Takashima Ekidan · Hexagram 40 Thunder over Water Jie: Jie: The southwest is favorable. There is nowhere to go; returning brings good fortune. If there is somewhere to go, setting out early brings good fortune.

Jie: The southwest is favorable. There is nowhere to go; returning brings good fortune. If there is somewhere to go, setting out early brings good fortune.

40 Thunder over Water Jie

The structure of the hexagram has Kan below and Zhen above. Zhen is thunder; Kan is water and also rain. Zhen and Kan interweave, forming the image of thunder and rain occurring together. In seasonal terms, Kan is winter and Zhen is spring. Passing from winter into spring, rain suddenly arrives, spring thunder begins, warm breezes send warmth, and hard ice gradually melts. The congested and closed-in qi of heaven and earth, once stirred by thunder and rain, causes the withered to grow and the hibernating to awaken; everything disperses, loosens, and sprouts. Therefore the hexagram is named Thunder over Water Jie.

Jie［27］: The southwest is favorable; there is nowhere to go; returning brings good fortune. If there is somewhere to go, setting out early brings good fortune.



▲ Oracle-bone script for Jie



▲ Bronze inscription for Jie



▲ Seal script for Jie

“Release means easing.” Kan is positioned in the north, and Zhen in the east; turning from north to east, then south, then west, is movement, hence “favorable to the southwest.” Release is what frees one from Obstruction: turning back from the northeast toward the southeast reverses Zhen and Kan. The southwest of Release is also the southwest of Obstruction, so their auspiciousness is the same. “No place to go” means that the obstruction has been released and the difficulty has subsided. When there is no difficulty, there is nowhere to go; one should ease and nourish oneself while awaiting return. Hence, “Returning is auspicious.” “There is somewhere to go” means that although the obstruction has been released, difficulty remains. Where there is difficulty, one must go forth—hastening and rising early without slackening; hence, “Going early is auspicious.”

The Tuan Commentary says: Release: danger with movement; moving and escaping danger is Release. Release is favorable to the southwest: going there, one gains the multitude. Returning is auspicious: one thereby attains the center. There is somewhere to go; going early is auspicious: going forth brings accomplishment. When Heaven and Earth release, thunder and rain arise; when thunder and rain arise, all fruits, grasses, and trees split open their shells. Great indeed is the season of Release!

Note: Release has two pronunciations. One, pronounced like “old buy reversed,” refers to the beginning of releasing difficulty; the other, pronounced like “buy,” refers to the state after it has been released. The Sequence says, “Release means easing.” Once danger and difficulty have been released, things become relaxed, hence the name Release. Release is what frees one from Obstruction: stopping means Obstruction, while moving means Release. Whenever one encounters danger, one must move; only by moving can one escape danger, and escaping danger is Release. The southwest is the position of Kun. Kun follows the constant way, hence “favorable”; Kun represents the multitude, hence “going there, one gains the multitude.” Going means from inside outward; coming means from outside inward. Kun is pure yin; when one yang returns in Zhen, it is like saying that a great difficulty has just subsided, while wounds have not yet healed. One must rest, recuperate, and allow the original vitality to return. Thus there is no need to “have somewhere to go”; one naturally “returns,” thereby attaining the center and auspiciousness. The second line changing into the sixth produces Advance. Advance means “light emerging above the earth,” like the sun’s first rising, hence the image of early morning. “Advance means progress,” hence “there is somewhere to go.” The fifth line of Advance says, “Going brings celebration,” which is what “going brings accomplishment” means. “Returning” governs the inner realm; going early governs the outer realm. When both inner and outer are governed, the work of Release is complete. Release is the hexagram of the second month. Zhen governs the season: “thunder moves things,” and “rain moistens them.” The condensed, freezing qi of Heaven and Earth thereby disperses, and the life-giving potential of all things thereby splits open. The hexagrams Divergence and Obstruction both also draw on the idea of seasonal use; Release alone says, “Great indeed is the season,” because Divergence and Obstruction succeed by finding their proper use, whereas Release no longer needs to use release itself—it only awaits the season and then moves.

