蠱
gu3Mathews: 3475GSR: 52a
Dictionary Definition
(a, the) corruption, decay, decadence, rot, putrefaction, toxicity, poison, worms (in food or belly), pestilence; bad medicine, bad magic, slow poison, venom; fixation (s), stagnation, deception, guile, delusion, insanity; (glossed in guwen as chong, 1519: worms, insects, reptiles); (a, the) renewal, healing, curing, purging, detoxifying (a Chinese Janus word); [neurosis, toxic ideas, a closed mind] ; (to be) fixated, degenerating, deteriorating, decaying
Radical: 142+17 | First occurrence: Hexagram 18.0
Concordance & Context (14 occurrences)
Entries shown in Hatcher's reference chain order. First Witness at 18.0
Gua Ci★
detoxifying; bad medicine*, toxins, fixations
蠱，元亨，利涉大川。先甲三日，後甲三日。
Most fulfilling
Worthwhile to cross the great stream
Before the beginning, three days
After the beginning, three days
Stats: 142+17→ 18.1
1st Line
fixations, toxins, decadence, bad medicine
幹父之蠱，有子，考無咎，厲終吉。
Correcting father’s fixations
To be a young one examining
Is not a mistake
Difficult
But in the end, promising
→ 18.2
2nd Line
fixations, toxins, decadence, bad medicine
幹母之蠱，不可贞。
Correcting mother’s fixations
Ill-suited to firmness
→ 18.3
3rd Line
fixations, toxins, decadence, bad medicine
幹父之蠱，小有悔，無大咎。
Correcting father’s fixations
There will be a little regret
But no great mistakes
→ 18.4
4th Line
fixations, toxins, decadence, bad medicine
裕父之蠱，往見吝。
Indulging father’s fixations
To continue meets with disgrace
→ 18.5
5th Line
fixations, toxins, decadence, bad medicine
幹父之蠱，用譽。
Correcting father’s fixations
Use praise
→ 18.0
Xiao Xiang 1
fixations
幹父之蠱，意承考也。
18.1x Correcting father’s fixations:
Intending to inherit the examined
Xiao Xiang 2
fixations
幹母之蠱，得中道也。
18.2x Correcting mother’s fixations:
Find the middle path
Xiao Xiang 3
fixations
幹父之蠱，終無咎也。
18.3x Correcting father’s fixations:
Eventually not a mistake
Xiao Xiang 4
fixations
裕父之蠱，往未得也。
18.4x Indulging father’s fixations:
Continuing (is) less than gainful
Tuan Zhuan
detoxifying
蠱，剛上而柔下，巽而止，蠱。蠱元亨，而天下治也。利涉大川，往有事也。先甲三日，後甲三日，終則有始，天行也。
Detoxifying
The firm (is) above while the flexible (is) below
Adaptive and yet motionless
Fixations
Detoxifying (is) most fulfilling:
As all under heaven (is) healed
Worthwhile to cross the great stream:
(In) moving on there is work to do
Before the beginning, three days,
After the beginning, three days:
In the end, in due order, there will be a beginning
As heaven behaves
(means) toxin, fixation (s); corruption, decay
蠱，剛上而柔下，巽而止，蠱。蠱元亨，而天下治也。利涉大川，往有事也。先甲三日，後甲三日，終則有始，天行也。
Detoxifying
The firm (is) above while the flexible (is) below
Adaptive and yet motionless
Fixations
Detoxifying (is) most fulfilling:
As all under heaven (is) healed
Worthwhile to cross the great stream:
(In) moving on there is work to do
Before the beginning, three days,
After the beginning, three days:
In the end, in due order, there will be a beginning
As heaven behaves
detoxifying
蠱，剛上而柔下，巽而止，蠱。蠱元亨，而天下治也。利涉大川，往有事也。先甲三日，後甲三日，終則有始，天行也。
Detoxifying
The firm (is) above while the flexible (is) below
Adaptive and yet motionless
Fixations
Detoxifying (is) most fulfilling:
As all under heaven (is) healed
Worthwhile to cross the great stream:
(In) moving on there is work to do
Before the beginning, three days,
After the beginning, three days:
In the end, in due order, there will be a beginning
As heaven behaves
Xiang Zhuan
detoxifying; fixation; decaying, stagnating
山下有風，蠱。君子以振民育德。
At the base of the mountain is wind
Detoxifying
The noble young one, accordingly,
stirs up the people to fortify character
→ 18.0
Homophones (gu)
孤gu1(and) (all) alone, isolated, solitary, lonely股gu3thighs, loins, hips, haunches鼔gu3drumming, beating, banging (on, upon)谷gu3valley, depression, rut, hollow; (the) valley v糓gu3grains, grasses, cereals固gu4certainly, firmly, surely, decidedly 42.3x故gu4(and) accordingly, according to, as, as such, because, consequently, for, given this/that, hence, just as, since, so, so that, that, then, therefore, thus, on purpose, such as, such is, such that; before, in the past; assuming that, for the time being, for this reason, in such a case, in this way; that then (it/this); that accordingly; so?; (a, the) antecedent, cause, given, phenomenon, fact, matter, precedent, pretext, prior condition, purpose, reason (being) (of/for/to); old; (to) asssume (that), cause, come before, confer, give, lead to, precede, (s, ed, ing); formerly; because of, due to梏gu4(and) (hand)cuffs, manacles, (restraints)牿gu4(a) pen, corral, stable, enclosure; confinement
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