䷱ gives the intimation of great progress and success.
䷱ was originally a pictorial character, representing a caldron with three feet and two ears, used for cooking and preparing food for the table the mat in old times and the altar. The picture has disappeared from the character, but it is said that in the hexagram we have an outline from which fancy may construct the vessel. The lower line, divided, represents its feet; lines 2, 3, 4, all undivided, represent the body of it; line 5, divided, represents its two ears; and line 6, undivided, the handle by which it was carried, or suspended from a hook. ䷱ follow ䷰ in the order of the hexagrams, because there is no changer of the appearance and character of things equal to the furnace and caldron!
䷱ and ䷯ are the only two hexagrams named from things in ordinary use with men; and they are both descriptive of the government's work of nourishing. There are three hexagrams of which that is the theme, ䷚, under which we are told in the Comments that the sages nourished men of worth, by means of them to reach to the myriads of the people. ䷯ treats of the nourishment of the people generally by the government through its agricultural and other methods; ䷱ treats of the nourishment of men of talents and virtue; and that being understood, it is said, without more ado, that it intimates great progress and success. The Text that follows, however, is more difficult to interpret than that of ䷯.
- In ䷱ we have symbolically the figure of a caldron. We see the symbol of wood entering into that of fire, which suggests the idea of cooking. The sages cooked their offerings in order to present them to God, and made great feasts to nourish their wise and able ministers.
- We have the symbol of flexible obedience, and that which denotes ears quick of hearing and eyes clear-sighted. We have also the weak line advanced and acting above, in the central place, and responded to by the strong line below. All these things give the idea of 'great progress and success.
See the notes on the Text of the judgment about the figure of a caldron in ䷱. Its component trigrams are ☴ representing wood, and ☲ representing fire; which may very well suggest the idea of cooking. The last sentence of the paragraph is entirely after the style of the Symbolism.The distinction between ䷯ and ䷱ appears here very clearly, the former relating to the nourishment of the people, and the latter to the nourishing men of worth. They add that the reality of the offerings to God is such nourishing. God is here the First Emperor.
- The first sentence deduces the sentiment of the judgment from the attributes or virtues of the trigrams with considerable amplification of the virtue of ☲. The second line of ☲, as being divided, calls forth in other hexagrams the same notice as here. It is the most important line in the figure, and being responded to by the strong 2, gives an indication of the great progress and success.
The trigram ☴ representing wood and above it that for fire form ䷱. The superior man, in accordance with this, keeps his every position correct, and maintains secure the appointment of Heaven.
The Symbolism here has come before us in the treatise on the judgment. Of the application of that symbolism I can only say that, as has been seen in many other hexagrams, while good enough in itself, it is far-fetched.
- The first line, divided, shows the caldron overthrown and its feet turned up. (But) there will be advantage in its getting rid of what was bad in it. (Or it shows us) the concubine (whose position is improved) by means of her son. There will be no error.
The caldron is overturned, and its feet turned upwards; but this is not all contrary to what is right. There will be advantage in getting rid of what was bad; thereby the subject of the line will follow the more noble subject of the fourth line.
Line 1 is weak, and little or nothing can be expected from its subject. But it has a proper correlate in the strong 4; and the disastrous overthrow, causing the feet to be directed towards 4, is understood to be lucky, as accelerating the co-operation of their two lines! The overturned caldron is thereby emptied of bad stuff that had accumulated in it! A concubine is less honourable than a wife, like the overthrown caldron. But if she have a son, while the proper wife has none, he will be his father's heir, and the mother, the concubine, will share in the honour of his position. Thus the issue of what was so unpromising is good. At least there is no mistake. The above is what is found in the best commentaries on the paragraph. I give it, but am myself dissatisfied with it. The same remark that the application of the Symbolism is far-fetched may be made on the explanation of the Text of the first line. I can myself do little more than guess at its meaning. The Khang-hsi editors observe that nothing is said about the case of the concubine in the Text; but that it is covered by the following the more noble, so condensed and complete are the words of the sage!
- The second line, undivided, shows the caldron with the things to be cooked in it. If its subject can say, My enemy dislikes me, but he cannot approach me, there will be good fortune.
There is the caldron with the things to be cooked in it; let the subject of the line be careful where he goes. My enemy dislikes me; but there will in the end be no fault to which he can point.
Line 2 is strong. The enemy is the first line, which solicits 1. One, however, is able to resist the solicitation; and the whole paragraph gives a good auspice. The personal pronoun seems to show that the whole was, or was intended to be, understood as an oracular response in divination. This paragraph is rhymed, moreover, as are also 1, 3, and 4.
In the caldron is good fare,
See my foe with angry glare;
But touch me he does not dare.There will be no fault in me to which my enemy can point, and his disposition to find fault will be diminished.
- The third line, undivided, shows the caldron with the places of its ears changed. The progress of its subject is thus stopped. The fat flesh of the pheasant which is in the caldron will not be eaten. But the genial rain will come, and the grounds for repentance will disappear. There will be good fortune in the end.
There is the caldron with the places for its ears changed; its subject has failed in what was required of him in his situation.
Line 3 is also strong, and in the proper place; and if its correlate were the divided 5, its auspice would be entirely good. But instead of 5, its correlate is the strong 6. The place of the ears at 5 has been changed. Things promise badly. The advance of 3 is stopped. The good meat in the caldron which it symbolises will not be eaten. But 3 keeping firm 5 will by and by seek its society! The weak and the strong will mingle, and their union will be followed by genial rain. The issue will he good. What was required of the caldron in the third line was that that line and line 5, instead of 6, should be correlates; but there is little meaning in such a statement.
- The fourth line, undivided, shows the caldron with its feet broken; and its contents, designed for the ruler's use, overturned and spilt. Its Subject will be made to blush for shame. There will be evil.
The contents designed for the ruler's use are overturned and spilt; how can the subject of the line be trusted?
Line 4 is in the place of a great minister, who is charged with the most difficult duties, which no single man can sustain. Then the strength of 4 is weakened by being in an even place, and its correlate is the weak 1 in the lowest place. Its subject is insufficient of himself for his work, and he has no sufficient help; and the result will be evil. The subject of line 4 cannot be trusted again. He has failed in doing what was his proper work.
- The fifth line, divided, shows the caldron with yellow ears and rings of metal in them. There will be advantage through being firm and correct.
The caldron has yellow ears; the central position of the line is taken as a proof of the solid virtue of its subject.
Praises the ruler as condescending to the worthy with his humble virtue. Yellow has occurred repeatedly as a correct colour; and here the yellow ears and strong rings of metal are intended to intensify our appreciation of the occupant of 5. As the line is divided, a caution is added about being firm and correct.
- The sixth line, undivided, shows the caldron with rings of jade. There will be great good fortune, and all action taken will be in every way advantageous.
'The rings of jade' are at the very top; the strong and the weak meet in their due proportions.
Line 6 is strong, but the strength is tempered by its being in an even place. It is this which makes the handle to be of jade, which, though very hard, is supposed to have a peculiar and rich softness of its own. The auspice of the line is very good. The great minister, it is said, the subject of 6, performs for the ruler, the subject of 5, in helping his government and nourishing the worthy, the part which the handle does for the caldron.