Applied to human affairs, this hexagram indicates a time when danger and difficulty have suddenly been relieved but vitality has not yet recovered. While one is in danger, one cannot escape without moving; yet movement must have a carefully considered direction and must also obtain the strength of others. The southwest is the direction of Kun’s compliance; gaining others is the help of “friends arriving.” Once the danger has been relieved, there are things one must not move again, as when a person has just recovered from illness but blood and qi have not returned to normal: one should rest and regulate oneself, and that is attaining the center. There are also things one must move quickly to address, as when a household has barely escaped hardship but thieves remain: one must rise swiftly and cut them down, and that is accomplishment. Zhen is spring. Once spring qi moves, thunder and rain arise together; the accumulated qi of the world is released, and the life force of all things begins to reach its fullness—like a person’s mighty anger being aroused, causing all hostile forces to retreat. All six lines accord with Obstruction and Observation. The first marks the initial calming of difficulty and seeks only “freedom from blame.” At the second, difficulty has been removed, so there is “auspiciousness through constancy.” At the third, although difficulty has dissipated, by “bringing robbers” through one’s own invitation, one brings blame upon oneself. At the fourth, the difficulty has not been completely released, and one still hopes to obtain someone’s aid. At the fifth, difficulty is met by winning hearts through sincerity, so petty villains may withdraw on their own. At the top, accumulated evil has not been pacified, so imposing authority and force is unavoidable. In Heaven, anger is thunder and favor is nourishing rain; among people, it means rewarding good and punishing evil appropriately.

Applied to the state, this hexagram comes from Brightness Wounded, passing through the Family and Divergence, then Obstruction, and finally Release—all symbolizing the rise of Zhou and the fall of Yin. Release represents the time when King Wen escaped imprisonment at Youli. Its “favorable to the southwest” refers to King Wen’s transformation of the lands southwest of Zhou and the settlement of the dispute between Yu and Rui. Its “no place to go” refers to cutting down Chong and Mi; “there is somewhere to go” refers to military action. The reason for mobilizing troops and raising a multitude was that the time was one of danger and difficulty, making movement unavoidable. Without movement, danger could not be escaped, nor could the world’s Obstruction be overcome. When the army took its oath on the outskirts of Shang, eight hundred lords came to join it: this was gaining the multitude, and thereby attaining the center. Zhou’s escape from great difficulty lay in this Release; Zhou’s gathering of great achievement also lay in this Release. Let the anger of the ruler be like thunder and the ruler’s grace like rain. Those who rule the world afterward need only follow Zhou’s model by following Heaven’s model. When Heaven and Earth obtain harmonious yang, thunder and rain arise; when all things obtain harmonious yang, sprouts and growth appear. The way of government is likewise.

Viewed as a whole, this hexagram exchanges positions with Accumulation. In Accumulation, Zhen’s birth is below and Kan’s difficulty is above—“moving in the midst of danger,” the beginning of difficulty. Its Image says “clouds and thunder,” meaning the qi of Heaven is congested and cannot yet discharge, so rain does not form. In Release, Kan’s difficulty is below and Zhen’s birth is above—movement escapes danger, the resolution of difficulty. Its Image says “thunder and rain,” meaning the qi of Heaven is discharged and grace and authority are both applied; hence, “thunder and rain arise.” In the meaning of Release, the source of difficulty is Kan, yin; what resolves the difficulty is Zhen, yang. The first line settles matters as release begins; the second governs them once release has been attained; the third prevents the newly released difficulty from being brought back. The inner three lines belong to Kan, which is yin, so they do not speak of Release. The fourth line’s release gains assistance from friends; the fifth gains auspiciousness through sincerity; the top line gains benefit by “using a bow to shoot.” The outer three lines belong to Zhen, which is yang, so they speak of Release. In general, the rise of difficulty always comes from petty people, while its resolution always comes through exemplary people. The fifth line is the ruler of Release. Its Image says, “When the exemplary person brings release, petty people withdraw.” The “exemplary person” is the one called in the Great Image “the exemplary person who pardons errors and forgives crimes.” This is the essential point of the hexagram Release.

The Image says: Thunder and rain arise—Release. The exemplary person pardons errors and forgives crimes.

