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Takashima Ekidan · hexagram readings
Takashima Ekidan · Hexagram 38 Fire over Lake, Opposition: Small matters are auspicious.
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Fire over Lake, Opposition: Small matters are auspicious.
38 Fire over Lake, Opposition
The hexagram has Li above and Dui below. Li fire blazes upward, while Dui lake seeps downward; fire moves ever higher and water ever lower, opposing each other above and below, hence Opposition. The character for Opposition combines “eye” and “gui.” Li signifies the eye, while gui belongs to water, and a lake is also water. Thus the Shuowen explanation says, “When eyes turn against each other, there is opposition.” Opposition means discord. A lake above fire allows lake and fire to assist each other and produces Revolution; a lake below fire makes fire and lake contrary and produces Opposition. That is why this fire-and-lake hexagram is named Opposition.
Opposition [20]: Small matters are auspicious.
▲ Bronze inscription for Opposition
The Sequence Commentary says: “When the way of the family is exhausted, there must be discord; therefore Opposition follows. Opposition means discord.” Under Opposition, people’s hearts disperse, so great undertakings cannot be accomplished. With a small matter, however, one can bear the responsibility alone and need not wait for the group to act; even under Opposition, it can still be done. Hence, “small matters are auspicious.” The upper and lower nuclear trigrams of Opposition are both Ji Ji. The Tuan Commentary of Ji Ji says, “Prosperity—what prospers is the small,” meaning that only small things prosper. This hexagram says “small matters are auspicious”; its auspiciousness likewise lies only in small matters. Dui signifies the small, which is why it speaks of the small and not the great. In short, an age of discord is inadequate for accomplishing great affairs.
The Tuan Commentary says: “Opposition: fire moves upward and lake moves downward; two daughters dwell together, but their aims do not travel together. Joyful and attached to clarity, the yielding advances and moves upward, attaining the center and responding to the firm; therefore small matters are auspicious. Heaven and earth are in opposition, yet their work is the same. Men and women are in opposition, yet their intentions communicate. The myriad things are in opposition, yet their work is of one kind. The timely function of Opposition is truly great!”
Li fire is above and Dui lake below. What is above moves and blazes upward; what is below moves and moistens downward. There is no way for them to complete each other, hence Opposition. Li is the middle daughter and Dui the youngest daughter; together they form the hexagram, described as “dwelling together.” Their movements differ, each following its own course; each holds its own purpose and cannot be forced into sameness. In the virtue of the hexagram, Dui follows Li: Dui is joy, Li is clarity, and to be attached means having something to adhere to. “The yielding advances” means Xun is below and advances upward; “attaining the center” means Xun attains the center and responds to the firm. In the lines, the sixth in the fifth place responds below to the second nine. The fifth occupies the center of Li, and the second the center of Dui. The one above responds below: the honored one can humble himself, and the one below obtains communication with the superior. Thus, although in a time of discord, a small initiative can still attain good fortune. Opposition means dispersal. When dispersed, people’s hearts are divided and the nation’s strength is split, so great affairs cannot be accomplished; it seems useless. Yet without Opposition there can originally be no union—only through Opposition can union be revealed. The sages therefore used Opposition itself. Heaven high and earth low: this is Opposition, yet once positions are fixed, heaven and earth’s opposition becomes unity. Men outside and women inside: this is Opposition, yet once ritual is established, the opposition of men and women becomes communication. Plowing cannot clothe, weaving cannot feed, carts cannot travel on water, and boats cannot travel on land: these are Oppositions, yet once systems are established, the differences among all things become their common order. Hence, “The timely function of Opposition is truly great.” It does not say “the meaning of the time” but “the function of the time,” for its application and use are indeed great.
Applied to human affairs, this hexagram concerns all matters of daily life, food and drink, marriage, funerals, and sacrifices. Whether large or small, every human affair values emotional accord, shared purpose, and things belonging to the same kind. In the hexagram, Li fire moves above and Dui lake moves below. Both Li and Dui are female and arise from Kun, hence “dwelling together.” Movement brings change; when daughters become wives, their conduct differs and their aims differ. Thus movement produces Opposition. Opposition in heaven and earth closes the workings of heaven and earth; Opposition between men and women disorders human relations; Opposition among the myriad things confuses their categories. How could great principles and institutions receive good fortune? Only the noble person, “being alike yet different,” can make good use of Opposition. By establishing offices for the people, heaven and earth can use Opposition to achieve unity; by practicing the rites of marriage, men and women can use Opposition to achieve communication; by fixing the norms governing useful benefit, the myriad things can use Opposition to become ordered by kind. Thus the function of fire and lake is universal, and the standard for human affairs is established.
Applied to the state, the hexagram is called Opposition, meaning dispersal. The government and the people are in a situation where they move without meeting, disperse without uniting. Its complementary hexagram is Obstruction, meaning danger; if Opposition prevents one from crossing the danger, how could the state be rectified? Its inverted hexagram is Family Members, “the family is inward”; if Opposition prevents the inner realm from being put right, how could the outer realm be settled? The upper trigram is Li fire, naturally dry; the lower is Dui lake, naturally moist. They turn away from each other, dryness and dampness each differing—“two daughters dwelling together, their aims not traveling together.” “Two daughters” refers to the images of Li and Dui. Not only do women differ in purpose and conduct; extending the principle, heaven, earth, and the myriad things likewise cannot be forced into sameness. Within the state, from the greatest—heaven and earth—to the middle—men and women—and the smallest—the myriad things, sameness creates intimacy and difference creates distance. The state’s order or disorder, rise or decline, can all be divined from this. Yet there is no principle under heaven of lasting union without Opposition, nor a situation of lasting Opposition without union. One uses Opposition to overcome Opposition. If one merely clings to what is right, advances upward, and has a response in the center, the undertaking remains small and its auspiciousness slight. Only by sharing the pattern of things can the way of heaven and earth become expansive; by communicating their feelings, the feelings of men and women become harmonious; by classifying their kinds, the benefits of all things become universal. Its virtue accords with the workings of creation, and its achievement concerns the essentials of governance and peace. Without a noble person who is “alike yet different,” its function cannot be brought to the utmost.
Viewed as a whole, the hexagram has fire above and lake below. The upper moves ever higher, the lower ever lower; they travel in opposite directions and cannot become the same. That is why it is called Opposition. The lower nuclear trigram is doubled Li, signifying excessive looking that injures clarity, hence Opposition. The upper nuclear trigram is Kan; Kan signifies illness of the heart. Everyone has a heart: trust connects, suspicion creates Opposition. Nothing is closer than Family Members, yet under Opposition people become wicked persons, ghosts, bandits; some are mutilated, some shot, without considering it excessive. If those below can please and serve those above, and those above can understand and regard those below, suspicion is dispelled and affection becomes close. They transform into husband, clan, and marriage, without being regarded as hateful. The earlier suspicion is so extreme, and the later union so intimate; the key to joining Opposition lies in this turning point. Therefore, Opposition in the inner trigram always involves suspicion and waiting, while Opposition in the outer trigram reverses and finds a response. The first and fourth correspond: the first’s “lost horse” is recovered through the fourth’s “great mate.” The second and fifth correspond: the second’s meeting in the alley unites through the fifth’s “biting flesh.” The third and top correspond: the third’s “carriage dragged back” unites through the top’s “meeting rain.” When united, wicked persons become members of one household; under Opposition, family members suspect one another as enemies and bandits. Favor and resentment reverse repeatedly, and forms change without constancy. The noble person responds to things without preconceived mind, neither joining parties merely because they are alike nor attacking what differs. The first nine sees a wicked person and avoids blame, thereby knowing how to use Opposition. The two yin lines of the hexagram are inherently yielding: inwardly they use joy to ease anxiety, outwardly they use clarity to break suspicion. What begins Opposition is “two daughters dwelling together”; what ends in union is that all suspicions are transformed. The hexagram is Opposition while its images unite—this is why the I Ching’s transformations are inexhaustible.
The Great Image says: “Fire above and lake below: Opposition. Thus the noble person seeks unity while recognizing difference.”
Both images in the hexagram are female. Its form is fire and lake: fire blazes upward and water moistens downward, each functioning differently, hence Opposition. The noble person follows this example: in what is shared, he recognizes the image; where there is difference, he distinguishes the function. He does not form a faction merely out of conformity and thereby violate the Way, nor does he establish himself as different and thereby oppose custom. “Seeking unity while recognizing difference” is like sound, beauty, goods, and wealth, which everyone desires, yet some are renounced and some accepted; one does not blindly agree with others, and this is how one is uniquely different. This reveals how the noble person seeks unity while recognizing difference. Fire and lake belong to one hexagram yet differ in their natures of blazing and moistening; it is the same principle.
[Divination]
○ Divination for timing and fortune: Your current fortune is upside down; you should deal with it only by remaining upright.
○ Divination for warfare: The military situation is disharmonious, with different aims above and below; guard against dispersal through Opposition.
○ Divination for fame and rank: The upper and lower sides do not communicate; fame and rank are difficult to attain.
○ Divination for business: Commodity prices fluctuate widely. If you can buy what others discard and sell what others seek, a small profit may still be expected.
○ Divination for illness: The illness is in the upper and lower burners. Qi in the chest is blocked; there is fire above and dampness below. Treatment will be difficult.
○ Divination for the home: Both the heavenly and earthly configurations of this residence are in motion. The entire household, above and below, is unfavorable; you should move away urgently.
○ Divination for marriage: Two women are both willing to accept a proposal. The elder is quick-tempered and impulsive; the younger is broad-minded and gentle. Choose one and marry her.
○ Divination for litigation: It can be dismissed and brought to an end.
○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born.
The hexagram has Li above and Dui below. Li fire blazes upward, while Dui lake seeps downward; fire moves ever higher and water ever lower, opposing each other above and below, hence Opposition. The character for Opposition combines “eye” and “gui.” Li signifies the eye, while gui belongs to water, and a lake is also water. Thus the Shuowen explanation says, “When eyes turn against each other, there is opposition.” Opposition means discord. A lake above fire allows lake and fire to assist each other and produces Revolution; a lake below fire makes fire and lake contrary and produces Opposition. That is why this fire-and-lake hexagram is named Opposition.
Opposition [20]: Small matters are auspicious.
