Hexagram 52, Gèn (Keeping Still): Line 6 (top)

艮卦上九 · 艮为山 · 中文版

上九:敦艮,吉。

The line (Legge)

The sixth NINE, undivided, shows its subject devotedly maintaining his restfulness. There will be good fortune.

Small Image commentary

'There is good fortune through his devotedly maintaining his restfulness:' - to the end he shows himself generous and good.

象曰:敦艮之吉,以厚终也。

In plain words

Generous stillness: good fortune. The top line is at the end of the hexagram, the fulfilment of the whole practice of stillness: not a forced stop, but a generous, solid ease in resting where one should. The Small Image says it ends well through generosity.

Applying it to your situation

If you have learned when to stop, this line suggests keeping that generosity of spirit. What kind of stopping gives you peace?

Position

A solid (yang) line in the top place, which is a yin (even) place, so it is not in its proper place. Its partner is line 3; both are yang, so they do not respond.

If this line moves

With this line moving alone, Gèn changes into Hexagram 15 Qiān (Modesty). The Jiaoshi Yilin verse for this change (Chinese): 焦氏易林·艮之谦.

The hexagram

Hexagram 52 Gèn (Keeping Still). The Judgment: When one's resting is like that of the back, and he loses all consciousness of self; when he walks in his courtyard, and does not see any (of the persons) in it,--there will be no error.

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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. Offered for study and reflection, not as prediction. Plain-English readings and position notes by this site.

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