Note: According to the study of the twelve waxing and waning signs, Kan is the hexagram of the twelfth month through the first month. Its fifth and sixth lines correspond to Rain Water and Awakening of Insects; Zhen is the hexagram of the second through fourth months. Its first line corresponds to “thunder begins to sound,” and its third line to Grain Rain. Release is the ruling hexagram of the second month. The Image says “thunder and rain arise,” taking its image from the season. Kan represents crime and disaster, hence errors and crimes; Zhen represents easing and life, hence the use of “pardon” and “forgive.” The exemplary person models this: commands are like the shock of thunder, leaving no one in the world unmoved; grace is like falling rain, leaving no one in the world unpleased. When people long confined and imprisoned suddenly receive “pardon for errors and forgiveness of crimes,” their restraints are loosened and their fetters removed. Like emerging from a trap and seeing daylight again, the qi of worry and pent-up anguish disperses completely. Thus the exemplary person renews the people and uses this to release the troubles of the whole populace.

　　[Divination]
○ Inquiring about current fortune: Disaster and difficulty are being released; there is a strong sign of renewed effort and vigor.


○ Inquiring about warfare: Authority and force will be raised once, with a sign that major bandits will be destroyed and minor ones will submit.

○ Inquiring about recognition and achievement: There is an omen of a reputation resounding for a hundred miles and benevolence reaching all living beings.

○ Inquiring about business: The time and circumstances are favorable; “the movement of thunder and rain fills everything”—highly profitable.

○ Inquiring about marriage: The thunder of Zhen and rain of Kan bring yin and yang into harmonious interaction; fertility and growth flourish. Auspicious.

○ Inquiring about the home: There is movement in the heavenly configuration and difficulty in the earthly configuration; prayers should be offered to seek relief.

○ Inquiring about a traveler: They can return shortly; guard against a minor mishap, and there will be no blame.

○ Inquiring about a lawsuit: Fortunately, one will receive leniency and be found not guilty.

○ Pregnancy: A boy will be born.

Six at the beginning: No blame.

The Image Commentary says: At the meeting of the firm and the yielding, there is, in principle, no blame.

The first line occupies the beginning of Release. The great difficulty has just subsided; it seeks no accomplishment, only freedom from blame. The first line corresponds with the fourth. Relying on the fourth’s strength, it escapes its danger, hence “no blame.” The Image Commentary’s “firm” refers to the fourth, “yielding” to the first, and “meeting” means that the first and fourth correspond; yin and yang interact, so in principle there is no blame.

　　[Divination]
○ Inquiring about current fortune: Difficulty is just beginning to ease. Remain calm and keep to your proper share; you will naturally avoid blame.


○ Inquiring about warfare: Having just escaped a heavy encirclement, one should store strength and cultivate energy; do not act recklessly, and one will remain free from blame.

○ Inquiring about business: Avoiding loss is fortunate enough.

○ Inquiring about recognition and achievement: For now, one can only preserve the old position.

○ Inquiring about the home: Peaceful and unharmed.

○ Inquiring about a lawsuit: Reconciliation is advisable.

○　Asked about marriage: Average.

○ Pregnancy: A boy will be born.

【Case】 In the third month of the twenty-fourth year of Meiji, rumors and debate arose when Zheng Yongning was said to have exchanged letters privately with the Qing embassy. The truth could not be distinguished from falsehood. Yang Qier, president of the Paper Manufacturing Branch, sent a letter requesting a divination to determine the facts. The resulting hexagrams were Release changing to the Marrying Maiden.

The judgment says: Release means liberation, an image of solid ice melting and dispersing under warmth. The first line says “no blame.” Among the line statements of the I Ching, this is the only line that simply says “no blame.” It is as though Heaven opened its mouth to testify that Zheng was innocent. Moreover, Release means liberation from guilt. The first line’s yin represents Zheng, while the fourth line’s yang represents the Qing envoy. Yin and yang correspond, showing that their personal relationship was rather close; nevertheless, it had no connection whatsoever with the greater principles of the state. The Image Commentary says, “The exemplary person pardons errors and forgives crimes.” I expect that when the investigating officials examine the matter later, they too will certainly consider the circumstances and grant pardon; they will absolutely not pursue it on the basis of baseless writings.

Nine in the second place: In the field, one catches three foxes and obtains a yellow arrow. Constancy is auspicious.