▲ Bronze inscription for Opposition
The Sequence Commentary says: “When the way of the family is exhausted, there must be discord; therefore Opposition follows. Opposition means discord.” Under Opposition, people’s hearts disperse, so great undertakings cannot be accomplished. With a small matter, however, one can bear the responsibility alone and need not wait for the group to act; even under Opposition, it can still be done. Hence, “small matters are auspicious.” The upper and lower nuclear trigrams of Opposition are both Ji Ji. The Tuan Commentary of Ji Ji says, “Prosperity—what prospers is the small,” meaning that only small things prosper. This hexagram says “small matters are auspicious”; its auspiciousness likewise lies only in small matters. Dui signifies the small, which is why it speaks of the small and not the great. In short, an age of discord is inadequate for accomplishing great affairs.
The Tuan Commentary says: “Opposition: fire moves upward and lake moves downward; two daughters dwell together, but their aims do not travel together. Joyful and attached to clarity, the yielding advances and moves upward, attaining the center and responding to the firm; therefore small matters are auspicious. Heaven and earth are in opposition, yet their work is the same. Men and women are in opposition, yet their intentions communicate. The myriad things are in opposition, yet their work is of one kind. The timely function of Opposition is truly great!”
Li fire is above and Dui lake below. What is above moves and blazes upward; what is below moves and moistens downward. There is no way for them to complete each other, hence Opposition. Li is the middle daughter and Dui the youngest daughter; together they form the hexagram, described as “dwelling together.” Their movements differ, each following its own course; each holds its own purpose and cannot be forced into sameness. In the virtue of the hexagram, Dui follows Li: Dui is joy, Li is clarity, and to be attached means having something to adhere to. “The yielding advances” means Xun is below and advances upward; “attaining the center” means Xun attains the center and responds to the firm. In the lines, the sixth in the fifth place responds below to the second nine. The fifth occupies the center of Li, and the second the center of Dui. The one above responds below: the honored one can humble himself, and the one below obtains communication with the superior. Thus, although in a time of discord, a small initiative can still attain good fortune. Opposition means dispersal. When dispersed, people’s hearts are divided and the nation’s strength is split, so great affairs cannot be accomplished; it seems useless. Yet without Opposition there can originally be no union—only through Opposition can union be revealed. The sages therefore used Opposition itself. Heaven high and earth low: this is Opposition, yet once positions are fixed, heaven and earth’s opposition becomes unity. Men outside and women inside: this is Opposition, yet once ritual is established, the opposition of men and women becomes communication. Plowing cannot clothe, weaving cannot feed, carts cannot travel on water, and boats cannot travel on land: these are Oppositions, yet once systems are established, the differences among all things become their common order. Hence, “The timely function of Opposition is truly great.” It does not say “the meaning of the time” but “the function of the time,” for its application and use are indeed great.
Applied to human affairs, this hexagram concerns all matters of daily life, food and drink, marriage, funerals, and sacrifices. Whether large or small, every human affair values emotional accord, shared purpose, and things belonging to the same kind. In the hexagram, Li fire moves above and Dui lake moves below. Both Li and Dui are female and arise from Kun, hence “dwelling together.” Movement brings change; when daughters become wives, their conduct differs and their aims differ. Thus movement produces Opposition. Opposition in heaven and earth closes the workings of heaven and earth; Opposition between men and women disorders human relations; Opposition among the myriad things confuses their categories. How could great principles and institutions receive good fortune? Only the noble person, “being alike yet different,” can make good use of Opposition. By establishing offices for the people, heaven and earth can use Opposition to achieve unity; by practicing the rites of marriage, men and women can use Opposition to achieve communication; by fixing the norms governing useful benefit, the myriad things can use Opposition to become ordered by kind. Thus the function of fire and lake is universal, and the standard for human affairs is established.
Applied to the state, the hexagram is called Opposition, meaning dispersal. The government and the people are in a situation where they move without meeting, disperse without uniting. Its complementary hexagram is Obstruction, meaning danger; if Opposition prevents one from crossing the danger, how could the state be rectified? Its inverted hexagram is Family Members, “the family is inward”; if Opposition prevents the inner realm from being put right, how could the outer realm be settled? The upper trigram is Li fire, naturally dry; the lower is Dui lake, naturally moist. They turn away from each other, dryness and dampness each differing—“two daughters dwelling together, their aims not traveling together.” “Two daughters” refers to the images of Li and Dui. Not only do women differ in purpose and conduct; extending the principle, heaven, earth, and the myriad things likewise cannot be forced into sameness. Within the state, from the greatest—heaven and earth—to the middle—men and women—and the smallest—the myriad things, sameness creates intimacy and difference creates distance. The state’s order or disorder, rise or decline, can all be divined from this. Yet there is no principle under heaven of lasting union without Opposition, nor a situation of lasting Opposition without union. One uses Opposition to overcome Opposition. If one merely clings to what is right, advances upward, and has a response in the center, the undertaking remains small and its auspiciousness slight. Only by sharing the pattern of things can the way of heaven and earth become expansive; by communicating their feelings, the feelings of men and women become harmonious; by classifying their kinds, the benefits of all things become universal. Its virtue accords with the workings of creation, and its achievement concerns the essentials of governance and peace. Without a noble person who is “alike yet different,” its function cannot be brought to the utmost.
Viewed as a whole, the hexagram has fire above and lake below. The upper moves ever higher, the lower ever lower; they travel in opposite directions and cannot become the same. That is why it is called Opposition. The lower nuclear trigram is doubled Li, signifying excessive looking that injures clarity, hence Opposition. The upper nuclear trigram is Kan; Kan signifies illness of the heart. Everyone has a heart: trust connects, suspicion creates Opposition. Nothing is closer than Family Members, yet under Opposition people become wicked persons, ghosts, bandits; some are mutilated, some shot, without considering it excessive. If those below can please and serve those above, and those above can understand and regard those below, suspicion is dispelled and affection becomes close. They transform into husband, clan, and marriage, without being regarded as hateful. The earlier suspicion is so extreme, and the later union so intimate; the key to joining Opposition lies in this turning point. Therefore, Opposition in the inner trigram always involves suspicion and waiting, while Opposition in the outer trigram reverses and finds a response. The first and fourth correspond: the first’s “lost horse” is recovered through the fourth’s “great mate.” The second and fifth correspond: the second’s meeting in the alley unites through the fifth’s “biting flesh.” The third and top correspond: the third’s “carriage dragged back” unites through the top’s “meeting rain.” When united, wicked persons become members of one household; under Opposition, family members suspect one another as enemies and bandits. Favor and resentment reverse repeatedly, and forms change without constancy. The noble person responds to things without preconceived mind, neither joining parties merely because they are alike nor attacking what differs. The first nine sees a wicked person and avoids blame, thereby knowing how to use Opposition. The two yin lines of the hexagram are inherently yielding: inwardly they use joy to ease anxiety, outwardly they use clarity to break suspicion. What begins Opposition is “two daughters dwelling together”; what ends in union is that all suspicions are transformed. The hexagram is Opposition while its images unite—this is why the I Ching’s transformations are inexhaustible.
The Great Image says: “Fire above and lake below: Opposition. Thus the noble person seeks unity while recognizing difference.”
Both images in the hexagram are female. Its form is fire and lake: fire blazes upward and water moistens downward, each functioning differently, hence Opposition. The noble person follows this example: in what is shared, he recognizes the image; where there is difference, he distinguishes the function. He does not form a faction merely out of conformity and thereby violate the Way, nor does he establish himself as different and thereby oppose custom. “Seeking unity while recognizing difference” is like sound, beauty, goods, and wealth, which everyone desires, yet some are renounced and some accepted; one does not blindly agree with others, and this is how one is uniquely different. This reveals how the noble person seeks unity while recognizing difference. Fire and lake belong to one hexagram yet differ in their natures of blazing and moistening; it is the same principle.
[Divination]
○ Divination for timing and fortune: Your current fortune is upside down; you should deal with it only by remaining upright.
○ Divination for warfare: The military situation is disharmonious, with different aims above and below; guard against dispersal through Opposition.
○ Divination for fame and rank: The upper and lower sides do not communicate; fame and rank are difficult to attain.
○ Divination for business: Commodity prices fluctuate widely. If you can buy what others discard and sell what others seek, a small profit may still be expected.
○ Divination for illness: The illness is in the upper and lower burners. Qi in the chest is blocked; there is fire above and dampness below. Treatment will be difficult.
○ Divination for the home: Both the heavenly and earthly configurations of this residence are in motion. The entire household, above and below, is unfavorable; you should move away urgently.
○ Divination for marriage: Two women are both willing to accept a proposal. The elder is quick-tempered and impulsive; the younger is broad-minded and gentle. Choose one and marry her.
○ Divination for litigation: It can be dismissed and brought to an end.
○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born.
The first nine: Regret disappears. A lost horse—do not pursue it; it will return on its own. Encountering an evil person—no blame.
The first nine: Regret disappears. A lost horse—do not pursue it; it will return on its own. Encountering an evil person—no blame.
The Commentary on the Image says: “Encountering an evil person is to avoid blame.”
The first line is at the bottom of Dui and comes from the top line of Family Members. Family Members says “in the end, good fortune,” so the first line of Opposition says “regret disappears.” The line belongs to Zhen; its earthly branch is Mao, and above it is the constellation Fang, which is the celestial chariot of horses, hence “horse.” When the first line moves upward, it leaves me and departs, hence “lost.” Yet the fourth and first share the same virtue, and it has no proper correspondence elsewhere. If it is simply allowed to go, circumstances will inevitably bring it back, hence “do not pursue it; it will return on its own.” The lower nuclear trigram is Li, whose nature is fierce and fearful, hence “evil person.” Dui signifies seeing, and Li also signifies seeing. Thus, when Li’s evil person comes seeking an audience, if Dui refuses to see him, it would be excessive jealousy and would surely bring blame. Dui should simply meet him, like Yang Huo wishing to see Confucius, and Confucius going to pay his respects according to ritual; therefore there is “no blame.” If one loses a horse and pursues it, the more one pursues, the farther it flees. If one provokes an evil person, the more one provokes him, the more perverse he becomes. Therefore, “do not pursue it,” and it returns by itself; “encounter the evil person” without avoiding him, and blame can be avoided. If one responds to things without a fixed mind, all Opposition can be united. The Commentary on the Image says “to avoid blame.” This means that avoidance is not achieved by avoiding: if avoidance itself brings blame, then it is clear that not avoiding brings no blame.
