未济
GUA 64 · WEI4 JI
NOT YET COMPLETE
Key Words (关键词)
Suspense, state of transition, unfinished business, halfway across, states of change▼
Key Words (关键词)
Suspense, state of transition, unfinished business, halfway across, states of change
Uncertainty; sustaining purpose and effort, second wind, subordination to the goal Tension between what is and what must be, elasticity, necessity as a motivation Dynamic disequilibrium, the energy of displacement, provisional ends and means Actualizing potential energy; midcourse maneuvers; use of stress and momentum Vigilance, making accidents serve ends; using uncertainty & insecurity as sources
Overall Image (大象)
The flame is positioned on top of the water
Not yet complete
The noble young one, accordingly, is heedful and discerning
so that things remain straightforward▼
Overall Image (大象)
The flame is positioned on top of the water
Not yet complete
The noble young one, accordingly, is heedful and discerning
so that things remain straightforward
Flame over water is clearly misplaced, completely out of its element. The young fox crossing thin ice, like the albatross over mid-ocean, must keep his longer-term goals on his mind, attending to details, with sharp eyes for problems and needs, digressing only to further the purpose of crossing. To see the big picture here includes lots of irrelevant things. Seeing only what matters the most requires a distorted perspective. The wise take great care with distinctions, so that each thing finds its right place and footing stays sure. A useful tension exists here between what could be and what is, an energy potential. Things out of their proper places draw themselves homeward.
Main Judgment (Not Yet Complete) (卦辞)
Fulfillment
The little fox is almost across the half-frozen stream
To soak that tail
Is not a direction with merit▼
Main Judgment (Not Yet Complete) (卦辞)
Fulfillment
The little fox is almost across the half-frozen stream
To soak that tail
Is not a direction with merit
Nearly halfway across the half-frozen stream, the wary, young fox is dauntless, but careful. He is also not done growing older and wiser, and knows this. He continues to follow his plan. His plan, however, has already crossed, and now relaxes on that far shore in the sun. Such a plan can drown itself many times over, yet come back as lively as ever. The tangible fox is unable to do this and so he wants to keep all of his trouble in theory, and to keep his loose ends together. This far from safety, with just as far forward as back, he cannot afford even to dampen his tail. His nearest home or resting place may be all the way at the end. Nothing is granted but givens, as he can find and claim them. The sequences are uncertain, the problems are unknown. And yet he wants certain, not probable, outcomes. Thankfully, only three out of four feet really need to be sure. Thinking on and with his feet, he tests the ice before he commits his weight, keeping three points on the known and one for new knowledge. Almost all of this tension and stress increases his chance of success. Thoughts of ice cold water, thoughts of the warm, sunny shore: a tension pulls one to the other.
Structure & Connections
Structure Class
Kan-Li Family
This classification indicates the hexagram's role in the 12 Sovereign Cycle (Earthly Branches) or its structural family.
Astrology
note:Luna in Fire
planet:Moon
element:Fire
Tarot
card:Nine of Wands
suit:Wands
Qabalah
note:Yesod in Atziluth
sphere:Yesod
The Lines
11st • YangSoaking one’s tail
Embarrassing▼
1
1st • YangSoaking one’s tail
Embarrassing
64.1x Soaking one’s tail:
Such an extreme indiscretion
The young fox struts out onto thin ice, as if the equal to his plan, like the last word in high stepping. But then he steps down too hard on the low-probability outcome. First hand experience comes rushing home, chilling his hot young head, clear from the tip of his tail. Here’s a quick lesson in ends and means, a refreshing chance to learn how to swim, something to groan about later, and reasons to insure his future concern with success. Now he can truly imagine how crossing streams lengthwise is bad. This is no great misfortune: he has only just left the near shore. Although starting over means time for his tail to dry, it is also good time to process these new revelations and become a little bit older. This is a fortunate message, sent straight to his self-esteem. His mental life is drawn back now to practical ends and details.
22nd • YangBraking those wheels
Persistence is promising▼
2
2nd • YangBraking those wheels
Persistence is promising
64.2x Nine second’s persistence (is) promising:
In balance in order to advance correctly
He remains a long way from home, but he takes a restful moment here on the shore to study what he’s come to, adjust directions and bearings, and begin this next ford correctly. He begins to test his brakes early in the crossing, keeping them dry and riding them into the water, holding his horses a little, trading off a little much-needed momentum for surer feelings of safety. There’s more to a journey than going forth quickly. There is more to the chariot at his command than light weight and powerful horses. The chariot will need to stop precisely as often as it starts forward, just like walking in mountains means that climb and descent have identical measures. Power and restraint aren’t two separate things, but both will be the components of success. Without momenum he’ll get stuck in mid-sream, without his brakes he’ll go too far.
