Hexagram 18: Gǔ (Repairing the Spoiled)
山风蛊 · 第 18 卦 · Mountain over Wind · 中文版
The Judgment
Gu indicates great progress and success (to him who deals properly with the condition represented by it). There will be advantage in (efforts like that of) crossing the great stream. (He should weigh well, however, the events of) three days before the turning point, and those (to be done) three days after it.
蛊：元亨，利涉大川。先甲三日，后甲三日。
Commentary on the Judgment (Tuan)
In Gu we have the strong (trigram) above, and the weak one below; we have (below) pliancy, and (above) stopping: - these give the idea of Gu (a Troublous Condition of affairs verging to ruin). 'Gu indicates great progress and success:' - (through the course shown in it), all under heaven, there will be good order. 'There will be advantage in crossing the great stream:' - he who advances will encounter the business to be done. '(He should weigh well, however, the events of) three days before (the turning-point), and those (to be done) three days after it:' - the end (of confusion) is the beginning (of order); such is the procedure of Heaven.
彖曰：蛊，刚上而柔下，巽而止，蛊。蛊，元亨，而天下治也。利涉大川，往有事也。先甲三日，后甲三日，终则有始，天行也。
The Great Image
(The trigram for) a mountain, and below it that for wind, form Gu. The superior man, in accordance with this, (addresses himself to) help the people and nourish his own virtue.
象曰：山下有风，蛊；君子以振民育德。
The six lines
Line 1 (first): The first SIX, divided, shows (a son) dealing with the troubles caused by his father. If he be an (able) son, the father will escape the blame of having erred. The position is perilous, but there will be good fortune in the end.
'He deals with the troubles caused by his father:' - he feels that he has entered into the work of his father.
In plain words: Setting right what the father spoiled; with such a son, the late father is without fault; there is danger, but in the end good fortune. "Spoiled" means decay that has built up over time. The Small Image says the son's intention is to carry on his father's purpose.
初六：干父之蛊，有子，考无咎，厉终吉。 象曰：干父之蛊，意承考也。
Line 2 (second): The second NINE, undivided, shows (a son) dealing with the troubles caused by his mother. He should not (carry) his firm correctness (to the utmost).
'He deals with the troubles caused by his mother:' - he holds to the course of the due mean.
In plain words: Setting right what the mother spoiled; one should not be too rigid. The second line is strong and central and corresponds to the yielding fifth line, which is like a mother; the gentler party must be approached tactfully. The Small Image says this is finding the middle way.
九二：干母之蛊，不可贞。 象曰：干母之蛊，得中道也。
Line 3 (third): The third NINE, undivided, shows (a son) dealing with the troubles caused by his father. There may be some small occasion for repentance, but there will not be any great error.
'He deals with the troubles caused by his father:' - in the end there will be no error.
In plain words: Setting right what the father spoiled; there is a little regret, but no great fault. The third line is strong but not central and acts too bluntly, hence a little regret. The Small Image says in the end there is no fault.
九三：干父之蛊，小有悔，无大咎。 象曰：干父之蛊，终无咎也。
Line 4 (fourth): The fourth SIX, divided, shows (a son) viewing indulgently the troubles caused by his father. If he go forward, he will find cause to regret it.
'He views indulgently the troubles caused by his father:' - if he go forward, he will not succeed.
In plain words: Tolerating what the father spoiled; going on brings regret. "Tolerating" means letting things slide. The fourth line is weak and cannot set things right. The Small Image says going on this way leads nowhere good.
六四：裕父之蛊，往见吝。 象曰：裕父之蛊，往未得也。
Line 5 (fifth): The fifth SIX, divided, shows (a son) dealing with the troubles caused by his father. He obtains the praise of using (the fit instrument for his work).
'He deals with the troubles caused by his father, and obtains praise:' - he is responded to (by the subject of line two) with all his virtue.
In plain words: Setting right what the father spoiled, and winning praise for it. The fifth line is yielding in the place of honour and employs worthy people like the second line, and so succeeds. The Small Image says it carries on through virtue.
六五：干父之蛊，用誉。 象曰：干父用誉，承以德也。
Line 6 (sixth (top)): The sixth NINE, undivided, shows us one who does not serve either king or feudal lord, but in a lofty spirit prefers (to attend to) his own affairs.
'He does not serve either king or feudal lord:' - but his aim may be a model (to others).
In plain words: Not serving kings or lords, one holds one's own conduct high. The top line stands outside the work: the decay has been set right, and it no longer takes part in affairs, keeping itself pure. The Small Image says such an aim can serve as a model.
上九：不事王侯，高尚其事。 象曰：不事王侯，志可则也。
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; being one strong and one weak, they 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: no |
| 5th (weak) | — | yes | 2nd line: yes |
| 4th (weak) | yes | — | 1st line: no |
| 3rd (strong) | yes | — | top line: no |
| 2nd (strong) | — | yes | 5th line: yes |
| 1st (weak) | — | — | 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 Xun palace runs: Xùn (head), Xiǎo Chù (1st change), Jiā Rén (2nd change), Yì (3rd change), Wú Wàng (4th change), Shì Kè (5th change), Yí (wandering soul), Gǔ (returning soul).
A recorded case from Takashima
Gu to Ding: an heir who cannot hold the family fortune: A friend asked about the affairs of a wealthy household and received the fourth line of Gu, "indulging the father's corruption; going on brings shame". Takashima described a weak head of house who lets things rot; the friend said the adopted heir had indeed lost the fortune.
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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.