[Divination]
○ Divination for timing and fortune: Good fortune is beginning to arrive, and disasters and regrets have already receded. Even if there is some loss, do not worry about it. If an evil person comes to trouble you, do not reject him; there will naturally be no blame.
○ Divination for warfare: In the first battle there may be a minor defeat, but afterward there will surely be a great victory. Even a powerful enemy cannot harm you. No blame.
○ Divination for business: In a new trade, what is lost will surely be recovered; there is no need to worry. Do not reject those who come, and there is no need to be calculating. At present the full profit is not yet visible, but afterward there will surely be great prosperity.
○ Divination about official recognition: Although there are presently no calamities or regrets, fame has not yet been attained. One must wait until next year; upon reaching the second line, one will encounter it in an alley and thereby gain prominence.
○ Divination about the household: The eunuch household is peaceful and smooth, with neither regret nor blame.
○ Divination about a lost object: There is no need to search; it will be found by itself.
○ Divination about marriage: It will not take place now. Wait until June, or perhaps until six years have passed; it will certainly proceed, and the outcome is auspicious. This is expressed in the top line: “Not a raider, but a marriage partner.”
○ Divination about litigation: The case being litigated will certainly be found just; there will be no blame.
○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born.
【Case】 A friend, Mr. So-and-so, came to ask for a divination about his general fortune and received Dispersion changing to Before Completion.
The judgment says: In this hexagram, fire rises upward and the nature of the lake descends; the feelings between oneself and others do not harmonize, so it is called Difference. Difference means opposition. You have now asked about your general fortune and obtained the first line. The first line occupies the lowest position, standing isolated without a correspondence; this shows that by nature you are lofty and solitary, with few associates. You do not dwell on gains and losses. Even when someone you have long disliked comes seeking something, you still would not go so far as to reject and exclude him. Since the first line is at the beginning of Joy, while the outer hexagram is Clarity, Joy means pleasure and Clarity means brightness. Being both pleasant and lucid, you can certainly distinguish good people from bad, while also blending harmoniously with ordinary society without going to extremes. The image of Difference does not remain Difference to the end; therefore there is neither regret nor blame. The second line says, “Meet the ruler in the alley.” By next year, you will surely have prospects of advancement.
The Commentary on the Image says: “Encountering an evil person is to avoid blame.”
The first line is at the bottom of Dui and comes from the top line of Family Members. Family Members says “in the end, good fortune,” so the first line of Opposition says “regret disappears.” The line belongs to Zhen; its earthly branch is Mao, and above it is the constellation Fang, which is the celestial chariot of horses, hence “horse.” When the first line moves upward, it leaves me and departs, hence “lost.” Yet the fourth and first share the same virtue, and it has no proper correspondence elsewhere. If it is simply allowed to go, circumstances will inevitably bring it back, hence “do not pursue it; it will return on its own.” The lower nuclear trigram is Li, whose nature is fierce and fearful, hence “evil person.” Dui signifies seeing, and Li also signifies seeing. Thus, when Li’s evil person comes seeking an audience, if Dui refuses to see him, it would be excessive jealousy and would surely bring blame. Dui should simply meet him, like Yang Huo wishing to see Confucius, and Confucius going to pay his respects according to ritual; therefore there is “no blame.” If one loses a horse and pursues it, the more one pursues, the farther it flees. If one provokes an evil person, the more one provokes him, the more perverse he becomes. Therefore, “do not pursue it,” and it returns by itself; “encounter the evil person” without avoiding him, and blame can be avoided. If one responds to things without a fixed mind, all Opposition can be united. The Commentary on the Image says “to avoid blame.” This means that avoidance is not achieved by avoiding: if avoidance itself brings blame, then it is clear that not avoiding brings no blame.
[Divination]
○ Divination for timing and fortune: Good fortune is beginning to arrive, and disasters and regrets have already receded. Even if there is some loss, do not worry about it. If an evil person comes to trouble you, do not reject him; there will naturally be no blame.
○ Divination for warfare: In the first battle there may be a minor defeat, but afterward there will surely be a great victory. Even a powerful enemy cannot harm you. No blame.
○ Divination for business: In a new trade, what is lost will surely be recovered; there is no need to worry. Do not reject those who come, and there is no need to be calculating. At present the full profit is not yet visible, but afterward there will surely be great prosperity.
○ Divination about official recognition: Although there are presently no calamities or regrets, fame has not yet been attained. One must wait until next year; upon reaching the second line, one will encounter it in an alley and thereby gain prominence.
○ Divination about the household: The eunuch household is peaceful and smooth, with neither regret nor blame.
○ Divination about a lost object: There is no need to search; it will be found by itself.
○ Divination about marriage: It will not take place now. Wait until June, or perhaps until six years have passed; it will certainly proceed, and the outcome is auspicious. This is expressed in the top line: “Not a raider, but a marriage partner.”
○ Divination about litigation: The case being litigated will certainly be found just; there will be no blame.
○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born.
【Case】 A friend, Mr. So-and-so, came to ask for a divination about his general fortune and received Dispersion changing to Before Completion.
The judgment says: In this hexagram, fire rises upward and the nature of the lake descends; the feelings between oneself and others do not harmonize, so it is called Difference. Difference means opposition. You have now asked about your general fortune and obtained the first line. The first line occupies the lowest position, standing isolated without a correspondence; this shows that by nature you are lofty and solitary, with few associates. You do not dwell on gains and losses. Even when someone you have long disliked comes seeking something, you still would not go so far as to reject and exclude him. Since the first line is at the beginning of Joy, while the outer hexagram is Clarity, Joy means pleasure and Clarity means brightness. Being both pleasant and lucid, you can certainly distinguish good people from bad, while also blending harmoniously with ordinary society without going to extremes. The image of Difference does not remain Difference to the end; therefore there is neither regret nor blame. The second line says, “Meet the ruler in the alley.” By next year, you will surely have prospects of advancement.
Nine in the second place: Meet the ruler in the alley; no blame.
Nine in the second place: Meet the ruler in the alley; no blame.
The Commentary on the Image says: Meeting the ruler in the alley means one has not lost the Way.
“Ruler” means the sovereign, referring to the sixth line in the fifth place. “Alley” means a road within a village: the character is composed of the signs for settlement and sharing, referring to a route commonly used by people in the village. The second line is out of place in Difference, so wherever it goes things do not accord; yet it has a proper correspondence with the fifth. The second is in the center of Joy, and the fifth in the center of Clarity. Both Joy and Clarity signify seeing, showing that the second and fifth both intend to meet one another. They encounter each other in an alley: it is an unexpected meeting that happens to occur. When ruler and minister meet, Difference ultimately ends in union—what blame could there be? The Commentary on the Image says “one has not lost the Way,” meaning that without traveling far, they naturally meet in the alley. An alley is a road, precisely what the Analects calls “meeting him on the road.”
[Divination]
○ Divination about the times: The hexagram indicates discord and Difference, so the fortune is basically unfavorable. Only recently has an exceptionally fine opportunity appeared; proceed, and there will surely be good fortune.
○ Divination about warfare: The second and fifth lines oppose each other. The inner side represents our troops, while the fifth represents the enemy. They meet in a winding alley and cross swords; the outcome of this battle has not yet been decided.
○ Divination about business: Since the character for “alley” contains the idea of sharing, this must be an enterprise jointly planned and operated by partners; it indicates meeting a wealthy backer with whom to conduct the business.
○ Divination about official recognition: This is precisely the time of a favorable encounter with changing circumstances.
○ Divination about the household: This house lies within a winding alley. A noble person will soon come to visit; the meeting will be joyful and greatly auspicious.
○ Divination about illness: You will encounter a good physician; there will be no blame.
○ Divination about marriage: As the Book of Songs says, “By chance we met, just as my heart desired.” This concerns a private affair between a man and woman, not a proper match.
○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born.
【Case】 In the twenty-third year of Meiji, a divination was performed about the Ministry of Education’s educational standards, and Difference changed to Biting Through.
The judgment says: In this hexagram, the nature of fire blazes upward and the nature of the lake moistens downward. Because the upper and lower are so far apart, it is called Difference. Now, divining about educational standards and obtaining the second line, the second line is out of place in Difference and will have nowhere to settle. It is like the recent education of the Ministry of Education, which takes Europe and America exclusively as its model and makes intellect and reason its principal concerns. The old moral education of our country likewise occupies a wrong position, and is almost about to be abandoned and left unused.
All students who studied abroad in Europe returned home and became teachers, educating children. Yet these students themselves did not understand our country’s ancient teachings—that they discipline social bonds, esteem distinctions of status, stand firmly for all ages, and cultivate a multitude of talents. They became tired of the old and delighted with the new, like Chen Xiang accepting Xu Xing’s teachings, abandoning their own learning entirely to study his, and then leading our country’s children one after another to follow that teaching. I am truly worried about this. I therefore wrote an essay entitled “The Origin of Morality.” On October 18 of the twenty-third year of Meiji, I requested an audience with Prime Minister Yamagata and presented these views. On that day the governors of all the prefectures happened to be present as well, and all listened attentively. The Minister said, “What you have argued strikes directly at the abuses of the times,” and ordered me to visit Education Minister Arikawa. I went to the Ministry of Education that very day and restated my previous argument. The next day the Emperor summoned the two ministers for questioning, and an Imperial Rescript on Education was subsequently issued. For my humble views to reach the Emperor’s ears—how fortunate could I be! The line statement’s words “meet the ruler in the alley” fit the event exactly. The I Ching’s principles anticipate opportunities; its divine subtlety is truly like this!
