Hexagram 1 乾 - Qián / THE CREATIVE

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Trigrams

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• Above: Qián, The Creative, Heaven
• Below: Qián, The Creative, Heaven

The hexagram consists of six undivided lines. The undivided lines correspond to the light, strong, spiritual, and active primal power. The character of the hexagram is entirely uniform and strong in its nature. Since no weakness adheres to it, its essential quality is power. Its image is heaven. This power is represented as unbound by specific spatial conditions; therefore, it is conceived as movement. Time is considered the foundation of this movement. Thus, the power of time and the power of perseverance in time - duration - are also comprised within this hexagram.

In the explanation of the hexagram, a dual interpretation must be consistently taken into account: the macrocosmic aspect and its effect on the human world. Applied to cosmic events, the hexagram expresses the strong creative action of the deity. Applied to the human world, it designates the creative action of the saint and sage, the ruler and leader of humanity, who awakens and develops their higher nature through his power.¹

The Judgment

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The Creative works sublime success, Furthering through perseverance.

According to their original meaning, these attributes belong together in pairs. For the one who receives this oracle, it signifies that success will be granted from the primal depths of cosmic events, and everything depends on seeking one’s own happiness and that of others solely through perseverance in what is right.

From very early times, philosophical reflection turned toward the specific meanings of these four attributes. The Chinese word translated as “sublime” means “head, origin, great.” Therefore, Confucius explains in the commentary: “Great indeed is the originating power of the Creative; all beings owe their beginning to it. And this power permeates the entire heaven.” For this first attribute also runs through the other three.

The beginning of all things lies, so to speak, in the beyond, in the form of ideas that have yet to achieve realization. But within the Creative also lies the power to give form to these archetypes of ideas. This is designated by the word “success.” This process is illustrated by an image from nature.²

The clouds pass, and the rain does its work, and all individual beings flow into their forms.

Applied to the human sphere, these attributes show the great man the path to immense success: “By perceiving causes and effects with great clarity, he completes the six stages at the right time and mounts them at the right time like six dragons to ascend into heaven.” The six stages are the six individual positions of the hexagram, which are represented below through the imagery of dragons. The way to success is defined here as recognizing and realizing the cosmic meaning, which, as an all-pervading law, causes all time-bound phenomena through its end and beginning. Thus, every stage reached becomes simultaneously the preparation for the next, and time is no longer an obstacle but the means to realize what is possible.

After the act of creation is expressed through the two attributes of sublimity and success, the work of preservation is shown as a continuously unfolding development, linked to the terms “furthering” - literally “creating what corresponds to one’s nature” - and “persevering” - literally “correct and firm.” “The course of the Creative alters and shapes all beings until each attains its true, destined nature, then it preserves them in harmony with the great harmony. Thus it shows itself furthering through perseverance.”

When transferred to the human realm, this reveals how the great man brings peace and security to the world through his organizing activity: “By raising his head above the multitude of beings, all lands unite in peace.”

Another line of speculation goes even further in separating the words “sublime, success, furthering, persevering” and aligns them with the four human cardinal virtues: Love is assigned to “sublimity,” which also includes all other attributes as a foundational principle. Custom is assigned to the attribute of “success,” which orders, organizes, and thereby makes the expressions of love successful. Justice is assigned to the attribute of “furthering,” which creates conditions where everyone receives what corresponds to their nature, what is due to them, and what constitutes their happiness. Wisdom is assigned to the attribute of “perseverance,” which recognizes the fixed laws of all events and is therefore capable of creating lasting conditions.

These speculations, which were already suggested in the Wen Yan commentary in the second part of the Book of Changes, formed the bridge by which the philosophy of the five stages of change (elements) - anchored in the Book of Documents - was combined with the philosophy of the Book of Changes, which relies purely on the polar duality of positive and negative principles. Over time, this opened the door to an ever-expanding numerical symbolism.³

The Image

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The movement of heaven is full of power. Thus the superior man makes himself strong and untiring.

The doubling of the hexagram Qián, whose image is heaven, points to the movement of heaven, since there is only one heaven. A complete circular motion of heaven constitutes a day. The doubling of the sign implies that one day follows another. This generates the concept of time and, since it is the same heaven moving with untiring strength, the powerful endurance in and over time - a movement that never stops or flags, just as day follows day continuously. This duration in time is the image of the power inherent in the Creative.

