I Ching Hexagram 11 - Peace
Description and interpretations of I Ching (Yijing) hexagram 11 "Peace"
泰 - Tài
Địa Thiên Thái
Peace
Upper (Outer) Trigram: ☷ Kun, Earth
Lower (Inner) Trigram: ☰ Qian, Heaven
Other Titles: Harmony, The Symbol of Successfulness, Prospering, Pervading, Greatness, Tranquility, Prosperity, Conjunction, Major Synthesis, Holy Marriage.
English Translations & Interpretations
The Judgement
Wilhelm/Baynes: Peace. The small departs, the great approaches. Good fortune. Success.
Legge: Harmony shows the inferior departed and the great arrived. There will be good fortune with progress and success.
Blofeld: Peace. The mean decline; the great and good approach -- good fortune and success! [In the following hexagram (Divorcement), where the trigrams symbolize heaven and earth in what would appear to be their normal positions, that arrangement is held to be disastrous; whereas here, where they seem to be upside down, everything is propitious. This may be because heaven above earth is held to imply that the two are existing separately without the intercourse which is the root of all growth; whereas here their intercourse is so absolute that heaven is actually supporting earth.]
Liu: Peace. The small is departing, the great is arriving. Good fortune. Success.
Shaughnessy: Greatness: the little go and the great come; auspicious; receipt.
Cleary (1): The small goes, the great comes. This is auspicious and developmental.
Cleary (2): Tranquility … Getting through auspiciously.
Wu: Prosperity shows that the small stays outside and the great stays inside. It will be auspicious and pervasive.
The Image
Wilhelm/Baynes: Heaven and earth unite: the image of Peace. Thus the ruler divides and completes the course of heaven and earth; he furthers and regulates the gifts of heaven and earth, and so aids the people.
Legge: The intercourse of heaven and earth -- the image of Harmony. The wise ruler models his laws upon the principles of heaven and earth, and enforces them for the people's benefit.
Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes heaven and earth in communion. [The component trigrams illustrate the kind of close intercourse just alluded to. This is surely the only way of depicting it under the circumstances, for any mingling of their component lines would produce quite different trigrams having no reference to heaven and earth.] It is as though a mighty ruler, by careful regulation of affairs, has brought to fruition the way of heaven and earth. In harmony with the sequence of their motions, he gives help to people on every hand.
Liu: Heaven and earth are unified, symbolizing Peace. The ruler reforms and completes the way of heaven and earth; He observes the appropriate methods of heaven and earth to direct the people.
Cleary (1): When heaven and earth commune, there is tranquility. Thus does the ruler administer the way of heaven and earth and assist the proper balance of heaven and earth, thereby helping the people.
Cleary (2): … So as to influence the people.
Wu: Prosperity results from the interaction of heaven and earth. The king uses the wealth of the nation to achieve the ways of heaven and earth and to support their designs, so as to bring the sentiments of the people to the center.
Line 1
初九: 拔 茅 茹 ． 以 其 彙 ． 征 吉 ．
Wilhelm/Baynes: When ribbon grass is pulled up, the sod comes with it. Each according to his kind. Undertakings bring good fortune.
Legge: The first line, dynamic, suggests the idea of grass pulled up, and bringing with it other stalks with whose roots it is connected. Advance on the part of its subject will be fortunate.
Blofeld: When grass is uprooted, what is attached to it is pulled up as well. It is an auspicious time for advancing according to plan. [This would seem to mean that we are likely to get what we seek plus something more.]
Liu: When ribbon grass is pulled out, its roots come with it: they are of the same kind. Undertakings lead to good fortune.
Shaughnessy: Plucking the cogon-grass stem with its roots; to be upright is auspicious.
Cleary: When pulling out a reed by the roots, other roots come with it. It is auspicious to go forth.
Wu: Like pulling up reeds with all their connecting roots, advancing will be auspicious.
Line 2
九二: 包 荒 , 用 馮 河 , 不 遐 遺 ．朋 亡 , 得 尚 于 中 行 ．
Wilhelm/Baynes: Bearing with the uncultured in gentleness, fording the river with resolution, not neglecting what is distant, not regarding one's companions: thus one may manage to walk in the middle.
Legge: The second line, dynamic, shows one who can bear with the uncultivated, will cross the river without a boat, does not forget the distant, and has no selfish friendships. Thus does he prove himself acting in accordance with the due mean.
Blofeld: Supporting the uncultivated, crossing the river without boats, not retreating despite the distance from his base, not abandoning his comrades, he still manages to steer a middle course.
Liu: Bear with the undeveloped. Swim across the river decisively, not forgetting what is remote, nor disregarding one's friends. Thus one can gain the middle way.
Shaughnessy: Wrapped recklessness; herewith ford the river; not distantly leaving it behind and not forgetting it, gains elevation in the central ranks.
Cleary (1): Accepting the uncultivated, actively crossing rivers, not missing the remote, partisanship disappears, and one accords with balanced action.
Cleary (2): … Employing those who can cross rivers, not overlooking the remote, free from partisanship, one can seriously perform balanced action.
Wu: This is like the sky enveloping all corners of the earth. Walking along a riverbank, one will not lose the direction even going far. He will show no favoritism toward friends. He will maintain a course of centrality.
