Keeping Still Over Keeping Still 
Mountain Above, Mountain Below


ATTRIBUTESANATOMYELEMENTCOLORSEASONDIRECTIONFAMILY
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—  —InertiaHandStoneGreenEarly SpringNorth EastYoungest Son
— x —
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— x —InertiaHandStoneGreenEarly SpringNorth EastYoungest Son
— x —

A chain of mountains fused together.
The great man does not let his mind
Wander from his immediate condition.
Keeping Still. His spine is still.
He no longer feels his own body.
He does not see his allies.
No blame.

A man’s thoughts are always in motion. However, even though a man can not restrict the flux of his own thoughts he can with perseverance control the direction of his mind by keeping it fixed on his present condition. Any thought which goes beyond the mans immediate circle of events will only end up by giving him reason for sorrow. The man must achieve peace of mind, a tranquil heart. In order to achieve this peaceful state of mind, the man must be able to recognize when the proper time has come for rest, and when the moment is proper to movement. In this way he can reach a balanced state of being which allows him rest when rest is needed. The spine is the nerve centre which communicates the feelings and the needs for movement to the brain. When the spine becomes still, the man loses his egotistic state of uneasy tension. Only once the man has pacified himself from within can he see the external world in its true nature. Once he has calmed his inner conditions, he can see the world as a whole rather than an accumulation of disparate entities. With this new perspective he is better equipped to understand the true laws of the universe and can then move in harmony within their stillness. Once he is able to act from such a profound plane, the man can not make any errors.


Moving lines are read from the bottom up. The lowest line in the hexagram is line # 1 and the highest line is #6. 


1 –X– His toes have been immobilised. No blame, if he is determined. 

To immobilize the toes means to stop before you act. When one is at the start of a new venture, errors must be avoided. At the beginning one has not yet been influenced by exterior motives and he finds that his instinct is his best guide. He is still united with his own pristine simplicity. It is at this time that the man can see through things and reach their inner reality. If the man takes the time to pause for a moment at the start of his journey, he will instinctively find the right way. However he will need determination to remain on the proper course because opportunities for wrongful deviations are plentiful. 

2 –X– His calves have been immobilised. He can not save his ruler. His heart is filled with sadness. 

If the leg suddenly stops while the body is moving, the momentum of the motion will cause the body to take a fall. In this case a person is serving under a strong man who has taken to an incorrect path. Even if this person decides to stop himself from continuing on this wrongful way, he can not stop the other man from continuing in his improper but powerful motion. The strong man will not listen to good advice and there is nothing anyone can do for him. 

3 –0– His hips have been immobilised. This renders his lower spine inflexible. Perilous. He will smother his own heart. 

One should not try to use force within himself in order to quiet his own thoughts. His peace of mind must be allowed to unfold spontaneously out of a mood of inner calmness and dignity. If a man tries to force a state of serenity within himself by way of enforcing unnatural firmness of character this will lead to detrimental consequences. 

4 –X– His trunk has been immobilised. No blame. 

To immobilize the trunk is to release one’s own egotistic self. This represents the greatest form of balance. In this case this particular phase has not yet been attained. The man concerned seems to be capable of keeping his ego under a well controlled state of rest is not completely free from its control. He should keep in mind that he is on the right path and that determination to remain on this path will eventually lead to success and he will then be free of selfish motives. 

5 –X– His jaw has been immobilised. His speech is structured. Feelings of guilt will disappear. 

When a man finds that he is in a dangerous position he might try to shirk off his personal fears by using shallow witticism and keeping a cavalier attitude about his circumstances. However his thoughtless words will only bring on even more risk since others will definitely feel that he is not respectful towards his precarious position. This will give him much cause for regret. If the man is attentive and can manage to remain discreet in what he speaks, his words will begin to have meaning for others and all cause for remorse will disappear. 

6 –0– He has brought his noble heart to rest. Auspicious. 

One has achieved the state of rest within the heart and peace within the mind which he was seeking. His whole being is in a tranquil state which can only bring inner harmony and good fortune to every aspect of his life.