Hexagram 37: Jiā Rén (The Family)
风火家人 · 第 37 卦 · Wind over Fire · 中文版
The Judgment
For (the realisation of what is taught in) Jia Ren, (or for the regulation of the family), what is most advantageous is that the wife be firm and correct.
家人：利女贞。
Commentary on the Judgment (Tuan)
In Jia Ren the wife has her correct place in the inner (trigram), and the man his correct place in the outer. That man and woman occupy their correct places is the great righteousness shown (in the relation and positions of) heaven and earth. In Jia Ren we have the idea of an authoritative ruler; - that, namely, represented by the parental authority. Let the father be indeed father, and the son son; let the elder brother be indeed elder brother, and the younger brother younger brother, let the husband be indeed husband, and the wife wife: - then will the family be in its normal state. Bring the family to that state, and all under heaven will be established.
彖曰：家人，女正位乎内，男正位乎外，男女正，天地之大义也。家人有严君焉，父母之谓也。父父，子子，兄兄，弟弟，夫夫，妇妇，而家道正；正家而天下定矣。
The Great Image
(The trigram representing) fire, and that for wind coming forth from it, form Jia Ren. The superior man, in accordance with this, orders his words according to (the truth of) things, and his conduct so that it is uniformly consistent.
象曰：风自火出，家人；君子以言有物，而行有恒。
The six lines
Line 1 (first): The first NINE, undivided, shows its subject establishing restrictive regulations in his household Occasion for repentance will disappear.
'He establishes restrictive regulations in his household: - (he does so), before any change has taken place in their wills.
初九：闲有家，悔亡。 象曰：闲有家，志未变也。 · 单爻页
Line 2 (second): The second SIX, divided, shows its subject taking nothing on herself, but in her central place attending to the preparation of the food. Through her firm correctness there will be good fortune.
'The good fortune attached to the second six, (divided),' is due to the docility (of its subject), operating with humility.
六二：无攸遂，在中馈，贞吉。 象曰：六二之吉，顺以巽也。 · 单爻页
Line 3 (third): The third NINE, undivided, shows its subject (treating) the members of the household with stern severity. There will be occasion for repentance, there will be peril, (but) there will (also) be good fortune. If the wife and children were to be smirking and chattering, in the end there would be occasion for regret.
When 'the members of the household are treated with stern severity,' there has been no (great) failure (in the regulation of the family). When 'wife and children are smirking and chattering,' the (proper) economy of the family has been lost.
九三：家人嗃嗃，悔厉吉；妇子嘻嘻，终吝。 象曰：家人嗃嗃，未失也；妇子嘻嘻，失家节也。 · 单爻页
Line 4 (fourth): The fourth SIX, divided, shows its subject enriching the family. There will be great good fortune.
'The family is enriched, and there is great good fortune:' - this is due to the docility (belonging to the subject of the line), and its being in its correct place.
六四：富家，大吉。 象曰：富家大吉，顺在位也。 · 单爻页
Line 5 (fifth): The fifth NINE, undivided, shows the influence of the king extending to his family. There need be no anxiety; there will be good fortune.
'The influence of the king extends to his family:' - the intercourse between them is that of mutual love.
九五：王假有家，勿恤，吉。 象曰：王假有家，交相爱也。 · 单爻页
Line 6 (sixth (top)): The topmost NINE, undivided, shows its subject possessed of sincerity and arrayed in majesty. In the end there will be good fortune.
'The good fortune connected with the display of majesty' describes (the result of) the recovery of the true character.
上九：有孚威如，终吉。 象曰：威如之吉，反身之谓也。 · 单爻页
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English text: James Legge, The Yi King (Sacred Books of the East, vol. 16, 1882), public domain, as transcribed by the Chinese Text Project. Chinese: the received text, checked against ctext.org. Offered for study and reflection, not as prediction.