Hexagram 63, Jì Jì (After Completion): Line 5

既济卦九五 · 水火既济 · 中文版

九五:东邻杀牛,不如西邻之禴祭,实受其福。

The line (Legge)

The fifth NINE, undivided, shows its subject (as) the neighbour in the east who slaughters an ox (for his sacrifice); but this is not equal to the (small) spring sacrifice of the neighbour in the west, whose sincerity receives the blessing.

Small Image commentary

'The slaughtering of an ox by the neighbour in the east is not equal to (the small sacrifice of) the neighbour in the west:' - because the time (in the latter case is more important and fit). 'His sincerity receives the blessing:' - good fortune comes on a great scale.

象曰:东邻杀牛,不如西邻之时也;实受其福,吉大来也。

In plain words

The eastern neighbour slaughters an ox, but it is not as good as the western neighbour's simple offering, which truly receives the blessing. Tradition takes the eastern neighbour as the Shang tyrant and the western as King Wen. The fifth line holds the place of honour: after completion, sincerity matters more than show. The Small Image says the eastern neighbour's ox is not as timely as the western neighbour's offering, and truly receiving blessing means great good fortune comes.

Applying it to your situation

If you are considering a grand gesture, this line suggests sincerity matters more than display. What is the most genuine intention you have now?

Position

A solid (yang) line in the fifth place, which is a yang (odd) place, so it is in its proper place. It holds the centre of the upper trigram. Its partner is line 2; one is yin and the other yang, so they respond to each other.

If this line moves

With this line moving alone, Jì Jì changes into Hexagram 36 Míng Yí (Darkening of the Light). The Jiaoshi Yilin verse for this change (Chinese): 焦氏易林·既济之明夷.

A recorded case from Takashima

Ji Ji to Ming Yi: a timber bill that went unpaid: In 1868, through an introduction from the Tachibana-ya in Yokohama, Takashima sold several thousand yen of timber to the neighbouring Iwai-ya, which looked prosperous but was not, and did not pay. He cast and got the fifth line of Ji Ji, "the eastern neighbour's ox sacrifice is not as good as the western neighbour's simple offering". Taking Iwai-ya as the eastern neighbour and the introducer Tachibana-ya as the western, he pressed Tachibana-ya, and, since Li means woman, sent women to ask; through Tachibana-ya's wife and daughter he was finally paid.

The hexagram

Hexagram 63 Jì Jì (After Completion). The Judgment: Ji Ji intimates progress and success in small matters. There will be advantage in being firm and correct. There has been good fortune in the beginning; there may be disorder in the end.

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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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