I Ching Hexagram 12 - Standstill
Description and interpretations of I Ching (Yijing) hexagram 12 "Standstill"
否 - Pǐ
Thiên Địa Bĩ
Standstill
Upper (Outer) Trigram: ☰ Qian, Heaven
Lower (Inner) Trigram: ☷ Kun, Earth
Other Titles: Divorcement, The Symbol of Closing, Stagnation, Obstruction, The Wife, Obstructed, Decadence, Disjunction, Impasse.
English Translations & Interpretations
The Judgement
Wilhelm/Baynes: Standstill . Evil people do not further the perseverance of the superior man. The great departs; the small approaches.
Legge: Divorcement means there is a lack of communication between the different classes of men. This is unfavorable to the superior man. The great has departed and the inferior has arrived.
Blofeld: Stagnation (obstruction) caused by evil doers. Although the omen portends ill for the Superior Man, he must not slacken his righteous persistence. The great and the good decline; the mean approach. [When heaven and earth cease to co-operate, no growth is possible and stagnation results. The trigram (earth), when in intercourse with heaven, has the auspicious meaning of glad acceptance; but, when separated from heaven, it represents weakness and darkness, etc.]
Liu: Stagnation. Stagnation is of no benefit, although not of man's doing. The superior man carries on (according to his principles). The great is departing. The small is arriving.
Shaughnessy: The wife's non-persons; not beneficial for the gentleman to determine; the great go, the little come.
Cleary (1): Obstruction’s denial of humanity does not make the superior person’s rectitude beneficial. The great goes and the small comes.
Cleary (2): … Does not make the leader’s correctness beneficial, etc.
Wu: Stagnation is destined to cause obstruction of normal course of action. It is not beneficial to the jun zi who takes a persevering stand. The great goes out and the small comes in.
The Image
Wilhelm/Baynes: Heaven and earth do not unite: the image of Standstill. Thus the superior man falls back upon his inner worth in order to escape the difficulties. He does not permit himself to be honored with revenue.
Legge: Heaven and earth are estranged -- the image of Divorcement. The superior man preserves his virtue by withdrawing from evil, and refuses both honor and wealth.
Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes heaven and earth cut off from each other. To conserve his stock of virtue, the Superior Man withdraws into himself and thus escapes from the evil influences around him. He declines all temptations of honor and riches. [To understand why the trigrams for heaven and earth arranged in what seems to be their natural positions have this inauspicious significance, see notes on the preceding hexagram, (Harmony).]
Liu: Heaven and earth are not united, symbolizing stagnation. The superior man restrains himself to avoid danger. He seeks neither honor nor wealth.
Cleary (1): When heaven and earth do not commune, there is obstruction. The superior person therefore is parsimonious with power and avoids trouble, not susceptible to elevation by emolument.
Cleary (2): … Leaders … should not prosper on wages.
Wu: … The jun zi practices the virtue of frugality to alleviate difficulties, but does not allow himself to be honored with official salary.
Line 1
初六: 拔茅茹, 以其彙, 貞吉亨．
Wilhelm/Baynes: When ribbon grass is pulled up, the sod comes with it. Each according to his kind. Perseverance brings good fortune and success.
Legge: The first line, magnetic, suggests the idea of grass pulled up, and bringing with it other stalks with whose roots it is connected. With firm correctness on the part of its subject, there will be good fortune and progress.
Blofeld: When grass is uprooted, what is attached to it is pulled up as well. Righteous persistence brings good fortune and success. [Although this hexagram is ominous, the first line is auspicious. This sort of contradiction is common with bottom and top lines, which are often held to precede or follow after the main situation.]
Liu: When ribbon grass is pulled out, its roots come with it. They are of the same kind. Continuing leads to success and good fortune.
Shaughnessy: Plucking the cogon-grass stem with its roots; determination is auspicious; receipt.
Cleary (1): Pulling out roots of a reed takes others with it. It is good and developmental to be correct.
Cleary (2): … Correctness is auspicious and successful.
Wu: Like pulling reeds with all their connecting roots, it will be persevering, auspicious and pervasive.
Line 2
六二: 包承, 小人吉;大人否, 亨．
Wilhelm/Baynes: They bear and endure; This means good fortune for inferior people. The standstill serves to help the great man to attain success.
Legge: The second line, magnetic, shows its subject patient and obedient. To the inferior man comporting himself so there will be good fortune. If the great man comports himself as the distress and obstructions require, he will have success.
Blofeld: Because they know how to please the authorities, fortune now favors the mean, but the Superior Man prefers to contend with the causes of stagnation in the realm. [He cares for the welfare of others more than for being in favor.]
