Reading
Judgment
Standstill.
Evil people do not further
the perseverance of the noble one.
The great departs, the small arrives.
Heaven and earth are out of communication, and all things stand rigid. Those above and those below stand out of relation, and on earth confusion and disorder prevail. The dark is within, and the light is without. Weakness is within, hardness without; within are the petty, and the noble are without. The way of the petty is on the rise; the way of the noble is in decline. But the noble do not let themselves be shaken in their principles. When they no longer have the possibility of acting, they still remain true to these principles and withdraw into concealment.
Image
Heaven and earth do not unite: the image of Standstill.
Thus the noble one withdraws to their inner worth
in order to escape the difficulties.
They do not let themself be honored with income.
When mutual mistrust prevails in public life, owing to the influence the petty hold, a fruitful activity is impossible, because the foundation is false. Therefore the noble one knows what to do under such circumstances. They do not let themself be lured by brilliant offers to take part in the public activity, which, since they cannot join in the baseness of the others, would only be dangerous for them. Therefore they conceal their worth and withdraw into concealment.
Commentary
This hexagram is the exact opposite of the previous one. Heaven above withdraws ever further, the earth below sinks ever deeper. The creative forces stand out of relation. It is the time of stagnation and decline. The hexagram is assigned to the seventh month (August-September), when the year has passed its high point and the autumnal fading is being prepared.
Changing Lines
Line 1
A six at the beginning means:
When one pulls out ribbon grass, the sod comes with it.
Each after its kind.
Perseverance brings good fortune and success.
Commentary
The text is nearly the same as the first line of the preceding hexagram, but reversed in sense. There, one draws another after oneself onto the path of official career. Here, one draws another along in withdrawal from public life. Therefore it is not said here "undertakings bring good fortune" but "perseverance brings good fortune and success." Only by knowing how to withdraw in good time when the possibilities of influence are no longer present does one spare oneself humiliation and achieve success in a higher sense, by knowing how to preserve one's personality in its worth.
Line 2
A six in the second place means:
They bear and endure;
this means good fortune for the petty.
For the great man, Standstill serves to bring success.
Commentary
The petty are ready to flatter their superiors in a cringing way. They would also tolerate the noble one if they would help them untangle the confusion. This is bringing good fortune for them. But the great man quietly bears the consequences of Standstill. They do not mix with the throng of the petty. Their place is not there. Thereby, through personal suffering, they give success to their principles.
Line 3
A six in the third place means:
They bear shame.
Commentary
The petty, who have risen by unlawful means, do not feel equal to the responsibility they have taken upon themselves. They begin, at first without showing it outwardly, to be ashamed in secret. This is the beginning of the turn for the better.
Line 4
A nine in the fourth place means:
Whoever acts on the command of the Most High remains without blame.
Those of like mind enjoy the blessing.
Commentary
The time of Standstill is nearing the change. Whoever would again create order must be called to it and must possess the necessary authority. Whoever tried to set themself up as orderer on their own discretion would produce mistakes and failures. But whoever is truly called will find the conditions of the time coming to meet them, and their blessing will be granted to all who are of like mind.
Line 5
A nine in the fifth place means:
Standstill is giving way. Good fortune for the great man!
"If it should fail, if it should fail!"
He ties it therefore to a cluster of mulberry shoots.
Commentary
The time is changing. The right man has come, who can create order once more. Therefore good fortune! But precisely in such transitional times, fear and trembling are needed. Only through the greatest anxiety, which constantly thinks "If it should fail!", is success secured. When a mulberry shrub is cut down, there spring from the root a series of particularly firm shoots. Hence the securing of success is symbolized under the image of binding to mulberry shoots.
Confucius says of this: "Danger arises where one feels secure in one's place. Ruin threatens where one seeks to preserve one's existence. Confusion arises where one has everything in order. Therefore the noble one, when secure, does not forget danger; when existing, does not forget ruin; and when orderly, does not forget confusion. Thereby they come into personal safety, and the kingdom is preserved."
Line 6
A nine at the top means:
The Standstill ceases.
First Standstill, then good fortune!
Commentary
Standstill does not last forever. But it does not end of itself; the right man is needed to bring it to an end. This is the difference between peace and standstill. Peace requires lasting effort in order to be held. Left to itself, it would turn into standstill and decline. The time of decline does not turn of itself into peace and flourishing; effort is required to remove it. Here is characterized the creative position of the human being, which is necessary so that the world may come into order.