Excerpt from “The Origin of Morality”:
In ancient times, our country used the three ways—Shinto, Confucianism, and Buddhism—as standards of morality, sustaining social order and the human heart. Since Western learning began to flourish day by day, old learning has declined day by day. Unless we investigate its origins, we cannot devise measures to remedy the situation. In my view, the eight words benevolence, righteousness, loyalty, filial piety, integrity, frugality, honor, and shame are truly the essentials of the Confucian Way. In the middle of the eighth year of Meiji, the Ministry of Education proposed abolishing the Chinese classics course in order to repudiate Confucianism. Thereafter, as policy extended its reach, the decline continued to deepen until today. The Ministry of Education itself originally had no intention of abolishing it. When it established the completion period for each subject, it consulted teachers of Chinese learning. The teachers replied: “Western learning is outside our knowledge. As for Chinese learning, even a lifetime of devoted study does not exhaust it, so it is difficult to set a fixed period.” Thus abolition was proposed. I say this was the argument of pedantic Confucians. Did they not know what Confucius said—at fifteen I set my heart on learning, at thirty I stood firm—and what Mencius said—“learn it when young and put it into practice when mature”? All learning takes place in youth. Thirty is called maturity, when one puts learning into practice to benefit the age. Master Cheng said that in the book Doctrine of the Mean, a good reader investigates and gains insight, and can use it throughout life without exhausting it; he did not say that one studies it for life without finishing it. In an ordinary school subject, could there be no date for completion? Vulgar Confucians, ignorant of practical affairs, recklessly made pedantic arguments. Consequently, an essential branch of learning was discarded and no longer discussed, bringing about the calamity of today; their guilt deserves death. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Education also bears blame. Although those pedants made this proposal, they must have been intoxicated with Western learning and unaware of the origin of morality. Among the ministers and worthy statesmen of the entire court, from the Minister of Education downward, all came from the school of Chinese learning. How could they suddenly forget the practical learning by which they themselves had cultivated their character? It is truly regrettable! As the saying goes, “What those above like, those below will pursue even more.” From then on, shallow young men despised Chinese learning, without knowing what should be done. When morality becomes wicked and shame disappears, in a small matter it determines right and wrong in one person; in a middle matter it affects the prosperity and decline of a family; in a great matter it concerns the security and danger of the realm. The harm is beyond all telling. What is past cannot be blamed again. As a plan for the present, we must turn back the raging tide before it has completely overturned everything, correct the social order and people’s hearts, bring peace to the Emperor’s mind above, and increase the welfare of the people below. Moral education is of immense importance. Local officials have already submitted detailed memorials to the Minister of Education, establishing Confucian principles as the standard for future school subjects. Investigating Confucian principles and the origin of virtue is truly the urgent task of today. Two kinds of education should be established: first, true principles; second, practical principles. True principles arise from the impartial order of Heaven and accord with the correctness of human nature and destiny; they are the study of rectifying the heart, making intentions sincere, and cultivating the self—the teaching of what lies beyond physical forms. Practical principles arise from human self-interest and obtain the benefits of material form; they are the study of establishing oneself, prospering the family, and enriching the nation—the teaching of what lies within physical forms.The ancients said, “When clothing and food are sufficient, people know propriety,” and also, “Those without a stable livelihood have no stable hearts.” These are indeed ordinary conditions of human society. These are the two kinds of practical principles, neither of which can be lacking for a single day. Such is the general outline.
The Commentary on the Image says: Meeting the ruler in the alley means one has not lost the Way.
“Ruler” means the sovereign, referring to the sixth line in the fifth place. “Alley” means a road within a village: the character is composed of the signs for settlement and sharing, referring to a route commonly used by people in the village. The second line is out of place in Difference, so wherever it goes things do not accord; yet it has a proper correspondence with the fifth. The second is in the center of Joy, and the fifth in the center of Clarity. Both Joy and Clarity signify seeing, showing that the second and fifth both intend to meet one another. They encounter each other in an alley: it is an unexpected meeting that happens to occur. When ruler and minister meet, Difference ultimately ends in union—what blame could there be? The Commentary on the Image says “one has not lost the Way,” meaning that without traveling far, they naturally meet in the alley. An alley is a road, precisely what the Analects calls “meeting him on the road.”
[Divination]
○ Divination about the times: The hexagram indicates discord and Difference, so the fortune is basically unfavorable. Only recently has an exceptionally fine opportunity appeared; proceed, and there will surely be good fortune.
○ Divination about warfare: The second and fifth lines oppose each other. The inner side represents our troops, while the fifth represents the enemy. They meet in a winding alley and cross swords; the outcome of this battle has not yet been decided.
○ Divination about business: Since the character for “alley” contains the idea of sharing, this must be an enterprise jointly planned and operated by partners; it indicates meeting a wealthy backer with whom to conduct the business.
○ Divination about official recognition: This is precisely the time of a favorable encounter with changing circumstances.
○ Divination about the household: This house lies within a winding alley. A noble person will soon come to visit; the meeting will be joyful and greatly auspicious.
○ Divination about illness: You will encounter a good physician; there will be no blame.
○ Divination about marriage: As the Book of Songs says, “By chance we met, just as my heart desired.” This concerns a private affair between a man and woman, not a proper match.
○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born.
【Case】 In the twenty-third year of Meiji, a divination was performed about the Ministry of Education’s educational standards, and Difference changed to Biting Through.
The judgment says: In this hexagram, the nature of fire blazes upward and the nature of the lake moistens downward. Because the upper and lower are so far apart, it is called Difference. Now, divining about educational standards and obtaining the second line, the second line is out of place in Difference and will have nowhere to settle. It is like the recent education of the Ministry of Education, which takes Europe and America exclusively as its model and makes intellect and reason its principal concerns. The old moral education of our country likewise occupies a wrong position, and is almost about to be abandoned and left unused.
All students who studied abroad in Europe returned home and became teachers, educating children. Yet these students themselves did not understand our country’s ancient teachings—that they discipline social bonds, esteem distinctions of status, stand firmly for all ages, and cultivate a multitude of talents. They became tired of the old and delighted with the new, like Chen Xiang accepting Xu Xing’s teachings, abandoning their own learning entirely to study his, and then leading our country’s children one after another to follow that teaching. I am truly worried about this. I therefore wrote an essay entitled “The Origin of Morality.” On October 18 of the twenty-third year of Meiji, I requested an audience with Prime Minister Yamagata and presented these views. On that day the governors of all the prefectures happened to be present as well, and all listened attentively. The Minister said, “What you have argued strikes directly at the abuses of the times,” and ordered me to visit Education Minister Arikawa. I went to the Ministry of Education that very day and restated my previous argument. The next day the Emperor summoned the two ministers for questioning, and an Imperial Rescript on Education was subsequently issued. For my humble views to reach the Emperor’s ears—how fortunate could I be! The line statement’s words “meet the ruler in the alley” fit the event exactly. The I Ching’s principles anticipate opportunities; its divine subtlety is truly like this!
Excerpt from “The Origin of Morality”:
In ancient times, our country used the three ways—Shinto, Confucianism, and Buddhism—as standards of morality, sustaining social order and the human heart. Since Western learning began to flourish day by day, old learning has declined day by day. Unless we investigate its origins, we cannot devise measures to remedy the situation. In my view, the eight words benevolence, righteousness, loyalty, filial piety, integrity, frugality, honor, and shame are truly the essentials of the Confucian Way. In the middle of the eighth year of Meiji, the Ministry of Education proposed abolishing the Chinese classics course in order to repudiate Confucianism. Thereafter, as policy extended its reach, the decline continued to deepen until today. The Ministry of Education itself originally had no intention of abolishing it. When it established the completion period for each subject, it consulted teachers of Chinese learning. The teachers replied: “Western learning is outside our knowledge. As for Chinese learning, even a lifetime of devoted study does not exhaust it, so it is difficult to set a fixed period.” Thus abolition was proposed. I say this was the argument of pedantic Confucians. Did they not know what Confucius said—at fifteen I set my heart on learning, at thirty I stood firm—and what Mencius said—“learn it when young and put it into practice when mature”? All learning takes place in youth. Thirty is called maturity, when one puts learning into practice to benefit the age. Master Cheng said that in the book Doctrine of the Mean, a good reader investigates and gains insight, and can use it throughout life without exhausting it; he did not say that one studies it for life without finishing it. In an ordinary school subject, could there be no date for completion? Vulgar Confucians, ignorant of practical affairs, recklessly made pedantic arguments. Consequently, an essential branch of learning was discarded and no longer discussed, bringing about the calamity of today; their guilt deserves death. Nevertheless, the Ministry of Education also bears blame. Although those pedants made this proposal, they must have been intoxicated with Western learning and unaware of the origin of morality. Among the ministers and worthy statesmen of the entire court, from the Minister of Education downward, all came from the school of Chinese learning. How could they suddenly forget the practical learning by which they themselves had cultivated their character? It is truly regrettable! As the saying goes, “What those above like, those below will pursue even more.” From then on, shallow young men despised Chinese learning, without knowing what should be done. When morality becomes wicked and shame disappears, in a small matter it determines right and wrong in one person; in a middle matter it affects the prosperity and decline of a family; in a great matter it concerns the security and danger of the realm. The harm is beyond all telling. What is past cannot be blamed again. As a plan for the present, we must turn back the raging tide before it has completely overturned everything, correct the social order and people’s hearts, bring peace to the Emperor’s mind above, and increase the welfare of the people below. Moral education is of immense importance. Local officials have already submitted detailed memorials to the Minister of Education, establishing Confucian principles as the standard for future school subjects. Investigating Confucian principles and the origin of virtue is truly the urgent task of today. Two kinds of education should be established: first, true principles; second, practical principles. True principles arise from the impartial order of Heaven and accord with the correctness of human nature and destiny; they are the study of rectifying the heart, making intentions sincere, and cultivating the self—the teaching of what lies beyond physical forms. Practical principles arise from human self-interest and obtain the benefits of material form; they are the study of establishing oneself, prospering the family, and enriching the nation—the teaching of what lies within physical forms.The ancients said, “When clothing and food are sufficient, people know propriety,” and also, “Those without a stable livelihood have no stable hearts.” These are indeed ordinary conditions of human society. These are the two kinds of practical principles, neither of which can be lacking for a single day. Such is the general outline.
Six in the third place: One sees the carriage being dragged back, its ox held fast, and the man suffering the removal of his hair and the cutting of his nose. No good beginning, but a good ending.
Six in the third place: One sees the carriage being dragged back［21］, its ox held fast［22］, and the man suffering the removal of his hair and the cutting of his nose［23］. No good beginning, but a good ending.
The Commentary on the Image says: Seeing the carriage dragged back means the position is inappropriate. “No good beginning, but a good ending” means meeting firmness.
