I Ching Hexagram 52 - Keeping Still
Description and interpretations of I Ching (Yijing) hexagram 52 "Keeping Still"
艮 - Gèn
Thuần Cấn
Keeping Still
Upper (Outer) Trigram: ☶ Gen, Mountain
Lower (Inner) Trigram: ☶ Gen, Mountain
Other Titles: Mountain, The Symbol of Checking and Stopping, Desisting, Stilling, Stillness, Stoppage, Bound, Reposing, Resting, Meditation, Non-action, Stopping, Arresting Movement.
English Translations & Interpretations
The Judgement
Wilhelm/Baynes: Keeping Still. Keeping his back still so that he no longer feels his body. He goes into his courtyard and does not see his people. No blame.
Legge: When his repose is like the back, and he loses all consciousness of self; when he walks in his courtyard and does not see the people, there will be no error.
Blofeld: Keeping the back so still as to seem virtually bodiless, or walking in the courtyard without noticing the people there involves no error!
Liu: Stillness. Keeping the back still -- one feels that the body no longer exists. Even when one walks in the courtyard, one sees no people. No blame.
Shaughnessy: Stilling his back , but not stilling his body: Walking into his courtyard, but not seeing his person; there is no trouble.
Cleary (1): Stopping at the back, one does not have a body; walking in the garden, one does not see a person. No fault.
Cleary (2): Stilling the back, one does not find the body, etc.
Wu: Stoppage indicates that, resting on his back, he does not find his body and walking in his courtyard, he does not see any person. Faultless.
The Image
Wilhelm/Baynes: Mountains standing close together: the image of Keeping Still. Thus the superior man does not permit his thoughts to go beyond his situation.
Legge: The image of one mountain atop another forms Keeping Still. The superior man, in accordance with this, does not allow his thoughts to go beyond the duties of his immediate circumstances.
Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes two mountains conjoined. The Superior Man takes thought in order to avoid having to move from his position.
Liu: Mountain next to mountain symbolizes stillness. The superior man's thoughts do not go beyond his position.
Cleary (1): Joining mountains. Thus do superior people think without leaving their place.
Cleary (2): The mountains are still. Thus the thoughts of developed people are not out of place.
Wu: One mountain overlapping another makes Stoppage. Thus the jun zi does not contemplate things beyond his position. [Confucius said: “If you do not hold an office, do not give counsels on its administration.” What he meant is: not to volunteer counsels freely. On the other hand, if you are requested, then give the best you can.]
Line 1
初六: 艮其趾, 无咎, 利永貞．
Wilhelm/Baynes: Keeping his toes still. No blame. Continued perseverance furthers.
Legge: The first line, magnetic, shows its subject keeping her toes at rest. There will be no error, but it will be advantageous for her to be persistently firm and correct.
Blofeld: Stilling the toes -- no error. Unwavering persistence in a righteous course brings advantage. [This suggests the simplest kind of stillness, namely staying where we are.]
Liu: Keeping the toes still. No error. Continued persistence is advantageous.
Shaughnessy: Stilling his foot: there is no trouble; beneficial for permanent determination.
Cleary: Stopping at the feet, there is no fault. It is beneficial to be always upright.
Wu: He rests his toes. No error. It is advantageous to be persevering.
Line 2
六二: 艮其腓, 不拯其隨, 其心不快.
Wilhelm/Baynes: Keeping his calves still. He cannot rescue him whom he follows. His heart is not glad.
Legge: The second line, magnetic, shows its subject keeping the calves of her legs at rest. She cannot help the subject of the line above whom she follows, and is dissatisfied in her mind.
Blofeld: Stilling the calves. His heart is sad because he is unable to save his followers. [Perhaps the implication is that the mind's injunction to be still reached the calves but was delayed there, so that the feet continued moving until it was too late. In other words, we are too late in deciding to stay where we are, although circumstances make this most desirable.]
Liu: Keeping the calves still. But he cannot restrain the movements that follow, and he is uneasy in his mind. [A person cannot achieve his goal now.]
Shaughnessy: Stilling his calves: not raising aloft his rent flesh, his heart is not glad.
Cleary (1): Stopping at the calves doesn’t help out the following. The heart is unhappy.
Cleary (2): Stopping the calves, they don’t rise to follow. The mind is not happy.
Wu: He rests the calves of his legs. He cannot help the one he follows and feels unhappy.
Line 3
九三: 艮其限, 列其夤, 厲薰心．
Wilhelm/Baynes: Keeping his hips still. Making his sacrum stiff. Dangerous. The heart suffocates.
Legge: The third line, dynamic, shows its subject keeping his loins at rest, and separating the ribs from the body below. The situation is perilous, and the heart glows with suppressed excitement.
Blofeld: Stilling the loins and stiffening the spine – his heart is suffocated by trouble. [Elsewhere in the Book of Change, it is made clear that the loins sometimes symbolize sexual desire. To force oneself to continence when the mind is not ready for it is exceedingly dangerous and may lead to mental and emotional disarrangement. What is required is stilling the WHOLE self, a cessation of desire itself.]
Liu: Keeping the loins and the middle of the spine still. Danger. His heart is like an anxious flame.
Shaughnessy: Stilling his midsection: scratching his spine; danger; smoke the heart.
Cleary: Stopping at the waist breaks the backbone; danger inflames the heart.
Wu: He rests his waist and tightens it with a waistband. He is deeply worried.
Line 4
六四: 艮其身, 无咎．
Wilhelm/Baynes: Keeping his trunk still. No blame.
Legge: The fourth line, magnetic, shows its subject keeping her trunk at rest. There will be no error.
Blofeld: Stilling the body -- no error!
Liu: Keeping the body still. No error.
Shaughnessy: Stilling his torso.
Cleary (1): Stopping at the body, there is no blame.
Cleary (2): Stopping at the torso, there is no fault.
Wu: He rests on his body. No error.
Line 5
六五: 艮其輔, 言有序, 悔亡．
Wilhelm/Baynes: Keeping his jaws still. The words have order. Remorse disappears.
Legge: The fifth line, magnetic, shows its subject keeping her jawbones at rest, so that her words are all orderly. Occasion for repentance will disappear.
Blofeld: Stilling the jaws. Since his words are well ordered, he ceases to have cause for regret.
Liu: Keeping the jaws still. His speech has order. Remorse vanishes.
Shaughnessy: Stilling his cheeks: words have sequence; regret is gone.
Cleary: Stopping the jaws, there is order in speech, and regret vanishes.
Wu: He rests his lower jaw. He speaks with orderliness. Regret vanishes.
Line 6
上九: 敦艮, 吉．
Wilhelm/Baynes: Noble hearted keeping still. Good fortune.
Legge: The sixth line, dynamic, shows its subject devotedly maintaining his restfulness. There will be good fortune.
Blofeld: The highest form of stillness -- good fortune!
Liu: Keeping still with benevolence. Good fortune.
Shaughnessy: Thick roots; auspicious.
Cleary: Careful stopping is auspicious.
Wu: He rests with honor. Auspicious.
Notes
For an in-depth glossary of I Ching, click here.
In hexagram 52 the upper and lower trigram both represent the Mountain. It implies that your path is being blocked and obstructed by a mountain, which is hindering your progress.
It is time to stop, rest, and be calm. There is no point in taking any action as the time is not right for movement. Forget about the past and don’t fret about the future.
This is a good time to practice meditation and cultivate your body through yoga, inner alchemy, or likewise.
