Hexagram 35: Jìn (Progress)
火地晋 · 第 35 卦 · Fire over Earth · 中文版
The Judgment
In Jin we see a prince who secures the tranquillity (of the people) presented on that account with numerous horses (by the king), and three times in a day received at interviews.
晋：康侯用锡马蕃庶，昼日三接。
Commentary on the Judgment (Tuan)
Jin denotes advancing. (In Jin we have) the bright (sun) appearing above the earth; (the symbol of) docile submission cleaving to that of the Great brightness; and the weak line advanced and moving above: - all these things give us the idea of 'a prince who secures the tranquillity (of the people), presented on that account with numerous horses (by the king), and three times in a day received at interviews.'
彖曰：晋，进也。明出地上，顺而丽乎大明，柔进而上行。是以康侯用锡马蕃庶，昼日三接也。
The Great Image
(The trigram representing) the earth and that for the bright (sun) coming forth above it form Jin. The superior man, according to this, gives himself to make more brilliant his bright virtue.
象曰：明出地上，晋；君子以自昭明德。
The six lines
Line 1 (first): The first SIX, divided, shows one wishing to advance, and (at the same time) kept back. Let him be firm and correct, and there will be good fortune. If trust be not reposed in him, let him maintain a large and generous mind, and there will be no error.
'He appears wishing to advance, but (at the same time) being kept back:' - all-alone he pursues the correct course. 'Let him maintain a large and generous mind, and there will be no error:' - he has not yet received an official charge.
In plain words: Advancing, yet pushed back; steadfastness brings good fortune. Not yet trusted, staying easy and unhurried brings no fault. The first line is at the bottom, just beginning to advance, and has not yet won trust. The Small Image says it walks the right way alone, and staying easy brings no fault because it has not yet received a commission.
初六：晋如，摧如，贞吉。罔孚，裕无咎。 象曰：晋如摧如，独行正也。裕无咎，未受命也。
Line 2 (second): The second SIX, divided, shows its subject with the appearance of advancing, and yet of being sorrowful. If he be firm and correct, there will be good fortune. He will receive this great blessing from his grandmother.
'He will receive this great blessing:' - for he is in the central place and the correct position for him.
In plain words: Advancing, yet sorrowful; steadfastness brings good fortune. One will receive great blessing from one's grandmother. The grandmother stands for the fifth line. The second line is central and correct but has no support above, so it is sorrowful; by staying correct it is finally recognised by the fifth. The Small Image says this is because it is central and correct.
六二：晋如，愁如，贞吉。受兹介福，于其王母。 象曰：受兹介福，以中正也。
Line 3 (third): The third SIX, divided, shows its subject trusted by all (around him). All occasion for repentance will disappear.
'All (around) trust him:' - their (common) aim is to move upwards and act.
In plain words: Trusted by all: regret vanishes. The third line is neither central nor correct, but it shares the aim of the two yin lines below and advances with them, winning everyone's support. The Small Image says its aim is to move upward.
六三：众允，悔亡。 象曰：众允之，志上行也。
Line 4 (fourth): The fourth NINE, undivided, shows its subject with the appearance of advancing, but like a marmot. However firm and correct he may be, the position is one of peril.
'(He advances like) a marmot. However firm and correct he may be, his position is one of peril:' - his place is not that appropriate for him.
In plain words: Advancing like a marmot: holding on is dangerous. The creature named here is greedy yet timid, said to have five skills and master none. The fourth line is yang in a yin place, clinging to high rank while afraid, just below the ruler, as if it had taken its position by stealth. The Small Image says its position is improper.
九四：晋如鼫鼠，贞厉。 象曰：鼫鼠贞厉，位不当也。
Line 5 (fifth): The fifth SIX, divided, shows how all occasion for repentance disappears (from its subject). (But) let him not concern himself about whether he shall fail or succeed. To advance will be fortunate, and in every way advantageous.
'Let him not concern himself whether he fails or succeeds:' - his movement in advance will afford ground for congratulation.
In plain words: Regret vanishes; do not worry about loss or gain; going on brings good fortune, and nothing is unfavourable. The fifth line is yielding in the place of honour, the ruler of the upper trigram of brightness: light is above, and those below follow. The Small Image says going on brings celebration.
六五：悔亡，失得勿恤，往吉无不利。 象曰：失得勿恤，往有庆也。
Line 6 (sixth (top)): The topmost NINE, undivided, shows one advancing his horns. But he only uses them to punish the (rebellious people of his own) city. The position is perilous, but there will be good fortune. (Yet) however firm and correct he may be, there will be occasion for regret.
'He uses his horns only to punish (the rebellious people of) his city:' - his course of procedure is not yet brilliant.
In plain words: Advancing with the horns; use it only to punish one's own city; aware of danger, good fortune and no fault; holding on brings regret. The horns are the hard, topmost point: advance has gone as far as it can. The top line is extremely strong and is fit only for putting its own house in order. The Small Image says its way is not yet bright.
上九：晋其角，维用伐邑，厉吉无咎，贞吝。 象曰：维用伐邑，道未光也。
Line positions
1 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 weak, so they do not 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 (strong) | — | — | 3rd line: yes |
| 5th (weak) | — | yes | 2nd line: no |
| 4th (strong) | — | — | 1st line: yes |
| 3rd (weak) | — | — | top line: yes |
| 2nd (weak) | yes | yes | 5th line: no |
| 1st (weak) | — | — | 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 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).
A recorded case from Takashima
Jin to Lü: buying from a large company after two false starts: A Kyushu merchant asked whether a purchase from a large company would go through, and received the third line of Jin, "all agree; regret vanishes". Takashima laid out a story from the first line to the fourth: first blocked by others, then held back by his own doubts, and now everyone agreed; a greedy middleman might want a cut, but could not stop it. The deal would go through.
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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.