The upper nuclear trigram is Water, which represents a carriage; the lower nuclear trigram is Clarity, which represents an ox. “No good beginning, but a good ending” means meeting firmness. Clarity also represents seeing. The upper and lower nuclear trigrams together form Completion, whose initial line contains words about a wheel being dragged; hence “one sees the carriage being dragged back.” “Held fast” means pulled and restrained. “Carriage” refers to the third line, “dragged” to the fourth, and “held fast” to the second. The third lies at the junction of the upper and lower parts; its position is inappropriate. The fourth drags it and the second holds it back: the carriage is pulled from the front while its ox is restrained from behind. Hu An-ding said that “the removal of hair” should be read as “and”; in seal script the forms of “and” and “heaven” resemble each other. In ritual terminology, shaving the head is called “removal.” “Cutting the nose” means severing the nose. Hair belongs to the heart and governs fire; the nose belongs to the lungs and governs metal. In this line, metal of Joy encounters fire of Clarity; metal and fire overcome each other, hence the image of injury to the hair and nose. Joy represents a punished person, hence it says the man suffers both removal and nose-cutting. The third line is at the end of the lower hexagram, in the time of Difference. It is a yielding line in a firm place, standing where it should not, yet corresponding with the top line. The top line occupies the extreme of Clarity; the nature of Clarity’s fire is fierce. When they do not accord, they injure each other; when they accord, they benefit each other. After encountering rain, suspicion disappears, and Difference ultimately becomes union. Hence “no good beginning, but a good ending.” The Commentary on the Image says “meeting firmness”; firmness refers to the fourth line, which is the “encountering rain” mentioned above. The fourth contains Water, which represents rain; moreover, the fourth stands centrally and does not lean to either side, hence it is called firm. This means that the fourth can dispel the top line’s suspicions and enable them ultimately to unite.
[Divination]
○ Divination about the times: The fortune is out of alignment; there may be calamity involving punishment or injury. After three years, good fortune will arrive.
○ Divination about business: You will not agree with others. Not only will you fail to profit, but you should guard against the trouble of imprisonment or litigation. It can succeed later.
○ Divination about official recognition: You are pulled from the left and restrained on the right; every move brings blame. How could you attain fame? The later part of life will be better.
○ Divination about warfare: The carriage breaks loose, the horses flee, the army is defeated and the commander dies. It cannot advance; it must wait until allied forces gain strength, so that an initial defeat can end in victory.
○ Divination about marriage: At first, because the man’s family is suspicious and jealous, humiliation cannot be avoided; in the end, the suspicions will be dispelled and the marriage completed.
○ Divination about the household: This house is in an unsuitable position, constrained on every side—front, back, left, and right. Its occupants will occasionally suffer calamities involving injuries to the head and face, because the mountain facing the house points south and the fire of Clarity comes to overcome it. It is advisable to change the orientation to face west, the position of Joy; that will be auspicious.
○ Divination about illness: There must be sores on the face; after a long while they will heal by themselves.
○ Divination about litigation: Trouble involving punishment cannot be avoided, but in the end it will resolve itself.
○ Divination about a lost object: It can be found later.
○ Divination about pregnancy: A girl will be born; guard against an injury or mark on her face.
【Case】 One day, a certain friend came and said: “A prominent nobleman has entrusted me with a matter and asked me to seek a divination about its good or bad fortune.” The result was Difference changing to Great Possession.
The judgment says: The Tuan Commentary states that in Difference, “fire moves upward and the lake moves downward”; upper and lower turn away from each other, and thus Difference is formed. It also says, “When man and woman differ, their intentions communicate”: they are first apart but ultimately unite. This is precisely the meaning of the third line’s “no good beginning, but a good ending.” You have now acted as an agent in the divination and obtained the third line. The third line says: “One sees the carriage being dragged back, its ox held fast, and the man suffering the removal of his hair and the cutting of his nose. No good beginning, but a good ending.” Studying the line statement, it means that the person is in the carriage: one who drags wants to go forward, while one who restrains wants to go backward. Pulled in opposite directions, the carriage cannot move upward, and there is also an image of injury to the face and nose. The structure of the hexagram indicates a woman, so I infer that the matter entrusted by the nobleman concerns a woman. When the proposal was first made, people above and below must have blocked it, causing disputes; the entrusted matter failed, and you felt that you had lost face before the nobleman. The Image says “meet firmness.” It appears that a second upright and forthright person must be found to help make the proposal; then the matter can unite, hence “no good beginning, but a good ending.” The nobleman is seeking a minor concubine, which is by nature a small matter. The Tuan Commentary says, “Small matters are auspicious,” so ultimately there will certainly be good fortune.
【Case】 At the winter solstice of the twenty-ninth year of Meiji, a divination was performed about the actual administrative situation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce in the thirtieth year, and Difference changed to Great Possession.
The judgment says: Consider the image of the line. An ox is naturally sufficient to draw a carriage, yet the words “dragged” and “held fast” show that it is instead being restrained and unable to move forward. The carriage cannot advance; when one tries to force it onward, the person instead suffers harm. Such is the image of the line. Now, divining about the actual administrative situation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce and obtaining this line: Our country wants to model itself on the agricultural and commercial practices of the European and American nations and apply them domestically. Yet wealthy merchants are content to sit back and consume their wealth, unwilling to sail overseas, while poor merchants want to go but suffer from lack of capital. Although silk mills and tea factories now imitate machinery, overseas transportation and sales are hindered either by tariffs or by the dangers of ships. Overseas trade has always differed from domestic trade. Our agricultural land is limited; if calculated against the population, each person has barely two tan of land. Therefore, the convenient methods of Europe and America truly cannot be applied domestically. If forced into use, they will all fall into the hands of idle, propertyless people, and the harm will be even greater. Only the newly reclaimed fields of Hokkaido can use them. As for all kinds of miscellaneous commerce, much is likewise inconvenient to carry out. It is still a case of fire blazing upward and the lake moistening downward, with the two unable to harmonize; ultimately Difference will remain discordant and unusable. Fortunately, the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce has devised methods with flexibility: it enables experienced people to develop industry, attaches commercial goods, and provides them with standardized trademarks so that every product can gain credibility. It also encourages wealthy merchants to establish marine and land insurance companies and bank branches, thereby stimulating commerce. Gradually, effective results may be seen—this is what is meant by “no good beginning, but a good ending.”
The Commentary on the Image says: Seeing the carriage dragged back means the position is inappropriate. “No good beginning, but a good ending” means meeting firmness.
The upper nuclear trigram is Water, which represents a carriage; the lower nuclear trigram is Clarity, which represents an ox. “No good beginning, but a good ending” means meeting firmness. Clarity also represents seeing. The upper and lower nuclear trigrams together form Completion, whose initial line contains words about a wheel being dragged; hence “one sees the carriage being dragged back.” “Held fast” means pulled and restrained. “Carriage” refers to the third line, “dragged” to the fourth, and “held fast” to the second. The third lies at the junction of the upper and lower parts; its position is inappropriate. The fourth drags it and the second holds it back: the carriage is pulled from the front while its ox is restrained from behind. Hu An-ding said that “the removal of hair” should be read as “and”; in seal script the forms of “and” and “heaven” resemble each other. In ritual terminology, shaving the head is called “removal.” “Cutting the nose” means severing the nose. Hair belongs to the heart and governs fire; the nose belongs to the lungs and governs metal. In this line, metal of Joy encounters fire of Clarity; metal and fire overcome each other, hence the image of injury to the hair and nose. Joy represents a punished person, hence it says the man suffers both removal and nose-cutting. The third line is at the end of the lower hexagram, in the time of Difference. It is a yielding line in a firm place, standing where it should not, yet corresponding with the top line. The top line occupies the extreme of Clarity; the nature of Clarity’s fire is fierce. When they do not accord, they injure each other; when they accord, they benefit each other. After encountering rain, suspicion disappears, and Difference ultimately becomes union. Hence “no good beginning, but a good ending.” The Commentary on the Image says “meeting firmness”; firmness refers to the fourth line, which is the “encountering rain” mentioned above. The fourth contains Water, which represents rain; moreover, the fourth stands centrally and does not lean to either side, hence it is called firm. This means that the fourth can dispel the top line’s suspicions and enable them ultimately to unite.
[Divination]
○ Divination about the times: The fortune is out of alignment; there may be calamity involving punishment or injury. After three years, good fortune will arrive.
○ Divination about business: You will not agree with others. Not only will you fail to profit, but you should guard against the trouble of imprisonment or litigation. It can succeed later.
○ Divination about official recognition: You are pulled from the left and restrained on the right; every move brings blame. How could you attain fame? The later part of life will be better.
○ Divination about warfare: The carriage breaks loose, the horses flee, the army is defeated and the commander dies. It cannot advance; it must wait until allied forces gain strength, so that an initial defeat can end in victory.
○ Divination about marriage: At first, because the man’s family is suspicious and jealous, humiliation cannot be avoided; in the end, the suspicions will be dispelled and the marriage completed.
○ Divination about the household: This house is in an unsuitable position, constrained on every side—front, back, left, and right. Its occupants will occasionally suffer calamities involving injuries to the head and face, because the mountain facing the house points south and the fire of Clarity comes to overcome it. It is advisable to change the orientation to face west, the position of Joy; that will be auspicious.
○ Divination about illness: There must be sores on the face; after a long while they will heal by themselves.
○ Divination about litigation: Trouble involving punishment cannot be avoided, but in the end it will resolve itself.
○ Divination about a lost object: It can be found later.
○ Divination about pregnancy: A girl will be born; guard against an injury or mark on her face.
【Case】 One day, a certain friend came and said: “A prominent nobleman has entrusted me with a matter and asked me to seek a divination about its good or bad fortune.” The result was Difference changing to Great Possession.
The judgment says: The Tuan Commentary states that in Difference, “fire moves upward and the lake moves downward”; upper and lower turn away from each other, and thus Difference is formed. It also says, “When man and woman differ, their intentions communicate”: they are first apart but ultimately unite. This is precisely the meaning of the third line’s “no good beginning, but a good ending.” You have now acted as an agent in the divination and obtained the third line. The third line says: “One sees the carriage being dragged back, its ox held fast, and the man suffering the removal of his hair and the cutting of his nose. No good beginning, but a good ending.” Studying the line statement, it means that the person is in the carriage: one who drags wants to go forward, while one who restrains wants to go backward. Pulled in opposite directions, the carriage cannot move upward, and there is also an image of injury to the face and nose. The structure of the hexagram indicates a woman, so I infer that the matter entrusted by the nobleman concerns a woman. When the proposal was first made, people above and below must have blocked it, causing disputes; the entrusted matter failed, and you felt that you had lost face before the nobleman. The Image says “meet firmness.” It appears that a second upright and forthright person must be found to help make the proposal; then the matter can unite, hence “no good beginning, but a good ending.” The nobleman is seeking a minor concubine, which is by nature a small matter. The Tuan Commentary says, “Small matters are auspicious,” so ultimately there will certainly be good fortune.
