Hexagram 12 否 - PǏ / STANDSTILL
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Trigrams#
- Above Qián, the Creative, Heaven
- Below Kūn, the Receptive, Earth
This hexagram is the exact opposite of the preceding one. Heaven above withdraws further and further, while Earth below sinks deeper into the abyss. The creative forces are out of relation. It is a time of standstill and decline. This hexagram is linked to the seventh month (August-September), when the year has passed its peak and autumnal decay prepares its approach.
The Judgment#
Evil people do not further The perseverance of the superior man. The great departs, the small approaches.
Heaven and earth are out of communion, and all things become rigid. High and low are out of relation, and confusion and disorder prevail on earth. Within is the dark, and without is the light. Within is weakness, without is hardness; within are the inferior men, and without are the superior men. The way of the inferior man is ascending, while the way of the superior man is declining. Yet the superior men do not allow themselves to be turned from their principles. If they can no longer act effectively, they remain true to these principles and withdraw into concealment.
The Image#
Heaven and earth do not unite: The image of Standstill. Thus the superior man falls back upon his inner worth In order to escape the difficulties. He does not permit himself to be honored by revenues.
When mutual distrust prevails in public life due to the influence of inferior men, fruitful activity becomes impossible because the foundation is wrong. Therefore, the superior man knows what to do under such circumstances. He does not allow himself to be tempted by brilliant offers to participate in public life, which would only be dangerous for him since he cannot join in the baseness of others. Thus, he hides his worth and withdraws into concealment.
The Individual Lines#
Six at the beginning means:#
When ribbon-grass is pulled up, the sod comes with it. Each according to its kind. Perseverance brings good fortune and success.
The text is almost identical to the first line of the preceding hexagram, but in the opposite sense. There, one person draws another along into an official career. Here, one draws another along into retirement from public life. Therefore, instead of saying “Undertakings bring good fortune,” it says here, “Perseverance brings good fortune and success.” Only by understanding when the opportunities for action are gone and withdrawing in time does one spare oneself humiliation and achieve success in a higher sense, knowing how to safeguard the value of one’s personality.
Six in the second place means:#
They bear and endure, This means good fortune for the inferior men. The standstill serves the great man for success.
Inferior men are ready to flatter their superiors in a fawning manner. They would even tolerate the superior man if he helped them resolve the confusion. This brings good fortune to them. But the great man quietly bears the consequences of the standstill. He does not mix with the crowd of inferior men; that is not his place. By accepting personal suffering, he ensures the ultimate success of his principles.
Six in the third place means:#
They bear shame.
Inferior men who have risen to power illegitimately feel unequal to the responsibility they have assumed. They begin, at first without showing it outwardly, to feel ashamed in secret. This marks the beginning of a turn for the better.
Nine in the fourth place means:#
He who acts at the command of the Highest remains without blame. Those of like mind share in the blessing.
The time of standstill approaches its turning point. Whoever wishes to restore order must be called to do so and possess the necessary authority. Anyone attempting to set things right according to their own whim would bring about errors and failure. But he who is called is favored by the conditions of the time, and his blessing extends to all those of like mind.
Nine in the fifth place means:#
The standstill comes to an end. Good fortune to the great man! “What if it should fail, what if it should fail!” Thereby he binds it to a cluster of mulberry shoots.
The times are changing. The right man has arrived who can restore order. Therefore, good fortune! But precisely during such periods of transition, fear and trembling are necessary. Only through the utmost anxiety, constantly thinking, “What if it should fail,” is success secured. When a mulberry bush is cut down, a series of exceptionally firm shoots sprout from the root. Therefore, the consolidation of success is symbolized by tying it to a cluster of mulberry shoots. [1]
Nine at the top means:#
The standstill ceases. First standstill, then good fortune.
The standstill does not last forever. However, it does not end by itself; it requires the right man to put an end to it. This marks the difference between peace and standstill. Peace requires continuous effort to be maintained. Left to itself, it would turn into standstill and decline. A period of decline does not turn back into peace and prosperity on its own; it requires effort to be overcome. This highlights the creative role of man, which is necessary to bring order to the world.
Reference links#
Confucius says on this: “Danger arises when a man feels secure in his position. Ruin threatens when he seeks to preserve his existence. Confusion develops when he has everything in order. Therefore, when secure, the superior man does not forget danger; when surviving, he does not forget ruin; and when there is order, he does not forget confusion. In this way, he achieves personal security, and the realm is preserved.” ↩︎
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