The Image Commentary says: The second line is auspicious through constancy because it attains the central way.

“Field” means hunting. The upper nuclear hexagram is Kan, which represents a fox; the lower nuclear hexagram is Li, which represents a yellow arrow. The fox is a yin animal, skilled at misleading people, so it is used as a metaphor for false and wicked petty people who beguile the ruler’s intelligence. “Three” indicates a large number. “Yellow” is the correct color; “arrow” means straight. The second line is yang dwelling in a yin position, so firmness and yielding attain balance. Above, it corresponds with the fifth line, and yin and yang respond to each other. Thus it can assist the great ruler, advance the worthy, dismiss the wicked, and thereby rectify and save the troubled age. To release difficulty, one must first drive away the foxes; therefore the arrow of Li is taken to the field of Kun, where the group of foxes of Kan are caught and entirely destroyed. Then inner governance is purified and peaceful, enabling one to cross danger, emerge from peril, and bring an entire age onto the middle way. This is why the second line is auspicious through constancy.

　　[Divination]
○ Inquiring about current fortune: Remove evil and return to what is right; peace and good fortune will naturally follow.


○ Inquiring about warfare: “The field” is where beasts are hunted, just as war is where enemies are hunted. Catching foxes is like capturing the enemy’s leaders; obtaining arrows is like seizing the enemy’s weapons. Hence, “constancy is auspicious.”

○ Inquiring about business: “The field” is where beasts are hunted; for a merchant, it is where profit is hunted. “Three” means many; “yellow” means gold. Great profit is certain. Auspicious.

○ Inquiring about recognition and achievement: The words “catch” and “obtain” indicate that achievement and recognition may be expected. Auspicious.

○ Inquiring about the home: This residence should be guarded against fox spirits; they must be hunted down, and then there will be good fortune.

○ Inquiring about marriage: This indicates that there will first be a concubine, followed later by the taking of a principal wife. Yellow is the correct color and represents the proper match. Auspicious.

○ Inquiring about illness: Guard against an illness caused by fox enchantment; one should ready bow and arrows to drive it away. Auspicious.

○ Pregnancy: A boy will be born.

【Case】 A certain merchant divined about his fortunes and obtained Release changing to Joy.

The judgment says: Catching foxes and obtaining arrows shows that you are hunting wealth and reputation, with nothing you undertake failing to benefit you. Your disasters and difficulties have already been released; whatever you seek, you will obtain. This is precisely the image of good fortune beginning to stir, like thunder and rain arriving in season. “Yellow” is the correct color, and “arrow” is straight; this also shows that your conduct is upright and you are not seduced by fox enchantment. You can use what is right to govern what is wrong, hence “constancy is auspicious.”

【Case】 In the twenty-fifth year of Meiji, I suffered from a nasal polyp. My breathing was obstructed, and even conversation was difficult, which caused me considerable distress. I heard that a certain Kanasugi had studied in Germany, specializing in nasal medicine, and had returned to Japan to establish a clinic and receive patients. I wished to seek treatment, so I obtained Release changing to Joy.

The judgment says: The inner trigram is water and danger; the outer trigram is thunder and movement. This is the image of moving and escaping danger. Therefore one should not sit by and watch; treatment should begin quickly to release the difficulty of illness. The second line was obtained, the ruler of Kan; moving, it changes into Joy, showing an image of preventive treatment. “Field” means hunting; “fox” means a strange creature; “yellow arrow” is the arrow used to shoot the strange creature. The growth inside the nose is now a strange creature of the body. “Three” indicates a considerable number; the “yellow arrow” likely represents the instrument of treatment. The line is worthy of careful observation; its image is auspicious.

I then asked Kanasugi for treatment. After one examination, Kanasugi said it would be easy to cure. He first applied an anesthetic, passed an electric current through a copper wire, and attached it to the polyp, thereby cutting it off. The number of polyps varied, but all were removed, and the suffering suddenly disappeared. The skill of the physician was truly astonishing and delightful; yet even more astonishing was how the prescience of the I Ching’s mechanism precisely matched the circumstances. Alas! The I Ching illuminates the affairs and phenomena of the myriad things within its three hundred eighty-four lines, revealing their numinous workings one by one, so as to transmit instruction to the people of the world and to later generations. This is why the sages are sages!