【Case】 At the winter solstice of the twenty-ninth year of Meiji, a divination was performed about the actual administrative situation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce in the thirtieth year, and Difference changed to Great Possession.
The judgment says: Consider the image of the line. An ox is naturally sufficient to draw a carriage, yet the words “dragged” and “held fast” show that it is instead being restrained and unable to move forward. The carriage cannot advance; when one tries to force it onward, the person instead suffers harm. Such is the image of the line. Now, divining about the actual administrative situation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce and obtaining this line: Our country wants to model itself on the agricultural and commercial practices of the European and American nations and apply them domestically. Yet wealthy merchants are content to sit back and consume their wealth, unwilling to sail overseas, while poor merchants want to go but suffer from lack of capital. Although silk mills and tea factories now imitate machinery, overseas transportation and sales are hindered either by tariffs or by the dangers of ships. Overseas trade has always differed from domestic trade. Our agricultural land is limited; if calculated against the population, each person has barely two tan of land. Therefore, the convenient methods of Europe and America truly cannot be applied domestically. If forced into use, they will all fall into the hands of idle, propertyless people, and the harm will be even greater. Only the newly reclaimed fields of Hokkaido can use them. As for all kinds of miscellaneous commerce, much is likewise inconvenient to carry out. It is still a case of fire blazing upward and the lake moistening downward, with the two unable to harmonize; ultimately Difference will remain discordant and unusable. Fortunately, the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce has devised methods with flexibility: it enables experienced people to develop industry, attaches commercial goods, and provides them with standardized trademarks so that every product can gain credibility. It also encourages wealthy merchants to establish marine and land insurance companies and bank branches, thereby stimulating commerce. Gradually, effective results may be seen—this is what is meant by “no good beginning, but a good ending.”
Nine in the fourth place: Alone in Difference, one meets a great man, and mutual trust is established. Danger, but no blame.
Nine in the fourth place: Alone in Difference, one meets a great man, and mutual trust is established. Danger, but no blame.
The Commentary on the Image says: Mutual trust brings no blame; one’s intentions are carried out.
The fourth line occupies the beginning of the Li hexagram. Li represents the eye. The Shuowen says, “When the eyes do not look at one another, there is estrangement.” “Alone” means standing independently without support. Since the feelings are estranged and the circumstances are also solitary, it says, “Alone in estrangement.” “The first man” refers to the first line. The fourth and first lines are in the same period, both being within estrangement; they occupy corresponding positions, both at the beginning, so their images and aims are alike. The fourth has no corresponding line and finds in the first a like-minded companion. Since the first is at the head of the hexagram, it is called “first.” The fourth is in a yin position and the first in a yang position, so the fourth regards the first as a husband. Moreover, the first is a Zhen line, and Zhen represents the first man; hence, “meets the first man.” When the fourth changes, it forms Sun. Sun says, “There is trust”; when the fourth changes into the fifth, it forms Zhongfu, whose fifth line says, “There is trust, bindingly held.” This shows reciprocal trust, hence “exchanging trust.” “Danger, but no blame” means that although the time is one of discord and estrangement, fortunately trust is attained; despite the danger, there is no blame. The Commentary on the Image explains this through “the aim is carried out,” meaning that the fourth line’s aim can be put into practice only after this exchange of trust.
[Divination]
○ Asking about current fortune: You are solitary and uncompromising by nature, out of step with the times. Fortunately, you meet someone of like mind, which is just enough to avoid blame.
○ Asking about military campaigns: An isolated army has advanced deep into enemy territory and is nearly in danger, but fortunately rescue arrives, so there is no blame.
○ Asking about commerce: A lone traveler has gone far from home, but the goods do not suit the market, leaving him unable either to advance or retreat. Only after meeting an old friend from his home region can he sell them and return safely without blame.
○ Asking about status and recognition: Your fate is lonely and impoverished; it is difficult to hope for prominence. Avoiding blame is all that can be expected.
○ Asking about the household: The home stands in a remote, isolated village, visited only by woodcutters and old country folk.
○ Asking about illness: The illness concerns the eyes. Meeting a good physician will avert blame.
○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born.
【Case】 In the twelfth month of the second year of Meiji, on the last day of the month, I borrowed the navy ministry’s steamship Hiryumaru to transport Chinese rice to Miyako in the Nanbu domain. Just before departure, divination produced Kui changing to Sun.
Whenever something important arose, I normally divined for myself, so I paid no particular attention to the line’s words, “no blame.” After boarding the ship, my usually busy body became idle. I recalled that years earlier in Nanbu I had been intimate with a courtesan, and planned that after reaching the port and going ashore I would call the captain and others to admire her beauty, marvel together, and get drunk. Once I indulged in this foolish fantasy, I could not sleep all night. After three days, the ship reached Miyako. At the firing of a signal cannon, village officials came to welcome us; among them were two old friends. I secretly told them what I wanted and had them go to summon her. Then I led everyone ashore, trimmed the lamps, set out wine, and sat in a circle. We repeatedly sent for her, but she answered and did not come, which greatly disappointed me. Late at night, after the guests had dispersed, I clapped my hands and urgently asked about her. The courtesan came out and said: “I have been here for a long time. I was ashamed of being so ugly that I could not serve and entertain you, so I did not enter.” I was also shocked and exclaimed: “How have you grown so old!” On thinking it over, I realized that eighteen years had passed since we parted. The I Ching says, “An old wife and a young husband”—a shameful and laughable matter. The courtesan then tearfully told me: “Recently I suffered an illness. My appearance changed suddenly, my livelihood became desperate, and death is all that remains.” Recalling the past, I could not help feeling compassion. Who could simply dismiss this? I therefore gave her twenty sacks of rice and entrusted them to her with a written voucher. She was deeply pleased and left. This exactly corresponded to the Image: “Alone in estrangement, meeting the first man, exchanging trust; danger, but no blame.”
The Commentary on the Image says: Mutual trust brings no blame; one’s intentions are carried out.
The fourth line occupies the beginning of the Li hexagram. Li represents the eye. The Shuowen says, “When the eyes do not look at one another, there is estrangement.” “Alone” means standing independently without support. Since the feelings are estranged and the circumstances are also solitary, it says, “Alone in estrangement.” “The first man” refers to the first line. The fourth and first lines are in the same period, both being within estrangement; they occupy corresponding positions, both at the beginning, so their images and aims are alike. The fourth has no corresponding line and finds in the first a like-minded companion. Since the first is at the head of the hexagram, it is called “first.” The fourth is in a yin position and the first in a yang position, so the fourth regards the first as a husband. Moreover, the first is a Zhen line, and Zhen represents the first man; hence, “meets the first man.” When the fourth changes, it forms Sun. Sun says, “There is trust”; when the fourth changes into the fifth, it forms Zhongfu, whose fifth line says, “There is trust, bindingly held.” This shows reciprocal trust, hence “exchanging trust.” “Danger, but no blame” means that although the time is one of discord and estrangement, fortunately trust is attained; despite the danger, there is no blame. The Commentary on the Image explains this through “the aim is carried out,” meaning that the fourth line’s aim can be put into practice only after this exchange of trust.
[Divination]
○ Asking about current fortune: You are solitary and uncompromising by nature, out of step with the times. Fortunately, you meet someone of like mind, which is just enough to avoid blame.
○ Asking about military campaigns: An isolated army has advanced deep into enemy territory and is nearly in danger, but fortunately rescue arrives, so there is no blame.
○ Asking about commerce: A lone traveler has gone far from home, but the goods do not suit the market, leaving him unable either to advance or retreat. Only after meeting an old friend from his home region can he sell them and return safely without blame.
○ Asking about status and recognition: Your fate is lonely and impoverished; it is difficult to hope for prominence. Avoiding blame is all that can be expected.
○ Asking about the household: The home stands in a remote, isolated village, visited only by woodcutters and old country folk.
○ Asking about illness: The illness concerns the eyes. Meeting a good physician will avert blame.
○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born.
【Case】 In the twelfth month of the second year of Meiji, on the last day of the month, I borrowed the navy ministry’s steamship Hiryumaru to transport Chinese rice to Miyako in the Nanbu domain. Just before departure, divination produced Kui changing to Sun.
Whenever something important arose, I normally divined for myself, so I paid no particular attention to the line’s words, “no blame.” After boarding the ship, my usually busy body became idle. I recalled that years earlier in Nanbu I had been intimate with a courtesan, and planned that after reaching the port and going ashore I would call the captain and others to admire her beauty, marvel together, and get drunk. Once I indulged in this foolish fantasy, I could not sleep all night. After three days, the ship reached Miyako. At the firing of a signal cannon, village officials came to welcome us; among them were two old friends. I secretly told them what I wanted and had them go to summon her. Then I led everyone ashore, trimmed the lamps, set out wine, and sat in a circle. We repeatedly sent for her, but she answered and did not come, which greatly disappointed me. Late at night, after the guests had dispersed, I clapped my hands and urgently asked about her. The courtesan came out and said: “I have been here for a long time. I was ashamed of being so ugly that I could not serve and entertain you, so I did not enter.” I was also shocked and exclaimed: “How have you grown so old!” On thinking it over, I realized that eighteen years had passed since we parted. The I Ching says, “An old wife and a young husband”—a shameful and laughable matter. The courtesan then tearfully told me: “Recently I suffered an illness. My appearance changed suddenly, my livelihood became desperate, and death is all that remains.” Recalling the past, I could not help feeling compassion. Who could simply dismiss this? I therefore gave her twenty sacks of rice and entrusted them to her with a written voucher. She was deeply pleased and left. This exactly corresponded to the Image: “Alone in estrangement, meeting the first man, exchanging trust; danger, but no blame.”
Six in the fifth place: Regret disappears. His clan bites flesh; going forward, what blame could there be?
Six in the fifth place: Regret disappears. His clan bites flesh; going forward, what blame could there be?
