Hexagram 23 剝 - BO / SPLITTING APART
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Trigrams#
- Above: Gèn, Keeping Still, Mountain
- Below: Kūn, The Receptive, Earth
The dark lines are ascending, poised to overthrow the last remaining firm and light line by disintegrating it through their influence. The inferior, dark element does not combat the noble, strong element directly; instead, it gradually hollows it out through an imperceptible influence until it finally collapses.
The hexagram represents the image of a house, where the topmost line signifies the roof. When the roof is shattered, the house collapses. The hexagram is traditionally associated with the ninth month (October-November), a period when the Yin energy grows increasingly powerful and is on the verge of completely displacing the remaining Yang energy.
The Judgment#
Splitting Apart. It does not further one to go anywhere.
This is a time when inferior individuals are advancing, poised to displace the last remaining strong and noble forces. Because this shift is rooted in the natural course of time, it is not advantageous for the superior person to undertake anything under these circumstances. The correct behavior during such adverse times can be inferred from the component attributes of the trigrams. The lower trigram represents Earth, characterized by adaptability and devotion; the upper trigram represents Mountain, characterized by stillness. This suggests adapting to these difficult times and remaining quiet. This is not a matter of human contrivance, but of cyclical conditions that follow celestial laws, exhibiting alternating phases of increase and decrease, fullness and emptiness. One cannot work against these temporal conditions. Therefore, yielding and refraining from action is not cowardice, but wisdom.
The Image#
The mountain rests upon the earth: the image of Splitting Apart. Thus those above can ensure their position only by giving generously to those below.
The mountain rests upon the earth. If it is steep and narrow, lacking a broad base, it must eventually collapse. Its position is secure only when it rises broad and grand from the earth, rather than proud and steep. In the same way, rulers rest upon the broad foundation of the people. They, too, must be generous and magnificent like the earth that sustains everything; only then will they secure their position, attaining the stability of a mountain.
The Lines#
Six at the beginning means:#
The bed is split at the leg. The persevering are destroyed. Misfortune.
Inferior elements are approaching, secretly beginning their destructive subversion from below to undermine the very place where the superior person rests. Rulers’ loyal supporters are destroyed through slander and all manner of intrigues. The situation is highly detrimental, yet there is nothing to do but wait.
Six in the second place means:#
The bed is split at the frame. The persevering are destroyed. Misfortune.
The power of inferior forces grows, and danger now approaches the individual directly. Clear warning signs appear, and peace is disrupted. While facing this perilous situation, one is also left without support or responsiveness from either above or below. In this isolation, extreme caution is necessary. One must adapt to the times and withdraw in a timely manner. To remain unyielding and stubbornly maintain one’s position would only lead to destruction.
Six in the third place means:#
He splits apart with them. No blame.
One finds oneself in the midst of an adverse environment, bound to it by external ties. However, an inner relationship exists with a higher individual. This connection provides the inner stability needed to free oneself from the mindset of those around them. While this places one in opposition to their immediate surroundings, it is not an error.
Six in the fourth place means:#
The bed is split up to the skin. Misfortune.
Here, misfortune reaches the person’s body itself, no longer just their resting place. No warning or additional counsel is appended, as the disaster has reached its peak and can no longer be averted.
Six in the fifth place means:#
A shoal of fishes. Favor comes through the court ladies. Everything is furthered.
In close proximity to the supreme, strong, and light principle, the nature of the dark element undergoes a transformation. It no longer plots against the strong principle but instead submits to its leadership. Acting as the head of the other weak lines, it leads them all to the strong one, much like a princess presenting her maids to her husband like a shoal of fishes, thereby winning his favor. By willingly subordinating itself to the higher principle, the lower element finds its fulfillment, and the higher principle attains its rightful position. Consequently, everything goes well.
Nine at the top means:#
A large fruit still remains uneaten. The superior person receives a carriage. The house of the inferior person splits apart.
Here, the end of disintegration is reached. Once misfortune has spent its force, better times return. The seed of the good remains; just as fruit falls to the earth, the good grows anew from its seed. The superior person returns to a position of influence and effectiveness, carried by public opinion as if in a carriage. Conversely, the malice of the inferior person backfires, causing their own house to collapse. This reflects a natural law: evil is not only destructive to the good, but in its ultimate consequences, it destroys itself, because evil, which lives only by negation, cannot sustain itself independently. Even the inferior person fares best when kept under proper discipline by a superior person.
Reference links#
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