[Example] In Yokosuka, Sagami Province, a fort was being built, along with a large shipyard. Each year, the sea was filled in and embanked, using earth, coal, and stone obtained from Okura Kume, who had long served as guarantor. The stone was transported by ship to the construction site along the coast, with a small steamer towing the cargo for greater speed. The Okura group then built its own transport vessels, avoiding the abuses and extortion of hired ships; with proper management, it monopolized the profits. When the authorities learned that one man alone was handling the work, they feared that irregularities were unavoidable and wished to order Takashima Kahei to share responsibility. The Okura group therefore grew wary of him and secretly instructed the boatmen to obstruct him in every possible way. They also deliberately paid inflated charter fees, causing daily losses of no less than seven or eight hundred yen. Both sides suffered from this predicament. I therefore requested a divination and received Dispersion changing to Delight.

The Judgment says: “Dispersion: danger with movement; through movement one escapes danger,” clearly stating that only by moving can one leave danger. As applied to this divination, lines two and five are the principals in the dispute. We now obtained the second line: being in the inner trigram, it belongs to the Takashima side; the fifth, in the outer trigram, belongs to the Okura side. The burden borne by the second is obstructed by the fourth, causing mutual friction and losses on both sides. The line text says “three foxes,” referring to three sly men who hinder the affair; “the yellow arrow” refers to one upright man on our side who handles the matter fairly. Shoot the foxes with the arrow, and they retreat. The fourth line says, “Friends arrive, and trust is established.” “Friends” means those who mediate and negotiate peace; “trust” means that the principals at lines two and five can understand one another and end their dispute. The fifth line originally represents a noble person, but at first was beguiled by petty men, hence: “The noble person has release; the petty men withdraw.”

Following this divination, I had Yokoyama Sunichiro convey Takashima’s intention to Okura, and the matter was peacefully settled.

Six in the third place: Carrying on one’s back and riding; thereby bringing bandits. Perseverance brings humiliation.

The Commentary on the Image says: “Carrying on one’s back and riding is indeed shameful. I myself have brought the troops here; whom else could I blame?”

“Carrying” means secretly bearing away what one has stolen; “riding” means riding in luxury. “Carrying and riding” thus describes a thief who has become a high minister, hence “shameful.” “Bringing bandits” means that Kan represents bandits. Six in the third place occupies Kan’s body and is itself a bandit. Having stolen office by taking advantage of the times, it obtains a fine mount and rides in strength. When another bandit sees this, he says, “He too is a bandit; now he is openly carrying and riding—surely I can seize his place and replace him.” This is calling a bandit a bandit. Just as danger has barely been dispelled, to let a bandit recklessly occupy high office—would that not be the fault of those who appoint people? Hence, “I myself brought the troops”; what excuse is there for the blame? “Humiliation” simply means shame.

　　[Divination]
○ Asked about current fortunes: Luck is not poor, but because one’s conduct has long been improper, people despise and ridicule one.


○ Asked about warfare: The breach in the fighting begins with me, causing bandits to rise in confusion; peace will be difficult for a time.

○ Asked about business: Beware the danger of robbery.

○ Asked about recognition: A monkey wearing a cap—how long could that last?

○ Asked about the household: The household has failed to guard its gates carefully, or has employed the wrong people, thereby inviting theft.

○ Asked about marriage: Neither family is upright; they are rich but without benevolence. “Shameful.”

○ Asked about litigation: Neither side has justice on its side.

○ Asked about a traveler: He returns fully loaded, but the way he came was not proper.

○ Asked about a lost object: It has already been stolen and carried away; it will not be recovered.

○ Pregnancy: A boy will be born.

[Example] Someone came and asked for a divination concerning the character of a certain district head. The result was Dispersion changing to Duration.

The Judgment says: “Carrying” means bearing a burden, the work of a petty man; “riding” means riding in a carriage, the portion of a noble person. “Carrying and riding” therefore means a petty man secretly occupying the portion of a noble. A bandit who sees him says, “He too is a bandit. Since he has made himself prominent as a bandit, why should I alone be unable to do so?” Thus one bandit summons another, and there is a reason for the shame. Observing this line text, we know that for this person to become a district head was likewise to seize the position like a bandit; surely there will be another bandit watching behind him. How could he hold the post for long? Before long, he was indeed dismissed.

