Hexagram 19: Lín (Approach)
地泽临 · 第 19 卦 · Earth over Lake · 中文版
The Judgment
Lin (indicates that under the conditions supposed in it) there will be great progress and success, while it will be advantageous to be firmly correct. In the eighth month there will be evil.
临：元，亨，利，贞。至于八月有凶。
Commentary on the Judgment (Tuan)
In Lin (we see) the strong (lines) gradually increasing and advancing. (The lower trigram is the symbol of) being pleased, and (the upper of) being compliant. The strong (line) is in the central position, and is properly responded to. 'There is great progress and success, along with firm correctness:' - this is the way of Heaven. 'In the eighth month there will be evil:' - (the advancing power) will decay after no long time.
彖曰：临，刚浸而长。说而顺，刚中而应，大亨以正，天之道也。至于八月有凶，消不久也。
The Great Image
(The trigram for) the waters of a marsh and that for the earth above it form Lin. The superior man, in accordance with this, has his purposes of instruction that are inexhaustible, and nourishes and supports the people without limit.
象曰：泽上有地，临；君子以教思无穷，容保民无疆。
The six lines
Line 1 (first): The first NINE, undivided, shows its subject advancing in company (with the subject of the second line). Through his firm correctness there will be good fortune.
'The good fortune through the firm correctness of (the subject of the first line) advancing in company (with the subject of the second)' is due to his will being set on doing what is right.
In plain words: Approaching through mutual feeling; steadfastness brings good fortune. "Approaching" means overseeing from above; "mutual feeling" means being moved and moving others. The first line corresponds to the fourth and wins people with sincerity. The Small Image says its aims and conduct are upright.
初九：咸临，贞吉。 象曰：咸临贞吉，志行正也。
Line 2 (second): The second NINE, undivided, shows its subject advancing in company (with the subject of the first line). There will be good fortune; (advancing) will be in every way advantageous.
'The good fortune and every possible advantage attending the advance (of the subject of the second line), in company (with the subject of the first),' arises from the fact that those (to whom the advance is made) are not yet obedient to the ordinances (of Heaven).
In plain words: Approaching through mutual feeling: good fortune, and nothing unfavourable. The second line is strong and central and corresponds to the fifth; as yang grows, it influences those above. The Small Image says "not yet following commands", which Zhu Xi marked as unclear; it is usually read as not simply obeying from above, but reaching others through firm, balanced virtue.
九二：咸临，吉无不利。 象曰：咸临吉无不利，未顺命也。
Line 3 (third): The third SIX, divided, shows one well pleased (indeed) to advance, (but whose action) will be in no way advantageous. If he become anxious about it (however), there will be no error.
'He (shows himself) well pleased to advance:' - his position is not that appropriate to him. 'If he become anxious, however, about his action,' his error will not be continued.
In plain words: Approaching with sweet words: nothing is gained. Once one worries about it and corrects it, there is no fault. The third line is weak, neither central nor correct, at the top of the lower trigram of joy, and deals with people by pleasing them. The Small Image says its position is improper, and once it worries, the fault will not last.
六三：甘临，无攸利。既忧之，无咎。 象曰：甘临，位不当也。既忧之，咎不长也。
Line 4 (fourth): The fourth SIX, divided, shows one advancing in the highest mode. There will be no error.
'The freedom from error consequent on the advance in the highest mode' is due to the (various) appropriateness of the position.
In plain words: Approaching in person: no fault. The fourth line is the first of the upper trigram, closest to those below, and corresponds to the first line: it comes down itself. The Small Image says its position is proper, yin in a yin place.
六四：至临，无咎。 象曰：至临无咎，位当也。
Line 5 (fifth): The fifth SIX, divided, shows the advance of wisdom, such as befits the great ruler. There will be good fortune.
'What befits the great ruler' means the pursuing the course of the due mean.
In plain words: Approaching with wisdom: what befits a great ruler; good fortune. The fifth line is yielding and central in the place of honour; it trusts and employs the firm, central second line below instead of doing everything itself, and that is wisdom. The Small Image says this means walking the middle way.
六五：知临，大君之宜，吉。 象曰：大君之宜，行中之谓也。
Line 6 (sixth (top)): The sixth SIX, divided, shows the advance of honesty and generosity. There will be good fortune, and no error.
'The good fortune consequent on the advance of honesty and generosity' is due to the will (of the subject of the line) being set on the subjects of (the first two lines of) the inner (trigram).
In plain words: Approaching with generosity: good fortune and no fault. The top line is at the height of the hexagram; it has no correspondence below, yet generously supports the two yang lines there. The Small Image says its aim lies within, with the two yang lines of the lower trigram.
上六：敦临，吉无咎。 象曰：敦临之吉，志在内也。
Line positions
3 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), 2 pairs are made of one strong and one weak line.
| Line | Proper place | Central | Corresponds with |
|---|---|---|---|
| top (weak) | yes | — | 3rd line: no |
| 5th (weak) | — | yes | 2nd line: yes |
| 4th (weak) | yes | — | 1st line: yes |
| 3rd (weak) | — | — | top line: no |
| 2nd (strong) | — | yes | 5th line: yes |
| 1st (strong) | yes | — | 4th line: yes |
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 Kun palace runs: Kūn (head), Fù (1st change), Lín (2nd change), Tài (3rd change), Dà Zhuàng (4th change), Guài (5th change), Xū (wandering soul), Bǐ (returning soul).
The twelve waxing and waning hexagrams
This is one of the twelve "waxing and waning" hexagrams, matched to the twelfth month of the Chinese lunar calendar. The series starts from Fu, with one strong line returning at the bottom, grows to Qian, then gives way to weak lines until Kun, tracing the rise and fall of yang through the year; it belongs to the Han-dynasty gua qi system of Meng Xi and Jing Fang.
A recorded case from Takashima
Lin to Tai: arrogance after a windfall: A friend asked about a merchant's fortunes and received the third line of Lin, "sweet approach; nothing is gained". Takashima described a crafty man who grows full of himself on success; the friend said the man had just made over ten thousand yen on a piece of marshland and become insufferably arrogant.
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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.