Reading
Judgment
Shock brings success.
Shock comes: oh, oh!
Laughing words: ha, ha!
Shock terrifies for a hundred miles,
and he lets fall neither sacrificial spoon nor chalice.
The shock that rises through God's coming forth within the earth causes people to be afraid, but this fear of God is something good, for it brings it about that cheerfulness and joy can follow. When one has inwardly learned what fear and trembling are, one is secure against the shock through outer influences. Even though thunder rages, so that it terrifies within a hundred miles' circumference, one remains inwardly so composed and reverent that one does not interrupt the act of sacrifice. Such a deep inner earnestness, which lets all outer terrors rebound powerless, is the spiritual constitution that leaders of humanity and rulers must have.
Image
Continuing thunder: the image of Shock.
Thus the noble one, in fear and trembling, makes their life right and examines themself.
The continuing thunder brings through its shock fear and trembling. So the noble one stands always in reverence before God's coming forth and brings their life into order and examines their heart as to whether nothing in secret contradicts the will of God. Thus reverence is the foundation of true life-formation.
Commentary
The hexagram Chen is the eldest son, who seizes rule energetically and powerfully. A Yang line arises beneath two Yin lines and presses powerfully upward. This motion is so vehement that it arouses terror. As image serves thunder, which breaks forth out of the earth and through its shock causes fear and trembling.
Changing Lines
Line 1
A nine at the beginning means:
Shock comes: oh, oh!
Thereupon follow laughing words: ha, ha!
Good fortune!
Commentary
Fear and trembling of the shock come first upon one, so that one sees oneself at a disadvantage compared to others. But this is only preliminary. When one has passed through the judgment, relief comes. And so precisely the terror into which one must first enter brings, considered as a whole, good fortune.
Line 2
A six in the second place means:
Shock comes with danger.
A hundred thousand times you lose your treasures
and must climb the nine hills.
Do not go after them.
After seven days you will get them back.
Commentary
A situation is depicted in which through a shock one comes into danger and suffers great losses. The conditions are such that resistance is against the direction of the time-movement and therefore has no success. Therefore one should simply withdraw to heights that are inaccessible to the threatening dangers. The losses in possessions one must take into the bargain and should not concern oneself excessively about them. Without chasing after possessions, one will regain them of oneself when the time has passed whose shocks have robbed one of the possessions.
Line 3
A six in the third place means:
Shock comes and makes one lose one's composure.
If one acts in consequence of the shock,
one remains free of misfortune.
Commentary
There are three kinds of shock: the shock of heaven, that is thunder; further, the shock of fate; and finally, the shock of the heart.
Here it is less a matter of inner shock than of the shock of fate. In such times of shock one too easily loses composure, so that one fails to recognize all possibilities of action and silently lets fate take its course. If one lets oneself be brought to inner movement through the shock of fate, one will overcome the outer blows of fate without great effort.
Line 4
A nine in the fourth place means:
The shock falls into the mud.
Commentary
Inner movement depends for its success in part also on circumstances. When the circumstances are such that neither resistance is present that lets itself be energetically combated, nor things yield so that a victory can be won, but everything is tough and sluggish like mud, then movement is paralyzed.
Line 5
A six in the fifth place means:
Shock goes back and forth: danger.
But one loses absolutely nothing,
only there are dealings.
Commentary
Here it is not only a one-time shock, but a repeated one, that allows no time to breathe. But nevertheless the shock brings no loss, since one is intent on holding oneself at the center of the movement and thereby is freed from the fate of being thrown defenselessly back and forth.
Line 6
A six at the top means:
The shock brings decay and anxious looking around.
To go forward brings misfortune.
If it has not yet reached one's own body,
but has first reached the neighbor,
it is no blame.
The comrades have something to say.
Commentary
Inner shock robs one of reflection and clarity of vision when it has risen to the highest. In such a shock it is naturally not possible to act reflectively. Here the right thing is to keep still until calm and clarity have been found again.
But to this one is only capable as long as one has not yet oneself been infected by the agitation, while one can already observe in the surroundings the ominous effects of such agitation. If one now withdraws in good time from action, one remains free of mistakes and harm. But the comrades in their agitation, who no longer let themselves be warned, will surely be dissatisfied with one. But one must take no regard of that.