Nine in the fourth place: Freeing the big toe; friends arrive, and trust is established.

The Commentary on the Image says: “Freeing the big toe: it is not in its proper place.”

The fourth place is at the beginning of Zhen. Zhen represents the foot, and the “big toe” is the great toe. The fourth line is the principal line of Dispersion; Dispersion means releasing the obstruction. Obstruction is an ailment of the foot. If the illness is only in one toe, it is insufficient to constitute Obstruction; if only one toe is released, that likewise does not constitute Dispersion. The fourth is not in its proper place, so it cannot completely release the obstruction; it merely sees “release your big toe.” “Your big toe” points to the fourth line and addresses it as “you,” hence the wording. The fourth line of Dispersion comes from the fifth line of Obstruction, whose text says “friends come”; therefore the fourth line of Dispersion says “friends arrive.” The fourth line itself knows that it cannot release the obstruction and merely hopes that “friends arrive” to provide mutual assistance in managing the matter. From the toe it will proceed to the heart; then hearts will respond to hearts, and Obstruction will be completely released. Kan represents trust, hence “trust is established.”

　　[Divination]
○ Asked about current fortunes: One is now at the age of vigorous maturity, but the luck is unfavorable; success depends entirely on others.


○ Asked about warfare: Beware of shells injuring the feet; fortunately, reinforcements will be effective and the encirclement can be broken.

○ Asked about business: The gains will be very small; only if everyone’s hearts are mutually trusting may substantial profits be expected after one or two years.

○ Asked about recognition: The big toe is the lowest of the toes, so one is at the very bottom. Only when the fifth line says, “The noble person has release,” can one wait until the next examination and hope to appear on the list.

○ Asked about the household: This house stands on low ground and is not suitably situated; it is fit only to serve as an inn or shop.

○ Asked about marriage: It can succeed only if an influential matchmaker brings the two sides together.

○ Asked about litigation: Friends will come forward and persuade both sides to reconcile, allowing the lawsuit to end.

○ Pregnancy: A boy will be born.

[Example] A certain A from Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, wrote: “There is a man B living near me whose only son fell gravely ill. He prayed at the Haruna Shrine, and the boy recovered within a few days. Deeply delighted, B went with his son to pay thanks at the shrine. One day B entrusted all his savings to his son, saying, ‘I fear I may be murdered where I live, so I shall leave suddenly.’ The son immediately went out to search for him, but no one knows where he has gone, and the whole family is overwhelmed with grief. Please trouble yourself to make a divination to determine whether this is auspicious or inauspicious.” At that time I happened to be ill, so I had a disciple cast the divination and obtained Dispersion changing to the Army.

After seeing this divination, I asked my disciple how he would interpret it. He replied: “B did not enter the mountains or throw himself into the water; he is simply at a friend’s house in the east. The Tuan Commentary says, ‘Dispersion: danger with movement; through movement one escapes danger.’ B himself said he feared being murdered and fled; this is movement because of danger. Having escaped, this is ‘through movement one escapes danger.’ The line text says, ‘Freeing the big toe; friends arrive, and trust is established.’ The big toe is the great toe; father and son are one body, and the son is below, like the toe. Leaving after handing over the money is freeing the big toe. ‘Friends arrive, and trust is established’ plainly says that he is at a friend’s house. Trust means that hearing a word from a friend, his heart is moved.”

I was pleased that the interpretation was appropriate, so I wrote it down and sent it to him in a letter. Later I met A and asked about the divination. He said that B’s whereabouts were exactly as the honored divination had indicated.

Six in the fifth place: The noble person has release. Good fortune. There is trust concerning the petty men.

The Commentary on the Image says: “The noble person has release; the petty men withdraw.”

