Hexagram 54, Guī Mèi (The Marrying Maiden): Line 2

归妹卦九二 · 雷泽归妹 · 中文版

九二:眇能视,利幽人之贞。

The line (Legge)

The second NINE, undivided, shows her blind of one eye, and yet able to see. There will be advantage in her maintaining the firm correctness of a solitary widow.

Small Image commentary

'There will be advantage in maintaining the firm correctness of a solitary widow:' - (the subject of the line) has not changed from the constancy (proper to a wife).

象曰:利幽人之贞,未变常也。

In plain words

One-eyed yet able to see: favourable for the steadfastness of the quiet, retiring person. The second line is strong and central and corresponds to the fifth, but the fifth line is weak and cannot make full use of its ability, so it keeps quietly to itself. The Small Image says it has not changed the constant way.

Applying it to your situation

If your partner or superior does not fully understand you, this line suggests quietly keeping to yourself. What can you hold on to in your own corner?

Position

A solid (yang) line in the second place, which is a yin (even) place, so it is not in its proper place. It holds the centre of the lower trigram. Its partner is line 5; one is yin and the other yang, so they respond to each other.

If this line moves

With this line moving alone, Guī Mèi changes into Hexagram 51 Zhèn (The Arousing Thunder). The Jiaoshi Yilin verse for this change (Chinese): 焦氏易林·归妹之震.

The hexagram

Hexagram 54 Guī Mèi (The Marrying Maiden). The Judgment: Gui Mei indicates that (under the conditions which it denotes) action will be evil, and in no wise advantageous.

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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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