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Takashima Ekidan · hexagram readings
Takashima Ekidan · Hexagram 27 Mountain over Thunder, Nourishment. Nourishment: Correctness is auspicious. Observe nourishment; seek the substance of the mouth for oneself.
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Mountain over Thunder, Nourishment. Nourishment: Correctness is auspicious. Observe nourishment; seek the substance of the mouth for oneself.
27 Mountain over Thunder, Nourishment
“Nourishment”［129］ is formed from the components for minister and head; “minister” is the original form of the character for nourishment. “Head” originally meant the head, and the character combines mouth with one; one symbolizes the tongue and carries the meaning of nourishment. The body of the hexagram has Gen above and Zhen below: Gen is mountain and Zhen is thunder. Thunder moves; mountain stops. The two yang lines above and below the hexagram symbolize the upper and lower lips, while the four inner yin lines symbolize emptiness seeking food. Nourishment opens and does not close, resembling the act of seeking food. Therefore one can observe the image of Zhen’s yang moving downward to eat. Gen governs stopping, and stopping is the image of observation. Yet Zhen does not move on its own; it is tied to Gen in movement. If Gen did not stop above, Zhen, although wishing to move, could not do so. Thus the principal force in Nourishment is Gen. Solidness above and below with emptiness in the middle, movement that can stop—this is called Nourishment, and this is why the hexagram is named Nourishment.
Nourishment: Correctness is auspicious. Observe nourishment; seek the substance of the mouth for oneself.
▲ Bronze inscription for Nourishment
▲ Seal script for Nourishment
The Sequence of Hexagrams Commentary says: “Things are stored up, and then they can be nourished; therefore Nourishment follows. Nourishment means nurturing.” To “observe nourishment” is to reflect on what one nourishes. Reflecting on what one nourishes leads one to understand restraint: excessive desires can be reduced, integrity and shame can be established, and the mind and aspirations can become tranquil. Nourishing life and nourishing virtue are contained in this. In general, the way of nourishment is governed by stillness. Heaven, earth, and all things move above and stop below; only Nourishment moves below and stops above. Stillness controls movement, and stopping endures greed—this is the meaning of “observe nourishment.” The mouth and jaw exist in the body to provide nourishment; the space within them is filled so that nourishment can occur. Hence, “seek the substance of the mouth for oneself.”
The Tuan Commentary says: Nourishment. Correctness is auspicious; nourishing what is correct is auspicious. Observe nourishment: observe what one nourishes. Seek the substance of the mouth for oneself: observe how one nourishes oneself. Heaven and earth nourish all things; sages nourish the worthy and thereby extend nourishment to the myriad people. How great is the time of Nourishment!
The inner trigram of Nourishment is Gen and the outer is Zhen. Gen is the kind with dark beaks; a beak is a mouth, precisely the image of Nourishment. Gen also represents fruits, while Zhen represents luxuriant growth and the hundred grains; all carry the meaning of nourishment. “Nourishment: correctness is auspicious” means that if what is nourished is correct, there is good fortune. Yet nourishment may be right or wrong; without observation, this cannot be known. Observe whom one nourishes, and the public or private nature of that nourishment becomes distinct. Observe what one seeks for oneself, and greed or frugality in nourishment can be seen. If all those one nourishes are worthy and one nourishes oneself with restraint, then nourishment has found its proper course, and all nourishment is auspicious. As for Heaven, earth, and the sages, this speaks of the greatness of the way of nourishment to the utmost. People’s nourishment of life often lies in self-nourishment; but it must be like the transformation and nurturing of Heaven and earth, which is impartial and causes all things to receive its beneficence; it must be like the sage who holds the suffering of the people in his heart, so that from the wise and virtuous above to the common people below, none fail to bathe in his kindness. The sage embodies the nourishment of Heaven and earth as his own nourishment; therefore what he nourishes is as vast as Heaven and earth. The Tuan Commentary says, “How great is the time of Nourishment!” This means that what is nourished extends extraordinarily far, and its breadth can already be seen in the very time of nourishment. Though it does not state the principle explicitly, the principle is contained within it.
Applying this hexagram to human affairs: The upper three lines are Gen. Gen’s fifth line says, “Hold the cheeks firm”; the cheeks are the upper jaw, an image of Nourishment. The lower three lines are Zhen. Its top line says, “The gaze is darting,” carrying the meaning of observation. The upper and lower trigrams form Kun by mutual trigrams; Kun represents an earthen vessel and liquid, carrying the meaning of nourishment. Yet nourishment is not achieved by only one method. Moderation in rest and exertion nourishes what is correct; food, drink, clothing, and shelter nourish the body; dignified bearing and courtesy nourish virtue; extending oneself to others nourishes people. Everyone nourishes something, but everyone has a different object of nourishment. Within, one nourishes oneself; outwardly, one nourishes the world. The essential point is that gaining what is correct is auspicious. A scholar obtaining salary and office, a farmer engaging in agriculture, a craftsman making implements, and a merchant circulating goods and wealth—all eat from their own labor and nourish themselves, and when this is proper, it is correct nourishment. Otherwise, because one lacks the means to fill one’s mouth, one forgets integrity and shame. As Mencius said, “If there is no constant livelihood, there will be no restraint: perversity, deviation, and excess will all be done.” What, then, is such a person worth observing? Yet when observing people, one should first observe what they seek as “the substance of the mouth.” If a person does not let hunger and thirst harm the heart, and can enjoy the Way with only a bamboo basket and a gourd, then what he seeks lies beyond “the substance of the mouth,” and what he nourishes must be the correctness of his nature and feelings. If he nourishes himself in this way, his nourishment of others should be still greater: surely like Heaven and earth nourishing things, and the sage nourishing the worthy and extending that nourishment to the myriad people. His nourishment not only attains correctness but also gains auspiciousness. The way of Nourishment is entirely contained here.
Taking this hexagram to represent a state, the lower trigram represents the people. The common people are fond of movement, corresponding to the image of Zhen. The upper trigram represents the government, which is able to bring the people below to rest, corresponding to the image of Gen. The hexagram is called Yi; yi means the mouth. Every common person has a mouth, and each therefore seeks nourishment: farmers cultivate with their strength, merchants trade goods, and artisans make implements. All, according to their abilities and strength, “seek food for themselves.” Yet there are still those who cannot adequately support themselves. For them, the government reduces levies, remits rents and taxes, and even distributes grain to relieve famine or provides medicine to treat illness. The court’s benevolent gruel and righteous grain are precisely the grace that prolongs the lives of the people below. The government does not use this to buy popularity; it is also embodying Heaven and Earth’s virtue of cherishing life, thereby providing nourishment. Among the people below there are also those called the worthy. The government must especially honor their positions, increase their stipends, and nourish them generously, never daring to treat them otherwise than favorably. In their time, worthy men bathe in the court’s glory and favor, while also extending the court’s virtue and beneficence to the myriad people. This is why the way of nourishment grows ever wider as it is extended. The Tuan Commentary says, “The time of Yi is truly great!” Indeed it is.
Viewed as a whole, the three upper lines all concern nourishing others, while the three lower lines all concern nourishing oneself. In the way of nourishment, nourishing others is public and nourishing oneself is private; in nourishing oneself, nourishing virtue is great and nourishing the body is lesser. Thus the first, second, and third lines all nourish the mouth and body—private and lesser matters—whereas the fourth, fifth, and top lines nourish virtue and thereby nourish others—public and greater matters. Whether one nourishes others or oneself, attaining correctness is always auspicious. Hence the Image says: “Thunder beneath the mountain: Yi. The junzi is cautious in speech and moderate in eating and drinking.” This means that the function of Yi—speaking words and chewing food—is all expressed through the mouth; observing the image of Yi, the junzi knows what must be carefully guarded and what must be restrained. In the larger sense, this applies to issuing commands: be cautious, and there will be no errors; receiving wealth: be moderate, and there will be no harm. Carried to its utmost, nourishing virtue in order to nourish the world is likewise governed by this principle. The first line is yang in the lowest position, the beginning of movement; thus it means moving to seek nourishment for oneself. Abandoning the “numinous tortoise” and gazing at “drooping jaws” is therefore ominous. The second line, Six in the second place, is in the center of the lower body and has no correspondence above; it turns back to nourish the first line, hence “going forward is ominous.” Although the third line corresponds to the top line, Nine at the top, it violates the proper measure of nourishment and offers itself to the top in flattery; therefore even after “ten years” it still says “do not use,” so what benefit could there be? The fourth line, Six in the fourth place, is in the upper body, properly positioned, and corresponds with the first line. Nourishing below from above, it obtains the proper way of nourishment; moreover, it is dignified and has few desires, so it gains auspiciousness. The fifth line, Six in the fifth place, is yin in a yang position and is adjacent to the top. If it acts, it loses its position; if it remains still, “correctness is auspicious.” Hence “it is not possible to cross the great river.” The top line, Nine at the top, is yang above and treads upon the four yin lines. All the yin lines receive nourishment through it, hence “nourished through Yi.” Yet the nourishment it obtains must have been preceded by how many dangers and hardships before auspiciousness was attained? Therefore it says “danger, then auspiciousness.” Once nourishment reaches this point, there is nowhere it cannot go; hence “favorable to cross the great river” and “there will be celebration.” The entire Yi hexagram speaks specifically of the way to preserve life, whose foundation lies in the first line. “Tortoise,” “tiger,” and “overturning” show its function; “violating” corrects its direction; “through” completes its course. The way the sages grasped the pivot of creation and transformation and exhausted the principles of nature and destiny can be seen in this one Yi hexagram.
The Great Image says: “Thunder beneath the mountain: Yi. The junzi is cautious in speech and moderate in eating and drinking.”
This hexagram has thunder beneath a mountain, signifying movement below and restraint above—the function of the mouth in Yi. Words are what bring about fortune or misfortune; food and drink are what give rise to illness. When movement and stillness follow the proper way, words are not uttered recklessly and eating does not exceed due measure. Observing the image of Yi, the junzi knows what to guard carefully and what to restrain. In the broadest sense, commands issued must be carefully considered so they cause no error, and wealth received must be limited so it causes no harm; at the extreme, nourishing virtue to nourish the world follows the same principle.
[Divination]
○ War divination: With restraint above and movement below, beware of rash actions in the ranks that may invite disorder, or of confidential information being leaked, or of drunkenness provoking a quarrel. The utmost caution is appropriate.
○ Fame and office: Thunder beneath a mountain—the thunder makes a sound and the mountain echoes it, an image of fame and reputation rising to prominence.
○ Business: The image of Yi has movement within and restraint without, indicating goods rising in value inland but falling in value in outside regions. It also suggests that if goods are shipped elsewhere, they may not sell for a while. The goods are probably foodstuffs.