This “noble person” is the “noble person” mentioned in the Great Image as one who “pardons faults and excuses crimes.” The fifth place is the honored position and corresponds with the second. Since the second can attain the central way and drive away the gathered evils, the fifth follows this by examining circumstances, granting pardon and forgiveness, and no longer pursuing the matter to the end. Thus it achieves Dispersion not by forcibly dispersing, and the petty men are moved and become trusting; hence it is auspicious. The Commentary on the Image says, “The noble person has release; the petty men withdraw,” meaning that the noble person need not forcibly remove the petty men: the petty men themselves submit inwardly to the noble person and dare not remain alongside him. Since ancient times, wicked men have harmed government because noble persons could not transform them; the petty men therefore did not trust or submit to the noble persons, leading to mutual struggle. History repeatedly follows the same disastrous path because people have failed to understand the meaning of “has release” in the fifth place.

　　[Divination]
○ Asked about current fortunes: The proper course prospers; all evil influences withdraw.


○ Asked about warfare: Not one person is killed and not one arrow is shot; foreign peoples come and submit.

○ Asked about recognition: It benefits the noble person, not the petty person.

○ Asked about business: Without laborious schemes or plans, profit will come naturally.

○ Asked about the household: This house is illuminated by auspicious stars; evil influences stay far away.

○ Asked about marriage: Auspicious.

○ Asking about a traveler: The person will return at once.

○ Asked about illness: External evils disperse, vital energy returns. Auspicious.

○ Asked about litigation: The side with justice prevails; the side with twisted reasoning submits, and the lawsuit can end.

○ Pregnancy: A boy will be born.

[Example] My friend Yokoyama Sunichiro came and said: “I recently saw in the newspaper that Fukuchi had been imprisoned. Considering this old man’s frail body and the intense summer heat, his hardship can hardly be described. As for the cause, obtaining money from grass documents is clearly different from accepting bribes and using office for private ends. When Koya was put in chains, Confucius specifically made clear that he was not guilty. I intend to devise a way to rescue Fukuchi and ask you to make a divination.” The result was Dispersion changing to Oppression.

The Judgment says: Dispersion means dispersal. The fifth line is the principal line of Dispersion, and its text says, “The noble person has release,” followed by “Good fortune.” Calling him “the noble person” shows that the crime is not truly his and that his person must not be despised because of the charge. “Has release” shows that he will be released without anyone having to rescue him; he will naturally escape the accusation. “There is trust concerning the petty men” means that the petty man who initiated the case also knows that he has trapped a noble person and cannot bear it in his heart; he will voluntarily confess and withdraw. Fukuchi will suffer this ordeal only temporarily and will ultimately find safety and good fortune. I therefore personally met the prosecutor at the Tokyo court and explained this interpretation. Within a few days, Fukuchi was released from prison.

After reading this, an acquaintance, Nagai Taijiro, was summoned in connection with suspicion of litigation. His wife came to request a divination and again received this line, so I immediately told her this interpretation. Nagai was likewise released because he was found innocent. The matter was the same, the line was the same, and the fulfillment was likewise the same, so I append the record here.

Six at the top: The duke uses a bow to shoot a falcon 28 on the top of the high wall; he captures it. Nothing is unfavorable.

The Commentary on the Image says: “The duke uses a bow to shoot the falcon in order to dispel rebellion.”

Zhen represents the feudal lords, hence “duke.” Kan represents a curved weapon and a bow, hence “shoot.” The upper nuclear trigram is Li; Li represents a flying bird, hence the image of a falcon. When the fourth line moves, Kun is formed; Kun represents a city wall, hence the image of the top of a wall. The top line is at the extreme of Dispersion. From the first through the fifth lines, every method—using firmness or yielding, severity or leniency—has been employed to remove internal troubles. Yet at the top, something still flies outside, fierce like a raptor. The fifth therefore orders the sixth: “Duke, climb the Kun wall, draw the Li bow, nock an arrow and shoot it. Capture its leader; nothing will be unfavorable.” This is to dispel rebellion. Kan represents rebellion; once these rebellious people are destroyed, internal troubles and external invaders will all be swept away. The preceding lines are what the Tuan calls “their return is auspicious”; the top line is what the Tuan calls “there is somewhere to go; going early is auspicious.”

　　[Divination]
○ Asked about current fortunes: The course of luck is favorable. When going out, one may encounter minor bandits; take precautions promptly.


○ Asked about warfare: Beware enemy troops plundering outside the city. Ambush them on high ground with arrows; there will certainly be a capture.

