Philosophy
易經
I Ching
LII. 艮 The Kăn Hexagram
When one's resting is like that of the back, and he loses all consciousness of self; when he walks
in his courtyard, and does not see any (of the persons) in it,—there will be no error.
1. The first SIX, divided, shows its subject keeping his toes at rest. There will be no error; but it will be advantageous for him to be persistently firm and correct.
2. The second SIX, divided, shows its subject keeping the calves of his legs at rest. He cannot help (the subject of the line above) whom he follows, and is dissatisfied in his mind.
3. The third NINE, undivided, shows its subject keeping his loins at rest, and separating the ribs (from the body below). The situation is perilous, and the heart glows with suppressed excitement.
4. The fourth SIX, divided, shows its subject keeping his trunk at rest. There will be no error.
S. The fifth SIX, divided, shows its subject keeping his jawbones at rest, so that his words are (all) orderly. Occasion for repentance will disappear.
6. The sixth NINE, undivided, shows its subject devotedly maintaining his restfulness. There will be good fortune.
艮 – Gen
艮其背，不获其身，行其庭，不见其人，无咎。
彖曰：艮，止也。
时止则止，时行则行，动静不失其时，其道光明。
艮其止，止其所也。
上下敌应，不相与也。
是以不获其身，行其庭不见其人，无咎也。
象曰：兼山，艮；君子以思不出其位。
初六：艮其趾，无咎，利永贞。
象曰：艮其趾，未失正也。
六二：艮其腓，不拯其随，其心不快。
象曰：不拯其随，未退听也。
九三：艮其限，列其夤，厉薰心。
象曰：艮其限，危薰心也。
六四：艮其身，无咎。
象曰：艮其身，止诸躬也。
六五：艮其辅，言有序，悔亡。
象曰：艮其辅，以中正也。
上九：敦艮，吉。
象曰：敦艮之吉，以厚终也。
Appendix 1
1. Kăn denotes stopping or resting;—resting when it is the time to rest, and acting when it is the time to act. When one's movements and restings all take place at the proper time for them, his way (of proceeding) is brilliant and intelligent.
2. Resting in one's resting-point is resting in one's proper place. The upper and lower (lines of the hexagram) exactly correspond to each other, but are without any interaction; hence it is said that '(the subject of the hexagram) has no consciousness of self; that when he walks in his courtyard, he does not see (any of) the persons in it; and that there will be no error.'
Appendix 2
(Two trigrams representing) a mountain, one over the other, form Kăn. The superior man, in accordance with this, does not go in his thoughts beyond the (duties of the) position in which he is.
1. 'He keeps his toes at rest:'—he does not fail in what is correct (according to the idea of the figure).
2. 'He cannot help him whom he follows:'(he whom he follows) will not retreat to listen to him.
3. 'He keeps the loins at rest:'—the danger (from his doing so) produces a glowing, heat in the heart.
4. 'He keeps the trunk of his body at rest:'—he keeps himself free (from agitation).
5. 'He keeps his cheek bones at rest:'—in harmony with his central position he acts correctly.
6. 'There is good fortune through his devotedly maintaining his restfulness:'—to the end he shows himself generous and good.
Footnotes
LII The trigram Kăn represents a mountain. Mountains rise up grandly from the surface of the earth, and their masses rest on it in quiet and solemn majesty; and they serve also to arrest the onward progress of the traveller. Hence the attribute ascribed to Kăn is twofold; it is both active and passive-resting and arresting. The character is used in this hexagram with both of those significations. As the name of the figure, it denotes the mental characteristic of resting in what is right; especially resting, as it is expressed by Chinese critics, 'in principle,'—that which is light, on the widest scale, and in the absolute conception of the mind; and that which is right in every different position in which a man can be placed. We find this treated of in the Great Learning (Commentary, chapter 3), and in the Doctrine of the Mean, chapter 14, and other places. This is the theme of the hexagram; and the symbolism of it is all taken from different parts of the human body, as in hexagram 31, and the way in which they are dealt with. Several of the paragraphs are certainly not easy to translate and interpret.
The other parts of the body, such as the mouth, eyes, and ears, have their appetencies, which lead them to what is without themselves. The back alone has nothing to do with anything beyond itself-hardly with itself even; all that it has to do is to stand straight and strong. So should it be with, us, resting in principle, free from the intrusion of selfish though s and external objects. Amidst society, he who realises the idea of the hexagram is still alone, and does not allow himself to be distracted from the contemplation and following of principle. He is not a recluse, however, who keeps aloof from social life; but his distinction is that he maintains a supreme regard to principle, when alone, and when mingling with others.
In the symbolism the author rises from one part of the body to the other. The first line at the bottom of the figure fitly suggests 'the toes.' The lesson is that from the first men should rest in, and be anxious to do, what is right in all their affairs. The weakness of the line and its being in an odd place give occasion for the caution, with which the paragraph concludes.
Above the toes are the calves, represented by the second line, weak, but in its proper place. Above this, again, are the loins, represented by 3, strong, and in danger of being violent. Line 2 follows 3, and should help it; but is unable to do so; and there results dissatisfaction.
When the calves are kept at rest, advance is stopped, but no other harm ensues. Not so when the loins are kept at rest, and unable to bend, for the connexion between the upper and lower parts of the body is then broken. The dissatisfaction increases to an angry heat. Paragraph 3 is unusually difficult. For 'loins' P. Regis has scapulae, and for ribs renes; Canon McClatchie says:—'Third Nine is stopping at a limit, and separating what is in continued succession (i. e. the backbone); thus the mind,' &c.
Line 4 is a weak line resting in a proper place; hence it gives a good auspice. The Khang-hsî editors, however, call attention to the resting of the trunk as being inferior to the resting of the back in the Thwan.
The place of the weak fifth line is not proper for it; and this accounts for the mention of its subject 'repenting,' for which, however, there is not occasion.
The third line of the trigrams, and the sixth of the hexagram, is what makes Kăn what it is,—the symbol of a mountain. The subject of it therefore will carry out the resting required by the whole figure in the highest style.
App-1-2:LII 1. The Khang-hsî editors give their opinion that what is said in the first sentence of this paragraph, after the explanation of the name, illustrates the first sentence of the Thwan, and that the other sentence illustrates the: rest of the Thwan. It may be so, but the whole of the Thwan appears in paragraph 2.
2. The hexagram being made up of Kăn repeated, lines 1, 2, 3 are of course the same as 4, 5, and 6. But it will be seen that there is not a proper correlation among them all. I do not see, however, that this furnishes any ground for the entire obliviousness of self, which the Th wan makes out to be in the figure.
App-2-2:LII According to the view of the Khang-hsî editors, the application should be translated:—'The superior man, in accordance with this, thinks anxiously how he shall not go beyond the duties of his position.' It is difficult to decide between this shade of the meaning, and the more common one which I have followed.
The toes play a great part in walking; but they are here kept at rest, and so do not lose the correct idea of Kăn.
There is no correlation between lines 2 and 3, and thence the subject of 3 will hold on its upward way without condescending to 2.
Khăng-žze finds an unsatisfactory auspice in paragraph 4. Line 4 represents a great minister who should be able to guide all to rest where they ought to be; but he can only keep himself from agitation.
Yü Păn (Ming dynasty) says on paragraph 5:—'Words should not be uttered rashly. Then, when uttered, they will be found accordant with principle. But it is only the master of the virtue belonging to the due mean who can attain to this.'