The Commentary on the Image says: “His clan bites flesh; going forward brings celebration.”
The fifth line occupies the ruler’s position. Since the time is one of discord and estrangement, there is regret. “Clan” refers to the second line: the fifth and second correspond. The fifth is within Li, and the second through fourth form Li; Li also suggests separation and union, hence “clan.” The second says “meeting the lord,” taking the fifth as lord; the fifth says “his clan,” taking the second as clan. This is the meeting of ruler and ministers, so regret disappears. When the second moves, its body is Shike. The second line of Shike says “bite flesh” and “no blame.” Flesh here means soft flesh, easy to bite. Biting means joining; the second is in a yielding position, as if saying that what is soft is easy to join. Flesh is like the flesh of one’s own bones, referring to “his clan.” The Grand Master of the Rituals drew close to clan relatives and brothers through the rites of food and drink; this is the meaning of “his clan bites flesh.” The second goes forward and obtains food, hence “celebration.” When the clan gathers to eat, how could estrangement remain? The second and fifth exchange trust, so regret disappears and there is no blame.
[Divination]
○ Asking about current fortune: Bad luck has passed. Working together with members of your own clan, you can avoid blame.
○ Asking about military campaigns: You may advance boldly; there is no blame.
○ Asking about commerce: Beware that partners may encroach on your share, but if you proceed directly, you will ultimately profit.
○ Asking about status and recognition: You will receive help from members of your own clan and thereby achieve success.
○ Asking about the household: This is an old house of the clan; moving in will bring celebration.
○ Asking about illness: It is a skin or flesh ailment and will be easy to treat.
○ Asking about marriage: The second and fifth lines are proper correspondences. This is a marriage between related, long-established families; if it takes place, there will be celebration.
○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born.
【Case】 In the spring of the twenty-third year of Meiji, I divined about the House of Representatives and obtained Kui changing to Lu.
The judgment said: The fifth line is the ruler’s position and the second the minister’s; their correspondence shows the ruler and ministers joining together. When they unite, words are heeded and plans are followed—an image of a council meeting. The hexagram is named Kui, meaning discord and opposition, so we know the meeting must contain disagreements and points of nonconformity. “His clan” refers to the assembly, which has two chambers: above is the House of Peers and below the House of Representatives. The House of Peers consists largely of feudal lords bearing hereditary surnames, while the House of Representatives also contains, from time to time, people sharing the same surnames, both officials and commoners. “Biting flesh” means that once deliberations are concluded, they can gather for food and drink. The fifth, already in a position of honor, draws the second close; the second, receiving favor, serves the fifth. Thus the intentions of those above and below can communicate through estrangement.
The Commentary on the Image says: “His clan bites flesh; going forward brings celebration.”
The fifth line occupies the ruler’s position. Since the time is one of discord and estrangement, there is regret. “Clan” refers to the second line: the fifth and second correspond. The fifth is within Li, and the second through fourth form Li; Li also suggests separation and union, hence “clan.” The second says “meeting the lord,” taking the fifth as lord; the fifth says “his clan,” taking the second as clan. This is the meeting of ruler and ministers, so regret disappears. When the second moves, its body is Shike. The second line of Shike says “bite flesh” and “no blame.” Flesh here means soft flesh, easy to bite. Biting means joining; the second is in a yielding position, as if saying that what is soft is easy to join. Flesh is like the flesh of one’s own bones, referring to “his clan.” The Grand Master of the Rituals drew close to clan relatives and brothers through the rites of food and drink; this is the meaning of “his clan bites flesh.” The second goes forward and obtains food, hence “celebration.” When the clan gathers to eat, how could estrangement remain? The second and fifth exchange trust, so regret disappears and there is no blame.
[Divination]
○ Asking about current fortune: Bad luck has passed. Working together with members of your own clan, you can avoid blame.
○ Asking about military campaigns: You may advance boldly; there is no blame.
○ Asking about commerce: Beware that partners may encroach on your share, but if you proceed directly, you will ultimately profit.
○ Asking about status and recognition: You will receive help from members of your own clan and thereby achieve success.
○ Asking about the household: This is an old house of the clan; moving in will bring celebration.
○ Asking about illness: It is a skin or flesh ailment and will be easy to treat.
○ Asking about marriage: The second and fifth lines are proper correspondences. This is a marriage between related, long-established families; if it takes place, there will be celebration.
○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born.
【Case】 In the spring of the twenty-third year of Meiji, I divined about the House of Representatives and obtained Kui changing to Lu.
The judgment said: The fifth line is the ruler’s position and the second the minister’s; their correspondence shows the ruler and ministers joining together. When they unite, words are heeded and plans are followed—an image of a council meeting. The hexagram is named Kui, meaning discord and opposition, so we know the meeting must contain disagreements and points of nonconformity. “His clan” refers to the assembly, which has two chambers: above is the House of Peers and below the House of Representatives. The House of Peers consists largely of feudal lords bearing hereditary surnames, while the House of Representatives also contains, from time to time, people sharing the same surnames, both officials and commoners. “Biting flesh” means that once deliberations are concluded, they can gather for food and drink. The fifth, already in a position of honor, draws the second close; the second, receiving favor, serves the fifth. Thus the intentions of those above and below can communicate through estrangement.
Top line: Alone in estrangement. He sees a pig covered in mud, a cart carrying ghosts; first he draws his bow, then lowers it. They are not bandits but marriage partners. Going forward and meeting rain brings good fortune.
Top nine: Estrangement and isolation. One sees a pig covered in mud, carrying ghosts in 24 one cart. First he draws his bow, then he lowers it. They are not bandits; they are seeking marriage. Proceed, and encounter rain; then there will be good fortune.
The Commentary on the Image says: The good fortune of meeting rain means that all doubts disappear.
The top line is at the extreme end of the outer hexagram, standing lofty and alone, so it is also called “alone in estrangement.” Its nuclear trigram is Kan, which represents doubt, a pig, a cart, ghosts, and solitude—all are images of Kan. Li represents the eye and seeing. Dui is a low, dirty marsh, symbolizing a muddy road. Estrangement produces solitude, and solitude gives rise to suspicion. There has never actually been a pig, ghost, or cart, but under estrangement the eyes see unclearly and suspicion secretly arises: it seems that a pig is carrying mud, or that a cart is carrying ghosts. Doubts accumulate and form images, with countless changes appearing. One who suspects ghosts suddenly suspects bandits as well, and is about to draw Li’s bow and shoot. Then, examining what was seen carefully, the pig, ghost, and bandit seen earlier suddenly change again. When the top line changes, it forms Guimei, which means marriage. The bow that was first drawn is then lowered. Kan also represents rain, hence “meeting rain.” The top line is at the extreme of Li’s fire: flames blaze and smoke rises, making approach impossible. When rain comes, the fire is extinguished and one can proceed; hence, “going forward, meeting rain is auspicious.” The Image explains this as “doubts disappear”: all suspicions vanish, what is seen and heard is true, and the isolated estrangement naturally comes together.
[Divination]
○ Asking about current fortune: You are at the point of changing from one fortune cycle to another. You must calm your mind and settle your thoughts, and must not indulge in wild imaginings. One false fantasy can produce a hundred illusions; beware of developing a disease of suspicion.
○ Asking about military campaigns: The camp is positioned too high and the army is too isolated; beware of a surprise attack by a decoy force.
○ Asking about commerce: Current prices are changing in countless ways, rising and falling without consistency. Since it is midsummer and few customers come, you must wait until the autumn rains arrive before making a profit.
○ Asking about status and recognition: At present, strange portents and unstable forces are changing unpredictably. After ten years, emerging from Jian and entering Jie, you may be granted success in the provincial examination.
○ Asking about marriage: The relationship previously became discordant because of suspicion and jealousy, but later it will be restored and complete. Auspicious.
○ Asking about the household: This house will undergo changes; beware of ghosts and malign influences. A wedding or other joyous event can resolve the matter.
○ Asking about illness: It is a case of mistaking a bow’s reflection in a cup for a snake—the illness arose from suspicion. Once the doubt is broken, the illness will suddenly clear.
○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born.
【Case】The wife of a prominent family in Tokyo came with her daughter to visit me at my villa and said: “My husband has recently suffered from an illness of suppressed qi, but medicine has had no effect. Our adopted heir, who is this girl’s husband, is too fond of wandering and cannot carry on the family household. We are truly worried. Please kindly make a divination.” The result was Kui changing to Guimei.
The judgment said: The lower trigram is Dui and the upper is Li. What rises as flame moves ever upward, while what moistens downward moves ever lower; because above and below do not unite, the hexagram is Kui. The hexagram image says, “Two women dwell together, but their aims do not travel together,” and also, “Man and woman are estranged, yet their aims communicate.” Thus the inner three lines speak of estrangement, while the outer three speak of estrangement followed by union: an image of beginning in discord and ending in harmony. The top line is at the extreme of Kui. Suspicion produces estrangement, and the more estranged one becomes, the more suspicious one grows. What the eyes see accumulates into images—pig, cart, ghost, bandit—seeming vividly present, though in reality each is an illusion. In worldly affairs, mistaking a bow’s reflection for a snake and thereby bringing on disaster through suspicion is often like this. Today the lady is concerned about her husband’s illness and the adopted heir’s conduct, so she has come especially to ask for a divination. Receiving the top line of Kui, we know that both the origin of his illness and the purpose of this divination arise from a single thought of suspicion. The gentleman is worried day and night that the adopted heir cannot carry on the family, causing fiery qi to surge upward and damp qi to stagnate below; with above and below unable to communicate, the illness resulted. “Rain” means descent. Once the illness achieves free passage of the bowels and bladder, recovery will naturally follow. I know the adopted heir of your family well. His literary talent and integrity have always surpassed ordinary people. Because of his elegant temperament, he occasionally invites courtesans and sets out wine to enjoy himself among flowers and willows. This is merely the refined pleasure of an accomplished gentleman—what is there to find strange? Because of this, the ladies grew suspicious; first they became jealous, then exchanged reproaches, and finally turned against each other. Everything they heard and saw appeared in forms like the pig, cart, ghost, and bandit described by the line. The private affection of the bedchamber and dreams of cloud and rain have long been separated; the more suspicious they become, the more estranged they become, and the intentions of man and woman will certainly no longer communicate. The top line is at the extreme of Li’s fire. When an extreme is reached, reversal must follow: the flame rising upward should reverse into moisture descending as rain. You ladies should likewise reverse your thinking and earnestly advise your daughter to approach him with gentleness and serve him with Dui’s delight. Just as a withered thing revives after receiving rain, an early estrangement need not end in permanent estrangement. This is precisely what the Tuan Commentary means by, “Man and woman are estranged, yet their aims communicate,” and it exactly fits this divination.
