Cosmic order and powerful perseverance — the primordial creative force from which all things arise.
Judgement
THE CREATIVE works sublime success, Furthering through perseverance.
Image
The movement of heaven is full of power.
Thus the superior man makes himself strong and
untiring.
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Since there is only one heaven, the doubling of the trigram Ch’ien, of which heaven is the image, indicates the movement of heaven. One complete revolution of heaven makes a day, and the repetition of the trigram means that each day is followed by another. This creates the idea of time. Since it is the same heaven moving with untiring power, there is also created the idea of duration both in and beyond time, a movement that never stops nor slackens, just as one day follows another in an unending course. This duration in time is the image of the power inherent in the Creative. With this image as a model, the sage learns how best to develop himself so that his influence may endure. He must make himself strong in every way, by consciously casting out all that is inferior and degrading. Thus he attains that tirelessness which depends upon consciously limiting the fields of his activity.
Lines
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Line 1
Hidden dragon. Do not act.
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In China the dragon has a meaning altogether different from that given it in the Western world. The dragon is a symbol of the electrically charged, dynamic, arousing force that manifests itself in the thunderstorm. In winter this energy withdraws into the earth; in the early summer it becomes active again, appearing in the sky as thunder and lightning. As a result the creative forces on earth begin to stir again. Here this creative force is still hidden beneath the earth and therefore has no effect. In terms of human affairs, this symbolizes a great man who is still unrecognized. Nonetheless he remains true to himself. He does not allow himself to be influenced by outward success or failure, but confident in his strength, he bides his time. Hence it is wise for the man who consults the oracle and draws this line to wait in the calm strength of patience. The time will fulfill itself. One need not fear least strong will should not prevail; the main thing is not to expend one’s powers prematurely in an attempt to obtain by force something for which the time is not yet ripe.
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Line 2
Dragon appearing in the field.
It furthers one to see the great manShow commentaryHide commentary
Here the effects of the light-giving power begin to manifest themselves. In terms of human affairs, this means that the great man makes his appearance in his chosen field of activity. As yet he has no commanding position but is still with his peers. However, what distinguishes him form the others is his seriousness of purpose, his unqualified reliability, and the influence he exerts on his environment with out conscious effort. Such a man is destined to gain great influence and to set the world in order. Therefore it is favorable to see him.
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Line 3
All day long the superior man is creatively active.
At nightfall his mind is still beset with cares.
Danger. No blame.Show commentaryHide commentary
A sphere of influence opens up for the great man. His fame begins to spread. The masses flock to him. His inner power is adequate to the increased outer activity. There are all sorts of things to be done, and when others are at rest in the evening, plans and anxieties press in upon him. But danger lurks here at the place of transition from lowliness to the heights. Many a great man has been ruined because the masses flocked to him and swept him into their course. Ambition has destroyed his integrity. However, true greatness is not impaired by temptations. He who remains in touch with the time that is dawning, and with its demands is prudent enough to avoid all pitfalls, and remains blameless.
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Line 4
Wavering flight over the depths.
No blame.Show commentaryHide commentary
A place of transition has been reached, and free choice can enter in. A twofold possibility is presented to the great man: he can soar to the heights and play an important part in the world, or he can withdraw into solitude and develop himself. He can go the way of the hero or that of the holy sage who seeks seclusion. There is no general law of his being. If the individual acts consistently and is true to himself, he will find the way that is appropriate for him. This way is right for him and without blame.
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Line 5
Flying dragon in the heavens.
It furthers one to see the great man.Show commentaryHide commentary
Here the great man has attained the sphere of the heavenly beings. His influence spreads and becomes visible throughout the whole world. Everyone who sees him may count himself blessed. Confucius says about this line:
Things that accord in tone vibrate together. Things that have affinity in their inmost natures seek one another. Water flows to what is wet, fire turns to what is dry. Clouds (the breath of heaven) follow the dragon, wind (the breath of earth) follows the tiger. Thus the sage arises, and all creatures follow him with their eyes. What is born of heaven feels related to what is above. What is born of earth feels related to what is below. Each follows its kind.
