Hexagram 60 · 節 · jié
Hexagram 60. Jié · Limitation
☵☱ Water over lake: Kǎn above, Duì below.
K ieh intimates that (under its conditions) there will be progress and attainment. (But) if the regu¬ lations (which it prescribes) be severe and difficult, they cannot be permanent.
K ieh intimates that (under its conditions) there will be progress and attainment. (But) if the regu¬ lations (which it prescribes) be severe and difficult, they cannot be permanent.
The joints of bamboo: segmentations that give the stalk its supple strength. Establish measure — in spending, time, words: limits do not cramp life but give it form, as banks give form to a river. Yet measure needs measure too: limitation grown galling destroys what it was meant to preserve.
The Image
Water above the lake: for the basin to hold water it must have banks. Establish measure — of budget, time, words, obligations. Limitation is life-giving, like the joints of bamboo: it grants supple strength. But measure has its own measure: rules must be practicable and accepted without torment. Galling severity destroys what it was meant to preserve.
Interpretation of hexagram 60
LX. The TTieh Hexagram. the hexagram might be feared; but he discards that regard, and will do nothing to be repented of. There is a change of style in the Chinese text at this point. As Wang Shan-jze (Yuan dynasty) says:— 1 Here and henceforth the scattering is of what should be scattered, that what should not be scattered may be collected.’
The lines of hexagram 60
First line
The first line, undivided, shows its subject not
Line 4, though weak, is in its correct place, and adjoins the strong 5, which is in the ruler’s seat. The subject of 4, therefore, will fitly represent the minister, to whom it belongs to do a great part in remedying the evil of dispersion. And this he does. He brings dissentient partizanship to an end; and not satisfied with that, he collects multitudes of those who had been divided into a great body so that they stand out conspicuous like a hill.
Second line
The second line, undivided, shows its subject not quitting the courtyard inside his gate. There will be evil.
Line 5 gives us the action of the ruler himself;—by his proclama¬ tions, and by his benevolence. Wfi Hsi and other critics enlarge on the symbolism of the perspiration, which they think much to the point. P. Regis avoids it, translating—‘ Ille, magnas leges dissipans, facit ut penetrent(ur ?).’ Canon McClatchie has an ingenious and original, so far as my Chinese reading goes, note upon it:— ! As sweat cures fevers, so do proclamations cure rebel¬ lions.’ Both of these translators miss the meaning of the other instance of the king’s work.
Third line
The third line, divided, shows its subject with no appearance of observing the (proper) regulations, in which case we shall see him lamenting. But there will be no one to blame (but himself).
Line 6 is occupied by a strong line, which has a proper correlate in 3; but 3 is at the top of the trigram of peril. The subject of 6 hurries away from association with the subject of it, but does so in the spirit of the hexagram, so that there is no error or blame attaching to him.
Fourth line
The fourth line, divided, shows its subject quietly and naturally (attentive to all) regulations. There will be progress and success.
quitting the courtyard outside his door. There will be no error.
Fifth line
The fifth line, undivided, shows its subject sweetly and acceptably enacting his regulations. There will be good fortune. The onward progress with them will afford ground for admiration.
LX. The primary application of the character ATieh was to denote the joints of the bamboo; it is used also for the joints of the human frame; and for the solar and other terms of the year. Whatever makes regular division may be denominated a A^ieh; there enter into it the ideas of regulating and restraining; and the subject of this hexagram is the regulations of government enacted for the guidance and control of the people. How the constituent trigrams are supposed to suggest or indicate this meaning will be seen in Appendix II.
Top line
The topmost line, divided, shows its subject enacting regulations severe and difficult. Even with firmness and correctness there will be evil. But though there will be cause for repentance, it will (by and by) disappear.
ATh Hsi anticipates that symbolism in trying to account for the statement that the figure gives the promise of success and attain¬ ment; but the ground of this is generally made out by referring to the equal division of the undivided and divided lines and our having in 2 and 5, the central places, two undivided lines. An
Did hexagram 60 come up in your reading? The oracle itself gives the full reading, with changing lines and the second hexagram.
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