I Ching Hexagram 59 - Dispersion
Description and interpretations of I Ching hexagram 59 "Dispersion"
渙 - Huàn
Phong Thủy Hoán
Dispersion
Upper (Outer) Trigram: ☴ Xun, Wind
Lower (Inner) Trigram: ☵ Kan, Water
Other Titles: Expansion, Dissolution, Disintegration, Dispersal, Overcoming Dissension, Scattering, Dispersing, Unintegrated, Reuniting, Evaporation, Reorganisation, New Deal, Re-Shuffle, Course Correction
English Translations & Interpretations
The Judgement
Wilhelm/Baynes: Dispersion. Success. The king approaches his temple. It furthers one to cross the great water. Perseverance furthers.
Legge: Expansion intimates that there will be progress and success. The king goes to his ancestral temple. It will be advantageous to cross the great stream. It will be advantageous to be firm and correct.
Blofeld: Scattering -- success! The King has approached his temple. [An omen of safety.] It is advantageous to cross the great river (or sea). [I.e., to go on a long journey.] Persistence in a righteous course brings reward.
Liu: Dispersion. Success. The king approaches the temple. It is of benefit to cross the great water. It benefits to continue.
Shaughnessy: Dispersal: Receipt; the king approaches into the temple; beneficial to ford the great river; beneficial to determine.
Cleary (1): In Dispersal there is development. The king comes to have a shrine. It is beneficial to cross great rivers . It is beneficial to be correct.
Cleary (2): Dispersal is successful. The king goes to his ancestral temple. The benefit crosses great rivers. It is beneficial if correct.
Wu: Dispersion indicates pervasiveness. The king does homage to his ancestral temple. It will be advantageous to cross the big river, but only with perseverance.
The Image
Wilhelm/Baynes: The wind drives over the water: the image of Dispersion. Thus the kings of old sacrificed to the Lord and built temples.
Legge: The image of wind moving over water forms Expansion. The ancient kings, in accordance with this, presented offerings to God and established the ancestral temple.
Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes wind blowing across the face of the waters. The kings of old built temples in which to sacrifice to the Supreme Lord of Heaven. (A temple is a place of safety from the ills of the world. The symbolism here is that the upper trigram forms a temple in which people are safe from the pit (the lower trigram); its middle line (five) signifies the King. The implication is that we should employ spiritual or moral means to preserve ourselves from the danger threatened by the lower trigram.)
Liu: Wind blowing over water symbolizes Dispersion. The ancient kings offered sacrifices to the Deity, then built temples.
Cleary (1): Wind blows above water, Unintegrated. Thus ancient kings honored god and set up shrines.
Cleary (2): Wind travels over the water, dispersing. Ancient kings honored God and set up shrines.
Wu: The wind moves above water; this is Dispersion. Thus, the ancient kings made offerings to the Supreme Being and consecrated their ancestral temple.
Line 1
初六: 用拯, 馬壯, 吉
Wilhelm/Baynes: He brings help with the strength of a horse. Good fortune.
Legge: The first line, magnetic, shows its subject engaged in rescuing from the impending evil and having the assistance of a strong horse. There will be good fortune.
Blofeld: Helping others with the strength of a horse – good fortune!
Liu: To rescue one with a strong horse. Good fortune.
Shaughnessy: Holding aloft a horse; auspicious; regret is gone.
Cleary (1): Act to save the horse. Vigor will have good results.
Cleary (2): For rescue, it is fortunate that the horse is strong.
Wu: To rescue with the aid of a strong horse is auspicious.
Line 2
九二: 渙,奔其机, 悔亡．
Wilhelm/Baynes: At the dissolution he hurries to that which supports him. Remorse disappears.
Legge: The second line, dynamic, shows its subject, amid the dispersion, hurrying to his contrivance for security. All occasion for repentance will disappear.
Blofeld: When disintegration is in process, hasten to the altar and regret will vanish.
Liu: At the dispersion he hastens to the opportunity. Remorse vanishes.
Shaughnessy: Dispersal rushes its stairs; regret is gone.