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Line 6
Arrogant dragon will have cause to repent.
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When a man seeks to climb so high that he loses touch with the rest of mankind, he becomes isolated, and this necessarily leads to failure. This line warns against titanic aspirations that exceed one’s power. A precipitous fall would follow.
When all the lines are nines, it means:There appears a flight of dragons without heads.
Good fortune.When all the lines are nines, it means that the whole hexagram is in motion and changes into the hexagram K’un, THE RECEPTIVE, whose character is devotion. The strength of the Creative and the mildness of the Receptive unite. Strength is indicated by the flight of dragons, mildness by the fact that their heads are hidden. This means that mildness in action joined to strength of decision brings good fortune.
The Response
Inspiring Force. The Dragon.
The Source of Success: an Advantageous Trial. Harvesting.
Make an offering and you will succeed.
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Inspiring Force/Dragon, QIAN: spirit, creative energy, active transforming power, inspiration; the ‘key’, the male sexual organ and masculine drive; activate, animate, command and guide; strong, tenacious, untiring, firm, stable; also: destroy, dry up, exhaust, clear away, clean out. Dragon is the rainmaker, the yang force awakening life. He suggests the abysmal waters where the sunbirds bathe and the Sun Tree or World Tree from which they fly. He is gate to the
unseen world of spirit, the dark bird who is the ancestor of dynasties, and the One, the origin, and principle of fate in all the Myriad Beings. The old character shows the graphs for sun at dawn, a three-leafed sprout and lush vegetation and energy flowing from Sky that disperses and spreads to nourish the All-Under Heaven.
The Scholar Speaks
The hexagram figure shows creative force in action. Heaven moves and persists. This spirit power is available to you. Use it as a source of strength and determination in order to continue on without
pause. This great force is the beginning of things. As the clouds spread and the rain falls, all things flow into their shapes. It shows you the end that brings a new beginning, the way energy moves in the world and the proper time to accomplish something. If you become aware of its movement, you can ride this energy in its six different shapes, the six lines of the hexagram, as if they were six
dragons. The Way of Force is to change and transform things. It makes the innate spirit within each being manifest. This protects the great harmony of the world. Take advantage of it. Use this
creative energy to produce ideas that inspire people and give them models of transformation. Bring together what belongs together. What you create can be the source of a deep and self-renewing peace of mind.
The Shaman Speaks
Heaven moves and persists.
A time when Noble One uses originating strength not to pause.
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Spirit awes and wars in Heaven. The Force of the Dragon, the spark of yang born at the centre of the yin. The dynamic tension of this great energy binds opposing forces together. This is the Metal Moment, destroying old forms and creating enduring new
relations. The ideal Realising Person reflects this, continually using the power of the origin to revitalize and invigorate his creative efforts.
Lines
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Line 1
Inspiring Force. Immersed Dragon, don’t use it!
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The spirit power is located below. Midwinter, dusk. The star-dragon is dormant in the underworld waters. The situation feels confused and uncertain. You would like to take hold and set it right. Don’t
do it yet. The creative energy is still under water. But have no fear. It will soon emerge.
Direction: Have no doubts. You are coupled with a creative force. -
Line 2
Inspiring Force. See the Dragon in the fields!
Advantageous to see the Great People. Harvesting.Show commentaryHide commentary
Power and virtue is spreading throughout. Early spring. The Dragon’s horns are visible above the horizon. Creative energy emerges into the lower centre. You have the ability to realise things now. Take the advice of people you know. Seek those who connect you to the great spirits and trust what is great in yourself.
Direction: Bring people together. Give them a goal. You are coupled with a creative force. -
Line 3
Noble One completes the day, using the Inspiring Force again and again.
At night come alarms and adversity, hungry souls and angry ghosts.
This is not a mistake.Show commentaryHide commentary
The Way reverses and returns. This is a transitional time of incessant activity, plagued by practical and emotional problems. Old ghosts come back to haunt you. Don’t worry. This is a very important change and creative energy is available to you. Turn your back on
the past and commit yourself to the new. This marks the return of the Way in your life.