○ Asked about business: When transporting goods outside, beware of robbery. Defend yourself strictly; not only will nothing be lost, you may even capture the thieves’ provisions. Hence, “nothing is unfavorable.”

○ Asked about recognition: Since the line calls him a duke, he must already be distinguished and honored; he should establish merit abroad.

○ Asked about the household: The walls should be high, so as to guard against theft from outside.

○ Asked about marriage: The Book of Odes says, “We shoot ducks and geese,” which contains the image of shooting; it is auspicious.

○ Asked about litigation: Rebellion dissolves by itself; favorable.

○ Pregnancy: A boy will be born.

[Example] The monk Jinbei Hongsen, abbot of Engakuji in Kamakura, was widely learned in Buddhist scriptures and was a great monk of his age. One day I visited Kamakura and wished to call on him. I thought that what I would discuss would be the principles of the I Ching, while what the abbot would speak about would be the taste of Zen. I did not know whether the samadhi of Zen and the six lines of the I Ching truly accorded in their meaning. I therefore tried a divination and obtained Dispersion changing to Before Completion.

The Judgment says: The purpose of Buddhism is liberation, in the sense of liberation from vexations. We now obtain the top line of Dispersion. It does not speak of “dispersion” but of shooting, meaning that Buddhist teaching subdues external demons; once the inner nature is settled, external demons disappear of themselves. This accords with the three foxes in Dispersion, which represent inner demons, and the falcon at the top, which represents an external demon. Thus I knew that the abbot’s discussion with me that day would broadly be as described. I then composed a short Way-song based on the meaning of the hexagram, kept it with me, and went to visit the abbot. He invited me into the meditation hall; we drank tea and talked for a long while. The Buddhist teaching and the principles of the I Ching each displayed their utmost subtlety. I then brought out the Way-song and showed it to him; we laughed and parted.

[Example] One day the Yokohama merchant Soda Kinsaku came to visit and asked for a divination concerning the rise and fall of shares in the Tone Canal company. The result was Dispersion changing to Before Completion.

The Judgment says: Dispersion is the hexagram of moving and escaping danger. If the shares are sold now, one obtains a rare profit and avoids later disaster; hence “nothing is unfavorable.” It is just like seeing a falcon settle on the top of a high wall and shooting it with one arrow to remove future trouble. If one delays until the time passes and reaches the Decrease hexagram, there will certainly be loss and no profit. He followed this advice and sold everything at once, gaining a profit; later, after seeing further gains, he bought again and incurred losses.

[Example] In the thirty-first year of the Meiji era, a divination was made concerning the fortunes of the Ito Cabinet. The result was Dispersion changing to Before Completion.

The judgment says: The line text says “duke,” an appellation suitable for the cabinet. The cabinet occupies a high position, hence “a high rampart.” The “falcon” refers to the leader of a political party. A party leader, positioned outside office, is arrogant and domineering, constantly making things difficult for the government, like a fierce falcon skilled at snatching and harming worthy people. The ruler represented by the Sixth in the Fifth calls upon the duke to mount the high place, shoot it, and capture it. It does not say “exterminate” but “capture,” because the falcon is originally a useful talent and has long rendered meritorious service; therefore, the aim is to capture and employ it, making use of its abilities. Hence, “Capture it; nothing is unfavorable.” The Commentary on the Image says “undo perversity,” meaning that the Hexagram of Release removes the rebellious heart in hope of bringing it back to submission. As chief minister, the duke personally undertakes the premiership: cultivating civil virtue while also possessing military accomplishments, pacifying internal troubles and restraining external aggression. These are precisely matters in which the duke excels. To rise above Release and resolve difficulties is exactly what the duke’s present circumstances require.

Yet Release is difficult to achieve, and the position of Release itself is also one of disentanglement; this is especially what the duke must handle with caution and careful judgment. I therefore presented this divination to the cabinet. Later, the cabinet recommended Counts Okuma and Itagaki, and asked me whether my interpretation of the divination was correct. I replied: You have seized one falcon and now wish to capture another, but I fear that the falcon you have seized will beat its wings and try to fly; once your hand is opened, you will not be able to seize it again. The two falcons will clash and be unable to tolerate each other. The duke subsequently resigned from the cabinet, which also accords with the meaning of the Release hexagram.