Hexagram 10: Lǚ (Treading)
天泽履 · 第 10 卦 · Heaven over Lake · 中文版
The Judgment
(Lu suggests the idea of) one treading on the tail of a tiger, which does not bite him. There will be progress and success.
履：履虎尾，不咥人，亨。
Commentary on the Judgment (Tuan)
In Lu we have (the symbol of) weakness treading on (that of) strength. (The lower trigram) indicates pleasure and satisfaction, and responds to (the upper) indicating strength. Hence (it is said), 'He treads on the tail of a tiger, which does not bite him; there will be progress and success.' (The fifth line is) strong, in the centre, and in its correct place. (Its subject) occupies the God-(given) position, and falls into no distress or failure; - (his) action will be brilliant.
彖曰：履，柔履刚也。说而应乎乾，是以履虎尾，不咥人，亨，利贞。刚中正，履帝位而不疚，光明也。
The Great Image
(The trigram representing) the sky above, and below it (that representing the waters of) a marsh, form Lu. The superior man, in accordance with this, discriminates between high and low, and gives settlement to the aims of the people.
象曰：上天下泽，履；君子以辨上下，定民志。
The six lines
Line 1 (first): The first NINE, undivided, shows its subject treading his accustomed path. If he go forward, there will be no error.
'He treads his accustomed path and goes forward:' - singly and exclusively he carries out his (long-cherished) wishes.
In plain words: Treading simply; going on, there is no fault. "Simply" means plainly, in one's natural colour. The first line is at the bottom, not pulled along by outside things, and acts from its own heart. The Small Image says going on simply means carrying out one's own wishes alone.
初九：素履，往无咎。 象曰：素履之往，独行愿也。
Line 2 (second): The second NINE, undivided, shows its subject treading the path that is level and easy - a quiet and solitary man, to whom, if he be firm and correct, there will be good fortune.
'A quiet and solitary man, to whom, being firm and correct, there will be good fortune:' - holding the due mean, he will not allow himself to be thrown into disorder.
In plain words: Treading a level, easy road; the quiet, retiring person is steadfast and fortunate. The retiring person is someone calm who does not seek fame. The second line is strong and central and does not crave honour or gain. The Small Image says the retiring person is fortunate because, keeping to the middle, their mind is not thrown into disorder.
九二：履道坦坦，幽人贞吉。 象曰：幽人贞吉，中不自乱也。
Line 3 (third): The third SIX, divided, shows a one-eyed man (who thinks he) can see; a lame man (who thinks he) can walk well; one who treads on the tail of a tiger and is bitten. (All this indicates) ill fortune. We have a (mere) bravo acting the part of a great ruler.
'A one-eyed man (who thinks that he) can see:' - he is not fit to see clearly. 'A lame man (who thinks that he can) tread well:' - one cannot walk along with him. 'The ill fortune of being bitten' arises from the place not being the proper one for him. 'A (mere) bravo acting the part of a great ruler:' - this is owing to his aims being (too) violent.
In plain words: One-eyed yet thinking one can see, lame yet thinking one can walk, one treads on the tiger's tail and the tiger bites: misfortune. It is like a warrior trying to act as a great ruler. The third line is the only yin line in the hexagram, weak, neither central nor correct, yet in a yang place; it overrates itself and so invites disaster. The Small Image says such sight is not enough to see clearly and such walking not enough to keep pace; the misfortune of being bitten comes from an improper place; and the warrior acting as ruler has a will that is too hard.
六三：眇能视，跛能履，履虎尾，咥人，凶。武人为于大君。 象曰：眇能视，不足以有明也。跛能履，不足以与行也。咥人之凶，位不当也。武人为于大君，志刚也。
Line 4 (fourth): The fourth NINE, undivided, shows its subject treading on the tail of a tiger. He becomes full of apprehensive caution, and in the end there will be good fortune.
'He becomes full of apprehensive caution, and in the end there will be good fortune:' - his aim takes effect.
In plain words: Treading on the tiger's tail, cautious and afraid; in the end, good fortune. The fourth line is right next to the strong fifth line, a dangerous place; but it is careful and wary, so it ends well. The Small Image says its aims are carried out.
九四：履虎尾，愬愬，终吉。 象曰：愬愬终吉，志行也。
Line 5 (fifth): The fifth NINE, undivided, shows the resolute tread of its subject. Though he be firm and correct, there will be peril.
'He treads resolutely; and though he be firm and correct, there is peril:' - this is due to his being in the position that is correct and appropriate to him.
In plain words: Treading resolutely; holding on is perilous. The fifth line is strong, central and correct in the place of honour and dares to decide; but being too decisive and holding on stubbornly is dangerous. The Small Image says this is because its position is right: with such power comes more need for caution.
九五：夬履，贞厉。 象曰：夬履贞厉，位正当也。
Line 6 (sixth (top)): The sixth NINE, undivided, tells us to look at (the whole course) that is trodden, and examine the presage which that gives. If it be complete and without failure, there will be great good fortune.
'There will be great good fortune,' and that in the occupancy of the topmost line: - this is great matter for congratulation.
In plain words: Look back over the path you have trodden and examine what went well and badly; if you can turn back round in full, there is supreme good fortune. "Turn round" may also mean looking back over the whole circuit, complete in every part. The top line is the end of the hexagram, the time to look back and take stock. The Small Image says the supreme good fortune at the top brings great blessings.
上九：视履考祥，其旋元吉。 象曰：元吉在上，大有庆也。
Line positions
2 of the six lines stand in their proper place (strong lines in odd places, weak lines in even places).
The second and fifth lines hold the central places of the lower and upper trigrams; both are strong, so they do not correspond.
Of the three pairs of corresponding places (first and fourth, second and fifth, third and top), 1 pair is made of one strong and one weak line.
| Line | Proper place | Central | Corresponds with |
|---|---|---|---|
| top (strong) | — | — | 3rd line: yes |
| 5th (strong) | yes | yes | 2nd line: no |
| 4th (strong) | — | — | 1st line: no |
| 3rd (weak) | — | — | top line: yes |
| 2nd (strong) | — | yes | 5th line: no |
| 1st (strong) | yes | — | 4th line: no |
Strong lines belong in odd places and weak lines in even places; the second and fifth are the central places; first and fourth, second and fifth, third and top correspond, and they "respond" when one is strong and the other weak.
These are structural conventions, not scores of good or bad fortune. Commentators differ: Wang Bi treats the first and top places as beginning and end without fixed yin or yang positions. Read each line with its Small Image and the whole hexagram.
Place in Jing Fang's eight palaces
Jing Fang grouped the 64 hexagrams into eight "palaces" of eight, each headed by a doubled trigram. Changing the lines of the head hexagram one by one from the bottom gives the next five; the last two are the "wandering soul" and "returning soul" hexagrams. The Gen palace runs: Gèn (head), Bì (1st change), Dà Chù (2nd change), Sǔn (3rd change), Kuí (4th change), Lǚ (5th change), Zhōng Fú (wandering soul), Jiàn (returning soul).
A recorded case from Takashima
Lü to Song: business is slow; move to Tokyo?: A Yokohama merchant whose trade had slumped thought of moving to Tokyo to start afresh. The first line of Lü, "plain steps forward", led Takashima to advise him to keep to his old business: prices rise and fall, and that is normal.
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English text: James Legge, The Yi King (Sacred Books of the East, vol. 16, 1882), public domain, as transcribed by the Chinese Text Project. Chinese: the received text. Offered for study and reflection, not as prediction.