Cleary: Running to support upon dispersal, regret vanishes.
Wu: At the time of Dispersion, he rushes to where the couch is. The regret will disappear.
Line 3
六三: 渙其躬, 无悔．
Wilhelm/Baynes: He dissolves his self. No remorse.
Legge: The third line, magnetic, shows its subject discarding any regard to her own person. There will be no occasion for repentance.
Blofeld: Self-centered thoughts are dispersed -- no regret!
Liu: He dissolves his egotism. No remorse. (A person should be wary of disaster: if it occurs, he may not be able to escape its results.)
Shaughnessy: Dispersing his torso; there is no trouble.
Cleary: Dispersing the self, there is no regret.
Wu: He distributes his personal belongings to others. There will be no regret.
Line 4
六四: 渙其群, 元吉．渙有丘, 匪夷所思．
Wilhelm/Baynes: He dissolves his bond with his group. Supreme good fortune. (Dispersion leads in turn to accumulation. This is something that ordinary men do not think of).
Legge: The fourth line, magnetic, shows its subject scattering the different parties in the state, which leads to great good fortune. From the dispersion she collects again good men standing out, a crowd like a mound, which is what ordinary men would not have thought of.
Blofeld: He disperses his group of companions (Namely a group of people who have proved themselves inimical to the public good) -- sublime good fortune! Dispersion leads to accumulation, but this is not something that ordinary people understand. (This is an auspicious time to "cast our bread upon the waters." Acts of great generosity are now essential to our success.)
Liu: He disperses his group. Great and fortune. (Sic.) He disperses his hills (property). Ordinary people do not think of this.
Shaughnessy: Dispersing his flock; prime auspiciousness. Dispersal has a hillock; it is not that about which the younger sister thinks.
Cleary: Dispersing the crowd is very auspicious. On dispersal there is gathering, inconceivable to the ordinary.
Wu: He disbands cliques. Great fortune. A few mounds remain. This is not what ordinary people can anticipate.
Line 5
九五: 渙汗其大號, 渙王居, 无咎．
Wilhelm/Baynes: His loud cries are as dissolving as sweat. Dissolution! A king abides without blame.
Legge: The fifth line, dynamic, shows its subject amidst the dispersion issuing his great announcements as the perspiration flows from his body. He scatters abroad also the accumulations in the royal granaries. There will be no error.
Blofeld: Scattering perspiration, he issues his royal command. The King disperses the treasures in his palace among the people -- no blame.
Liu: Dispersion is like sweat pouring from the body, with loud cries. Separation from the king's palace. No blame.
Shaughnessy: Dispersing his liver with a great cry. Dispersing the king's residence; there is no trouble.
Cleary (1): Dispersing defilement, that is a great directive. The dispersing king remains impeccable.
Cleary (2): Scattering sweat; the great call scatters. The king abides. There is no fault.
Wu: At the time of dispersion, he proclaims with loud voice until he perspires. He distributes the contents in the royal residence. No error.
Line 6
上九: 渙其血去, 逖出, 无咎．
Wilhelm/Baynes: He dissolves his blood. Departing, keeping at a distance, going out, is without blame.
Legge: The sixth line, dynamic, shows its subject disposing of what may be called his bloody wounds, and going to separate himself from his anxious fears. There will be no error.
Blofeld: Dispersing blood (i.e. fending off injury or violence), he keeps it at a distance -- no blame!
Liu: Dissolving his (coagulated) blood. Departing to a remote place. No blame.
Shaughnessy: Dispersing his blood, he departs, warily exiting.
Cleary: Dispersing the blood, going far away, there is no fault.
Wu: At the time of dispersion, he disperses what hurts him and alleviates what worries him. No error.
Notes
For an in-depth glossary of I Ching, click here.
Hexagram 59 represents dispersion or dissipation. It has the image of wind and water.
Misunderstanding can be resolved. Your personal strength and rapport with others enable you to dissolve conflict quickly.
Working with others is beneficial. It indicates that progress and success will be attained by remaining true to what is right and good.
