The Joyous Over The Gentle 
The Marsh/Mist Above, The Wind Below


ATTRIBUTESANATOMYELEMENTCOLORSEASONDIRECTIONFAMILY
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— 0 —PleasureMouthFleshBlueAutumnWestYoungest Daughter
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——–PenetrationThighsAirWhiteEarly SummerSouth EastEldest Daughter
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The lake has risen above the trees
The man of knowledge must stand alone.
He remains unaffected by his condition.
If he needs to forsake society,
He retains his determination.
Extreme pressure from within.
Support is frail. It is at the point of breaking.
Auspicious if he has some place to go.
Success.

The man finds himself besieged by extraordinary pressure much like the trees who must temporarily give way under the oncoming rush of water in a period of flood. The man knowing that such conditions are only temporary must, like the trees, stand firm even if the circumstances are difficult. He must call upon his inner strength and withstand this onslaught by himself. He knows that since it is water’s nature to return to its proper level after the flood so too will conditions return to their proper course. He retains his determination even though he must face this crisis alone. The strong lines in this hexagram are inside while the two weak lines are on the outside. This points to weak support much like a strong beam who has become weak at its ends. It can not hold on indefinitely. The situation can not last or injury will follow. The weight of what the man has to endure is great but with inner strength and vision he can overcome these adverse conditions. Outstanding resilience is needed. It is imperative that he find a method to get through these troubled times without having to resort to action which at this time would be premature. If he can achieve to remain within himself without feeling self pity and not let the situation get the best of him, in the end, he has great chances to achieve success. The strong elements in this situation are within. The man must be content to simply wait for conditions to return to a more favorable state. Nothing can be achieved by force. The obstacles must be overcome by the understanding of the reason behind the cause of this predicament.


1 –X– He protects the foundation. No blame. 

When a man is about to begin an extraordinary project he must be very careful that the underlying principles and foundations have been properly tended to. A man would be foolish to start a project of this sort without first making sure that he has the proper support to see things through to their completion. This type of prudence, although it might at this time seem overstated, is certainly not a miscalculation when attempting such a venture. 

2 –0– A dry bud germinates a root. An old man obtains a young wife. Everything helps in the cause. 

In this situation, the mechanisms of development undergo a spectacular revitalization. The old is dramatically rejuvenated when it unites with the new. The combination of these two opposites brings new vigour into an old situation. Everything seems to help in the promotion of the proper cause. In general terms, this line indicates that it is a good time for opposites to complement each other. 

3 –0– Support is at its breaking point. Ominous. 

In this situation we have a man who carelessly insists on proceeding ahead even though circumstances have come to a point where pressures are about to shatter what has been previously achieved through hard work. He is blinded by his own purpose to the counsel of others and this further serves to alienate him. He will find no support for his actions among the people. Since he has decided to be so inflexible about his position, he will eventually bring things to their breaking point calling disaster upon himself and others. His deliberate attempt to press onward, regardless of warnings from the others, will merely accelerate the impending failure. 

4 –0– He finds support. Auspicious. If he has concealed motives he will be disgraced. 

A man establishes congenial associations with others of lesser prominence. If the man is sincere in wanting to help the whole of the community he will be successful in his actions. If on the other hand he decides to abuse his power by using these recently established relationships in order to obtain even more personal influence and profit, he would quickly find himself in a humiliating position. 

5 –0– Flowers sprout from a wilted branch. An old woman obtains a husband. No blame. No praise. 

A flower sprouting from a wilted branch only quickens the depletion of the dying tree’s energies. Nothing is gained from the union of the old and new. Revitalization does not occur in this case and the only result of the union is an unstable alliance. In general terms this line means that for one to abandon previously established alliances with those in subordinate positions in order to maintain relationships only with those of superior status would only lead to the creation of unstable conditions. 

6 –X– He must walk into the water. It will cover his head. Ominous, but no regrets. 

Extraordinary circumstances have come to their apogee. The man remains fearless and wants to perform the completion of his duty at any cost. This attitude steers him towards danger but he can not back away from his responsibilities. The waters of destiny will rise and cover his head and this is the reason for the unfortunate outcome but, in this particular situation, even though he is walking towards his ruin, he is acting in the best interest of the proper way. There can be no blame in this. There are certain things that can become more vital than even ones own welfare.