I Ching Hexagram 18 - Repair
Description and interpretations of I Ching (Yijing) hexagram 18 "Repair"
蠱 - Gǔ
Sơn Phong Cổ
Repair
Upper (Outer) Trigram: ☶ Gen, Mountain
Lower (Inner) Trigram: ☴ Xun, Wind
Other Titles: Work On What Has Been Spoiled, The Symbol of Destruction, Decay, Arresting of Decay, Correcting, Work after Spoiling, Fixing, Rectifying, Corrupting, Branch, Degeneration, Misdeeds.
English Translations & Interpretations
The Judgement
Wilhelm/Baynes: Work On What Has Been Spoiled has supreme success. It furthers one to cross the great water. Before the starting point, three days. After the starting point, three days.
Legge: Successful progress is indicated for those who properly repair what has been spoiled. It is advantageous to cross the great stream. One should consider carefully the events three days before the turning point and the tasks remaining for three days afterward.
Blofeld: Decay augurs sublime success and the advantage of crossing the great river (or sea). [I.e. of going on a journey or of going forward with one's plans.] What has happened once will surely happen again (literally, "three days before the commencement; three days after the commencement"). [It would have been hard to make sense of these words, were it not that the Confucian Commentary on the Text clearly explains them; hence the liberty I have taken with the Text.]
Liu: Work after spoiling. Great success. It is of benefit to cross the great water. Before starting, three days. After starting, three days. [This hexagram implies that, although conditions are bad now, improvement can be expected.]
Shaughnessy: Branch: Prime auspiciousness; receipt. Beneficial to ford the great river; preceding jia by three days, following jia by three days.
Cleary (1): Correcting degeneration is greatly developmental. It is beneficial to cross great rivers. Three days before the start, three days after the start. [The way to correct degeneracy is not in empty tranquility without action; it is necessary to work in the midst of great danger and difficulty, to act in the dragon’s pool and the tiger’s lair. Only then can one restore one’s original being, cultivating it into something indestructible.]
Cleary (2): From degeneration comes great development, etc.
Wu: Misdeeds is great and pervasive. It will be advantageous to cross the big river. It would be advisable to begin an undertaking three days before Jia and examine the ongoing progress three days thereafter.
The Image
Wilhelm/Baynes: The wind blows low on the mountain: the image of Decay. Thus the superior man stirs up the people and strengthens their spirit.
Legge: The image of wind below the mountain forms Repair. The superior man, in accordance with this, stimulates the virtue of the people.
Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes wind blowing at the foot of a mountain. The Superior Man, by stimulating people's hearts, nourishes their virtue.
Liu: Wind blowing around the foot of the mountain symbolizes Work after Spoiling. The superior man encourages people to cultivate virtue.
Cleary (1): There is wind in the mountains; degeneration. Thus superior people rouse the people and nurture virtue.
Cleary (2): … Leaders thus arouse the people to nurture virtue.
Wu: There is wind at the foot of the mountain; this is Misdeeds. Thus the jun zi arouses the people and nurtures his own virtue.
Line 1
初六: 幹父之蠱, 有子, 考无咎, 厲, 終吉．
Wilhelm/Baynes: Setting right what has been spoiled by the father. If there is a son, no blame rests upon the departed father. Danger. In the end good fortune.
Legge: The first line, magnetic, shows a son dealing with the troubles caused by his father. If he is an able son, the father will escape the blame of having erred. The position is perilous, but there will be good fortune in the end.
Blofeld: Children exist to rectify the mistakes wrought by their fathers; hence the departed are made free from blame -- trouble ending in good fortune!
Liu: If the mistakes of the father are corrected by the son, no blame. There is danger, but in the end, good fortune.
Shaughnessy: The stem father's branch; there is a son crafty; there is no trouble; danger; in the end auspicious.
Cleary (1): Correcting the father’s degeneracy; if there is a son, the deceased father is without blame. Danger, but in the end it turns out well.
Cleary (2): Dealing with the degeneration of the father, if there is a child, the late father has no blame. It is dangerous but turns out well.
