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I Ching Pages 534-535

Book III: The Commentaries

      b) "A jug of wine, a bowl of rice with it." It is the boundary line between firm and yielding.

   The trigram K'an means wine. The nuclear trigram Cheh means ritual vessels. The whole is conceived as a simple sacrifice. K'ann stands in the north and is often coupled with the idea of sacrifice. Despite its simplicity, the sacrifice is accepted, because the attitude is sincere. The fourth line is in the relationship of holding together with the upper ruler of the hexagram - hence the close relationships that can dispense with ceremonious outer form. 
      O Nine in the fifth place:
      a) The abyss is not filled to overflowing.
           It is filled only to the rim.
          No blame.
      b)"The abyss is not filled to overflowing," for the central line is not yet great.

The ruler of the hexagram, being moreover strong and in a strong place, might easily feel himself to be great and powerful. But his central position prevents this; therefore it is enough for him merely to extricate himself from the danger. This is the line referred to by the sentence in the Commentary on the Decision: "Water flows on and nowhere piles up."
      Six at the top:
      a) Bound with cords and        ropes,
          Shut in between thorn-hedged prison walls:
          For three years one does not find the way.
          Misfortune.
       b)The six at the top has lost the way. This misfortune
continues for three years.

In contrast to the six at the beginning, which is caught in a [unreadable] within the abyss, this line is at the top, hence inclosed by a [wall?] behind thorn hedges (prison walls in China are arranged i [this?] way to prevent escape). Thorns are indicated by the [unreadable] K'an. The unfortunate situation of the line is due to the fact

29-K'an/Te Abysimal (Water)

that it rests upon a hard line, the nine in the fifth place. For minor offenses, where repentance was shown, pardon was granted after a year, for more serious ones after two years, and for very grave ones after three years, so that here it is question of an extremely serious entanglement.

NOTE. The whole hexagram of THE ABYSMAL is based on the idea that the light lines are inclosed by the dark lines, and thus endangered. This idea of danger not only gives the hexagram its character, but also dominates the individual lines. It appears that the two strong lines (the second and the fifth) fare better than the others and have the prospect of getting out of danger, while the six at the beginning and the six in the third place fall into abyss after abyss, and the six at the top sees no way out for three years. Thus the danger threatening the dark lines is even greater. It often happens, however, that the idea of a given hexagram as a whole is differently expressed in some of the lines.

30. Li/The Clinging, Fire
Nuclear trigrams   TUI  and SUN

The rulers of the hexagram are the two yin lines in the second and the fifth place; of these, the line in the second place is ruler [in?] a more marked degree, for fire is brightest when it first  [flames?] up.
   The Sequence
   In a pit there is certain to be something clinging within. Hence there follows the hexagram of THE CLINGING. The Clinging means resting on something.
535

Saving...

Book III: The Commentaries b) "A jug of wine, a bowl of rice with it." It is the boundary line between firm and yielding. The trigram K'an means wine. The nuclear trigram Cheh means ritual vessels. The whole is conceived as a simple sacrifice. K'ann stands in the north and is often coupled with the idea of sacrifice. Despite its simplicity, the sacrifice is accepted, because the attitude is sincere. The fourth line is in the relationship of holding together with the upper ruler of the hexagram - hence the close relationships that can dispense with ceremonious outer form. O Nine in the fifth place: a) The abyss is not filled to overflowing. It is filled only to the rim. No blame. b)"The abyss is not filled to overflowing," for the central line is not yet great. The ruler of the hexagram, being moreover strong and in a strong place, might easily feel himself to be great and powerful. But his central position prevents this; therefore it is enough for him merely to extricate himself from the danger. This is the line referred to by the sentence in the Commentary on the Decision: "Water flows on and nowhere piles up." Six at the top: a) Bound with cords and ropes, Shut in between thorn-hedged prison walls: For three years one does not find the way. Misfortune. b)The six at the top has lost the way. This misfortune continues for three years. In contrast to the six at the beginning, which is caught in a [unreadable] within the abyss, this line is at the top, hence inclosed by a [wall?] behind thorn hedges (prison walls in China are arranged i [this?] way to prevent escape). Thorns are indicated by the [unreadable] K'an. The unfortunate situation of the line is due to the fact 29-K'an/Te Abysimal (Water) that it rests upon a hard line, the nine in the fifth place. For minor offenses, where repentance was shown, pardon was granted after a year, for more serious ones after two years, and for very grave ones after three years, so that here it is question of an extremely serious entanglement. NOTE. The whole hexagram of THE ABYSMAL is based on the idea that the light lines are inclosed by the dark lines, and thus endangered. This idea of danger not only gives the hexagram its character, but also dominates the individual lines. It appears that the two strong lines (the second and the fifth) fare better than the others and have the prospect of getting out of danger, while the six at the beginning and the six in the third place fall into abyss after abyss, and the six at the top sees no way out for three years. Thus the danger threatening the dark lines is even greater. It often happens, however, that the idea of a given hexagram as a whole is differently expressed in some of the lines. 30. Li/The Clinging, Fire Nuclear trigrams TUI and SUN The rulers of the hexagram are the two yin lines in the second and the fifth place; of these, the line in the second place is ruler [in?] a more marked degree, for fire is brightest when it first [flames?] up. The Sequence In a pit there is certain to be something clinging within. Hence there follows the hexagram of THE CLINGING. The Clinging means resting on something. 535