Liu: Forbearance and obedience bring good fortune for the inferior. The superior man is stagnant. But his purpose will succeed.
Shaughnessy: Wrapping the steamed offering: for the little man auspicious, for the great man negative; receipt.
Cleary (1): Embracing servility, the petty person is lucky; for the great person, obstruction is developmental.
Cleary (2): Embracing service, small people are lucky; great people get through obstruction.
Wu: Using flattery to please the superior will bring good fortune to the little man. The great man will find it obstruction to progress, but with patience, he will turn obstruction into pervasion.
Line 3
六三: 包羞．
Wilhelm/Baynes: They bear shame.
Legge: The third line, magnetic, shows its subject ashamed of the purpose folded in her breast.
Blofeld: He conceals his shame.
Liu: They bear with humiliation.
Shaughnessy: Wrapping: Enfolding sadness.
Cleary (1): Hiding shame.
Cleary (2): Embracing disgrace.
Wu: It indicates a cover-up of shame. [The little man wishes to undermine progress. Since he is able to keep shame under wrap, there is no apparent foreboding or regret.]
Line 4
九四:有命, 无咎．疇離祉．
Wilhelm/Baynes: He who acts at the command of the highest remains without blame. Those of like mind partake of the blessing.
Legge: The fourth line, dynamic, shows its subject acting in accordance with the ordination of Heaven, and committing no error. His companions will come and share in his happiness.
Blofeld: Whatever is done in response to a command from on high cannot be a wrong. His companions are also made illustrious and blessed. [Yet, according to Confucius, if a ruler is wholly evil, he may be regarded as a bandit and removed. Short of that, however, obedience to authority had to be unquestioning.]
Liu: He whose actions are in accord with the orders of the highest receives no blame. His fellows share in his blessing.
Shaughnessy: There is a command; there is no trouble; blessings fastened to the split-log.
Cleary (1): If there is an order, there is no fault. The companions attain felicity.
Cleary (2): If there is order, there is no blame. The companions cleave to blessings.
Wu: Having received the command from the above is without blame. Those of a like kind will share the blessing.
Line 5
九五: 休否, 大 人吉．其亡, 其亡, 繫于苞桑．
Wilhelm/Baynes: Standstill is giving way. Good fortune for the great man. "What if it should fail? What if it should fail?" In this way he ties it to a cluster of mulberry shoots.
Legge: The fifth line, dynamic, shows him who brings the distress and obstruction to a close -- the great man and fortunate. But let him say: "We may perish! We may perish!" So shall the state of things become firm, as if bound to a clump of bushy mulberry trees.
Blofeld: Stagnation (obstruction) is now coming to an end and fortune favors the Superior Man, but he must not forget the situation is so dangerous that collapse may yet occur. Accordingly, he must strengthen himself as mulberry trees are strengthened by tight bindings.
Liu: Stagnation is coming to an end. The great man has good fortune. "Will it fail, will it fail?" He ties it to the mulberry shoots.
Shaughnessy: Beneficent wife; for the great man auspicious; it is lost, it is lost, tied to a bushy mulberry.
Cleary (1): Ending obstruction, great people are fortunate, but tie themselves to a tree trunk lest they go to ruin.
Cleary (2): Putting a stop to obstruction, great people are fortunate. But they still keep destruction in mind.
Wu: Stagnation will soon be brought to a close. This is auspicious for the great man. Would the nation perish? Would the nation perish? It is like having tied it to the trunk of a mulberry tree.
Line 6
上九: 傾否, 先否, 後喜．
Wilhelm/Baynes: The standstill comes to an end. First standstill, then good fortune.
Legge: The sixth line, dynamic, shows the overthrow and removal of the condition of distress and obstruction. Before this there was that condition. Hereafter there will be joy.
Blofeld: Stagnation (obstruction) has now been overcome and is followed by great joy.
Liu: Stagnation ends. First there is stagnation, later good fortune.
Shaughnessy: Momentary wife; at first negative, later happy.
Cleary: Overturning obstruction: first there is obstruction, afterward joy.
Wu: Stagnation is ousted, etc.
Notes
For an in-depth glossary of I Ching, click here.
Hexagram 12 indicates that It is not a good time to start a new venture. People obstruct, negative influences abound, and communications break down. Withdraw into yourself to escape further problems.
If you feel that you have the power and the authority to instigate change, you will be successful. The standstill is ready to be overcome, but it won’t end on its own. Some effort is required to make things move again.
