[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":28},["ShallowReactive",2],{"metaeast_zhouyigaodaoyd_en-gaodaoyiduan-29":3},{"slug":4,"archived":5,"date_created":6,"date_updated":7,"title":8,"seotitle":9,"seodescription":10,"htmlcode":11,"number":12,"content":13,"title1":14,"content1":15,"title2":16,"content2":17,"title3":18,"content3":19,"title4":20,"content4":21,"title5":22,"content5":23,"title6":24,"content6":25,"title7":26,"content7":26,"seo_keywords":27,"og_title":8,"og_description":10},"gaodaoyiduan-29",false,"2026-08-11T01:18:23.977Z","2026-07-04T14:35:14.000Z","Water over Water, Repeated Water: There is confidence; the heart alone succeeds. Movement is esteemed.","Takashima Ekidan—Hexagram 29: Kan as Water_Hexagram Judgment Original and Hexagram Interpretation_East Asian Metaphysics Library","Takashima Ekidan Hexagram 29, Kan as Water, interpretation: The hexagram judgment “Repeated Kan: There is trust; only the heart prospers. In action there is esteem,” with detailed explanations of the appended judgment and actual divination cases.","䷜",29,"29　Water over Water \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n Water comes from Great Excess. The Sequence Commentary says: “Things cannot remain excessive forever, so they receive Repeated Water.” The character for water pit is composed of earth and lack; lack means insufficiency. Because it supplements the inadequacy of Great Excess, it is followed by Repeated Water. The hexagram body has one odd line and two even lines: the two even lines are Earth, and the one odd line is Heaven. Heaven is hidden within Earth; primal qi fills it, transforms moisture, and produces water. This is called “Heaven One produces water,” and this is why Repeated Water is water. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n Repeated Water［135］: There is confidence; the heart alone succeeds. Movement is esteemed. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ▲　Seal script for Water \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The hexagram has Water above and Water below, so water is both above and below. All eight pure hexagrams are one body above and below, yet only Repeated Water adds the word “repeated.” “Repeated” has two meanings. One is practiced familiarity, as in “learn and practice it from time to time”: because the danger of water is difficult to cross, one must become practiced and experienced before it can be overcome. The other is repetition: both the upper and lower trigrams are Water, conveying the meaning of being doubled. The central line in Water is the yang of Heaven. Firm, upright, and sincere, it occupies the center; hence “there is confidence.” One yang in the center is the heart. As primal yang opens and flows, the heart succeeds. “The heart succeeds” also comes from Heaven’s “primal success.” If one proceeds through danger in this way, sincerity can reach its goal and success encounters no obstruction; hence “movement is esteemed.” \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The Tuan Commentary says: Repeated Water means danger piled upon danger. Water flows and does not become full; moving through danger without losing one’s trust. “The heart alone succeeds” means firmness in the center. “Movement is esteemed” means that going forward brings achievement. The danger of Heaven cannot be ascended; the dangers of Earth are mountains, rivers, hills, and ridges; kings and lords establish defenses to guard their states. The use of danger in its proper time is truly great! \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n “Repeated Abyss,” “repeated” means doubled; “the Abyss” means danger. Since this is danger repeated rather than a single danger, it is called “double danger.” The character “repeated” is composed of the signs for feather and white, and the commentary says it refers to a bird flying repeatedly. A bird that flies repeatedly can avoid the danger of nets; therefore “the Repeated Abyss” also conveys the idea of being able to avoid danger. The Abyss represents water. Water flows without stopping, advancing with the current, yet never seems to become full. Water waxes and wanes with the moon; the morning tide and evening flood rise and fall regularly, never missing their appointed time. The second and fifth lines both embody Qian and are solid within; the center is the heart. Only what is solid at the center can possess sincere trust, and only what is solid at the center can bring success. The heart succeeds because firmness is within it. When firmness is centered, the heart is at peace; when the heart is at peace, the spirit flourishes; when the spirit flourishes, one moves straight ahead, accomplishing something wherever one goes. Such conduct deserves praise. In general, worldly affairs are easy when circumstances are favorable and difficult when one proceeds against adversity. Confucius tested benevolence in hurried and desperate moments; the Doctrine of the Mean extended the Way to dealings with foreign peoples and times of distress. In difficult and dangerous places, no one without settled understanding and steadfast strength dares to proceed. If one acts rashly, how rarely will one be seen to achieve anything? The virtues of the eight trigrams are beautiful and often auspicious, but the Abyss alone is dangerous and often inauspicious. People all regard danger as frightening, yet the Abyss makes danger useful. Heaven uses danger to achieve its loftiness and brilliance; earth uses danger to achieve its breadth and solidity; a state uses danger to achieve strength and greatness. Danger is truly dangerous, yet its usefulness is immense. Knowing how danger is useful, one can understand how the Abyss is useful. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n Applied to human affairs, this hexagram’s Tuan Commentary says “doubled danger,” showing that danger is not uniform. The upper and lower parts of the hexagram are hollow while the center is solid: the hollow parts are water, while the solid center is earth; the hollow places are pits, while the solid center is trust. What is trust? It is meeting heart to heart. When people can meet heart to heart, their hearts naturally become open and free. This is what is meant by faithful and trustworthy people being able to cross wind-tossed waves. One who first encounters danger often retreats on facing it. Yet merchant travelers repeatedly sail thousands of miles without fear, and woodcutters walk through a thousand-layered ravine forgetting danger. Why? Because they are accustomed to it. The word “repeated” is added to the Ravine precisely to encourage people to practice and test themselves in it, without neglect. Water flows sometimes forward and sometimes back, never missing its appointed season; this is its trustworthiness. Water moves into ditches and rivers, flowing naturally and freely; this is its accomplishment. People all regard water as yielding yin, not knowing that water possesses the virtue of firmness at the center. Precisely because it is firm at the center, it can progress. If a person clings to yielding softness, stagnation and obstruction are sure to result; how could progress be possible? How could action be possible? Recognize firmness at the center, and practice it repeatedly in action: then danger will look level, and wherever one goes there will be achievement—truly worthy of praise. Consider heaven: it hangs remote and lofty, and its danger cannot be climbed. Consider earth: deep mountains and broad marshes each have their dangers. Consider a state: its low passes and steep mountain defiles are dangers that must be contested. Danger can be useful, yet there are times when it cannot be used. This is not because danger itself is unusable, but because its use depends on finding the right time. Thus it does not say that the use of danger is great, but, “How great is the timely use of danger!” \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n Applied to the state, the Ravine hexagram has two yang lines and four yin lines. The positions of the ruler and ministers, the second and fifth, are both trapped within the danger of the two yin lines. Court administration is disordered, popular feelings are unruly, and, with the seasons out of balance and grain failing, Heaven’s timing and human affairs have reached an impasse; thus an age of ravine-like danger has arisen. The first line of the inner trigram marks the beginning of the Ravine: the state has just encountered danger, and if it loses the Way, misfortune follows. The third line is one danger not yet settled when another arrives; the state’s position is almost critical. Though the second line possesses yang firmness and strives to relieve the danger, the two Ravines join together, the immersion is already deep, and what can be gained is small. The fourth line of the outer trigram is yin in a yin position, dwelling in a place of repeated danger and great fear. The two vessels, the wine vessel and grain vessel, symbolize its heavy burdens; this is the state at the critical moment between peril and survival. The top six and the first line correspond as head and tail: the first is the beginning of danger, the top its end. At the beginning one may still say that it is ignorant because it has not yet experienced danger; at the end, it has become accustomed to danger as normal, and ordinary reasoning cannot apply. The fifth yang line is the hexagram’s ruler. Firm yang stands alone and joins in correspondence with the second yang line. The second can hold danger in mind, consider its troubles, work diligently day and night, assist the ruler in the fifth, settle the disorder under Heaven, and calm the state’s crisis. When above and below meet in trust, the Way of government becomes free and successful; going forward brings achievement, which could possibly be buried? The sages, speaking of the Ravine, encourage people with “practice”; speaking of danger, alert them with “repetition”; speaking of water that “flows without becoming full,” describe its depth; speaking of action that has trust, test its sincerity. Then the danger of the Ravine can be overcome. This is the Way by which the noble person “keeps constant virtue and practices the affairs of instruction.” Heaven’s loftiness, earth’s thickness, and the establishment of states by rulers and nobles all depend on the use of danger. The Ravine, Opposition, and Obstruction are not beautiful matters, yet the sages sometimes use them, and therefore praise them all by saying, “How great is their timely use!” This meaning must not go unknown. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n Viewed as a whole, this hexagram shows danger whether one advances or retreats: doubled danger, an image of hardship piled upon hardship. The Tuan Commentary speaks of the noble person’s difficulties, while the lines speak of the petty person’s difficulties, thereby showing the way out of the Ravine. To remain in danger while stirring one’s heart and disciplining one’s nature is the noble person’s Ravine; to encounter danger and fall in integrity and perish is the petty person’s Ravine. In life, everyone encounters a ravine, but the way to guard against danger must have its own method. Therefore the Tuan text first encourages with “practice,” then warns with “trust,” and finally praises with “progress.” Water, as a thing, flows and proceeds smoothly, so it does not suffer the trouble of overflowing; if blocked and stagnant, it must overflow. Thus one who travels through danger, acting cautiously and fearfully without losing trust, can ultimately achieve success. Examining the sentiments of the six lines, all are in difficulty, yet each has its own fortune or misfortune. The first six marks the beginning of treading danger: practice is not yet refined, so it falls into a deep pit; with no outside support, it cannot save itself, hence misfortune. The second nine is firm and centered: seeking brings some gain. Danger is then not wholly dangerous; danger is within it, and so is progress. Hence it says, “not yet out of the center.” The third six has two Ravines joined together; it has entered danger deeply, and being yielding, feminine, and improperly placed, cannot emerge, hence “ultimately no achievement.” The fourth six, though embracing a loyal and steadfast heart, has narrow capacity and lacks the ability to rescue danger. It can only pray to spirits, follow the yang of the fifth, and thereby escape danger; hence it says, “at the meeting point of firmness and yielding.” The fifth nine is firm, centered, and correct, high in the honored position, and is the master of the Ravine’s body. Only it fulfills the Image Commentary’s statement, “water flows and does not become full.” Water’s virtue lies in balance; when balanced, danger is no longer dangerous. Hence “no blame.” The top six dwells at the extreme of the Ravine. The Ravine is a prison, so this is falling into danger and entering prison. The first line’s loss of the Way may still be pardoned; the final line’s loss of the Way cannot be pardoned. It is punished for three years, giving it time to repent and recover; hence three years of misfortune. Human life in the world is like water flowing through ravines: there is no time without hardship, no place without flaws. An ordinary person turns every step into brambles; a noble person makes even a fearful road into a great thoroughfare. Why? The noble person is practiced, while the ordinary person is unfamiliar. This is why practice is so valued in the Ravine. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The Great Image says: Water arrives again and again; repeated ravines. Thus the noble person constantly practices virtue and practices the affairs of instruction. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The Ravine is water. Water by nature is perfectly level and can serve as a standard for things; therefore the Ravine signifies communication, equality, and the trust of inner solidity. “Arriving again and again” means repeated succession. When said of thunder, it refers to sounds continuing one after another; when said of water, it refers to flow continuing one after another. “Constant” means being the same from beginning to end; “practice” means repeating without stopping. The noble person follows water’s continuous flow and renews virtue day by day; follows the Ravine’s repeated practice and does not tire of teaching. Virtue remains unchanged through constancy; teaching continues without interruption through practice. The three lines of the inner trigram belong to oneself, so they concern self-cultivation; the three lines of the outer trigram belong to others, so they concern teaching others. Cultivate what has already been achieved and encourage what has not yet been achieved: this is where the noble person’s work of overcoming danger lies. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n 　　[Divination] \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about warfare: There is a tendency for enemy troops to launch repeated attacks; constant vigilance is advisable. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about rank and reputation: There is an image of gradual upward advancement. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about business: Wealth is like flowing water, coming continuously; it can last and grow large. Business fortunes are smooth. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about the home: Outside the house, to the north, there must be a depression or pit, with a spring flowing continuously. The time correspondence of the Ravine is zi; above it stands the Empty and Danger constellations. Danger presides over building a roof, so there may be construction by a neighbor. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about illness: Guard against diarrhea; it has lasted a long time without healing. Prayer is advisable, taking the meaning of “a wine vessel and two grain vessels.” \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about marriage: It will certainly be a marriage between relatives, an image of repeated intermarriage. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Pregnancy: A boy will be born.","Six at the beginning: Repeated ravines; entering a ravine’s pit. Misfortune.","Six at the beginning: Repeated ravines; entering a ravine’s pit［136］. Misfortune. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The Commentary on the Image says: Repeated ravines, entering a ravine—losing the Way brings misfortune. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n “Repeated” means repetition and habitual practice; a ravine’s pit is a small hollow within the Ravine. The first line is the beginning of the hexagram and therefore the beginning of the Ravine. The Liezi says, “There was a man who lived beside a river; accustomed to water, he was skilled at swimming”—meaning that a skilled swimmer does not drown. The first line has practiced but is not yet proficient, so it cannot leave the Ravine and instead enters its pit. A pit is a small Ravine; in a small Ravine one sinks deeper and finds it harder to emerge, hence misfortune. The Image says “repeated ravines, entering a ravine,” meaning that one who practices the Ravine originally wishes to leave it. If practice leads into the Ravine, it is not practice itself that has misled him, but his losing the Way while practicing it; therefore it says, “losing the Way brings misfortune.” \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n 　　[Divination] \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about warfare: There is a plan to set an ambush, but one may instead fall into the enemy’s stratagem; this is an ominous course. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about rank and reputation: Seeking fame through luck may instead bring humiliation; it yields no benefit and causes harm. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about business: After losing on a merchandise deal, the goods are transported elsewhere; when they arrive, the market is even smaller and they cannot be sold. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about illness: Seeking medical treatment, but the physician loses the proper approach and the illness becomes more dangerous. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about marriage: One may fear falling into a scam; it certainly will not be a proper marriage arranged through a matchmaker. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about pregnancy: Guard against a difficult delivery. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n 【Case】 A certain friend came to ask for a divination concerning his general fortune, and the casting produced the Ravine changing to Limitation. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The judgment said: The Ravine is water, the great river, channels and ditches—all places where water flows downward and becomes foul. The first line is at the beginning of the hexagram and at its bottom, the place where one first enters the water, without knowing how many layers deep it is. This divination concerns general fortune. For a life of peace, prosperity, and flourishing, it is auspicious; for one marked by defects, poverty, and hardship, it is ominous. The Ravine means entrapment, showing that the present is unfavorable. One should guard oneself by the Way; if one loses the Way and acts recklessly, one may fall ever deeper into entrapment, and the misfortune would be beyond words. In general, each line represents one year. One must wait until the fifth line, which says, “The ravine is not full; it has just become level,” and then there will be no blame. The outcome later proved exactly as divined.","Nine in the second place: The ravine is dangerous; seeking brings a small gain.","Nine in the second place: The ravine is dangerous; seeking brings a small gain. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The Commentary on the Image says: Seeking brings a small gain; one has not yet emerged from the center. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The upper Ravine is a hollow, and the lower Ravine is danger. “There is danger” means that danger lies before, behind, to the left, and to the right. This line is one yang trapped between two yin lines, with no corresponding support, so it certainly cannot suddenly escape the danger of the Ravine. Yet it possesses the virtue of firmness at the center, endures and holds its position in hardship. Even though it cannot match the fifth line’s “not becoming full and becoming level,” it can avoid blame; and if it continues seeking, it will not gain absolutely nothing. Hence “seeking brings a small gain”—although small, there is still gain. The Image says “not yet out of the center,” showing that progress lies within the center. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n 　　[Divination] \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about warfare: A tunnel may be secretly opened to raid the enemy camp. Though there will not be a great victory, there will certainly be a small success. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about business: A small profit can be pursued. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about rank and reputation: A minor examination or trial will certainly be favorable. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about the home: The riverbank outside the house may have collapsed; repairs should be undertaken. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about illness: It must be an ulcer or similar condition. A doctor should be consulted; a small improvement may be obtained, but complete recovery is hard to expect. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about pregnancy: A boy will be born. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n 【Case】 A certain wealthy merchant in Tokyo, named Jia, came to ask for a divination concerning the fortunes of his shop, and the casting produced the Ravine changing to Union. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The judgment said: The second nine is yang in a yin place, yet occupies the central and correct position; it is the ruler of the inner trigram and corresponds with the fifth. The fifth occupies the honored position, so surely the fifth represents the main shop and the second represents a branch shop. Now, receiving the second line of the Ravine, which says “the ravine is dangerous,” means that both shops are facing danger together, and business fortunes are temporarily declining, with losses occurring repeatedly. This is not the fault of human effort; it is what the general fortune has brought about. Since you have cast this on behalf of the owner, you must devote yourself fully to the shop’s affairs. You should remain completely upright and centered, avoid partiality or private interest, and do your utmost to plan and work. Although there will be no great profit, there will certainly be a small gain. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The outcome was exactly as divined.","Six in the third place: Coming and going between ravines; danger and a pillow. Entering the ravine’s pit—do not act.","Six in the third place: Coming and going between ravines; danger and a pillow. Entering the ravine’s pit—do not act. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The Commentary on the Image says: Coming and going between ravines—ultimately there will be no achievement. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n This line occupies a yang position with yin; it is neither central nor correct. Its ability is weak but its will is strong. It lies between two Kan trigrams, without any response or support. If it wishes to cross the danger and advance, the Kan of the upper hexagram blocks it; if it wishes to avoid the danger and go elsewhere, the Kan of the lower hexagram cuts across its path. Thus it can neither rest securely in its present position nor find any place free from Kan before, behind, to either side, in advancing, retreating, moving, or stopping. Hence it says, “Coming and going, pit upon pit.” “Pillow” means to stop and rest; having stepped into danger, one temporarily pauses for rest. Though one cannot escape the danger at once, one does not thereby enter still deeper. If, instead of resting, one forcibly struggles, one will surely fall into a deeper pit within the pit, beyond rescue. The Shuowen says, “A pit within a pit”; Yu says, “A small hollow within a pit.” The first and third lines are both yin, like empty hollows, and therefore both are called pits. The Commentary on the Image says, “In the end, no achievement,” meaning that heroes of old were all tempered and formed through hardship. The danger of Kan is sufficient to distress people, yet it is also truly sufficient to make them into capable people. If, upon meeting danger, one merely rests idly and seeks ease, one has failed to make use of the occasion presented by danger; hence, “In the end, no achievement.” Further, according to another reading, “dangerous and pillow” was written in ancient texts as “dikes and sinking.” A dike is a barrier built to hold back water; “sinking” is the name of a river sacrifice. The Book of Rites says, “At a river sacrifice, one sinks the offering; in general, sinking a victim means cutting it up and sacrificing it to the river.” In water control, one must guide the water by following its nature. If one merely builds barriers, the water will be obstructed and become more violent; when the dikes burst and the banks collapse, the damage will be greater. Even if a victim is sunk in sacrifice, what benefit can that ultimately bring? Therefore the line warns, “Do not employ it,” and the Commentary explains this as “no achievement.” This is another interpretation, and it seems even more precise than explaining “pillow” as rest and stopping. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n 　　[Divination] \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about warfare: The Image resembles a camp with danger on all four sides, making advance and retreat equally difficult. One should rest temporarily with weapons at hand while awaiting reinforcements. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about business: The line image suggests a sea-transport business. The vessel’s voyage is obstructed; it is advisable to enter a sheltered harbor and hold position temporarily. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about recognition and rank: The Image indicates a time of every kind of hardship, when one’s body is starved and labored. There is no achievement for now, but late success may be expected. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about the household: The water arrangement around this residence is disorderly and full of baleful influences. There is a deep Kan pit to the north of the house; it should be filled immediately. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about marriage: Kan represents a man, so this concerns the man’s family seeking a marriage proposal. The line says, “Do not employ it”; it will certainly not succeed. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Pregnancy: A boy will be born. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n [Case] A certain person came to request a divination about his fortune and received Kan changing to the Well. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n Judgment: Kan is the hexagram of danger; danger means difficulty. The line says, “Coming and going, pit upon pit,” an image of repeated danger and entangled hardship. Asked about one’s fortune and receiving this line clearly shows that advancing is dangerous and retreating is also dangerous; for the time being, it will be difficult to escape adversity. If one acts recklessly or moves without judgment, one will certainly fall into a deep pit and cannot be rescued. One should endure poverty and guard oneself, awaiting better fortune. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n [Case] In the thirtieth year of the Meiji era, I divined about foreign relations and received Kan changing to the Well. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n Judgment: Both the upper and lower trigrams of this hexagram are water. Kan has one yang enclosed by two yin lines; this is Kan upon Kan, an image of repeated difficulty. Asked about foreign relations and receiving this line, our Japan is a coastal nation surrounded east, west, south, and north by vast seas. Ships come and go, islands overlap, and everywhere is land of Kan danger. It is certainly proper to secure the country by establishing defenses. Regarding foreign relations, ever since the opening of the maritime restrictions, “Western barbarians and northern tribes have maintained intermittent sea traffic”; “coming and going, pit upon pit” is precisely their image. In this difficult age, one must rigorously strengthen internal defenses and keep weapons at hand while awaiting developments. If one rashly resorts to arms, difficulties will only multiply; hence, “entering the pit within the pit.” The Commentary on the Image says, “Coming and going, pit upon pit; in the end, no achievement,” meaning that while danger repeatedly arrives, internal defenses leave no leisure, and if one recklessly provokes an external conflict, how could success be seen? \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n Indeed! That year the government undertook the expansion of the army and navy and built artillery forts, exactly matching the line’s image.","Six in the fourth place: A jar of wine and two baskets of grain, using an earthen vessel; accept the pledge through the window; in the end, no blame.","Six in the fourth place: A jar of wine and two［137］ baskets［138］ of grain, using an earthen vessel［139］, accept the pledge through the window［140］; in the end, no blame. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The Commentary on the Image says: A jar of wine and two baskets of grain—this is where firmness and yielding meet. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n “Zun” is a wine vessel; “gui” is a vessel for millet and grain; “er” means an auxiliary or duplicate. In ritual there were supplementary wine vessels. According to the Rites of Zhou, at a great sacrifice there were three pairs, at a middle sacrifice two pairs, and at a small sacrifice one pair; this means adding them to the vessels of the three kinds of wine. The fou is also called an ang, an earthenware vessel. Moreover, the position of Six in the fourth place corresponds to chou, directly above which is the Dipper, from which wine could be ladled; this gives the image of a wine vessel. Above it are the Jian stars, shaped like a gui, and above the Jian stars are the Bian stars, also shaped like a gui, so the fourth line takes all these images. “Yue” means frugal; “er” indicates the fullness of ritual propriety, while the earthen vessel shows frugality in its use. A window is the place in a room where light passes through. Kan means receiving, hence “receive.” The Book of Songs, “Gathering Duckweed,” says, “Where shall it be set down? Beneath the window of the ancestral chamber.” The meaning of “accept the pledge through the window” is taken from this. Six in the fourth place is yin in a yin position and would normally be prone to blame. Yet the fourth line can use “a jar of wine and two baskets of grain,” accepting them simply through the window, thereby providing food for kings and nobles and making offerings to the ancestral temple; therefore, in the end, it obtains “no blame.” The Commentary on the Image says, “This is where firmness and yielding meet,” referring to the meeting between the two firm lines and the yielding lines of the two upper and lower trigrams. The two Kan trigrams are doubled, and the pair of wine vessel and baskets symbolizes their doubling. It also means that, situated where firmness and yielding interact, one can accept the vessels through the window and thereby sufficiently manifest sincerity; hence, “no blame.” \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n 　　[Divination] \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about warfare: In a military campaign, provisions are paramount. The saying that an army must have sufficient troops begins with having sufficient food. “Accept the pledge through the window” means that the provisions should be transported secretly, to prevent enemy soldiers from seizing them. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about business: Kan represents wine; this is probably the liquor-making trade. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about recognition and rank: This suggests success and delight in springtime, entertaining honored guests—a joyful and congratulatory sign. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about illness: Prayers are advisable. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about marriage: Auspicious. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n [Case] A certain gentleman of the gentry came and requested a divination about his fortune. He received Kan changing to Oppression. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n Judgment: The fourth line occupies a place of many dangers, with danger upon danger, and would ordinarily invite blame. Yet this distinguished person asked about his fortune and received this line. Since the line says, “A jar of wine and two baskets of grain, using an earthen vessel; accept the pledge through the window,” we can infer that the distinguished man lives and eats frugally and observes propriety, so he is indeed without blame. Moreover, the fourth line is adjacent to the fifth: the fourth is yin in a yin position, while the fifth is yang in a yang position. The fourth is the minister and the fifth the ruler. The Commentary on the Image says, “This is where firmness and yielding meet,” clearly showing that ruler and minister are in harmony. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n [Case] In the thirtieth year of the Meiji era, I divined about relations between our country and Korea and received Kan changing to Oppression. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n Judgment: Korea lies in a remote part of the eastern sea. It is small and weak, yet its territory occupies a strategic point on the sea route and is watched by all countries engaged in diplomacy. Now it faces repeated dangers; its national fortune has reached a state of danger within danger. Asked about relations with our country and receiving the fourth line of Kan, Zheng and Gou’s meaning of the Zhouyi says that the sixth in the fourth place symbolizes a great minister who goes out to meet the feudal lords. The fourth supports the ninth in the fifth place, symbolizing a great minister of the Son of Heaven. “A jar of wine and two baskets of grain” refers to the ritual with which the host country entertains its guest. Relations among countries today are handled by envoys, and banquets for envoys are ordinary diplomatic etiquette. Yet the phrase “accept the pledge through the window” is rather suspicious. A banquet is offered on a mat; it certainly is not delivered through a window. Since the fourth line is in the outer trigram, perhaps the Korean king fled outside and obtained food at the envoy’s residence? “Accept the pledge through the window” probably means secretly sending food. “In the end, no blame” means that although he suffers this difficulty for a time, he will ultimately regain his position. That year the Korean king indeed fled to the Russian legation.","Nine in the fifth place: The pit is not full; just when it has become level, there is no blame.","Nine in the fifth place: The pit is not full; just when it has become level, there is no blame. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The Image says: The pit is not full; the center has not become great. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n Nine in the fifth place is yang in a yang position, central and correct, and is the ruler of Kan. It alone is sufficient to correspond to the Tuan Commentary’s phrase, “water flows and does not become full.” Water’s virtue lies in being level; when level, danger is no longer dangerous. “Just when it has become level” means that it has only just reached a state of balance. Kan is a pit. Water in a pit is level when it is not full; when full, it overflows and runs unchecked, creating the danger of a breach. In all affairs under Heaven, fullness often invites disaster, and water is no exception. Because it is not full but level, there is “no blame.” The Commentary on the Image says, “The center has not become great.” “Great” also means full. Precisely because the Kan flow does not become large, it obtains steadiness without danger. Otherwise, a great flood would bring disaster; what value is there in water being great? Hence, “The center has not become great.” Kan is a dangerous and perilous place, not beautiful in itself. Although the fifth line is good at handling danger by “not becoming full,” the verdict says only “no blame”; it is not sufficient to call it auspicious. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n 　　[Divination] \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about warfare: In the way of commanding troops, one must most avoid relying on past achievements and becoming arrogant, thereby causing discontent among the troops; that is the way to defeat. Even if Sun and Wu rose again, they could not achieve success. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about business: One who does not covet unexpected profit at the moment, but carefully gauges fair prices with a view to the long term, is a good merchant. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about recognition and rank: The fame and position will not be great. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about current fortune: Humility receives benefit; fullness invites loss. It is good to recite this throughout one’s life. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about the household: Outside the residence is a small plot of land with a clear, shallow stream, as well as a level slope; the scenery is quite good, and there is no blame. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about marriage: The households of the two surnames are well matched; auspicious. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n [Case] An acquaintance who was a merchant came and requested a divination about his fortune. He received Kan changing to the Army. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n Judgment: Kan is the hexagram of difficulty. Now that the fifth line has appeared, the hardships of the past will gradually become peaceful, after which prosperous fortune can be attained. Hence, “The pit is not full; just when it has become level, there is no blame.” The outcome later proved exactly as this divination indicated.","Six at the top: Bound with cords, placed among thorns; for three years he does not obtain release—inauspicious.","Six at the top: Bound with cords［141］, placed［142］ among thorns［143］; for three years he does not obtain release—inauspicious. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The Commentary on the Image says: The top six has lost the Way; it is inauspicious for three years. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The top line is yin in a yin position, at the end of Kan’s danger, yet it does not know to repent and awaken. The first line’s loss of the Way might still be excused as inexperience; at the top, however, losing the Way has become habitual. Reason cannot persuade such a person; only the law can restrain him. Kan represents crime, prison, and a thicket of thorns. “Huimo” means ropes, and “thicket of thorns” means prison walls. Binding him with ropes and placing him among thorns is how his crime is punished and he is made to repent. Kan represents three years, so confinement lasts three years, as the law says: “For a serious offense, three years, then release.” If after three years he repents and turns toward goodness, he can return to what is right; if after three years he does not change, he will have lost the Way for life. Hence the Image says, “Losing the Way is inauspicious.” When the sages punish evil, at first they restrain it strictly with the law, but in the end they must pardon it with leniency. If punishment continues for a long time without reform, what more can be done? Nothing. This shows that the sages never lightly abandon a person. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n 　　[Divination] \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about warfare: There is concern that an army will be sent on a distant expedition, serve for a long time, and fail to return. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about business: This is probably a silk-procurement business; profit will be obtained only after three years. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about recognition and rank: There is fear of an unexpected disaster. Not only will fame and rank fail to materialize, one should beware of imprisonment. Inauspicious. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about marriage: A red thread binds the feet, so the marriage is predestined. However, the good match has not yet arrived; it must wait until after three years before it can be completed. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about pregnancy: A son will be born, but it will be delayed. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about the household: For some unknown reason this residence has fallen into neglect; vines grow all around the walls, and repairs are urgently advisable. The previous occupant met with misfortune; the next occupant will be fortunate. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n [Case] In the tenth month of the seventeenth year of the Meiji era, rioters rose in Chichibu District, Saitama Prefecture. Their force was extremely rampant and threatened to spread into and invade neighboring districts, causing me deep concern. By chance, a friend came and asked me to divine how it would end. He received Kan changing to Dispersion. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n Judgment: The line image clearly teaches that when people do not follow moral instruction, they are to be governed by penal law. Binding them with cords and confining them among thorns is the law for punishing crimes. At that time the nation was following Western Europe and reforming its old government. Among those obstructing it were people who secretly resented the inconvenience of the new policies; they deceived the masses, rose up, and raided various districts. These were unruly people who did not fear the law, throwing themselves into Kan danger without the slightest caution. The state had no choice but to arrest their ringleaders and place them in prison. It did not immediately execute them publicly, but imprisoned them for three years so that they might learn remorse. If after three years they did not change, no misfortune could be greater. The government’s subsequent measures were entirely in accord with the meaning of this divination. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n [Case] After our country defeated Qing China, Russia, France, and Germany formed an alliance, pretending to protect China and forcing us to return the Liaodong Peninsula. Later, the three countries used this as a pretext to obtain territories such as Port Arthur, Shandong, and Yunnan, forcibly established railways, and took possession of mines. Their actions were completely contrary to the pretexts they had proclaimed earlier. At the time, our country had already anticipated the intentions of the three nations, so we asked for a divination and received Kan changing to Dispersion. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n Judgment: The top six is the end of the Kan hexagram and could have passed through this point to emerge from danger. Yet the top six is yin in a yin position and lies outside the hexagram, clearly indicating that foreign countries had secret schemes and cunning plans and would emerge to plot their affairs. Forcing us to return Liaodong was not for China’s sake; it was really the three countries planning for themselves. Before long, they each forcibly borrowed important regions such as Shandong, Port Arthur, and Yunnan and established railways. Their cunning plan was plainly visible. “Bound with cords, placed among thorns” describes their coercive pressure. “Three years” may also be read as “the three countries,” meaning that if the three countries did not achieve their desire, they would not let the matter rest. The Commentary on the Image says, “The top six has lost the Way; inauspicious.” “Way” means a road: the three countries built railways in China, clearly losing their way, and therefore it was inauspicious.",null,"Zhouyi, I Ching, Takashima Ekidan, Hexagram 29, Water over Water, the sixty-four hexagrams, the Judgment, the line statements, and divination judgments",1787044935817]