33rd • YangIf not yet across, to go boldly has pitfalls
It is worthwhile to cross the great stream▼
3
3rd • YangIf not yet across, to go boldly has pitfalls
It is worthwhile to cross the great stream
64.3x (If) not yet across, to go boldly has pitfalls:
The position is not appropriate
He makes some remarkable progress as he hurries towards home and completion. But as soon as he reaches the crossing, things begin to go sideways. It would seem that the ferryman is not in as much of a hurry, and he likes to tease those who are. First reactions have made bad first impressions. The ferryman now does not like our traveler’s attitude, and flatly refuses to take him across. It is tempting here to make the ferryman ford the stream lengthways, but this will not contribute to progress, or to getting across: there are laws against such things. Our homeward bound traveler might as well take his anger aside, along with his axe and some rope, and then build himself a small raft. Frustration is impractical, so he gets a grip and handles things better. Good ideas are the ones which work. Once across he can send gestures back.
44th • YangPersistence is promising while regrets pass
Force was spent to subjugate the barbarian country
Though three years brought rewards of great domains▼
4
4th • YangPersistence is promising while regrets pass
Force was spent to subjugate the barbarian country
Though three years brought rewards of great domains
64.4x Persistence (is) promising (while) regrets pass:
The objectives (are) carried out
Not yet done with the forces of wrong, he steels his heart and wades into hell. What does he get himself into? Three long years of battle against the Gui Fang. He will turn himself into a weapon of war, so that any kindness will look like a tactic, any mistake like a ploy. To advance means to put things aside and behind him, including all thoughts of his home life. Three years of resolve will wrest order from the chaos, although every day new lands will be claimed. His final reward is the conquest, and the fitness this brings, and maybe even some lessons to spread about fighting, both with and against more competent warriors. But his final demon to conquer will be this foreign state of mind, no more native to him than the northern barbarians are to his homeland. Neither completion nor peace are found by the end of this battle.
55th • YangPersistence is promising
Despite the regrets
The noble young one moves toward the light of example
Holding true
Promising▼
5
5th • YangPersistence is promising
Despite the regrets
The noble young one moves toward the light of example
Holding true
Promising
64.5x The noble young one moves toward the light of example:
The brightness (is) promising
Times of transition can feel quite foreign or strange, as when the fire run wild has cleared the ground for new growth. This will not seem like much of a garden now. The thorns are the first to take over, to hold their ground for the weeds next to come. The careless get stuck and blood is shed. But the weeds taking root are as green as the plants of tomorrow. The time now begins to bear witness, the change foreseen starts to come into view, at least to those with more than one single season of vision. The wise one might seem self-absorbed, with eyes that look too far beyond, or too closely, as if picking the present apart. But that helpful light up ahead will be his. We are but bridges for those who come after. And many have come before us, and charted some of the ways changes go. Their examples serve as provisional truths.
6Top • YangBeing confident on top of drinking wine
Not wrong
But to soak one’s own head,
Even with truth, is truly to lose it▼
6
Top • YangBeing confident on top of drinking wine
Not wrong
But to soak one’s own head,
Even with truth, is truly to lose it
64.6x Drinking wine (and) soaking the head:
Truly without comprehending the limits
The long transition is practically over and the vigilant want to relax. They are merely nearing completion, but already the big celebration begins. The heady wine is passed freely about in the tavern, in a confident celebration. There is no blame at all in all of this making merry, but a poor follow-through here can reach backward through time and mess up a good beginning. The old fox first gets his whole tail across, before he and his plan for success will share stories. As the arrow takes flight, the bow is still held steady, the means are held to the end, the trust invested is kept. There is a great difference between letting go and falling apart. One might need to veer pretty badly off course to change outcomes now, but this kind of thing might be able to do that. One wants a grander finale. To dump the wine on his own head is not an apotheosis.
Reference in Original Text & Resources
This content is derived from Bradford Hatcher's THE BOOK OF CHANGES: Yijing, Word By Word.
Original text for Hexagram 64 begins on Page 444-457.
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