Direction: Make your way step by step. Find supportive people.
Gather energy for a decisive new move. -
Line 4
Inspiring Force. ‘Someone’ is playing in the Primal Abyss.
This is not a mistake.Show commentaryHide commentary
This means advancing without fault. Late spring. The Dragon’s neck and loops of his body appear above the horizon. Creative energy emerges in the heart centre. Even though you are dealing with big issues, don’t lose the playful spirit. Joy is the key to creation in this situation. You are mingling with the Source. Don’t get frozen into a single stance.
Direction: Accumulate small things to build the great. Gather your ghosts. Turn conflict into creative tension. The situation is already changing. -
Line 5
Inspiring Force. Flying Dragon in the Heavens.
Advantageous to see the Great People. Harvesting.Show commentaryHide commentary
The Great Person is creating. Midsummer. The Dragon appears, bright against the dark night sky. Spread your wings. Let your creative power emerge. You receive energy and guidance. Now is the
time to build something enduring. Seek those who connect you to the Great Spirits and trust what is great in you.
Direction: The mandate is changing. This begins a fertile time, rich with warmth and light. Be resolute. You are connected with a creative force. -
Line 6
Inspiring Force. Overbearing Dragon, head in the gully.
There is cause for sorrow.Show commentaryHide commentary
This means what is overfull cannot last. Autumn’s beginning. The Dragon’s head disappears below the horizon. The autumn rains arrive. The creative cycle is ending. Do not keep on pushing. This would be a misuse of creative energy. The time is changing and the Force withdraws into the receptive field. If you try to go on without it, you will certainly have something to be sorry about.
Direction: Resolve to do better. Hear the omen. You are connected to a creative force.
Decision
Initiating.
Sublime and initiative.
Prosperous and smooth.
Favorable and beneficial.
Steadfast and upright
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Qian, Initiating, represents the nature and function of Heaven. It is endowed with the four Chinese characters yuan, heng, li, and zhen, the four attributes of Heaven, symbolizing the virtues of an emperor, a leader, or a superior person. Yuan means sublime and initiative. Heng means prosperous and smooth. Li means favorable and beneficial. Zhen means steadfast and upright. Throughout the I Ching you will find these four phrases attributed to certain gua, though few are so auspicious as to have all four. These four Chinese characters also indicate the functions of the four seasons of a year: originating, developing, maturing, and declining, referring to spring, summer, autumn, and winter. These are actually the viewpoints of the Confucian schools expressing the philosophical aspect of the I Ching. Their main purpose in studying the I Ching is to apply the philosophical instruction to life. They expound upon the meaning of the Decisions on the Gua, or the fastening text, to understand the relationships among Heaven, Earth, and human beings. They seek to follow the natural order and live in harmony with Nature. The fastening text, in the original Chinese, indicates the text that is attached to the gua to explain the significance of the symbol. Originally, King Wen’s Decision on Qian—yuan, heng, li, and zhen—had a different connotation. At the turn of the twentieth century, pieces of animal bone and tortoise shell with incised markings were discovered by a professor named Wang Kuo-wei (1877–1927) at herbal medicine stores in Beijing. Professor Wang recognized that these incised markings were inscriptions from the Shang dynasty. Searching for the origin of these bones and shells led him to the site of Yin, the ancient capital of the Shang dynasty on the plains of Hunan Province. Eventually, in 1899, a cache of oracle bones was uncovered, and, over time, one hundred thousand pieces of oracle bone were unearthed. These oracle bones were the royal records of divination of the Shang court. According to the ancient ideographs of these four characters, yuan denotes the origin, heng denotes the sacrificial offerings, li denotes the harvest of grains with a knife, and zhen denotes the divination.
