Hexagram 31 咸 - XIÁN / INFLUENCE (WOOING)
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Trigrams#
- Above: Duì, the Joyous, the Lake
- Below: Gèn, Keeping Still, the Mountain
The name of the hexagram means “universal,” “pervasive,” and, by extension, “to influence” or “to stimulate.” The upper trigram is Duì, the Joyous; the lower is Gèn, Keeping Still. Through its persistent, quiet influence, the lower rigid trigram stimulates the upper weak trigram, which responds cheerfully and joyfully to this stimulation. Gèn, the lower trigram, represents the youngest son, while the upper, Duì, represents the youngest daughter. This depicts the universal mutual attraction between the sexes. In this relationship, the masculine element must take the initiative and place itself below the feminine during the courtship.
Just as the first part of the book opens with the hexagrams of Heaven and Earth as the foundations of all existence, the second part begins with the hexagrams of Wooing and Marriage as the foundations of all social relations.
The Judgment#
Influence. Success. Perseverance furthers. To take a maiden to wife brings good fortune.
The weak is above and the strong is below; hence their forces attract each other, leading to their union. This brings success, for all success relies on the effect of mutual attraction. Maintaining inner quiet while experiencing outer joy ensures that pleasure does not exceed proper limits but remains within the boundaries of what is right. This is the meaning of the warning: “Perseverance furthers.” It distinguishes true wooing - where the strong man humbles himself before the weak maiden and shows consideration for her - from mere seduction. This attraction between elective affinities is a universal law of nature. Heaven and earth attract each other, and thus all beings come into existence.
The sage influences human hearts through this attraction, bringing peace to the world. From the attractions that things exert, one can understand the true nature of all beings in heaven and on earth.
The Image#
A lake on the mountain: The image of Influence. Thus the superior man encourages people to approach him by his readiness to receive them.
A mountain with a lake on its summit receives nourishment and stimulation from its moisture. The mountain gains this advantage because its summit is concave rather than protruding. This image suggests that one should keep oneself inwardly humble and free, remaining receptive to good counsel. People soon stop offering advice to anyone who claims to know everything better.
The Lines#
Six at the beginning means:#
The influence manifests in the great toe.
Before a movement is actually executed, it first shows itself in the toes. The idea of taking action is already present, but it has not yet manifested outwardly to others. As long as an intention produces no visible effects, it matters little to the outside world, leading neither to good nor to evil.
Six in the second place means:#
The influence manifests in the calves of the legs. Misfortune. Tarrying brings good fortune.
The calf naturally follows the foot in movement. It cannot move forward on its own, nor can it stand still by itself. This represents a movement that lacks independence; because it is not master of itself, it bodes ill. One should wait quietly until prompted to act by a real influence. In this way, one remains free from harm.
Nine in the third place means:#
The influence manifests in the thighs. Holds to that which follows it. To continue is humiliating.
Every mood of the heart prompts a movement. Wherever the heart aspires, the thighs run without reflection, holding fast to the heart they follow. In human life, however, moving immediately at the whim of every passing impulse is incorrect and leads to humiliation if continued. This suggests a threefold lesson: one must not blindly run after everyone they wish to influence, but must know how to restrain themselves when necessary. Likewise, one should not immediately yield to every whim of those they serve. Finally, regarding the moods of one’s own heart, one must never neglect the power of self-restraint, which forms the very basis of human freedom.
Nine in the fourth place means:#
Perseverance brings good fortune. Remorse disappears. If a man is agitated in mind, and his thoughts go hither and thither, only those friends on whom he fixes his conscious thoughts will follow him.
Here, the position of the heart is reached. The stimulation flowing from this center is of the utmost importance. Particular care must be taken that this influence remains constant and good; then, despite the danger arising from the high mutability of the human heart, remorse becomes unnecessary. When the quiet, inherent power of one’s personal character is at work, its effects are natural and orderly. All people receptive to the vibrations of such a spirit will be influenced. This influence over others should not manifest as a conscious, deliberate effort to manipulate them. Such deliberate agitation only causes anxiety and leaves one exhausted by the constant back and forth. Furthermore, the resulting effects will be confined only to those individuals on whom one consciously directs their thoughts.
Nine in the fifth place means:#
The influence manifests in the back of the neck. No remorse.
The back of the neck is the least mobile part of the body. When influence manifests here, the will remains firm, and the influence does not lead to confusion. Therefore, remorse does not enter into consideration. What takes place in these deeper recesses of the being - the subconscious - can neither be summoned nor prevented by conscious thought. However, if one remains completely uninfluenceable themselves, exercising an influence on the outside world becomes equally impossible.
Six at the top means:#
The influence manifests in the jaws, cheeks, and tongue.
The most superficial way of trying to influence others is through mere chatter, without any reality backing the words. Such stimulation, produced solely by the movement of the vocal organs, inevitably remains insignificant. For this reason, nothing regarding good or bad fortune is added.
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