11. Peace

The two trigrams

above

☷

Earth

坤 · kūn

the earth

below

☰

Heaven

乾 · qián

heaven, the sky

The Judgement

This is the hexagram of peace and prosperity: the three strong lines are below, the three weak ones above, heaven and earth touch and exchange with each other. The Judgment says that the little is gone and the great is come, and that there will be good fortune, with progress and success. The little that is gone is the petty stuff, the worries that kept you anxious, the people who pulled the wrong way; the great that has come is what is active, generous, vigorous. It is the hexagram of the first month of spring, when for six months everything will grow under a favourable sun. If these days you feel that something has come unstuck, that the air at home is easier to breathe, that at work the effort is beginning to pay, that is no accident: you are in a season of opening, when the forces that push are greater than those that hold back. But spring has to be used: it is the time to sow, to make proposals, to renew relationships, to invest with judgment. Practical advice: take advantage of this period to start what you have been postponing, a project, a conversation, some care for yourself, knowing that every season ends and that what you sow now is what you will reap.

The Image

The Image is heaven and earth in communication together: the two forces do not ignore each other, they speak and cooperate. The sage sovereign, Legge says, in harmony with this, fashions and completes his regulations after the courses of heaven and earth, and assists the application of the adaptations they furnish, in order to benefit the people. Like someone who sows in spring and harvests in autumn, not against the seasons but with them. For you it means organising life in step with natural rhythms: your hours, your energies, other people's timing. Advice: plan the good period ahead of you, and put it at the service of those around you.

First line

First line: the image of grass pulled up, bringing with it the other stalks to which its roots are connected. Advance will be fortunate. When you set off, others move too: friends, colleagues, relatives who share your drive. The commentary says your will is set on what is external to yourself, and that is right. If you have an idea, a project, a change in mind, this is the moment to propose it: you will find people to come with you. Advice: make the first move and rally those who think as you do.

Second line

Second line: one who can bear with the uncultivated, who crosses the river without a boat, who does not forget the distant and has no selfish friendships. Thus he proves himself acting in accordance with the due Mean. It is the portrait of someone who, in a time of peace, becomes neither lazy nor cliquish: patient with the less refined, bold in undertakings, mindful of those out of the spotlight, and free of favouritism. If you are in a position of responsibility, at work or at home, this line is your model. Advice: today, call someone you have been neglecting.

Third line

Third line: there is no state of peace that is not liable to be disturbed, and no departure of evil men such that they shall not return; yet whoever is firm and correct, aware of the distresses that may arise, will commit no error. There is no occasion for sadness at the certainty of such recurring changes, and in this mood the happiness of the present may be long enjoyed. If things are going well but you feel a shadow of anxiety, as if it could not last, this line understands you: it is true, nothing lasts for ever, but that is no reason to spoil the present. Advice: enjoy what you have, and keep a small reserve for the less easy times.

Fourth line

Fourth line: someone comes fluttering down, not relying on his own rich resources, but calling in his neighbours. They all come, not because they have received warning, but in the sincerity of their hearts. It is the picture of someone who stands high and comes down to the others, lightly, without making them feel what he owns. If you hold a position of advantage, financial, social, professional, this line invites you to open up: do not do everything alone with your own means, involve those near you. The commentary says this is what everyone desires in the core of their hearts. Advice: invite, share, trust.

Fifth line

Fifth line: it reminds us of king Tî-yî's rule about the marriage of his younger sister. By such a course there is happiness and there will be great good fortune. The king gave his sister in marriage to a prince of lower rank, and laid down that she should behave with humility, not as a princess. It is the picture of someone who stands high and chooses to step down gracefully to join one who deserves it. If you are in a superior position, by role, age or means, and want to build a genuine bond, as a couple or at work, do not make the difference felt. Advice: treat the other person as an equal, and the union will be a happy one.

Sixth line

Sixth line: the city wall has returned into the moat. It is not the time to use the army. You may indeed announce your orders to the people of your own city, but however correct and firm you may be, you will have cause for regret. The peace is over: the earth dug out to build the wall has fallen back, and what was built with effort is crumbling. If you realise that a good period is closing, a business, a partnership, a happy phase, do not react with force: war only aggravates the evil. Advice: speak plainly to those close to you, limit the damage, and accept that this cycle is ending.

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