19. Approach
臨 · Lín · L'Avvicinamento · lines from the bottom: 110000
The two trigrams
The Judgement
Approach is the hexagram of a force that grows and comes forward: two firm lines advancing on four yielding ones. The text promises great progress and full success, and asks one thing in return: that you be firmly correct. If in this period you feel things falling into place, your weight at the office growing, a person drawing closer to you, a project finally taking off, enjoy the push but do not let it go to your head. Correctness is the condition for the advance to hold. Then comes the warning, which is the most precious part: in the eighth month there will be evil. It is not a threat, it is a reminder: every growing force sooner or later slows down, every favourable season has an end. Wisdom lies in knowing this while you are on the way up. The practical advice is to use these good months to build something solid, set aside, consolidate relationships, close agreements clearly, instead of spending everything as if it would last forever. Whoever advances knowing that the time changes is not caught off guard when the wind turns.
Source: James Legge, The Yî King (Sacred Books of the East, vol. XVI) (1882) · read the original passage
The Image
The image is that of the earth bending down over the waters of the lake: those above draw near to those below. The wise person, the text says, has inexhaustible purposes of instruction and nourishes and supports people without limit. If you hold a guiding role, as a parent, as a manager, as someone who knows what others do not, this image asks of you generosity without bookkeeping. The practical advice: explain patiently even the third time, share what you know without fear of losing your edge, support those who are starting out. Your real strength is measured by how far you are willing to bend down.
Source: James Legge, The Yî King (Sacred Books of the East, vol. XVI) (1882) · read the original passage
The six lines
First line
The first line shows someone advancing in company, together with the person beside them, and finding good fortune thanks to their own firmness and correctness. It is the beginning of a shared movement: two people, or a small group, moving together in the same direction. If you are starting something with a partner, a colleague, a companion, this line tells you the road is good provided you do not overdo it. You are strong, perhaps stronger than prudent: rein in the enthusiasm and stay correct in your agreements.
Source: James Legge, The Yî King (Sacred Books of the East, vol. XVI) (1882) · read the original passage
Second line
The second line repeats the advancing in company, but here the outcome is even clearer: good fortune, and advantage in every direction. You are in the central position, that of someone with balance who finds response from above. If you have an idea to propose, a step to take, a request to make, this is the right moment: you will be heard. The advice is to move together with those who support you, without racing ahead alone, and to take advantage of the open door before the time changes.
Source: James Legge, The Yî King (Sacred Books of the East, vol. XVI) (1882) · read the original passage
Third line
The third line shows someone very pleased to advance, but whose action brings no advantage at all. It is the euphoria of someone who feels on the rise and believes good spirits are enough. The text, however, is kind: if you become aware of the risk and anxious about it, there will be no error. If you recognise this lightness in yourself, in love or in business, be careful not to make commitments on a wave of enthusiasm. The advice is to pause a moment, ask yourself what you are really doing, and correct course while it is still easy.
Source: James Legge, The Yî King (Sacred Books of the East, vol. XVI) (1882) · read the original passage
Fourth line
The fourth line shows someone advancing in the highest mode, and making no error. It is the position of someone in the right place with a solid bond to those below: a manager who trusts their team, a parent who listens to their children, a person who knows how to welcome those who approach. If someone is coming towards you with a proposal or a feeling, respond openly and without suspicion. The advice is to let the relationship grow at its natural pace, neither forcing it nor holding it back.
Source: James Legge, The Yî King (Sacred Books of the East, vol. XVI) (1882) · read the original passage
Fifth line
The fifth line speaks of the advance of wisdom, the kind that befits one who truly governs: good fortune. It is the portrait of someone who holds authority but does not claim to know everything, and for that reason surrounds themselves with capable people and delegates with trust. If you have responsibility for others, the advice is not to police every detail: choose your collaborators well, give clear instructions, and then let them work. The intelligence of the one who leads lies in recognising the intelligence of others.
Source: James Legge, The Yî King (Sacred Books of the East, vol. XVI) (1882) · read the original passage
Sixth line
The sixth line shows the advance of honesty and generosity: good fortune, no error. We are at the top of the hexagram, where docility is at its height, and the person of standing does not disdain to come down towards those below to help them. If you have reached a position, an age, a competence that place you above others, this line asks you to use them to draw near, not to distance yourself. The practical advice: mentor someone, give time to whoever asks for it, be open-hearted and open-handed.