment: Difficulty at the Beginning is thunder about to emerge from within the earth, restrained by water on the earth’s surface and unable to come forth, hesitating. Hence it is named Difficulty at the Beginning. Applied to the state, the lower trigram represents the people, with the nature of thunder, wishing to advance vigorously and stir themselves in order to increase their strength. The upper trigram represents the government, with the nature of water sunk in the peril of the Abyss, suppressing the thunder of the lower trigram so that it cannot arise. At present the government faces two matters: the reality of treaty revision and preparations for the Second Diet. Public opinion is noisy, affairs are sluggish, and the fortunes of the state are precisely in a time of difficulty. Moreover, the yin of the upper trigram responds to the yang of the First line in the lower trigram. There may be people at court secretly supporting powerful men among the populace, thereby causing trouble. In asking about the cabinet, this line is obtained. The Top line is close beside the ruler, but the time is one of difficulty; wishing to fulfill its duty of assistance, it suffers from having no responding line to support it. The prime minister earnestly considers resigning, while the marquises serving as assistants also wish to withdraw from office. This is exactly “Riding horses, they move back and forth”: advancement and retreat remain undecided. Recalling Kido and Okubo in former times, who bore the heavy burden of the realm and were able to overcome its hardships, one sees that no such talent exists today. Thinking back on them, one cannot bear the sighs and gloom; it is the image of “weeping blood in an endless stream.” Yet in a later day, as the workings of Heaven’s fortune circulate and the Second line of the lower trigram becomes the trigram of the Covered Beginner, the government will still be like a teacher and the people like pupils. They may love and respect one another, and with outstanding heroes arising, they will be able by themselves to emerge from danger, overcome the difficulty, and order the realm.
The Commentary on the Image says: “Weeping blood in an endless stream”—how could this continue for long?
“Riding horses, they move back and forth” is explained under Six in the Second Place. “Weeping blood” means grieving and weeping so intensely that, once the tears are exhausted, blood follows. The trigram of the Abyss is associated with blood, hence “weeping blood.” “In an endless stream” describes tears falling continuously. When this line changes, it becomes the trigram of the Gentle Wind: water from the Abyss follows the gentle wind, forming the image of ceaseless tears. The Top Six is yin in a yin position, at the end of the whole hexagram, at the extreme of danger in the Abyss. Its fortune is exhausted and its way has reached an impasse, so it cannot bring relief. The three yin lines do not respond to it. Although it is close below to the Fifth, the Fifth is afflicted by hoarding its rich moisture and is ominous in steadfastness, so it is not enough to rely upon. Thus it is trapped in poverty and distress, unable to bear its anxiety and fear. Its desperate search for rescue is like someone wishing to mount a horse and gallop away. Its grief is so profound that tears never cease; truly, its sorrow has become unbearable. Yet when things reach an extreme, they change, and when circumstances become exhausted, they shift. If anxiety gives rise to resolve and effort, it will not be difficult to turn misfortune into blessing, and then the difficulty can be overcome. This line, together with the Third and Fourth lines, has the will to overcome the difficulty but lacks the ability. The divination does not call it ominous because this is caused by the circumstances of the time, not by its fault. The Commentary on the Image says, “Weeping blood in an endless stream—how could this continue for long?” This means that before long, the times and fortune will change. When this line changes, it becomes Increase. The Top Nine of Increase says, “No one benefits him; someone may strike him. Establishing a mind without constancy is ominous.” This further reveals how extreme his exhaustion is.
In Difficulty at the Beginning’s management of the state, the First line is public-minded and forgets personal interest and family for the sake of the state. This is the era of Earth over Water, when establishing feudal lords and assisting governance brings peace and stability. The Fourth line goes forth to seek the worthy, and, like the First line establishing feudal lords, belongs to the era of Lake over Thunder; it too obtains peace and stability. The Top line occupies the highest position, striving to act with vigor; this is the era of Wind over Thunder, Increase, and the state’s fortunes can advance. Yet the First, Fourth, and Second lines distrust one another and yield nothing to one another. If the Top line wishes to advance but retreats again, the day when the difficulty is finally resolved will never come.
[Divination]
○ Question about warfare: The Top line is at the extreme of Difficulty at the Beginning, caught between advancing and retreating. Its poverty and distress are already extreme, reaching the point of weeping blood. This is the day when the army is defeated and the state perishes. Ominous.
○ Question about business: The phrase “Riding horses, they move back and forth” has already been repeated three times above. Business is marked by hesitation and indecision, already occurring again and again. At the extreme comes weeping blood; it is clear that much loss has already been suffered. Hence, “How could this continue for long?”
○ Question about achievement and reputation: The Top line is at the end of the Abyss, with no further advance possible. It is fortunate merely to preserve one’s person.
○ Question about illness: It is certainly a disorder involving vomiting blood. Ominous.
○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born, but there is also fear that she may not grow up.
[Case] In the twenty-fourth year of the Meiji era, divination was performed concerning the fortunes of the cabinet, resulting in Difficulty at the Beginning changing to Increase.
Judgment: Difficulty at the Beginning is thunder about to emerge from within the earth, restrained by water on the earth’s surface and unable to come forth, hesitating. Hence it is named Difficulty at the Beginning. Applied to the state, the lower trigram represents the people, with the nature of thunder, wishing to advance vigorously and stir themselves in order to increase their strength. The upper trigram represents the government, with the nature of water sunk in the peril of the Abyss, suppressing the thunder of the lower trigram so that it cannot arise. At present the government faces two matters: the reality of treaty revision and preparations for the Second Diet. Public opinion is noisy, affairs are sluggish, and the fortunes of the state are precisely in a time of difficulty. Moreover, the yin of the upper trigram responds to the yang of the First line in the lower trigram. There may be people at court secretly supporting powerful men among the populace, thereby causing trouble. In asking about the cabinet, this line is obtained. The Top line is close beside the ruler, but the time is one of difficulty; wishing to fulfill its duty of assistance, it suffers from having no responding line to support it. The prime minister earnestly considers resigning, while the marquises serving as assistants also wish to withdraw from office. This is exactly “Riding horses, they move back and forth”: advancement and retreat remain undecided. Recalling Kido and Okubo in former times, who bore the heavy burden of the realm and were able to overcome its hardships, one sees that no such talent exists today. Thinking back on them, one cannot bear the sighs and gloom; it is the image of “weeping blood in an endless stream.” Yet in a later day, as the workings of Heaven’s fortune circulate and the Second line of the lower trigram becomes the trigram of the Covered Beginner, the government will still be like a teacher and the people like pupils. They may love and respect one another, and with outstanding heroes arising, they will be able by themselves to emerge from danger, overcome the difficulty, and order the realm.