○ Household: The Gen mountain wants to stop and the Zhen thunder wants to move; the mountain is above and the thunder below. There is fear of ground tremors, so fire should be guarded against.
○ Illness: Restraint above and movement below; mountain belongs to earth and thunder to fire. This indicates cold blockage in the upper burner and hot diarrhea in the lower burner. One must await the fifth line; the Image says, “Follow along with what is above.” Only when upper and lower flow freely will it be auspicious. One line corresponds to one day; recovery should come by the fifth day.
○ Traveler: The inner trigram moves while the outer trigram stops, so the person must already have set out but is being delayed by outside affairs. The top line says, “Favorable to cross the great river,” indicating that the person must be coming by water. If nearby, arrival will take six or seven days; if far away, return will take six or seven months.
○ Pregnancy: A boy will be born.
○ Lost object: Thunder beneath a mountain; the object is evidently being held down by a heavy object. It cannot be seen for the moment but may be found later.
○ Legal dispute: The matter arises from a trivial quarrel over words, food, or drink. The lower side wants to act, but the upper side restrains it; an official above will intervene and stop it, so the lawsuit will not reach its conclusion.
○ Marriage: Yi means nourishment, and the wife presides over the household provisions, so it carries the meaning of nourishment. The husband is outside and the wife inside; movement within and restraint without gives the image of a wife following her husband. Auspicious.
“Nourishment”［129］ is formed from the components for minister and head; “minister” is the original form of the character for nourishment. “Head” originally meant the head, and the character combines mouth with one; one symbolizes the tongue and carries the meaning of nourishment. The body of the hexagram has Gen above and Zhen below: Gen is mountain and Zhen is thunder. Thunder moves; mountain stops. The two yang lines above and below the hexagram symbolize the upper and lower lips, while the four inner yin lines symbolize emptiness seeking food. Nourishment opens and does not close, resembling the act of seeking food. Therefore one can observe the image of Zhen’s yang moving downward to eat. Gen governs stopping, and stopping is the image of observation. Yet Zhen does not move on its own; it is tied to Gen in movement. If Gen did not stop above, Zhen, although wishing to move, could not do so. Thus the principal force in Nourishment is Gen. Solidness above and below with emptiness in the middle, movement that can stop—this is called Nourishment, and this is why the hexagram is named Nourishment.
Nourishment: Correctness is auspicious. Observe nourishment; seek the substance of the mouth for oneself.
▲ Bronze inscription for Nourishment
▲ Seal script for Nourishment
The Sequence of Hexagrams Commentary says: “Things are stored up, and then they can be nourished; therefore Nourishment follows. Nourishment means nurturing.” To “observe nourishment” is to reflect on what one nourishes. Reflecting on what one nourishes leads one to understand restraint: excessive desires can be reduced, integrity and shame can be established, and the mind and aspirations can become tranquil. Nourishing life and nourishing virtue are contained in this. In general, the way of nourishment is governed by stillness. Heaven, earth, and all things move above and stop below; only Nourishment moves below and stops above. Stillness controls movement, and stopping endures greed—this is the meaning of “observe nourishment.” The mouth and jaw exist in the body to provide nourishment; the space within them is filled so that nourishment can occur. Hence, “seek the substance of the mouth for oneself.”
The Tuan Commentary says: Nourishment. Correctness is auspicious; nourishing what is correct is auspicious. Observe nourishment: observe what one nourishes. Seek the substance of the mouth for oneself: observe how one nourishes oneself. Heaven and earth nourish all things; sages nourish the worthy and thereby extend nourishment to the myriad people. How great is the time of Nourishment!
The inner trigram of Nourishment is Gen and the outer is Zhen. Gen is the kind with dark beaks; a beak is a mouth, precisely the image of Nourishment. Gen also represents fruits, while Zhen represents luxuriant growth and the hundred grains; all carry the meaning of nourishment. “Nourishment: correctness is auspicious” means that if what is nourished is correct, there is good fortune. Yet nourishment may be right or wrong; without observation, this cannot be known. Observe whom one nourishes, and the public or private nature of that nourishment becomes distinct. Observe what one seeks for oneself, and greed or frugality in nourishment can be seen. If all those one nourishes are worthy and one nourishes oneself with restraint, then nourishment has found its proper course, and all nourishment is auspicious. As for Heaven, earth, and the sages, this speaks of the greatness of the way of nourishment to the utmost. People’s nourishment of life often lies in self-nourishment; but it must be like the transformation and nurturing of Heaven and earth, which is impartial and causes all things to receive its beneficence; it must be like the sage who holds the suffering of the people in his heart, so that from the wise and virtuous above to the common people below, none fail to bathe in his kindness. The sage embodies the nourishment of Heaven and earth as his own nourishment; therefore what he nourishes is as vast as Heaven and earth. The Tuan Commentary says, “How great is the time of Nourishment!” This means that what is nourished extends extraordinarily far, and its breadth can already be seen in the very time of nourishment. Though it does not state the principle explicitly, the principle is contained within it.
Applying this hexagram to human affairs: The upper three lines are Gen. Gen’s fifth line says, “Hold the cheeks firm”; the cheeks are the upper jaw, an image of Nourishment. The lower three lines are Zhen. Its top line says, “The gaze is darting,” carrying the meaning of observation. The upper and lower trigrams form Kun by mutual trigrams; Kun represents an earthen vessel and liquid, carrying the meaning of nourishment. Yet nourishment is not achieved by only one method. Moderation in rest and exertion nourishes what is correct; food, drink, clothing, and shelter nourish the body; dignified bearing and courtesy nourish virtue; extending oneself to others nourishes people. Everyone nourishes something, but everyone has a different object of nourishment. Within, one nourishes oneself; outwardly, one nourishes the world. The essential point is that gaining what is correct is auspicious. A scholar obtaining salary and office, a farmer engaging in agriculture, a craftsman making implements, and a merchant circulating goods and wealth—all eat from their own labor and nourish themselves, and when this is proper, it is correct nourishment. Otherwise, because one lacks the means to fill one’s mouth, one forgets integrity and shame. As Mencius said, “If there is no constant livelihood, there will be no restraint: perversity, deviation, and excess will all be done.” What, then, is such a person worth observing? Yet when observing people, one should first observe what they seek as “the substance of the mouth.” If a person does not let hunger and thirst harm the heart, and can enjoy the Way with only a bamboo basket and a gourd, then what he seeks lies beyond “the substance of the mouth,” and what he nourishes must be the correctness of his nature and feelings. If he nourishes himself in this way, his nourishment of others should be still greater: surely like Heaven and earth nourishing things, and the sage nourishing the worthy and extending that nourishment to the myriad people. His nourishment not only attains correctness but also gains auspiciousness. The way of Nourishment is entirely contained here.
Taking this hexagram to represent a state, the lower trigram represents the people. The common people are fond of movement, corresponding to the image of Zhen. The upper trigram represents the government, which is able to bring the people below to rest, corresponding to the image of Gen. The hexagram is called Yi; yi means the mouth. Every common person has a mouth, and each therefore seeks nourishment: farmers cultivate with their strength, merchants trade goods, and artisans make implements. All, according to their abilities and strength, “seek food for themselves.” Yet there are still those who cannot adequately support themselves. For them, the government reduces levies, remits rents and taxes, and even distributes grain to relieve famine or provides medicine to treat illness. The court’s benevolent gruel and righteous grain are precisely the grace that prolongs the lives of the people below. The government does not use this to buy popularity; it is also embodying Heaven and Earth’s virtue of cherishing life, thereby providing nourishment. Among the people below there are also those called the worthy. The government must especially honor their positions, increase their stipends, and nourish them generously, never daring to treat them otherwise than favorably. In their time, worthy men bathe in the court’s glory and favor, while also extending the court’s virtue and beneficence to the myriad people. This is why the way of nourishment grows ever wider as it is extended. The Tuan Commentary says, “The time of Yi is truly great!” Indeed it is.
Viewed as a whole, the three upper lines all concern nourishing others, while the three lower lines all concern nourishing oneself. In the way of nourishment, nourishing others is public and nourishing oneself is private; in nourishing oneself, nourishing virtue is great and nourishing the body is lesser. Thus the first, second, and third lines all nourish the mouth and body—private and lesser matters—whereas the fourth, fifth, and top lines nourish virtue and thereby nourish others—public and greater matters. Whether one nourishes others or oneself, attaining correctness is always auspicious. Hence the Image says: “Thunder beneath the mountain: Yi. The junzi is cautious in speech and moderate in eating and drinking.” This means that the function of Yi—speaking words and chewing food—is all expressed through the mouth; observing the image of Yi, the junzi knows what must be carefully guarded and what must be restrained. In the larger sense, this applies to issuing commands: be cautious, and there will be no errors; receiving wealth: be moderate, and there will be no harm. Carried to its utmost, nourishing virtue in order to nourish the world is likewise governed by this principle. The first line is yang in the lowest position, the beginning of movement; thus it means moving to seek nourishment for oneself. Abandoning the “numinous tortoise” and gazing at “drooping jaws” is therefore ominous. The second line, Six in the second place, is in the center of the lower body and has no correspondence above; it turns back to nourish the first line, hence “going forward is ominous.” Although the third line corresponds to the top line, Nine at the top, it violates the proper measure of nourishment and offers itself to the top in flattery; therefore even after “ten years” it still says “do not use,” so what benefit could there be? The fourth line, Six in the fourth place, is in the upper body, properly positioned, and corresponds with the first line. Nourishing below from above, it obtains the proper way of nourishment; moreover, it is dignified and has few desires, so it gains auspiciousness. The fifth line, Six in the fifth place, is yin in a yang position and is adjacent to the top. If it acts, it loses its position; if it remains still, “correctness is auspicious.” Hence “it is not possible to cross the great river.” The top line, Nine at the top, is yang above and treads upon the four yin lines. All the yin lines receive nourishment through it, hence “nourished through Yi.” Yet the nourishment it obtains must have been preceded by how many dangers and hardships before auspiciousness was attained? Therefore it says “danger, then auspiciousness.” Once nourishment reaches this point, there is nowhere it cannot go; hence “favorable to cross the great river” and “there will be celebration.” The entire Yi hexagram speaks specifically of the way to preserve life, whose foundation lies in the first line. “Tortoise,” “tiger,” and “overturning” show its function; “violating” corrects its direction; “through” completes its course. The way the sages grasped the pivot of creation and transformation and exhausted the principles of nature and destiny can be seen in this one Yi hexagram.
The Great Image says: “Thunder beneath the mountain: Yi. The junzi is cautious in speech and moderate in eating and drinking.”