The wise man draws from this the model for how to develop himself for lasting impact. He must make himself completely strong by consciously eliminating everything that drags him down or is base. In this way, he gains the untiring resilience that comes from complete cycles of activity.

The Individual Lines

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Nine at the beginning means:

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Hidden dragon. Do not act.

In China, the dragon has a completely different meaning than in Western conception. The dragon is the symbol of the mobile-electrical, powerful, inspiring force that manifests in a thunderstorm. This force withdraws into the earth during winter, becomes active again in early summer, and appears in the sky as lightning and thunder. As a consequence, the creative forces stir again on earth.

Here, this creative force is still hidden beneath the earth and therefore has no effect yet. Transferred to human affairs, this means that an eminent person is still unrecognized. Nevertheless, he remains true to himself. He does not allow himself to be influenced by external success or failure, but waits for his time, strong and unconcerned.

Thus, for the one who draws this line, it is important to wait with calm, strong patience. Time will fulfill itself. One does not need to fear that a strong will fail to assert itself. Yet, it is vital not to expend one’s strength prematurely or try to force something that is not yet ripe.

Nine in the second place means:

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Dragon appearing in the field. It is furthering to see the great man.

Here, the effects of the light force begin to show. Applied to human situations, this means that the great man appears in the field of his activity. He does not yet hold a ruling position but is still among his peers. However, what distinguishes him from others is his seriousness, his absolute reliability, and the influence he exerts on his surroundings without conscious effort. Such a person is destined to gain great influence and set the world in order. Therefore, it is furthering to see him.

Nine in the third place means:

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The superior man is creatively active all day long. Even in the evening, he is still full of inner care. Danger. No blame.

A sphere of activity opens up for the important man. His fame begins to spread. The masses flock to him. His inner strength is equal to the increased external activity. There is plenty of work to do, and even in the evening, when others rest, plans and anxieties crowd in. A danger exists here at the place of transition from lowliness to height. Many a great man has been ruined because the masses rushed to him and swept him into their courses. Ambition spoiled the inner purity. But true greatness is not impaired by temptations. If one remains in touch with the seeds of the new time and its demands, one possesses sufficient prudence to guard against straying and remains without blame.

Nine in the fourth place means:

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A wavering flight over the depths. No blame.

Here, the place of transition is reached where freedom can exercise itself. A double possibility lies before the important man: either to soar upward and play a decisive role in public life, or to withdraw and cultivate his personality in silence - the path of the hero or the hidden sage. There is no general law as to which is correct. Anyone in such a position must decide freely according to the innermost laws of his being. If he acts completely truthfully and consistently, he will find the path that corresponds to him, and this path is right for him and without blame.

Nine in the fifth place means:

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Flying dragon in the heavens. It is furthering to see the great man.

Here, the great man has arrived in the celestial sphere. His influence extends visibly across the entire world. Everyone who sees him can count themselves blessed. Confucius says about this: “Things that accord in tone vibrate together. Things that are kindred in their innermost essence seek each other. Water flows toward the wet; fire turns toward the dry. The clouds (heaven’s breath) follow the dragon; the wind (earth’s breath) follows the tiger. Thus the sage arises, and all beings look toward him. What comes from heaven feels related to what is above. What comes from earth feels related to what is below. Each follows its kind.”

Nine at the top means:

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Arrogant dragon will have cause to repent.

If one wishes to climb so high as to lose touch with other people, one becomes isolated, and this necessarily leads to failure. Here lies a warning against a titanic striving that exceeds one’s strength. A fall to the depths would be the consequence.

When all lines are nines, it means:

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There appears a flight of dragons without a head. Good fortune.

When all lines are nines, the entire hexagram comes into motion and changes into the hexagram Kūn, the Receptive, whose character is devotion. The strength of the Creative and the mildness of the Receptive unite. Strength is indicated by the flight of dragons, mildness by the circumstance that their heads are hidden. This means: mildness in conduct combined with strength of decision brings good fortune.

Reference links

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• Hexagram look-up table
• Advanced hexagram correspondence table