The I Ching, Legge tr.: The Yî King Text: Section I...

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This is a classical Chinese divinatory text — an excerpt from the I Ching (Book of Changes) — presenting Hexagram XII, called Phî (Pi), which signifies standstill, obstruction, or decay. The hexagram is structurally the inverse of Hexagram XI (Thâi/Peace), with weak (yin) lines below and strong (yang) lines above, symbolizing a breakdown of communication and harmony between heaven and earth, or between social classes. The main content walks through each of the six lines, prescribing attitudes and forecasting outcomes: the weak lower lines counsel patience, obedience, and firm correctness as the proper response to adversity, while the strong upper lines describe the gradual overthrow of obstruction and a return to joy. The accompanying commentary (likely from the Shuo Gua or a traditional gloss) situates the hexagram in the seventh lunar month, framing the symbolism cosmologically as a season of declining vital energy after growth has peaked. A notably distinctive claim is the cautionary verse addressed to the fifth-line ruler — "We may perish! We may perish!" — arguing that only by maintaining anxious vigilance at the height of power can stability be secured. The text would interest readers studying classical Chinese philosophy, divination traditions, or the I Ching's method of deriving ethical guidance from symbolic structure.

The I Ching, Legge tr.: The Yî King Text: Section I...

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