This hexagram has thunder beneath a mountain, signifying movement below and restraint above—the function of the mouth in Yi. Words are what bring about fortune or misfortune; food and drink are what give rise to illness. When movement and stillness follow the proper way, words are not uttered recklessly and eating does not exceed due measure. Observing the image of Yi, the junzi knows what to guard carefully and what to restrain. In the broadest sense, commands issued must be carefully considered so they cause no error, and wealth received must be limited so it causes no harm; at the extreme, nourishing virtue to nourish the world follows the same principle.
[Divination]
○ War divination: With restraint above and movement below, beware of rash actions in the ranks that may invite disorder, or of confidential information being leaked, or of drunkenness provoking a quarrel. The utmost caution is appropriate.
○ Fame and office: Thunder beneath a mountain—the thunder makes a sound and the mountain echoes it, an image of fame and reputation rising to prominence.
○ Business: The image of Yi has movement within and restraint without, indicating goods rising in value inland but falling in value in outside regions. It also suggests that if goods are shipped elsewhere, they may not sell for a while. The goods are probably foodstuffs.
○ Household: The Gen mountain wants to stop and the Zhen thunder wants to move; the mountain is above and the thunder below. There is fear of ground tremors, so fire should be guarded against.
○ Illness: Restraint above and movement below; mountain belongs to earth and thunder to fire. This indicates cold blockage in the upper burner and hot diarrhea in the lower burner. One must await the fifth line; the Image says, “Follow along with what is above.” Only when upper and lower flow freely will it be auspicious. One line corresponds to one day; recovery should come by the fifth day.
○ Traveler: The inner trigram moves while the outer trigram stops, so the person must already have set out but is being delayed by outside affairs. The top line says, “Favorable to cross the great river,” indicating that the person must be coming by water. If nearby, arrival will take six or seven days; if far away, return will take six or seven months.
○ Pregnancy: A boy will be born.
○ Lost object: Thunder beneath a mountain; the object is evidently being held down by a heavy object. It cannot be seen for the moment but may be found later.
○ Legal dispute: The matter arises from a trivial quarrel over words, food, or drink. The lower side wants to act, but the upper side restrains it; an official above will intervene and stop it, so the lawsuit will not reach its conclusion.
○ Marriage: Yi means nourishment, and the wife presides over the household provisions, so it carries the meaning of nourishment. The husband is outside and the wife inside; movement within and restraint without gives the image of a wife following her husband. Auspicious.
Nine at the beginning: Abandon your numinous tortoise and gaze at my drooping jaws. Misfortune.
Nine at the beginning: Abandon your numinous tortoise [130], and gaze at my drooping jaws. Misfortune.
The Commentary on the Image says: “Gazing at my drooping jaws is also not worthy of honor.”
Whenever a line statement addresses “you” and “I,” it is one of the I Ching’s conventions in which corresponding lines act as guest and host to one another. Here, the words “you” and “I” are a statement from Six in the fourth place, the corresponding line, addressed to Nine at the beginning: “you” refers to Nine at the beginning, while “I” is how Six in the fourth place refers to itself. The tortoise is one of the four numinous creatures. It neither drinks nor eats, but nourishes itself through breath and silent inward cultivation. Yi has two yang lines at the beginning and top enclosing four yin lines, forming the image of Li; Li is associated with the tortoise, hence “numinous tortoise.” Nine at the beginning is the beginning of one yang, the embryo of all things; this is the numinous tortoise within oneself, which does not depend on nourishment from outside. To abandon the “numinous tortoise” and gaze at “drooping jaws” is to cast aside the virtue of integrity and clarity in order to act on greedy, thieving desires. Such foolish living beings are pitiful and lamentable; therefore the warning says “misfortune.” “Not worthy of honor” in the Image means that nourishing what is small while losing what is great is not worthy of esteem, even if one obtains what one wants.
[Divination]
○ War divination: In ancient times, armies always divined before marching to determine fortune or misfortune. The line statement says, “Abandon your numinous tortoise and gaze at my drooping jaws”—this means not fearing the spirits and merely coveting wealth, hence “misfortune.”
○ Business: The first line is the beginning of one yang; when it changes, it becomes Bo, which means stripping away and unpeeling. The Image says, “It is not favorable to have somewhere to go,” so conducting business will likely make profit difficult. The line’s “you” and “I” are host and guest; “drooping jaws” means the mouth moving to eat food. Abandoning the “numinous tortoise” and gazing at “drooping jaws” suggests that even if there is profit, others may consume it, hence misfortune.
○ Fame and office: The “numinous tortoise” is the inner heart, while “drooping jaws” is the outward appearance. Abandoning the inner and seeking the outer, abandoning oneself and looking at others, merely admiring empty reputation—there can be no real learning, and fame and office will be hard to attain.
○ Household: The six spirits in the residence are unsettled; an outside ghost may be causing trouble and coming to seek food. Ominous.
○ Illness: The illness is caused by irregular eating and drinking. One should ask the spirits and pray; recovery is possible.
○ Marriage: “You” and “I” refer to the two families of the man and woman. “Abandoning you” and “gazing at me” plainly show that the two families are not harmonious; the cause lies in disputes over betrothal gifts. It will certainly not succeed, and even if it does, it will be ominous.
○ Legal dispute: It must have arisen from a quarrel of words. “Abandon me” and “gaze at you” show that both parties cling to their own views and cannot reach a settlement for the time being. Ominous.
[Case] A friend came to me and said: “I secretly have a request. I wish to go in person to call on a prominent nobleman. Please divine whether it will succeed.” The resulting hexagram was Yi changing to Bo.
The judgment said: The inner trigram of this hexagram is Zhen, thunder—movement. The outer trigram is Gen, mountain—stillness. It is plainly thunder wishing to move but being stopped by the mountain. Now that the first line has appeared, it is clear that you are about to take action but will be obstructed by the prominent nobleman. The line statement says, “Abandon your numinous tortoise and gaze at my drooping jaws.” “You” belongs to the prominent nobleman, while “I” is you. “Abandon you” and “gaze at me” means that you wish to compel the prominent nobleman to follow what you seek. “Drooping jaws” means the request of the mouth and belly, an insatiable desire. Going to call on a prominent nobleman with such an aim will not merely fail; you may instead be reprimanded. Hence “misfortune.”
The friend was displeased to hear this. Later he went to call on the prominent nobleman, who refused to receive him.
The Commentary on the Image says: “Gazing at my drooping jaws is also not worthy of honor.”
Whenever a line statement addresses “you” and “I,” it is one of the I Ching’s conventions in which corresponding lines act as guest and host to one another. Here, the words “you” and “I” are a statement from Six in the fourth place, the corresponding line, addressed to Nine at the beginning: “you” refers to Nine at the beginning, while “I” is how Six in the fourth place refers to itself. The tortoise is one of the four numinous creatures. It neither drinks nor eats, but nourishes itself through breath and silent inward cultivation. Yi has two yang lines at the beginning and top enclosing four yin lines, forming the image of Li; Li is associated with the tortoise, hence “numinous tortoise.” Nine at the beginning is the beginning of one yang, the embryo of all things; this is the numinous tortoise within oneself, which does not depend on nourishment from outside. To abandon the “numinous tortoise” and gaze at “drooping jaws” is to cast aside the virtue of integrity and clarity in order to act on greedy, thieving desires. Such foolish living beings are pitiful and lamentable; therefore the warning says “misfortune.” “Not worthy of honor” in the Image means that nourishing what is small while losing what is great is not worthy of esteem, even if one obtains what one wants.
[Divination]
○ War divination: In ancient times, armies always divined before marching to determine fortune or misfortune. The line statement says, “Abandon your numinous tortoise and gaze at my drooping jaws”—this means not fearing the spirits and merely coveting wealth, hence “misfortune.”
○ Business: The first line is the beginning of one yang; when it changes, it becomes Bo, which means stripping away and unpeeling. The Image says, “It is not favorable to have somewhere to go,” so conducting business will likely make profit difficult. The line’s “you” and “I” are host and guest; “drooping jaws” means the mouth moving to eat food. Abandoning the “numinous tortoise” and gazing at “drooping jaws” suggests that even if there is profit, others may consume it, hence misfortune.
○ Fame and office: The “numinous tortoise” is the inner heart, while “drooping jaws” is the outward appearance. Abandoning the inner and seeking the outer, abandoning oneself and looking at others, merely admiring empty reputation—there can be no real learning, and fame and office will be hard to attain.
○ Household: The six spirits in the residence are unsettled; an outside ghost may be causing trouble and coming to seek food. Ominous.
○ Illness: The illness is caused by irregular eating and drinking. One should ask the spirits and pray; recovery is possible.
○ Marriage: “You” and “I” refer to the two families of the man and woman. “Abandoning you” and “gazing at me” plainly show that the two families are not harmonious; the cause lies in disputes over betrothal gifts. It will certainly not succeed, and even if it does, it will be ominous.
○ Legal dispute: It must have arisen from a quarrel of words. “Abandon me” and “gaze at you” show that both parties cling to their own views and cannot reach a settlement for the time being. Ominous.
[Case] A friend came to me and said: “I secretly have a request. I wish to go in person to call on a prominent nobleman. Please divine whether it will succeed.” The resulting hexagram was Yi changing to Bo.
The judgment said: The inner trigram of this hexagram is Zhen, thunder—movement. The outer trigram is Gen, mountain—stillness. It is plainly thunder wishing to move but being stopped by the mountain. Now that the first line has appeared, it is clear that you are about to take action but will be obstructed by the prominent nobleman. The line statement says, “Abandon your numinous tortoise and gaze at my drooping jaws.” “You” belongs to the prominent nobleman, while “I” is you. “Abandon you” and “gaze at me” means that you wish to compel the prominent nobleman to follow what you seek. “Drooping jaws” means the request of the mouth and belly, an insatiable desire. Going to call on a prominent nobleman with such an aim will not merely fail; you may instead be reprimanded. Hence “misfortune.”
The friend was displeased to hear this. Later he went to call on the prominent nobleman, who refused to receive him.
Six in the second place: Inverted nourishment; violating the constant path at the hill of nourishment. Going forward is ominous.
Six in the second place: Inverted nourishment; violating the constant path at the hill of nourishment. Going forward is ominous.
The Commentary on the Image says: “Six in the second place: Going forward is ominous; in action it loses its kindred.”
The second line is adjacent to the first and corresponds with the fifth. Being yin and yielding, it cannot nourish itself, like a woman who cannot stand independently and must follow a man, or yin unable to stand alone and therefore following yang. “Inverted” means upside down, “violating” means going against, “constant” means principle, and “hill” means the usual place where one stands. The ordinary way of nourishment is for those above to nourish those below. Although the second line corresponds with the fifth, its yin softness cannot nourish the fifth; instead it seeks nourishment from the first line. Hence the statement “inverted nourishment, violating the constant path”: it is upside down and contrary to ordinary reason. Seeking nourishment in this way shows no blessing; acting in this way shows no companions. Therefore it says, “Going forward is ominous.” The Image says, “In action it loses its kindred.” Zhen means movement; yin and yang each follow their own kind. The second line does not know to nourish the Qian of the inner trigram, but instead nourishes the Kun of the outer trigram. This is “losing its kindred,” and therefore “going forward is ominous.”
