This is one of the big, important hexagrams of the I Ching, I think. It's the inverse of the previous hexagram, "Innocence," and symbolizes the gathering of virtue -- once you're simple and virtuous, greatness follows. All these hexagrams have different levels (just look at 'em! lines all the way down!), but this one seems to be more "leveled" than most. To me, anyway.

Wilhelm says:

The hexagram has a threefold meaning, expressing different aspects of the concept "holding firm. " Heaven within the mountain gives the idea of holding firm in the sense of holding together; the trigram Kên which holds the trigram Ch'ien still, gives the idea of holding firm in the sense of holding back; the third idea is that of holding firm in the sense of caring for and nourishing.

According to Da Liu, who always tells the truth, this hexagram is linked to the tai chi movement play arms like a fan or fan through the back, which looks a little like this. The upper trigram, gen (or ken), can mean "small" and "hand" (I admit, I don't get this -- it means "mountain," which isn't terribly small or hand-like at all!), while lower trigram, qian, means "strong" and "great." A folding fan can be great or small. The upper nuclear trigram, zhen, suggests rising into the sky, like the practitioner's hands, and can mean "bamboo," describing how the hands should move -- unfolding like a bamboo fan. Da Liu says: "The Image 'Heaven within the mountain,' gives the essence of the form." The picture of the movement linked above should give you a better idea of how this all works. Basically, you're starting from a compressed, low position and expanding outward into an open, upright position.

What's the character mean?
The Chinese name for da chu consists of two characters, one showing a human standing upright with spread arms and legs (much like in the tai chi posture) meaning "great," and another made of a field with grass stored on top of it underneath a cover -- a barn or storehouse, in other words. Thus "nourishing" or "accumulation," but also in the sense of raising livestock and even taming animals.

What's on the top?
The outer trigram is gen, the mountain. Steady. Stable. Sheltering. Earthy.

What's on the bottom?
The inner trigram is qian, heaven. Expansive & expanding. Energetic & bountiful.

What's in the guts?
The nuclear trigrams are twisty, explosive zhen (thunder) over happy, resting dui (lake).

What's it from far away?
The Judgement verse is about the virtues of restaurants and of (I'm actually saying it) staying the course:

Perseverance furthers.
Not eating at home brings good fortune.
It furthers one to cross the great water.

In other words, not using up your own stores, but also in making yourself dependent on the public -- this is the way to lead. The Image verse praises the man who (like me! right now! doing this!) studies old wisdom, storing it up to apply to future situations:

Thus the superior man acquaints himself with many sayings of antiquity
And many deeds of the past,
In order to strengthen his character....

What's it saying up close?
Most of the Lines verses depict various beasts of burden that can be dangerous if they're not tamed correctly. The sixth, final line is singled out as the "ruler" of the hexagram by Wilhelm (its verse describes attaining the way of heaven), but I'm most interested by the fifth verse. The first two lines start with a warning of danger and a description of a damaged wagon, then we move on to a fine horse (one that can pull the wagon, I think), a bull with its horns pressed back and then the tusk of a gelded boar. Wilhelm says

A boar's tusk is in itself dangerous, but if the boar's nature is altered, the tusk is no longer a menace. Thus also where men are concerned, wild force should not be combated directly; instead, its roots should be eradicated.

In other words, wait when it's time to wait, but be ready to take the effort, dig deep and, uh, geld that boar when the time comes.

And maybe eat out afterwards.

Happy New Year!


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_{I'm using the Wilhelm/Baynes translation from the comprehensive Wengu collection or the user-friendly Eclectic Energies site, and I'm taking the character translations from Alfred Huang's The Complete I Ching. Feel like going deeper? Check out Hong Kong's Taoist Culture & Information Centre's I Ching page, and the essays & reviews on Ma Xia's Yijing Page.}