I Ching Hexagram 44 - Coming To Meet
Description and interpretations of I Ching (Yijing) hexagram 44 "Coming To Meet"
姤 - Gòu
Thiên Phong Cấu
Coming To Meet
Upper (Outer) Trigram: ☰ Qian, Heaven
Lower (Inner) Trigram: ☴ Xun, Wind
Other Titles: Temptation, The Symbol of Meeting, Contact, Sexual Intercourse, Encountering, Coupling, Infiltration by Inferior Men, Adultery
English Translations & Interpretations
The Judgement
Wilhelm/Baynes: Coming to Meet. The maiden is powerful. One should not marry such a maiden.
Legge: Temptation shows a female who is bold and strong. It will not be good to marry such a female.
Blofeld: Contact. Women wield the power. Do not marry. [At this time marriage would be unfortunate; the husband would almost surely be henpecked.]
Liu: Encountering. The female is forceful. One should not marry her.
Shaughnessy: The maiden matures; do not herewith take a maiden.
Cleary (1): Meeting, the woman is strong. Don’t get married.
Cleary (2): In meeting, the woman is strong. Do not marry the woman.
Wu: Rendezvous indicates that the woman is strong. It is not advisable to marry that woman.
The Image
Wilhelm/Baynes: Under heaven, wind: the image of Coming to Meet. Thus does the prince act when disseminating his commands and proclaiming them to the four quarters of heaven.
Legge: The image of wind with the sky above it forms Temptation. The sovereign, in accordance with this, delivers his charges, and promulgates his announcements throughout the four quarters of the kingdom.
Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes wind blowing across the face of the earth. When the ruler issues commands, he has them proclaimed in every corner of the world.
Liu: The wind under the sky symbolizes Encountering. The ruler issues his directives, announcing them to the four corners (throughout his country).
Cleary: There is wind under heaven, meeting. Thus do rulers announce their directives to the four quarters.
Wu: There is wind under heaven; this is Rendezvous. Thus, the sovereign announces the royal mandate to the whole nation.
Line 1
初六: 繫于金柅, 貞吉．有攸往見凶．羸豕孚蹢躅．
Wilhelm/Baynes: It must be checked with a brake of bronze. Perseverance brings good fortune. If one lets it take its course, one experiences misfortune. Even a lean pig has it in him to rage around.
Legge: The first line, magnetic, shows how its subject should be kept like a carriage tied and fastened to a metal drag, in which case with firm correctness there will be good fortune. But if she move in any direction, evil will appear. She will be like a lean pig, which is sure to keep jumping about.
Blofeld: The chariot wheel is held with a metal brake. Persistence in a righteous course brings good fortune. Those with a goal or destination in view will witness misfortune. However, even a lean pig is able to wiggle its trotters.
Liu: The cart is held in check by a metal brake. To continue this is good fortune. If one goes somewhere, one meets misfortune. The lean pig that wriggles does not go any farther.
Shaughnessy: Tied to a metal ladder; determination is auspicious. If you have someplace to go, you will see inauspiciousness; the emaciated piglet returns helter-skelter.
Cleary (1): A metal brake is applied. It is good to be correct. If you go anywhere, you will see misfortune. An emaciated pig leaps in earnest.
Cleary (2): Arrested by a metal brake, etc.
Wu: Staying with a silk spinning machine will be auspicious if consistent. Going elsewhere will be foreboding. It is like a sow hopping around boars.
Line 2
九二: 包有魚, 无咎．不利賓．
Wilhelm/Baynes: There is a fish in the tank. No blame. Does not further guests.
Legge: The second line, dynamic, shows its subject with a wallet of fish. There will be no error. But it will not be good to let the subject of the first line go forward to the guests.
Blofeld: There is a fish in the bag -- no error! But it is of no advantage to the guests.
Liu: There is a fish in the kitchen. No blame, but there is no benefit to the guest.
Shaughnessy: The wrapper has fish; there is no trouble; not beneficial to have audience.
Cleary (1): When the fish is in the bag, there’s no fault. It is not advantageous to the visitor.