[Divination]
○ War divination: The essentials of marching are strict discipline and orderly steps. “Inverted nourishment, violating the constant path” means that discipline will certainly be disobeyed and the marching rhythm thrown into confusion. No misfortune could be greater.
○ Business: The second line changes to Sun, which means decrease and depletion, unfavorable for commerce. The line statement says “inverted” and “violating,” plainly indicating that the inflow and outflow of buying and selling will not follow normal principles. Hence “going forward is ominous.”
○ Fame and office: “Inverted nourishment, violating the constant path” means not following the ordinary way, but seeking success through luck. Even if success is gained, the end will be unfortunate.
○ Marriage: Six in the second place is yin and yielding in a low position. Instead of honoring what is above, it nourishes what is below; this is called inversion and disorder, failing to attain correctness. There is no basis for asking about the woman’s proper conduct. Hence the Image says, “In action it loses its kindred.” The misfortune is obvious.
[Case] A friend, a physician named Ito, had a son conducting business in Yokohama. One day Ito came to visit and asked for a divination concerning his son’s lifelong fortune. The resulting hexagram was Yi changing to Sun.
The judgment said: In Yi, Six in the second place is yin in a yin position; both ability and intelligence are weak, insufficient to establish a career. Yi means nourishment. One should occupy a lower position and serve what is above, not occupy the upper position and nourish what is below; this is the constant way of nourishment. Now the second line says, “Inverted nourishment, violating the constant path at the hill,” meaning inversion and disorder, losing correctness. You have asked about your son’s lifelong fortune and obtained this line; it is clear that although your son engages in business, he will be unable to profit and support his parents, and will instead deplete his father’s property. Hence “going forward is ominous.” Moreover, all those with whom he works are bad company, so the Image says, “Six in the second place: Going forward is ominous; in action it loses its kindred.” The only course now is to instruct your son to stop doing business, which may avert later trouble.
Ito heard this and sighed deeply, saying that what the images of the I Ching had foretold was accurate in every detail. He immediately ordered his son to close the shop, but the son refused; in the end, the entire family fortune was exhausted. How regrettable, how regrettable!
The Commentary on the Image says: “Six in the second place: Going forward is ominous; in action it loses its kindred.”
The second line is adjacent to the first and corresponds with the fifth. Being yin and yielding, it cannot nourish itself, like a woman who cannot stand independently and must follow a man, or yin unable to stand alone and therefore following yang. “Inverted” means upside down, “violating” means going against, “constant” means principle, and “hill” means the usual place where one stands. The ordinary way of nourishment is for those above to nourish those below. Although the second line corresponds with the fifth, its yin softness cannot nourish the fifth; instead it seeks nourishment from the first line. Hence the statement “inverted nourishment, violating the constant path”: it is upside down and contrary to ordinary reason. Seeking nourishment in this way shows no blessing; acting in this way shows no companions. Therefore it says, “Going forward is ominous.” The Image says, “In action it loses its kindred.” Zhen means movement; yin and yang each follow their own kind. The second line does not know to nourish the Qian of the inner trigram, but instead nourishes the Kun of the outer trigram. This is “losing its kindred,” and therefore “going forward is ominous.”
[Divination]
○ War divination: The essentials of marching are strict discipline and orderly steps. “Inverted nourishment, violating the constant path” means that discipline will certainly be disobeyed and the marching rhythm thrown into confusion. No misfortune could be greater.
○ Business: The second line changes to Sun, which means decrease and depletion, unfavorable for commerce. The line statement says “inverted” and “violating,” plainly indicating that the inflow and outflow of buying and selling will not follow normal principles. Hence “going forward is ominous.”
○ Fame and office: “Inverted nourishment, violating the constant path” means not following the ordinary way, but seeking success through luck. Even if success is gained, the end will be unfortunate.
○ Marriage: Six in the second place is yin and yielding in a low position. Instead of honoring what is above, it nourishes what is below; this is called inversion and disorder, failing to attain correctness. There is no basis for asking about the woman’s proper conduct. Hence the Image says, “In action it loses its kindred.” The misfortune is obvious.
[Case] A friend, a physician named Ito, had a son conducting business in Yokohama. One day Ito came to visit and asked for a divination concerning his son’s lifelong fortune. The resulting hexagram was Yi changing to Sun.
The judgment said: In Yi, Six in the second place is yin in a yin position; both ability and intelligence are weak, insufficient to establish a career. Yi means nourishment. One should occupy a lower position and serve what is above, not occupy the upper position and nourish what is below; this is the constant way of nourishment. Now the second line says, “Inverted nourishment, violating the constant path at the hill,” meaning inversion and disorder, losing correctness. You have asked about your son’s lifelong fortune and obtained this line; it is clear that although your son engages in business, he will be unable to profit and support his parents, and will instead deplete his father’s property. Hence “going forward is ominous.” Moreover, all those with whom he works are bad company, so the Image says, “Six in the second place: Going forward is ominous; in action it loses its kindred.” The only course now is to instruct your son to stop doing business, which may avert later trouble.
Ito heard this and sighed deeply, saying that what the images of the I Ching had foretold was accurate in every detail. He immediately ordered his son to close the shop, but the son refused; in the end, the entire family fortune was exhausted. How regrettable, how regrettable!
Six in the third place: Violating nourishment. Correctness is ominous. For ten years, do not use it; there is nowhere favorable to go.
Six in the third place: Violating nourishment. Correctness is ominous. For ten years, do not use it; there is nowhere favorable to go.
The Commentary on the Image says: “For ten years, do not use it; the way is greatly contrary.”
The third line is at the extreme of the inner trigram, yin, yielding, and neither central nor correct. When the third line of Yi changes, it becomes Bi. The Spring and Autumn of Master Lü says that Confucius divined and obtained Bi and declared it inauspicious because Bi lacked the proper five colors. In Yi, the third line is adjacent to the second and corresponds with the top; it flatters the top in order to serve it, thereby violating the correctness of nourishment, hence misfortune. The upper and lower nuclear trigrams combine to form Kun; Kun signifies ten years, hence “ten years.” Kun also signifies use; because it violates correctness, it says “do not use.” From the third through the sixth lines comes Bo. The Tuan Commentary on Bo says, “It is not favorable to have somewhere to go.” The gloss explains that in the time of Bo, one who is forceful, arrogant, agitated, and defiant provokes offense and brings about his own downfall; therefore “it is not favorable to have somewhere to go.” Since the third line of Yi violates correctness, it directly says “there is nowhere favorable to go”—there is nowhere to proceed and no benefit to gain. The Commentary on the Image says “the way is greatly contrary,” emphasizing that it profoundly disrupts the way of nourishment. Therefore it reaches “ten years” and “do not use,” a severe condemnation and complete abandonment.
[Divination]
○ War divination: An army is auspicious when it adheres to correctness; violating correctness is inauspicious. Yi means nourishment—troops are nourished for future use, but if nourishment violates its proper way, the troops cannot be employed. The Image says, “The way is greatly contrary.” This means defying superiors and delighting in disorder; defeat and ruin are certain. Hence misfortune.
○ Business: Commerce is devoted to making profit. “There is nowhere favorable to go” means that regardless of the size of the business or the distance of the trade, no profit will be obtained. Taken to “for ten years, do not use it,” it means that matters will remain unsuccessful for a very long time. Ominous.
○ Fame and office: The way of fame and office lies in going out to serve the age and benefiting the multitude; this is nourishing the world through the Way. If one violates the correctness of Yi and goes so far as “for ten years, do not use it,” one will spend one’s whole life without ever being employed. Hence “there is nowhere favorable to go.”
○ Household: This residence will surely remain unoccupied for a long time. There is also fear that ghosts may emerge seeking food; the household is unsettled and living there is unfavorable.
○ Marriage: The woman’s conduct is likely unchaste, and the marriage will not be completed until after ten years.
○ Pregnancy: A boy will be born.
[Example] In the twenty-fifth year of Meiji, a divination was made concerning the fortunes of the nation, and the Yi Jing hexagram Nurturing changed to Adornment was obtained; another divination was made concerning the House of Representatives, yielding the first line. The reasoning is as follows:
This hexagram has thunder below and a mountain above: thunder wants to move, but is stopped by the mountain. The image of Nurturing is a mouth; the upper jaw is still while the lower jaw moves. Its meaning is nourishment, like opening the mouth to seek food. Now, when this hexagram appears for the nation’s fortunes, it indicates that what the nation values most is its people, and what the people value most is food. A person becomes hungry after one day without food and dies after seven. The people’s ceaseless daily toil, without shrinking from hardship, is nothing other than seeking food for themselves. Within, the family; without, the nation: supporting parents above and raising children below, all depend on obtaining food for nourishment. Moreover, the inverse hexagram of Nurturing is still Nurturing. When the people below rise into motion, the government above can restrain them; when the government acts, the people below can likewise restrain it. It is like the upper and lower lips of the mouth, opening and closing in mutual cooperation. Hence it is favorable to observe. To “observe nourishment” means to examine whether its nourishment is correct and upright. Uprightness means correctness; nourishing what is correct brings good fortune. From the individual to families, the nation, and the world, good fortune depends on obtaining nourishment in the proper way. Throughout Japan our population is multiplying. In the fifth year of Meiji there were 35 million people; within twenty years this had reached over 40 million, and now the annual average increase is about 400,000. As for land cultivation, no more than 20,000 cho of fields are reclaimed each year. Comparing what the land produces with what the population consumes, every year 200,000 people cannot obtain enough food. Thus the people cannot help but “seek sustenance for themselves.” Seeking it properly brings good fortune; seeking it improperly leads to dissipation, perversity, immorality, and extravagance, until nothing is left undone. Then the way of shame and integrity declines, struggle and plunder increase daily, and bands of thieves arise. At the root of it all is the attempt to “seek sustenance for oneself.” The court governs by laws prohibiting violence but does not open the source of livelihood and nourishment. This is like seeing a baby crying from hunger, refusing to nurse it, and instead giving it bitter medicine to stop the crying: in the end it is of no benefit. For present policy, the only course is to guide the impoverished people to cultivate barren and uncultivated land, and to undertake public works for the nation, thereby providing places where the people may apply their labor and obtain food. This is what is meant by “upright nourishment brings good fortune.”
