The I Ching or Book of Changes (88 page)
THE JUDGMENT
POSSESSION IN GREAT MEASURE.
Supreme success.
Commentary on the Decision
POSSESSION IN GREAT MEASURE: the yielding receives the honored place in the great middle, and upper and lower correspond with it. This is called POSSESSION IN GREAT MEASURE.
His character is firm and strong, ordered and clear; it finds correspondence in heaven and moves with the time; hence the words, “Supreme success.”
The yielding element that receives the honored position is the six in the fifth place. As contrasted with the six in the second place in the preceding hexagram, this line occupies the “great” middle; from this vantage, possession of the five strong lines can be organized much better. The official can indeed unite people, but only the prince can possess them. In the preceding hexagram the strong lines stand only in indirect relationship to the prince; here they are directly related. Thus the structure of the hexagram gives rise to the name.
The words of the Judgment are interpreted on the basis of the attributes and structure of the hexagram. Within dwell the firmness and power of Ch’ien; to the outside, the clear and ordered form of Li appears. The six in the fifth place, the ruler to whom everything conforms, modestly conforms on his part with the nine in the second place and finds correspondence there in the center of heaven. Ch’ien, being doubled (lower primary trigram and lower nuclear trigram), indicates the
flow of time. The successful execution of measures demands that firm decision dwell within the mind, while the method of execution must be ordered and clear.
THE IMAGE
Fire in heaven above:
The image of POSSESSION IN GREAT MEASURE.
Thus the superior man curbs evil and furthers good,
And thereby obeys the benevolent will of heaven.
The sun in heaven, which shines upon everything, is the image of possession in great measure. Suppression of evil is indicated by the trigram Ch’ien, the trigram that metes out judgment, and that fights the evil in living beings. Furthering of the good is indicated by the trigram Li, which clarifies and orders everything. Both are the decree of benevolent heaven (Ch’ien), to which the superior man devotes himself obediently (Li means devotion).
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning:
a
) No relationship with what is harmful;
There is no blame in this.
If one remains conscious of difficulty,
One remains without blame.
b
) If the nine at the beginning in POSSESSION IN GREAT MEASURE has no relationships, this is harmful.
The upper trigram Li means weapons and therefore something harmful. This line is still far away from Li, hence there is no relationship with the latter. Difficulties exist, because great possession in a lowly place attracts danger. Therefore caution is fitting. However, since the line is strong, it may be assumed that it remains free of blame.
Nine in the second place:
a
) A big wagon for loading.
One may undertake something.
No blame.
b
) “A big wagon for loading.” Accumulating in the middle; thus no harm results.
Ch’ien symbolizes a wheel and a big wagon. The load to be placed in the wagon consists of the three lines of the trigram. Since Ch’ien implies vigorous movement, undertakings are indicated. The present line is firm and central and in the relationship of correspondence to the ruler of the hexagram, therefore everything is favorable. Ordinarily, accumulation of treasure brings disaster, but here accumulating in the middle is correct and central and brings no harm. It is not earthly but heavenly treasure that is being accumulated.
Nine in the third place:
a
) A prince offers it to the Son of Heaven.
A petty man cannot do this.
b
) “A prince offers it to the Son of Heaven.” A petty man harms himself.
This line is strong and correct and has relationships above. Being at the top of the lower trigram, it represents the prince. Since it belongs to the trigram Ch’ien and to the nuclear trigram Tui, it is ready to sacrifice. A small-minded man would give merely from a desire for gain, and this would result only in harm.
Nine in the fourth place:
a
) He makes a difference
Between himself and his neighbor.
No blame.
b
) “He makes a difference between himself and his neighbor. No blame.” He is clear, discriminating, and intelligent.
The six in the fifth place has possession of the five yang lines. This fourth line is in the place of the minister; hence it might ignore the difference between itself and the ruler, and arrogate possession to itself. But since it is strong in a weak place, it is too modest to do this, and since it is at the beginning of Li, it
has Li’s attribute of clear discrimination, which prevents any such confusion of “mine” and “thine.”
