- Retiring
Chinese: dùn 遯 ䷠
䷠ Dùn indicates successful progress (in its circumstances). To a small extent it will (still) be advantageous to be firm and correct.
䷠ changing to ䷌
Matching Line 1 in Adjacent Hexagram: ䷡
䷠ changing to ䷫
Matching Line 2 in Adjacent Hexagram: ䷡
䷠ changing to ䷋
Matching Line 3 in Adjacent Hexagram: ䷡
䷠ changing to ䷴
Matching Line 4 in Adjacent Hexagram: ䷡
䷠ changing to ䷷
Matching Line 5 in Adjacent Hexagram: ䷡
䷠ changing to ䷞
Matching Line 6 in Adjacent Hexagram: ䷡
䷠ Dùn is the hexagram of the sixth month; the yīn
influence is represented by two weak lines, and has made good its footing in the year. The figure thus suggested to king Wén the growth of small and unprincipled men in the state, before whose advance superior men were obliged to retire. This is the theme of his essay, -- how, I when small men multiply and increase in power, the necessity of the time requires superior men to withdraw before them.' Yet the auspice of ䷠ Dùn is not all bad. By firm correctness the threatened evil may be arrested to a small extent.
A retiring tail
seems to suggest the idea of the subject of the lines hurrying away, which would only aggravate the evil and danger of the time.
His purpose
in line 2 is the purpose to withdraw. The weak 2 responds correctly to the strong 5, and both are central. The purpose therefore is symbolled as in the text. The yellow
colour of the ox is introduced because of its being correct
, and of a piece with the central place of the line.
Line 3 has no proper correlate in 6 and its subject allows himself to be entangled and impeded by the subjects of 1 and 2. He is too familiar with them, and they presume, and fetter his movements; -- compare Analects, 17. 25. He should keep them at a distance.
Line 4 has a correlate in 1, and is free to exercise the decision belonging to its subject. The line is the first in Khien, symbolic of strength.
In the Shàng Shū IV, v, Section 2, the worthy Yī Yǐn is made to say, 'The minister will not for favour or gain continue in an office whose work is done;' and the Kāng Xī editors refer to his words as an illustration of what is said on line 5. It has its correlate in 2, and its subject carries out the purpose to retire in an admirable way
.
Line 6 is strong, and with no correlate to detain it in 3. Its subject vigorously and happily carries out the idea of the hexagram.