The third line says: “Reversing nourishment; uprightness is ominous. For ten years do not employ it; there is no benefit anywhere.” This is the opposite expression of what the Tuan Commentary calls “upright nourishment brings good fortune.” “For ten years do not employ it; there is no benefit anywhere” is the extreme of misfortune. The third line is yin in a yin place, neither central nor correct; above and below it both violate the proper way of nourishing in Nurturing. Hence it says, “Reversing nourishment; uprightness is ominous.” When this line appears for the nation’s fortunes, if adjustments are not made urgently now, I fear that future troubles may become immeasurable. Moreover, after the next ten years, when the fortune reaches the top line of Excess, there will be an image of impoverished people turning into corpses in the ditches. Hence it says, “For ten years do not employ it; there is no benefit anywhere.” Such is the divinatory image. How frightening! How frightening!
For the House of Representatives, the first line was obtained. Its text says: “You abandon the spiritual tortoise and look at my drooping jaws; ominous.” The Commentary on the Image says: “Looking at my drooping jaws is also unworthy of esteem.” The tortoise is the most spiritually perceptive of shelled creatures. Dragging its tail through the mud, it preserves its spiritual virtue and does not seek sustenance. The first line is the beginning of yang in Thunder and governs the lower trigram. Its text says, “You abandon the spiritual tortoise and look at my drooping jaws; ominous.” Now, speaking of legislators, “you” refers to those who choose the candidates, while “I” necessarily refers to those who seek election. If one abandons the clear judgment of the selectors and focuses only on the candidates’ pursuit of food and gain, then the tortoise has lost its spiritual quality and is unworthy to be called a tortoise; likewise, a legislator without talent is unworthy to be called a legislator. Hence the Image says, “Looking at my drooping jaws is also unworthy of esteem.” It plainly says that these people merely seek warmth and food; even if they happen to become legislators, how could they be worthy of esteem? Moreover, when this line changes, it becomes Stripping. The hexagram Stripping says, “The way of the noble person diminishes, the way of the petty person grows.” This is of the utmost concern to the rise and fall of the nation. Those who lead the selection of legislators should be deeply vigilant.
[Example] A certain friend, engaged in commerce and living in comfort, had one son. Throughout his life he regretted not having studied, so he sent his son to school in Tokyo. Although the son graduated, he had received no family education and consequently fell in with bad company, pursuing wine and food and wasting money. He sometimes insulted elders, sometimes slandered relatives and friends, and even regarded his father as old-fashioned and treated him like a slave, pressuring his parents to divide up the property. He returned to Tokyo and worked as a defense lawyer, occasionally engaging in rice trading to compete for profit, eventually losing his capital, and then relying on a friend to appeal to his father. His father therefore came to request a divination, and Nurturing changing to Adornment was obtained.
The judgment was: Nurturing means nourishment; it indicates that those below should properly nourish those above. Now your son divided his father’s property, soon squandered it all, and then again sought food from his father. Thus the one below cannot nourish the one above, but instead wishes the one above to nourish the one below. Therefore the third line says: “Reversing nourishment; uprightness is ominous. For ten years do not employ it; there is no benefit anywhere.” Since your son has long lacked instruction and does not know the hardship of producing a livelihood, he will surely reach the state of “for ten years do not employ it,” enduring poverty, hardship, and every kind of difficulty. Once extreme hardship makes him repent, after ten years he may perhaps accomplish something. For the present, the only practical measure is to provide him with just enough food to get through each day. That is how the matter should be handled today.
His father sighed and said: “As the saying goes, ‘If a son is not taught, it is the father’s fault.’ I know now what I have to regret.” He then thanked me and departed.
The Commentary on the Image says: “For ten years, do not use it; the way is greatly contrary.”
The third line is at the extreme of the inner trigram, yin, yielding, and neither central nor correct. When the third line of Yi changes, it becomes Bi. The Spring and Autumn of Master Lü says that Confucius divined and obtained Bi and declared it inauspicious because Bi lacked the proper five colors. In Yi, the third line is adjacent to the second and corresponds with the top; it flatters the top in order to serve it, thereby violating the correctness of nourishment, hence misfortune. The upper and lower nuclear trigrams combine to form Kun; Kun signifies ten years, hence “ten years.” Kun also signifies use; because it violates correctness, it says “do not use.” From the third through the sixth lines comes Bo. The Tuan Commentary on Bo says, “It is not favorable to have somewhere to go.” The gloss explains that in the time of Bo, one who is forceful, arrogant, agitated, and defiant provokes offense and brings about his own downfall; therefore “it is not favorable to have somewhere to go.” Since the third line of Yi violates correctness, it directly says “there is nowhere favorable to go”—there is nowhere to proceed and no benefit to gain. The Commentary on the Image says “the way is greatly contrary,” emphasizing that it profoundly disrupts the way of nourishment. Therefore it reaches “ten years” and “do not use,” a severe condemnation and complete abandonment.
[Divination]
○ War divination: An army is auspicious when it adheres to correctness; violating correctness is inauspicious. Yi means nourishment—troops are nourished for future use, but if nourishment violates its proper way, the troops cannot be employed. The Image says, “The way is greatly contrary.” This means defying superiors and delighting in disorder; defeat and ruin are certain. Hence misfortune.
○ Business: Commerce is devoted to making profit. “There is nowhere favorable to go” means that regardless of the size of the business or the distance of the trade, no profit will be obtained. Taken to “for ten years, do not use it,” it means that matters will remain unsuccessful for a very long time. Ominous.
○ Fame and office: The way of fame and office lies in going out to serve the age and benefiting the multitude; this is nourishing the world through the Way. If one violates the correctness of Yi and goes so far as “for ten years, do not use it,” one will spend one’s whole life without ever being employed. Hence “there is nowhere favorable to go.”
○ Household: This residence will surely remain unoccupied for a long time. There is also fear that ghosts may emerge seeking food; the household is unsettled and living there is unfavorable.
○ Marriage: The woman’s conduct is likely unchaste, and the marriage will not be completed until after ten years.
○ Pregnancy: A boy will be born.
[Example] In the twenty-fifth year of Meiji, a divination was made concerning the fortunes of the nation, and the Yi Jing hexagram Nurturing changed to Adornment was obtained; another divination was made concerning the House of Representatives, yielding the first line. The reasoning is as follows:
This hexagram has thunder below and a mountain above: thunder wants to move, but is stopped by the mountain. The image of Nurturing is a mouth; the upper jaw is still while the lower jaw moves. Its meaning is nourishment, like opening the mouth to seek food. Now, when this hexagram appears for the nation’s fortunes, it indicates that what the nation values most is its people, and what the people value most is food. A person becomes hungry after one day without food and dies after seven. The people’s ceaseless daily toil, without shrinking from hardship, is nothing other than seeking food for themselves. Within, the family; without, the nation: supporting parents above and raising children below, all depend on obtaining food for nourishment. Moreover, the inverse hexagram of Nurturing is still Nurturing. When the people below rise into motion, the government above can restrain them; when the government acts, the people below can likewise restrain it. It is like the upper and lower lips of the mouth, opening and closing in mutual cooperation. Hence it is favorable to observe. To “observe nourishment” means to examine whether its nourishment is correct and upright. Uprightness means correctness; nourishing what is correct brings good fortune. From the individual to families, the nation, and the world, good fortune depends on obtaining nourishment in the proper way. Throughout Japan our population is multiplying. In the fifth year of Meiji there were 35 million people; within twenty years this had reached over 40 million, and now the annual average increase is about 400,000. As for land cultivation, no more than 20,000 cho of fields are reclaimed each year. Comparing what the land produces with what the population consumes, every year 200,000 people cannot obtain enough food. Thus the people cannot help but “seek sustenance for themselves.” Seeking it properly brings good fortune; seeking it improperly leads to dissipation, perversity, immorality, and extravagance, until nothing is left undone. Then the way of shame and integrity declines, struggle and plunder increase daily, and bands of thieves arise. At the root of it all is the attempt to “seek sustenance for oneself.” The court governs by laws prohibiting violence but does not open the source of livelihood and nourishment. This is like seeing a baby crying from hunger, refusing to nurse it, and instead giving it bitter medicine to stop the crying: in the end it is of no benefit. For present policy, the only course is to guide the impoverished people to cultivate barren and uncultivated land, and to undertake public works for the nation, thereby providing places where the people may apply their labor and obtain food. This is what is meant by “upright nourishment brings good fortune.”
The third line says: “Reversing nourishment; uprightness is ominous. For ten years do not employ it; there is no benefit anywhere.” This is the opposite expression of what the Tuan Commentary calls “upright nourishment brings good fortune.” “For ten years do not employ it; there is no benefit anywhere” is the extreme of misfortune. The third line is yin in a yin place, neither central nor correct; above and below it both violate the proper way of nourishing in Nurturing. Hence it says, “Reversing nourishment; uprightness is ominous.” When this line appears for the nation’s fortunes, if adjustments are not made urgently now, I fear that future troubles may become immeasurable. Moreover, after the next ten years, when the fortune reaches the top line of Excess, there will be an image of impoverished people turning into corpses in the ditches. Hence it says, “For ten years do not employ it; there is no benefit anywhere.” Such is the divinatory image. How frightening! How frightening!
For the House of Representatives, the first line was obtained. Its text says: “You abandon the spiritual tortoise and look at my drooping jaws; ominous.” The Commentary on the Image says: “Looking at my drooping jaws is also unworthy of esteem.” The tortoise is the most spiritually perceptive of shelled creatures. Dragging its tail through the mud, it preserves its spiritual virtue and does not seek sustenance. The first line is the beginning of yang in Thunder and governs the lower trigram. Its text says, “You abandon the spiritual tortoise and look at my drooping jaws; ominous.” Now, speaking of legislators, “you” refers to those who choose the candidates, while “I” necessarily refers to those who seek election. If one abandons the clear judgment of the selectors and focuses only on the candidates’ pursuit of food and gain, then the tortoise has lost its spiritual quality and is unworthy to be called a tortoise; likewise, a legislator without talent is unworthy to be called a legislator. Hence the Image says, “Looking at my drooping jaws is also unworthy of esteem.” It plainly says that these people merely seek warmth and food; even if they happen to become legislators, how could they be worthy of esteem? Moreover, when this line changes, it becomes Stripping. The hexagram Stripping says, “The way of the noble person diminishes, the way of the petty person grows.” This is of the utmost concern to the rise and fall of the nation. Those who lead the selection of legislators should be deeply vigilant.
[Example] A certain friend, engaged in commerce and living in comfort, had one son. Throughout his life he regretted not having studied, so he sent his son to school in Tokyo. Although the son graduated, he had received no family education and consequently fell in with bad company, pursuing wine and food and wasting money. He sometimes insulted elders, sometimes slandered relatives and friends, and even regarded his father as old-fashioned and treated him like a slave, pressuring his parents to divide up the property. He returned to Tokyo and worked as a defense lawyer, occasionally engaging in rice trading to compete for profit, eventually losing his capital, and then relying on a friend to appeal to his father. His father therefore came to request a divination, and Nurturing changing to Adornment was obtained.