Line 3
九三: 无 平 不 陂 , 无 往 不 復 ． 艱 貞 无 咎 , 勿 恤, 其 孚 , 于 食 有 福 ．
Wilhelm/Baynes: No plain not followed by a slope. No going not followed by a return. He who remains persevering in danger is without blame. Do not complain about this truth; enjoy the good fortune you still possess.
Legge: The third line, dynamic, shows that, while there is no state of peace that is not liable to be disturbed, and no departure of evil men so that they shall not return, yet when one is firm and correct, as he realizes the distresses that may arise, he will commit no error. There is no occasion for sadness at the certainty of such recurring changes; and in this mood the happiness of the present may be long enjoyed.
Blofeld: Every plain is followed by a slope; every going forth is followed by a return. Persistence under difficulty will not lead to error. Do not lose faith, for an eclipse is sometimes a blessing. [The whole of this passage suggests present difficulties which we can surely overcome.]
Liu: No plain without a slope. No departure without a return. Continuing in a difficult situation. No blame. Do not fear; face the truth. One receives blessings.
Shaughnessy: There is no flat that does not slope, there is no going that does not return; in determination about difficulty, there is no trouble; do not pity his return; in eating there is good fortune.
Cleary (1): There is no levelness without incline, no going without returning. If one is upright in difficulty, there will be no fault. One should not grieve over one’s sincerity; there will be prosperity in sustenance.
Cleary (2): … Be upright in difficulty and you will be blameless, etc.
Wu: There are no level roads without inclinations and no past events without recurrences. In a difficult time, perseverance will bring no error. Do not pity, but be sincere. There will be happiness.
Line 4
六四: 翩 翩 , 不 富, 以 其 鄰 , 不 戒 以 孚 ．
Wilhelm/Baynes: He flutters down, not boasting of his wealth, together with his neighbor, guileless and sincere.
Legge: The fourth line, magnetic, shows its subject fluttering down -- not relying on her own rich resources, but calling in her neighbors. They all come not as having received warning, but in the sincerity of their hearts.
Blofeld: Running to and fro, kept from riches by those around him, he does not cease to put his trust in them. [He runs to and fro in his anxiety to be of service, whether people reward his kindness or not.]
Liu: One strives with a cheerful manner, not boasting of riches to a neighbor. One has full confidence without fear.
Shaughnessy: So fluttering, not wealthy together with his neighbors; not warned about his return.
Cleary (1): Unsettled, one is not rich, along with the neighbors, being loyal without admonition.
Cleary (2): Unsettled, not prosperous, one works with the neighbor. Sincerity is exercised, without caution.
Wu: Carefree like a flying bird, he is not in a position to accumulate wealth, but rather to share his affection with his neighbors. He is free from anxiety, for he has the confidence of others.
Line 5
六五: 帝 乙 歸 妹 ． 以 祉, 元 吉 ．
Wilhelm/Baynes: The sovereign I gives his daughter in marriage. This brings blessing and supreme good fortune.
Legge: The fifth line, magnetic, reminds us of king Ti-yi's rule about the marriage of his younger sister. By such a course there is happiness and there will be great good fortune.
Blofeld: By giving his daughter in marriage, the Emperor attained felicity and extreme good fortune.
Liu: The Emperor I gives his daughter in marriage. This will bring blessings and great good fortune.
Shaughnessy: Di Yi marries off the maiden by age; prime auspiciousness.
Cleary: The emperor marries off his younger sister, whereby there is good fortune; this is very auspicious.
Wu: Di Yi married off his younger sister. The marriage was blessed with great happiness.
Line 6
上六: 城 復 于 隍 , 勿 用 師 , 自 邑 告 命, 貞 吝 ．
Wilhelm/Baynes: The wall falls back into the moat. Use no army now. Make your commands known within your own town. Perseverance brings humiliation.
Legge: The sixth line, magnetic, shows us the city wall returned to the moat. It is not the time to use the army. The subject of the line may announce her orders to the people of her own city; but however firm and correct she may be, she will have cause for regret.
Blofeld: The wall has tumbled into the moat; do not put up a fight, but just maintain order in the village. Although this is the right course blame cannot be avoided. [We shall be blamed for not being more aggressive even though circumstances more than warrant our failure to be so.]
Liu: The wall collapses into the moat. Do not use force. Make announcements to the people in your own town. Continuing brings humiliation.
Shaughnessy: The city wall falls into the moat; do not use troops; from the city announce the mandate; determination is stressful.
Cleary (1): The castle walls crumble back into dry moats. Don’t use the army. Giving orders in one’s own domain, even if right, there will be regret.
Cleary (2): … Announcing order in one’s own locality is shameful, in spite of correctness.
Wu: The moat around the city wall has dried. No military action is advisable. The local authority has given conflicting orders to the townspeople. The people should be persevering, but even so they may still feel humiliated.
Notes
For an in-depth glossary of I Ching, click here.
Hexagram 11 represents the growth of peace between opposing factors. Good fortune arrives. Heaven and Earth united bring you peace and harmony.
All things bloom and prosper. This hexagram is very auspicious as it indicates everything will go well. The future looks promising and business will flourish.
Success will be easy to come by. Small investments can result in big profits. Small efforts will bring big rewards. Enjoy your good fortune while it lasts, all while being aware that all prosperity is followed by decline.
Do not boast of your good fortune but offer genuine assistance to others. By doing this, others will support your plans and the outcome will be successful.
