I Ching Hexagram 58 - The Joyous
Description and interpretations of I Ching hexagram 58 "The Joyous"
兌 - Duì
Thuần Đoài
The Joyous
Upper (Outer) Trigram: ☱ Dui, Lake
Lower (Inner) Trigram: ☱ Dui, Lake
Other Titles: Joy, Joyousness, Pleased Satisfaction, Encouraging, Delight, Open, Usurpation, Self-indulgence, Pleasure, Cheerfulness, Frivolity, Callow Optimism
English Translations & Interpretations
The Judgement
Wilhelm/Baynes: The Joyous. Success. Perseverance is favorable.
Legge: Joy intimates that under its conditions there will be progress and attainment, but it will be advantageous to be firm and correct.
Blofeld: Joy -- success! Persistence in a righteous course brings reward.
Liu: Joyousness. Success. Continuance is favorable.
Shaughnessy: Usurpation: Receipt; a little beneficial to determine.
Cleary (1): Joy is developmental, beneficial if correct. (This hexagram represents joy in practicing the Dao. Having one’s will in the Dao is finding joy in the Dao; when one delights in the Dao, then one can practice the Dao. This is why Joy is developmental.)
Cleary (2): Delight comes through, beneficial if correct.
Wu: Joy indicates pervasiveness. It is advantageous to be persevering.
The Image
Wilhelm/Baynes: Lakes resting one on the other: the image of The Joyous. Thus the superior man joins with his friends for discussion and practice.
Legge: Two images of the waters of a marsh, one over the other, form Joy. The superior man, in accordance with this, encourages the conversation of friends and the stimulus of their common practice.
Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes two bodies of water conjoined. The Superior Man joins his friends in discussions and in practicing the various arts and virtues.
Liu: The beautiful lakes symbolize Joyousness. The superior man joins his fellows for teaching and study.
Cleary (1): Joined lakes are joyful. Thus do superior people explain and practice with companions. (As water provides moisture for myriad beings, joy develops myriad beings; joyful within and without, reaching the outer from within, communicating with the inner from without, inside and outside are conjoined, without separation between them – therefore it is called joy.)
Cleary (2): ... Thus do developed people study and practice with companions.
Wu: One marsh is adjacent to another; this is Joy. Thus the jun zi discusses and exchanges ideas with friends.
Line 1
初九: 和兌吉．
Wilhelm/Baynes: Contented joyousness. Good fortune.
Legge: The first line, dynamic, shows the pleasure of inward harmony. There will be good fortune.
Blofeld: Harmonious joy -- good fortune!
Liu: Harmonious joyousness -- good fortune!
Shaughnessy: Beneficent usurpation; auspicious.
Cleary (1): The joy of harmony is good.
Cleary (2): Harmonious delight is auspicious.
Wu: There is joy in harmony, Auspicious.
Line 2
九二．孚兌吉．悔亡．
Wilhelm/Baynes: Sincere joyousness. Good fortune. Remorse disappears.
Legge: The second line, dynamic, shows the pleasure arising from inward stability. There will be good fortune. Occasion for repentance will disappear.
Blofeld: Confident joy -- good fortune and absence of regret!
Liu: Truthful joyousness. Good fortune. Remorse vanishes.
Shaughnessy: Sincere usurpation; auspicious; regret is gone.
Cleary (1): The joy of truthfulness is good. Regret vanishes.
Cleary (2): Sincere delight is auspicious. Regret vanishes.
Wu: There is joy with confidence. Auspicious. No regrets.
Line 3
六三: 來兌凶．
Wilhelm/Baynes: Coming joyousness. Misfortune.
Legge: The third line, magnetic, shows its subject bringing round herself whatever can give pleasure. There will be evil.
Blofeld: Coming joy -- misfortune! (The relation between the misfortune indicated by this line and coming joy is not very clear. Interpreting it rather loosely, the passage can be taken to mean that we shall suffer misfortune at a time when we are expecting something which would afford us happiness; in other words, the expected joy may not materialize.)
Liu: Coming joyousness. Misfortune. (Do not follow another blindly, or mistakes and danger will result.)
Shaughnessy: Coming usurpation; inauspicious.
Cleary (1): Imported joy is not good.
Cleary (2): Coming for delight is inauspicious.
Wu: He comes to seek joy. Foreboding.
Line 4
九四: 商兌, 未寧, 介疾,有喜．
Wilhelm/Baynes: Joyousness that is weighed is not at peace. After ridding himself of mistakes a man has joy.
Legge: The fourth line, dynamic, shows its subject deliberating about what to seek his pleasure in, and not at rest. He borders on what would be injurious but there will be cause for joy.
Blofeld: Calculating future joys, he is restless and suffers from various small ills, yet he is happy.
Liu: Considering joyousness does not bring serenity. Once one corrects his conduct, one has joyousness.
Shaughnessy: Patterned usurpation; not yet at peace; a transitional illness has happiness.
Cleary (1): Joy after deliberation: If one is firm and wary without complacency, there will be happiness.
Cleary (2): Deliberating about delight, one is uneasy. If one is firm and swift, there will be happiness.
Wu: He is not at ease in pondering about joyousness, but he is glad to be able to distinguish what is correct from what he despises.
Line 5
九五: 孚于剝, 有厲．
Wilhelm/Baynes: Sincerity toward disintegrating influences is dangerous.
Legge: The fifth line, dynamic, shows its subject trusting in one who would injure him. The situation is perilous.
Blofeld: Faith in what is disintegrating leads to trouble. (Presumably, we put our trust in the continuance of something which, perhaps unknown to us, is already beginning to crumble away.)
Liu: Confidence in what is decaying is dangerous. (If you get this line, you should expect trouble caused by an unworthy person.)
Shaughnessy: Sincerity in flaying; there is danger.
Cleary (1): There is danger in trusting plunderers.
Cleary (2): There is inspiration in sincerity toward the fallen.
Wu: He shows confidence in the one that may strip him: a sign of danger.
Line 6
上六: 引兌．
Wilhelm/Baynes: Seductive joyousness.
Legge: The sixth line, magnetic, shows the pleasure of its subject in leading and attracting others.
Blofeld: Joy in the form of allurement. (This suggests the superficial joy offered by attractions that would make no appeal to the Superior Man.)
Liu: Enticing joyousness.
Shaughnessy: Shadowyusurpation.
Cleary (1): Induced joy.
Cleary (2): Induced delight.
Wu: He attracts others to enjoy life.
Notes
For an in-depth glossary of I Ching, click here.
Hexagram 58 Dui symbolizes joy, pleasure, and satisfaction. Joy comes from within while pleasure comes from the outside world. Carried to extremes, it can cause you harm. The time is favorable for your undertaking. Your good mood and perseverance are infectious and attract others.
This hexagram also represents a young girl bringing joy and happiness to the household. It is also associated with speech. One has to speak with wisdom, share goodwill and good humor, and not gossip or criticize.