The judgment was: Nurturing means nourishment; it indicates that those below should properly nourish those above. Now your son divided his father’s property, soon squandered it all, and then again sought food from his father. Thus the one below cannot nourish the one above, but instead wishes the one above to nourish the one below. Therefore the third line says: “Reversing nourishment; uprightness is ominous. For ten years do not employ it; there is no benefit anywhere.” Since your son has long lacked instruction and does not know the hardship of producing a livelihood, he will surely reach the state of “for ten years do not employ it,” enduring poverty, hardship, and every kind of difficulty. Once extreme hardship makes him repent, after ten years he may perhaps accomplish something. For the present, the only practical measure is to provide him with just enough food to get through each day. That is how the matter should be handled today.
His father sighed and said: “As the saying goes, ‘If a son is not taught, it is the father’s fault.’ I know now what I have to regret.” He then thanked me and departed.
Six in the fourth place: Reversing nourishment, good fortune. Watching like a tiger, its desires pursuing one after another; no blame.
Six in the fourth place: Reversing nourishment, good fortune. Watching like a tiger, its desires pursuing one after another; no blame.
The Commentary on the Image says: “The good fortune of reversing nourishment comes from the illumination bestowed from above.”
The fourth line is yielding yet correct. It corresponds to the firm and correct Initial Nine, occupies its proper place, and nourishes those below from above. Thus it embodies the meaning of Nourishment, and so it says, “Turning upside down to receive nourishment brings good fortune.” The fourth line belongs to the upper body and receives the qi of Keeping Still. Keeping Still is represented by the tiger, whose appearance is that of gazing intently downward; this means being imposing without being fierce. “Pursuing persistently” is written as “following quietly” in the Zixia Commentary, as “going leisurely” in Gou’s version, and as “gazing intently” in Liu Biao’s version, which says, “It means being far away.” According to the Han Shu, “The sixth in the fourth place gazes intently; its desire flows gently.” Yan Shigu’s annotation says, “Flowing gently describes the appearance of desire for benefit.” The Initial line takes the tortoise as its image, and the tortoise is the foremost of shelled creatures; the fourth line takes the tiger as its image, and the tiger is the foremost of beasts. Thus the two correspond to each other. The virtue of the tortoise lies in its spiritual responsiveness, while the tiger’s power lies in its gaze; the Initial and fourth lines each draw their meaning from a particular basis. Moreover, the Nourishment hexagram is connected through the opposite trigrams with Great Excess, and Great Excess means being overturned; therefore the fourth line is called “overturned,” and the second line is also called “overturned.” The Second in the sixth place says, “Turning upside down to receive nourishment is ominous,” whereas the Fourth in the sixth place gains good fortune through “turning upside down to receive nourishment.” Why? The Second in the sixth place is in the lower body and also nourishes those below, and therefore it is ominous. The Fourth in the sixth place is in the upper body and responds to the Initial; it is yielding yet responsive to firmness, and can also be imposing while having few desires, so it is fortunate. The Commentary on the Image says, “The good fortune of turning upside down to receive nourishment comes from the radiance bestowed from above.” “Above” refers to the Topmost Nine. The Topmost line obtains one yang line from Qian; the yang of Qian shines upward, and its brightness illuminates everything without exception. When the fourth line understands how to nourish the primal vitality of Qian, the radiance of Qian is bestowed upon it, and the fourth line receives it as its own light. Therefore it says, “The radiance is bestowed from above.”
[Divination]
○ Inquiry about warfare: Brave soldiers are called tiger ministers, and also tiger warriors; both expressions indicate strength. Yet their elite spirit must first be nurtured before they are employed. One must not merely rely on ferocity and advance rashly. Hence it says, “Reversing nourishment, good fortune.”
○ Inquiry about business: “Reversal” may indicate that prices will temporarily fall. “Watching like a tiger, its desires pursuing one after another” describes merchants seeking profit: if one can watch for low prices and stock up on goods, it is auspicious and without blame.
○ Inquiry about honors and reputation: Signs of achievement and fame have traditionally drawn on dragons and tigers, so this is auspicious. “Watching intently” and “desires pursuing one after another” both signify schemes and hopes for advancement.
○ Inquiry about the home: This residence must have a White Tiger on the right, high above, with an angry-eyed form seeming ready to devour. Fortunately, the fourth line is yin in a yin place and occupies its correct position, so there will be no blame.
○ Pregnancy: A boy will be born.
[Example] Mr. Matsumoto Ikuro, councillor in the Home Ministry, was about to travel to Nobi on official business and requested a divination concerning his appointment. Nurturing changing to Biting Through was obtained.
The judgment was: In this hexagram the inner trigram is Thunder, movement; the outer trigram is Keeping Still, stopping. Thus it is clear that you are going to Nobi to handle matters after the earthquake. Thunder moves and Keeping Still stops: the image is unmistakable. The proper way of nourishment is for those below to nourish those above. Now, after the earthquake, the people cannot obtain food, so the court releases grain for relief; those above are therefore nourishing those below. This is an inversion, hence “reversing nourishment, good fortune.” “Watching like a tiger, its desires pursuing one after another” applies to the disaster victims: their frantic search for food is just like hungry tigers and is not surprising. Yet might there not be corrupt officials seeking private gain, looking upon the government’s relief provisions and secretly planning to fill their own bellies? Those described as “watching intently” and “desires pursuing one after another” may also exist among them. In handling this disaster case, you must be especially alert to their deceit and crookedness. This line changes to Biting Through. Biting Through is the hexagram of administering lawsuits and making punishments clear—the meaning of “minor punishments that serve as a great warning.” Relieve these disaster victims and punish those corrupt officials. Although there may be “watching like a tiger, desires pursuing one after another,” there will certainly be no blame.
Mr. Matsumoto nodded in agreement and departed. The outcome later proved to be exactly as this divination indicated.
[Example] A certain friend came and asked for a divination concerning a prominent person. Nurturing changing to Increase was obtained.
The judgment was: The fourth line is close to the sixth in the fifth place, clearly showing the image of a chief minister. It occupies the upper body and is the beginning of Keeping Still. Its authority and virtue can stabilize the movement of the multitude, while its benevolence can nourish all beings. It corresponds with the first line, yin nourishing yang, and can also maintain authority while having few desires. Therefore it says: “Reversing nourishment, good fortune. Watching like a tiger, its desires pursuing one after another; no blame.” My friend said: “Your judgment is exactly like seeing the man himself.”
The Commentary on the Image says: “The good fortune of reversing nourishment comes from the illumination bestowed from above.”
The fourth line is yielding yet correct. It corresponds to the firm and correct Initial Nine, occupies its proper place, and nourishes those below from above. Thus it embodies the meaning of Nourishment, and so it says, “Turning upside down to receive nourishment brings good fortune.” The fourth line belongs to the upper body and receives the qi of Keeping Still. Keeping Still is represented by the tiger, whose appearance is that of gazing intently downward; this means being imposing without being fierce. “Pursuing persistently” is written as “following quietly” in the Zixia Commentary, as “going leisurely” in Gou’s version, and as “gazing intently” in Liu Biao’s version, which says, “It means being far away.” According to the Han Shu, “The sixth in the fourth place gazes intently; its desire flows gently.” Yan Shigu’s annotation says, “Flowing gently describes the appearance of desire for benefit.” The Initial line takes the tortoise as its image, and the tortoise is the foremost of shelled creatures; the fourth line takes the tiger as its image, and the tiger is the foremost of beasts. Thus the two correspond to each other. The virtue of the tortoise lies in its spiritual responsiveness, while the tiger’s power lies in its gaze; the Initial and fourth lines each draw their meaning from a particular basis. Moreover, the Nourishment hexagram is connected through the opposite trigrams with Great Excess, and Great Excess means being overturned; therefore the fourth line is called “overturned,” and the second line is also called “overturned.” The Second in the sixth place says, “Turning upside down to receive nourishment is ominous,” whereas the Fourth in the sixth place gains good fortune through “turning upside down to receive nourishment.” Why? The Second in the sixth place is in the lower body and also nourishes those below, and therefore it is ominous. The Fourth in the sixth place is in the upper body and responds to the Initial; it is yielding yet responsive to firmness, and can also be imposing while having few desires, so it is fortunate. The Commentary on the Image says, “The good fortune of turning upside down to receive nourishment comes from the radiance bestowed from above.” “Above” refers to the Topmost Nine. The Topmost line obtains one yang line from Qian; the yang of Qian shines upward, and its brightness illuminates everything without exception. When the fourth line understands how to nourish the primal vitality of Qian, the radiance of Qian is bestowed upon it, and the fourth line receives it as its own light. Therefore it says, “The radiance is bestowed from above.”
[Divination]
○ Inquiry about warfare: Brave soldiers are called tiger ministers, and also tiger warriors; both expressions indicate strength. Yet their elite spirit must first be nurtured before they are employed. One must not merely rely on ferocity and advance rashly. Hence it says, “Reversing nourishment, good fortune.”
○ Inquiry about business: “Reversal” may indicate that prices will temporarily fall. “Watching like a tiger, its desires pursuing one after another” describes merchants seeking profit: if one can watch for low prices and stock up on goods, it is auspicious and without blame.
○ Inquiry about honors and reputation: Signs of achievement and fame have traditionally drawn on dragons and tigers, so this is auspicious. “Watching intently” and “desires pursuing one after another” both signify schemes and hopes for advancement.
○ Inquiry about the home: This residence must have a White Tiger on the right, high above, with an angry-eyed form seeming ready to devour. Fortunately, the fourth line is yin in a yin place and occupies its correct position, so there will be no blame.
○ Pregnancy: A boy will be born.
[Example] Mr. Matsumoto Ikuro, councillor in the Home Ministry, was about to travel to Nobi on official business and requested a divination concerning his appointment. Nurturing changing to Biting Through was obtained.
The judgment was: In this hexagram the inner trigram is Thunder, movement; the outer trigram is Keeping Still, stopping. Thus it is clear that you are going to Nobi to handle matters after the earthquake. Thunder moves and Keeping Still stops: the image is unmistakable. The proper way of nourishment is for those below to nourish those above. Now, after the earthquake, the people cannot obtain food, so the court releases grain for relief; those above are therefore nourishing those below. This is an inversion, hence “reversing nourishment, good fortune.” “Watching like a tiger, its desires pursuing one after another” applies to the disaster victims: their frantic search for food is just like hungry tigers and is not surprising. Yet might there not be corrupt officials seeking private gain, looking upon the government’s relief provisions and secretly planning to fill their own bellies? Those described as “watching intently” and “desires pursuing one after another” may also exist among them. In handling this disaster case, you must be especially alert to their deceit and crookedness. This line changes to Biting Through. Biting Through is the hexagram of administering lawsuits and making punishments clear—the meaning of “minor punishments that serve as a great warning.” Relieve these disaster victims and punish those corrupt officials. Although there may be “watching like a tiger, desires pursuing one after another,” there will certainly be no blame.