Cleary (2): There is a fish in the bag, etc.
Wu: There is a fish in the wrapping. This is blameless, but disadvantageous to friends.
Line 3
九三: 臀无膚, 其行次且, 厲, 无大咎．
Wilhelm/Baynes: There is no skin on his thighs, and walking comes hard. If one is mindful of the danger, no great mistake is made.
Legge: The third line, dynamic, shows one from whose buttocks the skin has been stripped so that he walks with difficulty. The position is perilous, but there will be no great error.
Blofeld: His haunches have been flayed and he walks totteringly -- trouble, but no great error!
Liu: He loses skin on his thighs and walks with difficulty. Danger. No great mistake.
Shaughnessy: The buttocks has (Sic) no skin; his movements are hither and thither; danger; there is no great trouble.
Cleary (1): No flesh on the buttocks, having trouble walking. If one is diligent in danger, there’s no great fault.
Cleary (2): With no flesh on the buttocks, the walk is halting. There is danger, but no great fault.
Wu: His buttocks have no skin. He hobbles along. He is in a precarious situation, but makes no big error.
Line 4
九四: 包无魚, 起凶．
Wilhelm/Baynes: No fish in the tank. This leads to misfortune.
Legge: The fourth line, dynamic, shows its subject with his wallet, but no fish in it. This will give rise to evil.
Blofeld: No fish in the bag -- this gives rise to misfortune.
Liu: No fish in the kitchen -- that brings misfortune.
Shaughnessy: The wrapper has no fish; to be upright is inauspicious.
Cleary: No fish in the bag causes trouble.
Wu: There is no fish in the wrapping. If he raises an issue here, it will be foreboding.
Line 5
九五: 以杞包瓜, 含章, 有隕自天．
Wilhelm/Baynes: A melon covered with willow leaves. Hidden lines. Then it drops down to one from heaven.
Legge: The fifth line, dynamic, shows its subject as a medlar tree overspreading the gourd beneath it. If he keeps his brilliant qualities concealed, a good issue will descend from heaven.
Blofeld: The medlar leaves wrapping the melon hide its beauty. Something falls from heaven. [This is more or less equivalent to hiding our light under a bushel.]
Liu: The melon lies under the medlar tree. The glory is hidden. Something (blessing) comes down from heaven.
Shaughnessy: With jealousy wrap the gourd; it contains a pattern; something drops from the heavens.
Cleary (1): Wrapping a melon in river willow. Hiding embellishments, being detached, one realizes the celestial self.
Cleary (2): Wrapping a melon in river willows, containing brilliance, there is a descent from heaven.
Wu: He uses willow branches to wrap a melon to protect its beautiful patterns, as if a mandate had come from heaven.
Line 6
上九: 姤其角, 吝, 无咎．
Wilhelm/Baynes: He comes to meet with his horns. Humiliation. No blame.
Legge: The sixth line, dynamic, shows its subject receiving others on his horns. There will be occasion for regret, but there will be no error.
Blofeld: It rubs against things with its horns -- regret, but no error! [We shall regret our inability to progress, even though we are not at fault.]
Liu: Encountering on the horns. Humiliation, but no mistake.
Shaughnessy: Meeting its horns; distress; there is no trouble.
Cleary: Meeting the horn is humiliating. No blame.
Wu: He tries to meet the yin with his horns and is embarrassed. No error.
Notes
For an in-depth glossary of I Ching, click here.
Hexagram 44 means an unexpected encounter or a casual meeting. An apparent harmless element comes forward. However, it is stronger than it seems. Danger presents itself if you allow this element to have power over you.
This Hexagram indicates a situation whereby a single lady is surrounded by many suitors. It can also indicate a woman who appears to be gentle, weak, and harmless at the surface, but ends up possessing a lot of power.
For divination, it may be applied to both genders. Yin to Yang or Yang to Yin. Those who desire and fall for his or her charms could encounter heartbreak. Maintain your integrity and do not allow yourself to be seduced by such influences.