【Case】On the tenth day of the fourth month of the twenty-fourth year of Meiji, having nothing to do early one morning, I idly read newspapers and miscellaneous books. Before long I became tired of it, threw aside the book, and rose. Delighted by the clear, mild weather, I suddenly felt like taking an excursion to a nearby county to enjoy the spring scenery. Just before leaving, I casually made a divination and obtained Kui changing to Guimei.
The judgment said: The line text says “alone in estrangement,” which seemed to indicate that I would travel alone. “Seeing a pig,” “carrying ghosts,” “drawing the bow,” and “lowering the bow” describe the uncertain forms seen by the eyes, and seemed to indicate that my itinerary would have no fixed destination. That day I went out and rested at the Kanagawa railway station. I considered going either to Yokosuka or to Hakone-Yumoto, but had not decided until I boarded the train, when I chose Hakone. On the train I happened to meet an old friend from Tokyo who was going to Osaka. We sat together discussing the I Ching, and the conversation was highly enjoyable, so I changed my mind and went to Osaka. The next day after eating, I went out into the city and intended to visit an old shop to look through old books. I passed through Shinsaibashi and visited Shikada Bookstore, asking about rare editions of I Ching books. The proprietor showed me Matsui Rasho’s Explanation of the Zhouyi. I had searched everywhere for this book in past years without finding it, and now I was able to buy it. He also showed me Matsui’s Commentary on the Zhouyi and Naoshi Chushu’s Great Commentary on the Zhouyi, all treasured by I Ching scholars. The books bore a small seal indicating that they had belonged to Kojima. I asked where they had come from, and the proprietor said: “I bought them yesterday from an old-book dealer in Kyoto. They were all formerly in Kojima’s collection. After he died, his son could not read his father’s books, so he sold them.” I asked: “Apart from your son, were there other buyers?” The proprietor replied: “A bookseller in Fumiyacho, Kyoto, and a bookseller in Tokyo bought them together and divided them.” I then bought all the books at their price. Later, when I went to Kyoto, I visited the Fumiyacho bookshop and bought every remaining volume from Kojima’s collection. Returning east, I visited the Rinrokaku bookshop and obtained three more I Ching works from Kojima’s collection. Thus all of Kojima’s books came into my possession. I was even more impressed by the precise relevance of the I Ching’s words. “Carrying ghosts in one cart” did not mean ghosts but books; “meeting rain” meant the old friend I met on the train; and “meeting rain brings good fortune” referred to this.
The Commentary on the Image says: The good fortune of meeting rain means that all doubts disappear.
The top line is at the extreme end of the outer hexagram, standing lofty and alone, so it is also called “alone in estrangement.” Its nuclear trigram is Kan, which represents doubt, a pig, a cart, ghosts, and solitude—all are images of Kan. Li represents the eye and seeing. Dui is a low, dirty marsh, symbolizing a muddy road. Estrangement produces solitude, and solitude gives rise to suspicion. There has never actually been a pig, ghost, or cart, but under estrangement the eyes see unclearly and suspicion secretly arises: it seems that a pig is carrying mud, or that a cart is carrying ghosts. Doubts accumulate and form images, with countless changes appearing. One who suspects ghosts suddenly suspects bandits as well, and is about to draw Li’s bow and shoot. Then, examining what was seen carefully, the pig, ghost, and bandit seen earlier suddenly change again. When the top line changes, it forms Guimei, which means marriage. The bow that was first drawn is then lowered. Kan also represents rain, hence “meeting rain.” The top line is at the extreme of Li’s fire: flames blaze and smoke rises, making approach impossible. When rain comes, the fire is extinguished and one can proceed; hence, “going forward, meeting rain is auspicious.” The Image explains this as “doubts disappear”: all suspicions vanish, what is seen and heard is true, and the isolated estrangement naturally comes together.
[Divination]
○ Asking about current fortune: You are at the point of changing from one fortune cycle to another. You must calm your mind and settle your thoughts, and must not indulge in wild imaginings. One false fantasy can produce a hundred illusions; beware of developing a disease of suspicion.
○ Asking about military campaigns: The camp is positioned too high and the army is too isolated; beware of a surprise attack by a decoy force.
○ Asking about commerce: Current prices are changing in countless ways, rising and falling without consistency. Since it is midsummer and few customers come, you must wait until the autumn rains arrive before making a profit.
○ Asking about status and recognition: At present, strange portents and unstable forces are changing unpredictably. After ten years, emerging from Jian and entering Jie, you may be granted success in the provincial examination.
○ Asking about marriage: The relationship previously became discordant because of suspicion and jealousy, but later it will be restored and complete. Auspicious.
○ Asking about the household: This house will undergo changes; beware of ghosts and malign influences. A wedding or other joyous event can resolve the matter.
○ Asking about illness: It is a case of mistaking a bow’s reflection in a cup for a snake—the illness arose from suspicion. Once the doubt is broken, the illness will suddenly clear.
○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born.
【Case】The wife of a prominent family in Tokyo came with her daughter to visit me at my villa and said: “My husband has recently suffered from an illness of suppressed qi, but medicine has had no effect. Our adopted heir, who is this girl’s husband, is too fond of wandering and cannot carry on the family household. We are truly worried. Please kindly make a divination.” The result was Kui changing to Guimei.
The judgment said: The lower trigram is Dui and the upper is Li. What rises as flame moves ever upward, while what moistens downward moves ever lower; because above and below do not unite, the hexagram is Kui. The hexagram image says, “Two women dwell together, but their aims do not travel together,” and also, “Man and woman are estranged, yet their aims communicate.” Thus the inner three lines speak of estrangement, while the outer three speak of estrangement followed by union: an image of beginning in discord and ending in harmony. The top line is at the extreme of Kui. Suspicion produces estrangement, and the more estranged one becomes, the more suspicious one grows. What the eyes see accumulates into images—pig, cart, ghost, bandit—seeming vividly present, though in reality each is an illusion. In worldly affairs, mistaking a bow’s reflection for a snake and thereby bringing on disaster through suspicion is often like this. Today the lady is concerned about her husband’s illness and the adopted heir’s conduct, so she has come especially to ask for a divination. Receiving the top line of Kui, we know that both the origin of his illness and the purpose of this divination arise from a single thought of suspicion. The gentleman is worried day and night that the adopted heir cannot carry on the family, causing fiery qi to surge upward and damp qi to stagnate below; with above and below unable to communicate, the illness resulted. “Rain” means descent. Once the illness achieves free passage of the bowels and bladder, recovery will naturally follow. I know the adopted heir of your family well. His literary talent and integrity have always surpassed ordinary people. Because of his elegant temperament, he occasionally invites courtesans and sets out wine to enjoy himself among flowers and willows. This is merely the refined pleasure of an accomplished gentleman—what is there to find strange? Because of this, the ladies grew suspicious; first they became jealous, then exchanged reproaches, and finally turned against each other. Everything they heard and saw appeared in forms like the pig, cart, ghost, and bandit described by the line. The private affection of the bedchamber and dreams of cloud and rain have long been separated; the more suspicious they become, the more estranged they become, and the intentions of man and woman will certainly no longer communicate. The top line is at the extreme of Li’s fire. When an extreme is reached, reversal must follow: the flame rising upward should reverse into moisture descending as rain. You ladies should likewise reverse your thinking and earnestly advise your daughter to approach him with gentleness and serve him with Dui’s delight. Just as a withered thing revives after receiving rain, an early estrangement need not end in permanent estrangement. This is precisely what the Tuan Commentary means by, “Man and woman are estranged, yet their aims communicate,” and it exactly fits this divination.
【Case】On the tenth day of the fourth month of the twenty-fourth year of Meiji, having nothing to do early one morning, I idly read newspapers and miscellaneous books. Before long I became tired of it, threw aside the book, and rose. Delighted by the clear, mild weather, I suddenly felt like taking an excursion to a nearby county to enjoy the spring scenery. Just before leaving, I casually made a divination and obtained Kui changing to Guimei.
The judgment said: The line text says “alone in estrangement,” which seemed to indicate that I would travel alone. “Seeing a pig,” “carrying ghosts,” “drawing the bow,” and “lowering the bow” describe the uncertain forms seen by the eyes, and seemed to indicate that my itinerary would have no fixed destination. That day I went out and rested at the Kanagawa railway station. I considered going either to Yokosuka or to Hakone-Yumoto, but had not decided until I boarded the train, when I chose Hakone. On the train I happened to meet an old friend from Tokyo who was going to Osaka. We sat together discussing the I Ching, and the conversation was highly enjoyable, so I changed my mind and went to Osaka. The next day after eating, I went out into the city and intended to visit an old shop to look through old books. I passed through Shinsaibashi and visited Shikada Bookstore, asking about rare editions of I Ching books. The proprietor showed me Matsui Rasho’s Explanation of the Zhouyi. I had searched everywhere for this book in past years without finding it, and now I was able to buy it. He also showed me Matsui’s Commentary on the Zhouyi and Naoshi Chushu’s Great Commentary on the Zhouyi, all treasured by I Ching scholars. The books bore a small seal indicating that they had belonged to Kojima. I asked where they had come from, and the proprietor said: “I bought them yesterday from an old-book dealer in Kyoto. They were all formerly in Kojima’s collection. After he died, his son could not read his father’s books, so he sold them.” I asked: “Apart from your son, were there other buyers?” The proprietor replied: “A bookseller in Fumiyacho, Kyoto, and a bookseller in Tokyo bought them together and divided them.” I then bought all the books at their price. Later, when I went to Kyoto, I visited the Fumiyacho bookshop and bought every remaining volume from Kojima’s collection. Returning east, I visited the Rinrokaku bookshop and obtained three more I Ching works from Kojima’s collection. Thus all of Kojima’s books came into my possession. I was even more impressed by the precise relevance of the I Ching’s words. “Carrying ghosts in one cart” did not mean ghosts but books; “meeting rain” meant the old friend I met on the train; and “meeting rain brings good fortune” referred to this.