Mr. Matsumoto nodded in agreement and departed. The outcome later proved to be exactly as this divination indicated.
[Example] A certain friend came and asked for a divination concerning a prominent person. Nurturing changing to Increase was obtained.
The judgment was: The fourth line is close to the sixth in the fifth place, clearly showing the image of a chief minister. It occupies the upper body and is the beginning of Keeping Still. Its authority and virtue can stabilize the movement of the multitude, while its benevolence can nourish all beings. It corresponds with the first line, yin nourishing yang, and can also maintain authority while having few desires. Therefore it says: “Reversing nourishment, good fortune. Watching like a tiger, its desires pursuing one after another; no blame.” My friend said: “Your judgment is exactly like seeing the man himself.”
Six in the fifth place: Reversing the norm, dwelling in uprightness brings good fortune; one must not cross the great river.
Six in the fifth place: Reversing the norm, dwelling in uprightness brings good fortune; one must not cross the great river.
The Commentary on the Image says: “The good fortune of dwelling in uprightness lies in following and submitting to what is above.”
The fifth line is yang in a yang place, has no response below, and is close to the top. This means that the ruler cannot nourish the people and instead is nourished by them; thus it violates the constant norm of the ruler’s way, hence “reversing the norm.” The six lines of Nurturing have only the first and top lines belonging to yang. Yang should move and yin should remain; moreover, the fifth belongs to Keeping Still, and Keeping Still means stopping. If it moves, it loses its proper category. Hence “dwelling in uprightness brings good fortune.” The fifth is also hollow in the center, symbolizing the Gorge; the Gorge signifies danger and also a great river. “Dwelling in uprightness” is auspicious, but the way of nourishment is not yet complete, so it cannot cross danger. Hence “one must not cross the great river.” Line two says “reversing the norm,” and line three says “reversing nourishment.” Reversal means violation; because lines two and three violate the way of nourishing, both are called ominous. Line five also says “reversing the norm,” yet uniquely says it is auspicious. Why? The good fortune of the fifth line does not lie in “reversing the norm,” but in “dwelling in uprightness.” Therefore the Commentary on the Image says: “The good fortune of dwelling in uprightness lies in following and submitting to what is above.” “Above” refers to the top nine. The fifth is near the top and can let yin submit to yang; therefore dwelling in uprightness brings good fortune.
[Divination]
○ Inquiry about warfare: In the conduct of an army there are established rules and expedient measures. One who can adapt to circumstances need not cling rigidly to rules, so “reversing the norm” entails no blame. Since it says “dwelling in uprightness brings good fortune,” one should hold a firm defensive position rather than attack. “One must not cross the great river” suggests ambushes near the river; if proceeding by boat, beware of calamity from wind and waves. Caution is essential in all these matters.
○ Inquiry about business: This favors fixed-location merchants but not itinerant traders; shipping goods overseas is especially worrisome.
○ Inquiry about honors and reputation: Going out to sit for an examination, it will be difficult to hope for distinction.
○ Inquiry about the home: The upper body belongs to Keeping Still, so living in the mountains is auspicious. If the home is beside a river or near water, it is unfavorable.
○ Inquiry about marriage: There may be no proper match arranged through the matchmaker. If one can remain devoted to one person until the end, it will still be auspicious.
○ Pregnancy: A boy will be born.
○ Inquiry about illness: The illness is in the fifth line. If prolonged, it will last four or five months; if recent, five or six days, arising from improper recuperation. If one can remain at home and rest quietly, it is auspicious. If one exposes oneself to wind and rain or travels far, treatment may be difficult.
[Example] In the Mid-Autumn Festival of the tenth year of Meiji, Fukuda Gyokai, chief priest of Zojōji Temple in Tokyo, came to visit with his disciple, Assistant Chief Priest Asahi. He said: “The Buddhist hall of Zojōji once suffered a fire. Ten years have now passed. The monks have planned to request its rebuilding. I said that after the wars, raising funds would not be easy. Hearing this, the monks did not think my words correct. They said that for the head temple to have no great hall would mean losing its solemn appearance. All of them vowed to solicit donations and planned its reconstruction. Thus they estimated the construction expenses and all necessities at several tens of thousands of yen. Later, because prices rose sharply, the work remained unfinished and the funds ran out. I venture to request a divination.” I replied: “The way of the I Ching exhausts human affairs and awaits Heaven’s decree. Trivial details should not be questioned irreverently. It would be better to divine when the Buddhist hall will be completed.” Asahi agreed, and Nurturing changing to Increase was obtained.
The judgment says: Divining the fifth line of the Yi hexagram reveals the outcome of the Buddhist community today. “Scripture” means Buddhist scriptures; to “brush against the scriptures” means violating their purport. Since the Restoration, Buddhist institutions have also undergone reform. Once temple lands were returned and the prohibitions on Buddhist practice were changed, eating meat and taking wives were no longer forbidden. What distinction then remained between those who left home and those living at home? This is what is meant by “brushing against the scriptures.” Yet the purposes of Buddhism have never been uniform. Among the eminent monks of old were some who lived on feeding pigeons, as recorded in the scriptures, and some who took Dharma delight as their wife. Thus they violated the law with their bodies and returned to emptiness, emptying all things and entering quiescence. This too is one method; but only dwelling peacefully and guarding chastity is auspicious. If one does not avoid danger and instead competes with ordinary people for profit and pursues desire, it is unacceptable. Hence: “It is not advisable to cross the great river.” The nuclear reverse hexagram of Yi is the Great Exceeding hexagram. Its fourth line says, “The ridgepole rises—auspicious.” The fourth line is nuclear Qian; its celestial branch is Hai, positioned above the Dwellings of Danger. The Kaiyuan Divination Classic quotes Master Gan: “Danger governs the erection of houses,” and the Earth-Axis Divination says: “The Chamber is the palace of a great person.” Hence, “the ridgepole rises.” A Buddhist hall is built to enshrine a great Buddha, so it likewise has the image of a rising ridgepole. The Commentary on the Image for the fifth line of Yi says: “The auspiciousness of dwelling in steadfastness lies in following what is above.” “What is above” refers to the top ninth line, which says: “Through nourishment, danger becomes auspicious; there is great celebration.” From the fifth line to the top line there is one intervening line, signifying one year. Following what is above and awaiting the next year, the Buddhist hall can be completed; hence, “there is celebration.”
The Commentary on the Image says: “The good fortune of dwelling in uprightness lies in following and submitting to what is above.”
The fifth line is yang in a yang place, has no response below, and is close to the top. This means that the ruler cannot nourish the people and instead is nourished by them; thus it violates the constant norm of the ruler’s way, hence “reversing the norm.” The six lines of Nurturing have only the first and top lines belonging to yang. Yang should move and yin should remain; moreover, the fifth belongs to Keeping Still, and Keeping Still means stopping. If it moves, it loses its proper category. Hence “dwelling in uprightness brings good fortune.” The fifth is also hollow in the center, symbolizing the Gorge; the Gorge signifies danger and also a great river. “Dwelling in uprightness” is auspicious, but the way of nourishment is not yet complete, so it cannot cross danger. Hence “one must not cross the great river.” Line two says “reversing the norm,” and line three says “reversing nourishment.” Reversal means violation; because lines two and three violate the way of nourishing, both are called ominous. Line five also says “reversing the norm,” yet uniquely says it is auspicious. Why? The good fortune of the fifth line does not lie in “reversing the norm,” but in “dwelling in uprightness.” Therefore the Commentary on the Image says: “The good fortune of dwelling in uprightness lies in following and submitting to what is above.” “Above” refers to the top nine. The fifth is near the top and can let yin submit to yang; therefore dwelling in uprightness brings good fortune.
[Divination]
○ Inquiry about warfare: In the conduct of an army there are established rules and expedient measures. One who can adapt to circumstances need not cling rigidly to rules, so “reversing the norm” entails no blame. Since it says “dwelling in uprightness brings good fortune,” one should hold a firm defensive position rather than attack. “One must not cross the great river” suggests ambushes near the river; if proceeding by boat, beware of calamity from wind and waves. Caution is essential in all these matters.
○ Inquiry about business: This favors fixed-location merchants but not itinerant traders; shipping goods overseas is especially worrisome.
○ Inquiry about honors and reputation: Going out to sit for an examination, it will be difficult to hope for distinction.
○ Inquiry about the home: The upper body belongs to Keeping Still, so living in the mountains is auspicious. If the home is beside a river or near water, it is unfavorable.
○ Inquiry about marriage: There may be no proper match arranged through the matchmaker. If one can remain devoted to one person until the end, it will still be auspicious.
○ Pregnancy: A boy will be born.
○ Inquiry about illness: The illness is in the fifth line. If prolonged, it will last four or five months; if recent, five or six days, arising from improper recuperation. If one can remain at home and rest quietly, it is auspicious. If one exposes oneself to wind and rain or travels far, treatment may be difficult.
[Example] In the Mid-Autumn Festival of the tenth year of Meiji, Fukuda Gyokai, chief priest of Zojōji Temple in Tokyo, came to visit with his disciple, Assistant Chief Priest Asahi. He said: “The Buddhist hall of Zojōji once suffered a fire. Ten years have now passed. The monks have planned to request its rebuilding. I said that after the wars, raising funds would not be easy. Hearing this, the monks did not think my words correct. They said that for the head temple to have no great hall would mean losing its solemn appearance. All of them vowed to solicit donations and planned its reconstruction. Thus they estimated the construction expenses and all necessities at several tens of thousands of yen. Later, because prices rose sharply, the work remained unfinished and the funds ran out. I venture to request a divination.” I replied: “The way of the I Ching exhausts human affairs and awaits Heaven’s decree. Trivial details should not be questioned irreverently. It would be better to divine when the Buddhist hall will be completed.” Asahi agreed, and Nurturing changing to Increase was obtained.