Wu: He attends to the affairs of his father. He is a capable son. His father will be free from blame. It is a difficult task, but it will be good in the end.
Line 2
九二: 幹母之蠱, 不可貞．
Wilhelm/Baynes: Setting right what has been spoiled by the mother. One must not be too persevering.
Legge: The second line, dynamic, shows a son dealing with the troubles caused by his mother. He should not carry his firm correctness to the utmost.
Blofeld: Assuming responsibility for the mistakes of our mothers cannot be too serious.
Liu: In correcting the mistakes of the mother, one must not be too persistent.
Shaughnessy: The stem mother's branch; one may not determine.
Cleary: Correcting the degeneracy of the mother, it is improper to be righteous.
Wu: He attends to the affairs of his mother. He should not be insistent.
Line 3
九三: 幹父之蠱, 小有悔, 无大咎．
Wilhelm/Baynes: Setting right what has been spoiled by the father. There will be a little remorse. No great blame.
Legge: The third line, dynamic, shows a son dealing with the troubles caused by his father. There may be some small occasion for repentance, but there will not be any great error.
Blofeld: Making ourselves responsible for the mistakes of our fathers may involve some regret but not much blame.
Liu: In correcting the mistakes of the father, there is slight remorse. No great blame.
Shaughnessy: The stem father's branch; there is a little regret; there is no great trouble.
Cleary: Correcting the degeneracy of the father, there is a little regret but not much blame.
Wu: He attends to the affairs of his father. There will be small regrets, but no big error.
Line 4
六四: 裕父之蠱, 往見吝．
Wilhelm/Baynes: Tolerating what has been spoiled by the father. In continuing one sees humiliation.
Legge: The fourth line, magnetic, shows a son viewing indulgently the troubles caused by his father. If he goes forward, he will find cause to regret it.
Blofeld: Tolerating the mistakes of our fathers would occasion us regret in the course of time.
Liu: Continuing to tolerate the mistakes of the father brings humiliation.
Shaughnessy: The bathed father's branch; going to see is distressful.
Cleary (1): Forgiving the degeneration of the father; if one goes on, there will be shame.
Cleary (2): Indulging the degeneration of the father, if you go on you will experience shame.
Wu: He shows compassion in the affairs of his father. If he attends to them, he will make error.
Line 5
六五: 幹 父之蠱, 用譽．
Wilhelm/Baynes: Setting right what has been spoiled by the father. One meets with praise.
Legge: The fifth line, magnetic, shows a son dealing with the troubles caused by his father. He obtains the praise of using the fit instrument for his work.
Blofeld: Assuming responsibility for the mistakes of our fathers will win us praise.
Liu: Correcting the mistakes of the father leads to recognition.
Shaughnessy: The stem father's branch; use a cart.
Cleary (1): Correcting the degeneracy of the father, using praise.
Cleary (2): Dealing with the degeneration of the father, the action is praised.
Wu: He attends to the affairs of his father. He has reputation at his disposal.
Line 6
上九: 不事王侯, 高尚 其事．
Wilhelm/Baynes: He does not serve kings and princes, sets himself higher goals.
Legge: The sixth line, dynamic, shows us one who does not serve either king or feudal lord, but in a lofty spirit prefers to attend to his own affairs.
Blofeld: He does not serve the King or the nobles -- what he does is even loftier than that. [In other words, if we directly serve the will of heaven; by doing so we act as sages who may safely do whatever they feel is worth doing.]
Liu: By not serving kings and princes, one gains higher recognition.
Shaughnessy: Not serving king or lord, but highly elevating his virtue; inauspicious.
Cleary: Not serving kings and lords, one makes one’s concerns loftier.
Wu: He does not engage himself in the affairs of kings or princes. He keeps a lofty lifestyle of his own.
Notes
For an in-depth glossary of I Ching, click here.
Hexagram 18. You are faced with a situation of disorder and decay. It reflects to a point where you have reached rock bottom; a time of ruin, corruption, and bankruptcy. It is time to repair.
Dealing with change will be painful and met with resistance. However, if your course is corrected by casting out the old, it can bring you a new beginning. This leads you to success by reversing your fortunes.
