STAGNATION
12. P'i / Stagnation
Top: Heaven | Bottom: Earth
This hexagram is the opposite of the preceding one. Heaven is above, drawing farther and farther
away, while the earth below sinks farther into the depths. The creative powers are not in relation.
It is a time of standstill and decline. This hexagram is linked with the seventh month (August-
September), when the year has passed its zenith and autumnal decay is setting in.
THE JUDGMENT
Evil people do not further the perseverance of the superior man. The great departs; the small approaches.
Heaven and earth are out of communion and all things are benumbed. What is above has no
relation to what is below, and on earth confusion and disorder prevail. The dark power is within,
the light power is without. Weakness is within, harshness without. Within are the inferior, and
without are the superior. The way of inferior people is in ascent; the way of superior people is
one the decline. But the superior people do not allow themselves to be turned from their
principles. If the possibility of exerting influence is closed to them, they nevertheless remain
faithful to their principles and withdraw into seclusion.
THE IMAGE
Heaven and earth do not unite thus the superior man falls back upon his inner worth in order to
escape the difficulties. He does not permit himself to be honored with revenue.
When, owing to the influence of inferior men, mutual mistrust prevails in public life, fruitful
activity is rendered impossible, because the fundaments are wrong. Therefore the superior man
knows what he must do under such circumstances; he does not allow himself to be tempted by
dazzling offers to take part in public activities. This would only expose him to danger, since he
cannot assent to the meanness of the others. He therefore hides his worth and withdraws into
seclusion.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
When ribbon grass is pulled up, the sod comes with it.
Each according to his kind.
Perseverance brings good fortune and success.
The text is almost the same as that of the first line of the preceding hexagram, but with a contrary
meaning. In the latter a man is drawing another along with him on the road to an official career;
here a man is drawing another with him into retirement form public life. This is why the text says
here, "Perseverance brings good fortune and success," and not "Undertakings bring good
fortune." If it becomes impossible to make our influence count, it is only by retirement that we
spare ourselves humiliation. Success in a higher sense can be ours, because we know how to
safeguard the value of our personalities.
Six in the second place means:
They bear and endure. This means good fortune for inferior people. The standstill serves to
help the great man to attain success.
Inferior people are ready to flatter their superiors in a servile way. They would also endure the
superior man if he would put an end to their confusion. This is fortunate for them. But the great
man calmly bears the consequences of the standstill. He does not mingle with the crowd of the
inferior; that is not his place. By his willingness to suffer personally he insures the success of his
fundamental principles.
Six in the third place means:
They bear shame.
Inferior people who have risen to power illegitimately do not feel equal to the responsibility they
have taken upon themselves. In their hearts they begin to be ashamed, although at first they do
not show it outwardly. This marks a turn for the better.
Nine in the fourth place means:
He who acts at the command of the highest remains without blame. Those of like mind
partake of the blessing.
The time of standstill is nearing the point of change into its opposite. Whoever wishes to restore
order must feel himself called to the task and have the necessary authority. A man who sets
himself up a capable of creating order according to his own judgment could make mistakes and
end in failure. But the man who is truly called to the task is favored by the conditions of the time,
and all those of like mind will share in his blessing.
Nine in the fifth place means:
Standstill is giving way. Good fortune for the great man."What if it should fail, what if it should fail?"
In this way he ties it to a cluster of mulberry shoots.
The time undergoes a change. The right man, able to restore order, has arrived. Hence "good
fortune." But such periods of transition are the very times in which we must fear and tremble.
Success is assured only through greatest caution, which asks always, "What if it should fail?"
When a mulberry bush is cut down, a number of unusually strong shoots sprout from the roots.
Hence the image of tying something to a cluster of mulberry shoots is used to symbolize the way
of making success certain. Confucius says about this line: "Danger arises when a man feels
secure in his position. Destruction threatens when a man seeks to preserve his worldly estate.
Confusion develops when a man has put everything in order. Therefore the superior man does
not forget danger in his security, does not ruin when he is well established, nor develop confusion
when his affairs are in order. In this way he gains personal safety and is able to protect the empire."
Nine at the top means:
The standstill comes to an end. First standstill, then good fortune.
The standstill does not last forever. However, it does not cease of its own accord; the right man is
needed to end it. This is the difference between a state of peace and a state of stagnation.
Continuous effort is necessary to maintain peace: left to itself it would change into stagnation
and disintegration. The time of disintegration, however, does not change back automatically to a
condition of peace and prosperity; effort must be put forth in order to end it. This shows the
creative attitude that man must take if the world is to be put in order.