The judgment says: Divining the fifth line of the Yi hexagram reveals the outcome of the Buddhist community today. “Scripture” means Buddhist scriptures; to “brush against the scriptures” means violating their purport. Since the Restoration, Buddhist institutions have also undergone reform. Once temple lands were returned and the prohibitions on Buddhist practice were changed, eating meat and taking wives were no longer forbidden. What distinction then remained between those who left home and those living at home? This is what is meant by “brushing against the scriptures.” Yet the purposes of Buddhism have never been uniform. Among the eminent monks of old were some who lived on feeding pigeons, as recorded in the scriptures, and some who took Dharma delight as their wife. Thus they violated the law with their bodies and returned to emptiness, emptying all things and entering quiescence. This too is one method; but only dwelling peacefully and guarding chastity is auspicious. If one does not avoid danger and instead competes with ordinary people for profit and pursues desire, it is unacceptable. Hence: “It is not advisable to cross the great river.” The nuclear reverse hexagram of Yi is the Great Exceeding hexagram. Its fourth line says, “The ridgepole rises—auspicious.” The fourth line is nuclear Qian; its celestial branch is Hai, positioned above the Dwellings of Danger. The Kaiyuan Divination Classic quotes Master Gan: “Danger governs the erection of houses,” and the Earth-Axis Divination says: “The Chamber is the palace of a great person.” Hence, “the ridgepole rises.” A Buddhist hall is built to enshrine a great Buddha, so it likewise has the image of a rising ridgepole. The Commentary on the Image for the fifth line of Yi says: “The auspiciousness of dwelling in steadfastness lies in following what is above.” “What is above” refers to the top ninth line, which says: “Through nourishment, danger becomes auspicious; there is great celebration.” From the fifth line to the top line there is one intervening line, signifying one year. Following what is above and awaiting the next year, the Buddhist hall can be completed; hence, “there is celebration.”
Top nine: Through nourishment, danger becomes auspicious. It is favorable to cross the great river.
Top nine: Through nourishment, danger becomes auspicious. It is favorable to cross the great river.
The Commentary on the Image says: Through nourishment, danger becomes auspicious; there is great celebration.
The first and top lines of this hexagram are both firm, together nourishing the four yielding lines. The first line is below; the yang of Zhen is still slight and its power not yet full. At the top, the yielding lines join the top; the yang of Gen has reached its utmost, its virtue sufficient to nourish others. The four yielding lines in the hexagram are all nourished through the top nine; hence “through nourishment.” The top line is the ruler who completes the hexagram, and among the lines it is the ruler who nourishes others. Its responsibility is extremely heavy. Moreover, with firm yang talent in a place of danger and suspicion, if it shows even a little arrogance or idleness, the ruler will suspect it and the people resent it—this is the way to peril. Therefore, when a minister is in this position, only by constantly holding thoughts of danger and severity can he preserve good fortune. Yi Yin and the Duke of Zhou were anxious, diligent, watchful, and cautious, and in the end obtained good fortune; this is precisely the way. Hence “danger becomes auspicious”: through danger, auspiciousness is attained. Once nourishment reaches this point, the Qian source is within me; rivers may be crossed and dangers overcome. Weak waters cannot engulf me, and the sea cannot obstruct me—where could I go and not succeed? Hence “it is favorable to cross the great river.” Compared with the sixth five, which can “dwell in steadfastness” but “cannot cross the great river,” there is further progress here. This is the capacity to shoulder the great responsibilities of the world, overcome its hardships and dangers, and bring about its order and peace—all through the work of “nourishment.” The Commentary on the Image says, “Through nourishment, danger becomes auspicious; there is great celebration.” This means that when firm yang is above, it can nourish itself and then nourish others; extending this until it nourishes the whole world, there is no one who does not receive its nourishment, and no one who does not gain its celebration. Therefore the Image says, “There is great celebration.”
[Divination]
○ Asked about warfare: The proverb says, “Train soldiers for a thousand days; use them in a single morning.” Those who can serve effectively on the battlefield have all been educated and trained in ordinary times; hence “through nourishment.” War is dangerous. Only after passing through countless dangers and hardships can one gain the achievement of victory; hence “danger becomes auspicious.” “It is favorable to cross the great river” means that only when the soldiers share one heart and one virtue can they cross hiểm terrain, facing danger without avoidance—as with the Zhou army’s gathering at Mengjin and Zhuge Liang’s crossing of the Lu River.
○ Asked about business: Business is devoted to seeking profit; once profit is gained, it is enough to support oneself and one’s family. Yet a merchant cannot remain safely at home and gain profit. One must travel dangerous routes, perhaps trade across distant seas, before profit can be obtained; hence “danger becomes auspicious.”
○ Asked about rank and reputation: In the pursuit of achievement and fame, one advances from small to great and from lowly to honored. Yet only through anxious diligence, vigilance, and caution can success and renown be attained. The Image says, “There is great celebration”—this is what it means to gain something with joy.
○ Asked about illness: Though the condition is dangerous, rescue is obtained; hence “danger becomes auspicious.”
○ Asked about pregnancy: A boy will be born; hence the Image says, “There is great celebration.”
【Case】 Every year on the winter solstice, I make it a regular practice to divine the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of matters in the coming year. In the winter of 1889, I cast a hexagram and obtained Yi changing to Return.
In January of this year, a certain eminent person visited and asked whether the wheat harvest would be abundant or poor. I replied: This year the government is storing funds against famine and purchasing foreign rice to relieve disaster victims. The eminent person asked how I knew this. I answered: At the winter solstice I had divined the wheat harvest for this year and obtained Yi changing to Return. As a hexagram, Yi has the image of a mouth and concerns nourishment. In a small sense, it means nourishment of one person or one household; in a great sense, nourishment extending to all the people under Heaven, with the clothing and food of all living beings proceeding from it and spreading outward. Hence “through nourishment.” One yang at the top and four yin below indicate that the initial divination predicted excessive rain and a poor wheat harvest. When the top line is reached, sunlight emerges and the harvest is still passable; hence “danger becomes auspicious.” Last year, flooding caused a poor grain harvest. If the wheat harvest is again poor this spring, the people will lack food, rice prices will soar, and hardship and displacement will inevitably follow—an unbearable prospect. Seeing the hardship of the time, the government arranged relief. Its only practical plan was to solicit and purchase foreign rice to relieve the people’s hunger. The rice might come from Qing China, India, or Siam; all of it would be transported by ship, hence “it is favorable to cross the great river.” I later submitted this divination to the Ministry of Finance. The government recognized the situation and used its famine-relief reserves to purchase foreign rice, selling it at various ports. The people’s hearts then became peaceful and content.
The Commentary on the Image says: Through nourishment, danger becomes auspicious; there is great celebration.
The first and top lines of this hexagram are both firm, together nourishing the four yielding lines. The first line is below; the yang of Zhen is still slight and its power not yet full. At the top, the yielding lines join the top; the yang of Gen has reached its utmost, its virtue sufficient to nourish others. The four yielding lines in the hexagram are all nourished through the top nine; hence “through nourishment.” The top line is the ruler who completes the hexagram, and among the lines it is the ruler who nourishes others. Its responsibility is extremely heavy. Moreover, with firm yang talent in a place of danger and suspicion, if it shows even a little arrogance or idleness, the ruler will suspect it and the people resent it—this is the way to peril. Therefore, when a minister is in this position, only by constantly holding thoughts of danger and severity can he preserve good fortune. Yi Yin and the Duke of Zhou were anxious, diligent, watchful, and cautious, and in the end obtained good fortune; this is precisely the way. Hence “danger becomes auspicious”: through danger, auspiciousness is attained. Once nourishment reaches this point, the Qian source is within me; rivers may be crossed and dangers overcome. Weak waters cannot engulf me, and the sea cannot obstruct me—where could I go and not succeed? Hence “it is favorable to cross the great river.” Compared with the sixth five, which can “dwell in steadfastness” but “cannot cross the great river,” there is further progress here. This is the capacity to shoulder the great responsibilities of the world, overcome its hardships and dangers, and bring about its order and peace—all through the work of “nourishment.” The Commentary on the Image says, “Through nourishment, danger becomes auspicious; there is great celebration.” This means that when firm yang is above, it can nourish itself and then nourish others; extending this until it nourishes the whole world, there is no one who does not receive its nourishment, and no one who does not gain its celebration. Therefore the Image says, “There is great celebration.”
[Divination]
○ Asked about warfare: The proverb says, “Train soldiers for a thousand days; use them in a single morning.” Those who can serve effectively on the battlefield have all been educated and trained in ordinary times; hence “through nourishment.” War is dangerous. Only after passing through countless dangers and hardships can one gain the achievement of victory; hence “danger becomes auspicious.” “It is favorable to cross the great river” means that only when the soldiers share one heart and one virtue can they cross hiểm terrain, facing danger without avoidance—as with the Zhou army’s gathering at Mengjin and Zhuge Liang’s crossing of the Lu River.
○ Asked about business: Business is devoted to seeking profit; once profit is gained, it is enough to support oneself and one’s family. Yet a merchant cannot remain safely at home and gain profit. One must travel dangerous routes, perhaps trade across distant seas, before profit can be obtained; hence “danger becomes auspicious.”
○ Asked about rank and reputation: In the pursuit of achievement and fame, one advances from small to great and from lowly to honored. Yet only through anxious diligence, vigilance, and caution can success and renown be attained. The Image says, “There is great celebration”—this is what it means to gain something with joy.
○ Asked about illness: Though the condition is dangerous, rescue is obtained; hence “danger becomes auspicious.”
○ Asked about pregnancy: A boy will be born; hence the Image says, “There is great celebration.”
【Case】 Every year on the winter solstice, I make it a regular practice to divine the auspiciousness or inauspiciousness of matters in the coming year. In the winter of 1889, I cast a hexagram and obtained Yi changing to Return.
In January of this year, a certain eminent person visited and asked whether the wheat harvest would be abundant or poor. I replied: This year the government is storing funds against famine and purchasing foreign rice to relieve disaster victims. The eminent person asked how I knew this. I answered: At the winter solstice I had divined the wheat harvest for this year and obtained Yi changing to Return. As a hexagram, Yi has the image of a mouth and concerns nourishment. In a small sense, it means nourishment of one person or one household; in a great sense, nourishment extending to all the people under Heaven, with the clothing and food of all living beings proceeding from it and spreading outward. Hence “through nourishment.” One yang at the top and four yin below indicate that the initial divination predicted excessive rain and a poor wheat harvest. When the top line is reached, sunlight emerges and the harvest is still passable; hence “danger becomes auspicious.” Last year, flooding caused a poor grain harvest. If the wheat harvest is again poor this spring, the people will lack food, rice prices will soar, and hardship and displacement will inevitably follow—an unbearable prospect. Seeing the hardship of the time, the government arranged relief. Its only practical plan was to solicit and purchase foreign rice to relieve the people’s hunger. The rice might come from Qing China, India, or Siam; all of it would be transported by ship, hence “it is favorable to cross the great river.” I later submitted this divination to the Ministry of Finance. The government recognized the situation and used its famine-relief reserves to purchase foreign rice, selling it at various ports. The people’s hearts then became peaceful and content.