27. Nourishing

Sequence of the Gua

When things are accumilated in great amount, nourishing becomes available. Thus, after Great Accumulation, Nourishing follows.

Decision:

Nourishing.
Being steadfact and upright: good fortune.
Watch your nourishment;
Pay attention to what is in your mouth.

Commentary on the Decision

Nourishing.
Steadfast and upright: good fortune.
When nourishing is right,
Good fortune comes.

Watching how you nourish others;
It is to watch what you provide nourishment for.
Paying attention to what is in your mouth.
It is to pay attention to how you nourish yourself.

Heaven and Earth nourish all beigns.
The holy sages nourish the virtuous,
And thus reqach all.
Great indeed is nourishing in its time!

Commentary on the Symbol

Thunder beneath Mountain.
An imager of Nourishing.
In correspondence with this,
The superior person is careful of his words
And moderate in eating and drinking.

Initial Nine

Putting aside your spiritual tortoise,
Staring at me with mouth drooling.
Misfortune

Significance

This gua outlines the principle of nourishing. In ancient times, the Chinese concept of nourishing included nurturing, especially nurturing one’s virtue. To the ancient Chinese, nourishing without nurturing was the way of animals, The revered sage Mencius says,

Filling with food,
Warming clothes,
Living leisurely without learning,
It is little short of animals.

The ancient sages proclaimed that nourishing and nurturing were not a matter reserved for the family but concerned society as a whole. Nourishing and nurturing family was selfish, nourishing and nurturing society was selfless. Compared with nourishing one’s virtue, nourishing one’s body was secondary. thus, the sages were cautious of words and moderate in diet and provided nourishment and nurturing to the people

Either the yielding line at the fifth place or the solid line at the top could be the host of the gua. However, the solid line at the top is the source of nourishment. Confucius’s Commentary on the Decision says, “Heaven and Earth nourish all beings. The holy sages nourish the virtuous, and thus reach all.”   The host of the gua refers to the person who is trying to follow in the steps of the sages. The first three lines of the gua refer to nourishing oneself. Either misfortune results or nothing will be favorable. The next three lines have to do with nourishing one’s self as as well as others. The results are beneficial.

The gua indicated that after King Wu overthrew the Tyrant of Shang there was a famine in the realm of the Shang dynasty. King Wen instructed the people to nourish the adherents of the Shang dynasty physically as well as spiritually. The Duke of Zhou tells how the adherents of the Shang dynasty put aside their spiritual tortoises and sought physical nourishment from the Zhou dynasty. Normally, the conquered provide sustenance to the conqueror, but here the conqueror nourishes the conquered. If the conqueror were to supply only physical nourishment to the conquered, it would lead to misfortune. Nourishing physical needs and spiritual needs brought good fortune.

Initial Nine: Nourishing alternates to Falling Away (23)

The sold line at the bottom represents a person of resolute character, responding to the yielding line at the fourth place. A tortoise is an animal able to survive without eating and drinking for a long period of time. In ancient China, the tortoise was regarded as a spiritual animal because of its longevity. The Yao Text, “Putting aside your spiritual toirtoise, staring at me with mouth drooling,” denotes that one at this place puts his spirituality aside and watches the person high above him eating. A drooling mouth suggests greed. there is a Chinese adage that says, “Mouth drooling with greed. It is not a noble manner.” The solid line at the bottom is firm and strong. He ought to rely on himself in seeking nourishment for his physical body as well as his spiritual nature. yet he puts adside his own resources and seeks profit from other people’s toil. This behavior ends in misfortune.

52. Keeping Still

Sequence of the Gua

Events cannot continue in motion without stopping; they must take a rest. Thus, after Taking Action, Keeping Still follows.

Decision:

Keeping Still, at his back.
Feels not his body.
Walking in his courtyard.
Sees not his people.
No fault.

Commentary on the Decision

Mountain.
It is keeping still.

Keep still when it is time to keep still.
Remain active when it is time to remain active
When action and resting do not miss their time.
Their way becomes promising and brilliant.

Keeping still in stillness
Is keeping still in the place where one should be still.

The corresponding lines above and below are repelling.
They do not respond to each other.
Thus he is no longer feeling his body.
Even walking in the courtyard
He is no longer seeing his people.
There is no fault.

Commentary on the Symbol

Mountains, one over the other.
An image of Keeping Still.
In correspondence with this,
Whatever the superior person thinks
Does not go beyond his duties in his position.

Top Nine

Honestly and sincerely keeping still.
He keeps these virtues to the end.

Significance

This is one of the eight among the sixty-four accomplished gua that is made by doubling one of the eight primary gua. Here, the accomplished gua is Gen, Keeping Still, and the primary gua is Mountain. Keeping Still expounds the truth of know when and where to stop before one’s action goes too far. According to the structure of the gua, when a solid line appears at the bottom of Earth, it becomes Thunder. Its attribute is taking action. The action builds. When the solid line advances to the central position, it becomes Water. Its attribute is flowing. The action continues; it flows onward. When the solid line advances to the top, it becomes Mountain. Its attribute is keeping still. In this situation, one must stop flowing forward and remain at rest. The key to success is to advance when it is time to advance and to stop when it is time to stop. Every action should accord with the time and situation. Never act subjectively and blindly. Keeping still means to be tranquil and stable. It is a phase of advancement. Advance and stillness complement each other. Keeping still is preparing oneself for a new advance. All the lines of this gua take images of different parts of the body to indicate particular times and situations.

When King Wen abolished slavery and reestablished the Jing land system, people were shocked, as if a thunderstorm had struck. Those who were liberated were happy, but not the slave owners—especially those who were close to the tyrant. Dangerous counterattacks were anticipated. King Wen retreated, sitting in stillness to contemplate the situation and foresee the future. The Duyke of Zhou describes King Wen’s different stages and moods of stillness. Eventually his honesty and sincerity brought good fortune. He remained virtuous to the end. In this gua, King Wen employed the word “his” four times in the Decision, and the Duke of Zhou used it eight times in the Yao Text. For this reason, it is believed that a specific person is being referred to, and this is thought to be King Wen himself.

Top Nine. Keeping Still alternates to Humbleness (15)

The topmost line represents the final stage of keeping still, and is thus the host. In his treatise The Great Learning, Confucius says,

The way of the Great Learning is to illustrate brilliant virtue.
to love people, and to rest in conduct that is perfectly good.
By knowing how to keep still,
one is able to determine what objects he should pursue.
By knowing what objects he should pursue,
one is able to attain calmness of mind.
By knowing how to attain calmness of mind,
one is able to succeed in tranquil repose.
By knowing how to succed in tranquil repose,
one is able to obtain careful deliberation.
By knowing how to obtain careful deliberation,
one is able to harvest what he really wants to pursue.

In the final stage of one’s life, if one can manifest one’s brilliant virtue,
love people, and maintain one’s goodness till the end, it is a true blessing,
and these will be good fortune.