From these pictographs we know that in ancient times, more than two thousand years before the time of Confucius, when people consulted divination, they first honored their origins. They comprehended that in looking forward to the future they had to look back as well. In divination, it was necessary to offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth and to the ancestors. They cooked foods, burned incense, and offered flowers, allowing the divine spirits to enjoy the fragrance and aroma of their offerings. These acts, they believed, were beneficial to their divinatory consultations. Heng and zhen, the sacrificial offering and the divination, are key words in the I Ching. Heng appears forty-four times and zhen occurs 108 times within the sixty-four gua. From the ancient ideographs of yuan, heng, li, and zhen we comprehend that one needs to prepare for divination by aligning with the spirit of Heaven and Earth and presenting sincerity and reverence as sacrificial offerings; then one will reap the harvest of the divination to obtain guidance for favorable actions and to avoid misconduct that invites misfortune.
Commentary on the Decision
Vast indeed is the greatness of the Initiating.
It is the source of all beings
And regulates all creations under Heaven.
Clouds flow and rain falls.
All beings complete their forms.
Greatly luminous, from beginning to end.
Each of the six stages completes itself in its own time,
As mounting on six dragons soaring in the sky.
The way of the Initiating is change and transformation
So that each being obtains its true nature and destiny
And the union of great harmony is preserved.
This is what is favorable and upright.
The Initiating is high above all beings.
And thus all countries are united in peace.
Lines
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Line 1
Dragon lying low.
Do not use.Show commentaryHide commentary
Dragon lying low, do not use,
For the yang is in the lowest place.This line is represented by a dragon lying low. The dragon is in the lowest of the six lines, indicating an initial stage. The time is not suitable and the circumstances are not favorable for action. However, it is a time for preparation. This was exactly King Wen’s situation when he was imprisoned by the tyrant of the Shang dynasty for seven years, but he conducted himself with remarkable patience and self-restraint.
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Line 2
Dragon becoming visible in the field.
Favorable to see a great person.Show commentaryHide commentary
Dragon arising in the field.
His virtue influences extensively.The second line is symbolized by a dragon arising in the field. This line is in the central place of the lower gua. It means that a great person is on the central path. The time is coming, and the situation is suitable; he is ready to take action, and his virtuous influence will spread extensively. But before a definite goal and direction have been established, it is advisable to seek guidance from someone who is great in virtue or experience. This was King Wen’s situation when he was released after seven years of confinement.
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Line 3
The superior person—
All day long, initiating, initiating.
At night, keeping alert.
Adversity, no fault.Show commentaryHide commentary
All day long, initiating, initiating.
One is on the proper way over and over again.The third line represents a situation in which one has gone beyond the central place and reaches the top of the lower gua. This line is a yang element at a yang place—it is not good to become too yang, meaning self-willed and arrogant. One who is at this place should be watchful of not straying too far from the central path and thus creating an unfavorable situation. King Wen found himself in this position when he returned from prison to his own state and made determined efforts to prepare himself and influence his people to reestablish his kingdom. The Yao Text says, “The superior person—all day long, initiating, initiating. At night, keeping alert. Adversity, no fault.” This describes King Wen’s actions precisely.
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Line 4
Probably leaping from an abyss.
No fault.Show commentaryHide commentary
Probably leaping from an abyss,
In advance there will be no fault.The fourth line symbolizes a dragon getting ready to leap out of the abyss and fly into the sky. Since this is the first line of the upper gua, the time and the circumstance have reached a new level, but only at the initial stage. Before taking action, one should wait for the best timing. In both advancing and retreating, it is important to wait for favorable timing. It is worth mentioning that in this yao, the Duke of Zhou uses the word huo, meaning “if” or “probably.” The dragon can either leap or take no action. One should be extremely cautious. The Duke of Zhou reminds us that in a difficult or dangerous situation one should act cautiously; then there will be “no fault.” This yao is exemplified by the actions of King Wu, son of King Wen, who, under the instruction of King Wen, sent troops against the Shang dynasty and then retreated, making only an exploratory attack. He was testing his capability for success.
