Hexagram 20: Guān (Contemplation)

The Judgment

Guan shows (how he whom it represents should be like) the worshipper who has washed his hands, but not (yet) presented his offerings - with sincerity and an appearance of dignity (commanding reverent regard).

观：盥而不荐，有孚颙若。

Commentary on the Judgment (Tuan)

The great Manifester occupies an upper place (in the figure), which consists of (the trigrams whose attributes are) docility and flexibility. He is in the central position and his correct place, and thus exhibits (his lessons) to all under heaven. 'Guan shows its subject like a worshipper who has washed his hands, but not (yet) presented his offerings; - with sincerity and an appearance of dignity (commanding reverent regard):' - (all) beneath look to him and are transformed. When we contemplate the spirit-like way of Heaven, we see how the four seasons proceed without error. The sages, in accordance with (this) spirit-like way, laid down their instructions, and all under heaven yield submission to them.

彖曰：大观在上，顺而巽，中正以观天下。观，盥而不荐，有孚颙若，下观而化也。观天之神道，而四时不忒，圣人以神道设教，而天下服矣。

The Great Image

(The trigram representing) the earth, and that for wind moving above it, form Guan. The ancient kings, in accordance with this, examined the (different) regions (of the kingdom), to see the (ways of the) people, and set forth their instructions.

象曰：风行地上，观；先王以省方，观民设教。

The six lines

1. Line 1 (first): The first SIX, divided, shows the looking of a lad - not blamable in men of inferior rank, but matter for regret in superior men.

   'The looking of a lad shown by the first six, (divided); indicates the way of the inferior people.

   In plain words: Looking like a child: no fault for petty people, regret for the noble. The first line is furthest from the fifth, and its view is shallow and naive. The Small Image calls this the way of petty people.

   初六：童观，小人无咎，君子吝。 象曰：初六童观，小人道也。

2. Line 2 (second): The second SIX, divided, shows one peeping out from a door. It would be advantageous if it were (merely) the firm correctness of a female.

   'The firm correctness of a woman, in peeping out from a door' is also a thing to be ashamed of (in a superior man).

   In plain words: Peeping through the crack of the door: favourable for a woman's steadfastness. The second line is yin and inward and can only peep out through the crack of the door, seeing little; in ancient times that suited a woman kept within the house, but not a noble person. The Small Image says such peeping is also shameful.

   六二：闚观，利女贞。 象曰：闚观女贞，亦可丑也。

3. Line 3 (third): The third SIX, divided, shows one looking at (the course of) his own life, to advance or recede (accordingly).

   'He looks at (the course of his own life, to advance or recede (accordingly):' - he will not err in the path (to be pursued).

   In plain words: Looking at one's own life to decide whether to advance or retreat. The third line stands between the two trigrams and could go either way, so it examines itself first. The Small Image says it has not lost the way.

   六三：观我生，进退。 象曰：观我生进退，未失道也。

4. Line 4 (fourth): The fourth SIX, divided, shows one contemplating the glory of the kingdom. It will be advantageous for him, being such as he is, (to seek) to be a guest of the king.

   'He contemplates the glory of the kingdom:'(thence) arises the wish to be a guest (at court).

   In plain words: Looking at the glory of the kingdom; it is favourable to be a guest of the king. The fourth line is closest to the fifth and sees the kingdom's splendour clearly; it is fit to be invited into the king's service. The Chinese word for sightseeing comes from this line. The Small Image says it values being the king's guest.

   六四：观国之光，利用宾于王。 象曰：观国之光，尚宾也。

5. Line 5 (fifth): The fifth NINE, undivided, shows its subject contemplating his own life(-course). A superior man, he will (thus) fall into no error.

   'He contemplates his own life(-course):' - he should (for this purpose) contemplate (the condition of) the people.

   In plain words: Looking at one's own life: the noble person is without fault. The fifth line is central and correct in the place of honour and is watched by all; to judge how well it is doing, it looks at the condition of the people. The Small Image says looking at oneself means looking at the people.

   九五：观我生，君子无咎。 象曰：观我生，观民也。

6. Line 6 (sixth (top)): The sixth NINE, undivided, shows its subject contemplating his character to see if it be indeed that of a superior man. He will not fall into error.

   'He contemplates his own character:' - he cannot even yet let his mind be at rest.

   In plain words: Looking at his life: the noble person is without fault. The top line is at the very top, no longer in office, yet still watched by everyone, and must keep examining itself. The Small Image says its mind is not yet at rest.

   上九：观其生，君子无咎。 象曰：观其生，志未平也。

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, and both are also in their proper places.

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.

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 Qian palace runs: Qián (head), Gòu (1st change), Dùn (2nd change), Pǐ (3rd change), Guān (4th change), Bō (5th change), Jìn (wandering soul), Dà Yǒu (returning soul).

The twelve waxing and waning hexagrams

This is one of the twelve "waxing and waning" hexagrams, matched to the eighth 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

Guan to Yi: bidding in a government coal tender: A government office was to test the heating power of competing coals before taking bids, and a coal company employee asked whether they would win. The first line of Guan, "a child's view; no fault for the petty, shame for the noble", led Takashima to say the inspectors lacked judgment, so the honest would lose and the crooked win.

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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.

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