Hexagram 58 兌 - DUÌ / THE JOYOUS
䷹
Trigrams#
- Above: Duì, the Joyous, the Lake
- Below: Duì, the Joyous, the Lake
Like Xùn, Duì is one of the eight doubled signs. Duì represents the youngest daughter; its image is the smiling lake, and its attribute is joy. This joy does not stem from the weakness shown in the top line, as it might seem at first glance. The attribute of the soft, dark principle is melancholy rather than joy. Instead, joy comes from having two strong lines within that express themselves outwardly through a gentle medium.
True joy, therefore, relies on inner firmness and strength that manifest outwardly in a soft, gentle manner.
The Judgment#
The Joyous. Success. Perseverance is rewarding.
A cheerful mood is contagious, which is why it brings success. However, joy requires steadfastness as a foundation so that it does not degenerate into uncontrolled unrestrainedness. Truth and strength must dwell within the heart, while gentleness shows itself outwardly in social interactions. In this way, one assumes the right attitude toward both the divine and humanity, thereby achieving something meaningful. Merely intimidating others without gentleness might work for the moment, but never for long. On the other hand, winning people’s hearts through kindness makes them willingly take on hardships, and if necessary, they will not even fear death. Such is the power of joy over people.
The Image#
Lakes resting upon one another: the image of the Joyous. Thus the superior person joins with friends for discussion and practice.
A single lake evaporates upward and gradually depletes itself. However, when two lakes are connected, they do not dry up easily because one replenishes the other. The same holds true in intellectual and scholarly pursuits. Knowledge should be a refreshing and vitalizing force. It can only become so through stimulating interaction with like-minded friends, with whom one discusses and practices the application of life truths. In this way, knowledge becomes multi-faceted and takes on a cheerful lightness, whereas the knowledge of the self-taught always retains a certain heaviness and one-sidedness.
The Individual Lines#
Nine at the beginning means:#
Contented joy. Good fortune!
A quiet, wordless, self-contained joy that desires nothing from the outside and is content with everything remains free from all selfish likes and dislikes. Good fortune lies in this freedom, for it holds the quiet security of a well-anchored heart.
Nine in the second place means:#
Sincere joy. Good fortune! Remorse vanishes.
One often finds oneself interacting with inferior people, among whom temptations of a lower kind beckon. Joining in such pleasures would surely bring remorse, as a higher person cannot truly be satisfied with base pleasures. If, through this realization, one remains firm in purpose and finds no pleasure in these things, even a dubious environment will not dare to offer ignoble pastimes, knowing they would fail to please. This removes any cause for regret.
Six in the third place means:#
Approaching joy. Misfortune.
True joy must well up from within. When a person is inwardly empty and loses themselves to the outside world, pleasures must be sought from external sources. This is what many welcome as diversion. People who need distraction due to inner instability will always find opportunities to amuse themselves. They attract superficial pleasures through the emptiness of their own being. Consequently, they lose themselves more and more, which is naturally harmful.
Nine in the fourth place means:#
Deliberate joy is not at peace. After eliminating mistakes, one has joy.
A person often stands divided between different kinds of pleasure. As long as one remains undecided about which kind of joy to choose, the higher or the lower, internal restlessness prevails. Only when one clearly recognizes that passion brings suffering can a decision be made to cast off the lower element and strive for higher joys. Once this choice is sealed, true inner serenity and peace are found, and the internal conflict is overcome.
Nine in the fifth place means:#
Sincerity toward disintegrating elements is dangerous.
Even the best of people face dangerous influences. If one associates with them, their corrosive influence works slowly but surely, inevitably bringing dangers in its wake. However, anyone who recognizes the situation and understands how to see through the danger knows how to protect themselves and remains free from harm.
Six at the top means:#
Seductive joy.
An inwardly vain person attracts the pleasures of diversion and suffers because of them (compare with Six in the third place). When someone is not inwardly anchored, the pleasures of the outside world, from which they do not withdraw, exert such a powerful influence that they are swept away. Here, there is no longer any talk of danger, good fortune, or misfortune. The guidance of life has been surrendered, and what becomes of the person depends entirely on chance and external influences.
Reference links#
There are no articles to list here yet.