Six in the fifth place:
a
) He whose truth is accessible, yet dignified,
Has good fortune.
b
) “He whose truth is accessible”: by his trustworthiness he kindles the will of others. The good fortune of his dignity comes from the fact that he acts easily, without prearrangements.
The six in the fifth place is in the place of honor. It is modest and true, therefore it moves the other lines to confidence. Owing to its position, however, it can also impress by its dignity. This it does easily, however, and without external prearrangements, because it holds the great middle. Therefore it arouses no unpleasant feelings.
Nine at the top:
a
) He is blessed by heaven.
Good fortune.
Nothing that does not further.
b
) The place at the top of POSSESSION IN GREAT MEASURE has good fortune. This is because it is blessed by heaven.
The five yang lines are all in the possession of the six in the fifth place. Even the top line submits to it. Ch’ien and Li are both heavenly in nature, therefore it is said that heaven blesses this line. In the commentary on this line, as well as in that on the first line of the hexagram, special mention is made of the position, in order to emphasize the end and the beginning. For this hexagram is organized so favorably that the movement setting in at the beginning does not at the close come to standstill nor change to its opposite, but ends harmoniously.
The ruler of the hexagram is the nine in the third place. It is the only light line in the hexagram; it is in its proper place and stands in the lower trigram. This is the symbol of modesty, therefore the judgment on this line is the same as that on the hexagram as a whole. The commentary often attributes misfortune to third lines, but this one is very favorable.
The Sequence
He who possesses something great must not make it too full; hence there follows the hexagram of MODESTY.
Miscellaneous Notes
Things are easy for the modest person.
The movement of both primary trigrams is downward, but the sinking tendency of the upper trigram is stronger than that of the lower, and in this way the connection between the two remains assured. The lower nuclear trigram sinks, while the upper rises.
Appended Judgments
MODESTY shows the handle of character. MODESTY gives honor and shines forth. MODESTY serves to regulate the mores.
Good character has modesty for a handle; by means of it good character can be grasped and made one’s own. Modesty is ready to honor others, and in so doing shows itself at its best. Modesty is the attitude of mind that underlies sincere observance of the mores.
THE JUDGMENT
MODESTY creates success.
The superior man carries things through.
Commentary on the Decision
MODESTY creates success, for it is the way of heaven to shed its influence downward and to create light and radiance. It is the way of the earth to be lowly and to go upward.
It is the way of heaven to make empty what is full and to give increase to what is modest. It is the way of the earth to change the full and to augment the modest. Spirits and gods bring harm to what is, full and prosper what is modest. It is the way of men to hate fullness and to love the modest.
Modesty that is honored spreads radiance. Modesty that is lowly cannot be ignored. This is the end attained by the superior man.
Here the structure of the hexagram is used to explain the saying that modesty creates success. The nine in the third place is the representative of the yang force, which has sunk down. It brings light and radiance, attributes of the trigram Kên, the mountain. The upper trigram K’un shows the earth as having moved upward (the nuclear trigram Chên has a rising movement). The law governing the abasing of the proud and the elevation of the modest is set forth in four ways: (1) in heaven: when the sun reaches the zenith, it begins to decline; when the moon is full, it wanes; when dark, it begins to wax; (2) on earth: high mountains become valleys, valleys become hills; water turns toward the heights and wears them down; water turns toward depth and fills it up (the lower
nuclear trigram is K’an, water); (3) in the effect of the forces of fate: powerful families draw down destruction upon themselves, modest ones become great; (4) among men: arrogance brings dislike in its train, modesty wins love.
The ultimate cause is never the outside world, which moreover reacts according to fixed laws, but rather man himself. For according to his conduct he draws upon himself good or evil influences. The way to expansion leads through contraction.
THE IMAGE
Within the earth, a mountain:
The image of MODESTY.
Thus the superior man reduces that which is too much,
And augments that which is too little.
He weighs things and makes them equal.