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Line 5
Dragon flying in the sky,
Favorable to see a great person.Show commentaryHide commentary
Dragon flying in the sky,
There arises a great person to be a leader.The fifth line is the central line of the upper gua. It is a yang element at a yang place—central, correct, and most auspicious. It indicates that the time and situation are ripe for taking action. The dragon is already flying—a man of great virtue is ready to be a leader. Everything is in its proper place. However, even in this context a wise leader still needs to seek assistance from worthy people. It is said that this gua represents how King Wu, under the instruction of his father, sent armed forces to suppress the tyrant of the Shang dynasty, gaining the love and esteem of the people.
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Line 6
Dragon becoming haughty.
There is regret.Show commentaryHide commentary
Dragon becoming haughty, there is regret.
A state of abundance cannot last long.The sixth line is in the uppermost place. The haughty dragon reaches its limit. One in this place should be cautious of not going too far and afterward having regrets. The I Ching always reminds us that extreme joy begets sorrow. How can one expect a state of abundance to be everlasting? Always remember that one loses by pride and gains by modesty. The Yao Text says, “Dragon becoming haughty. There is regret.” The haughty dragon represents the Tyrant of Shang. He had committed countless evil deeds and was heading for his doom.
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According to the original meaning, the attributes [sublimity, potentiality of success, power to further, perseverance] are paired. When an individual draws this oracle, it means that success will come to him from the primal depths of the universe and that everything depends upon his seeking his happiness and that of others in one way only, that is, by perseverance in what is right. The specific meanings of the four attributes became the subject of speculation at an early date. The Chinese word here rendered by “sublime” means literally “head,” “origin,” “great.” This is why Confucius says in explaining it: “Great indeed is the generating power of the Creative; all beings owe their beginning to it. This power permeates all heaven.” For this attribute inheres in the other three as well. The beginning of all things lies still in the beyond in the form of ideas that have yet to become real. But the Creative furthermore has power to lend form to these archetypes of ideas. This is indicated in the word success, and the process is represented by an image from nature: “The clouds pass and the rain does its work, and all individual beings flow into their forms.” Applies to the human world, these attributes show the great man the way to notable success: “Because he sees with great clarity and cause and effects, he completes the six steps at the right time and mounts toward heaven on them at the right time, as though on six dragons.” The six steps are the six different positions given in the hexagram, which are represented later by the dragon symbol. Here it is shown that the way to success lies in apprehending and giving actuality to the way of the universe [Tao], which, as a law running through end and beginning, brings about all phenomena in time. Thus each step attained forthwith becomes a preparation for the next. Time is no longer a hindrance but the means of making actual what is potential. The act of creation having found expression in the two attributes sublimity and success, the work of conservation is shown to be a continuous actualization and differentiation of form. This is expressed in the two terms “furthering” (literally, “creating that which accords with the nature of a given being”) and “persevering” (literally, “correct and firm”). “The course of the Creative alters and shapes beings until each attains its true, specific nature, then it keeps them in conformity with the Great Harmony. Thus does it show itself to further through perseverance.” In relation to the human sphere, this shows how the great man brings peace and security to the world through his activity in creating order: “He towers high above the multitude of beings, and all lands are united in peace.” Another line of speculation goes still further in separating the words “sublime,” “success,” “furthering,” “perseverance,” and parallels them with the four cardinal virtues in humanity. To sublimity, which, as the fundamental principle, embraces all the other attributes, it links love. To the attribute success are linked the morals, which regulate and organize expressions of love and thereby make them successful. The attribute furthering is correlated with justice, which creates the conditions in which each receives that which accords with his being, that which is due him and which constitutes his happiness. The attribute perseverance is correlated with wisdom, which discerns the immutable laws of all that happens and can therefore bring about enduring conditions. These speculations, already broached in the commentary called Wên Yen , later formed the bridge connecting the philosophy of the “five stages (elements) of change,” as laid down in the Book of History (Shu Ching) with the philosophy of the Book of Changes, which is based solely on the polarity of positive and negative principles. In the course of time this combination of the two systems of thought opened the way for an increasingly intricate number symbolism.