23剝 Stripping – Stopping Decay
This hexagram has a Mountain trigram on top of the Earth trigram. The word means to strip, crack, and split up due to decay or age. The hexagram has a single yang(light) line on top of 5 yin (dark) lines, showing darkness is slowly taking over. The decay is happening very slowly and is not easily detectable.
Description:
- 剥：不利有攸往。Splitting and cracking apart. It is not good to go forward.
Textual Commentary:
彖曰：剥，剥也，柔变刚也。 不利有攸往，小人长也。顺而止之，观象也。 君子尚消息 盈虚，天行也。
It is stripping or falling apart. Softness is hardening. It is not advisable to go forward. The little men (men lacking moral character) are taking over. Wise men need to watch the development and the trend and stop their activities. They see the cycles of increase and decrease, full and empty. They are the ways of heaven.
Pictorial Commentary:
象曰：山附地上，剥；上以厚下，安宅。
The mountain is on top of the earth, representing splitting like an earthquake and falling down to the earth. Those on top must treat those at the bottom with care and integrity so that they can live peacefully.
Moral Teaching:
- Growth and Decay occur in cycles.
- By treating the lower-level people well, the top can gain support and maintain their leadership. It is the foundation that supports the top (mountain).
- Decay comes went we ignore the fundamental moral principles of life. We lose our guards and evil creeps in slowly and eventually, we will find we have lost control over the situation.
Stage 1 Begin Six: The bed decays from the bottom, the feet. Truth and integrity are belittled. Dangerous. 初六：剥床(爿木)以足，蔑贞凶。
The pictorial commentary adds that decay begins from the foundation. 象曰：剥床以足， 以灭下也。
Decay can be seen to start from the bottom. It is about truth and integrity being belittled. The inferior men of lower moral character have to gain influence. Left unchecked, it will bring forth danger and destruction.
The lower-level front-line staff is not serving the customers well or doing their production work well. However the supervisors or higher-level management do not take notice.
Stage 2 Second Six: The decay has reached the joints of the bed. Truth and integrity begin belittled. Danger. 六二：剥床以辨，蔑贞凶。
The pictorial commentary explains that the decay has reached the joints because there was no mutual support (between the top and bottom). 象曰：剥床以辨，未有与也。
The decay continues unchecked and reaches a higher level, from the bottom of the feet to the edges of the bed. There could be some warnings from some of the staff but they were ignored or belittled by the top and others.
Stage 3 Third Six: Break away from them (evil). No fault. 六三：剥之，无咎。
The pictorial commentary explains that the reason for no fault is that it is not cooperating with the top and bottom (that are decaying). 象曰：剥之无咎，失上下也。
We are encouraged to stay with the moral path of truth and integrity and break away from participating in evil. It could be better if our influence is greater so that we sermon others to our rightful course to stop the decay. But the decay has set in and no one seems to pay attention to our warning. We could at least stay true to ourselves and not join the evil around us.
Stage 4 Fourth Six: The decay has reached the board of the bed, touching our skins. Danger. 六四：剥床以肤，凶。
The pictorial commentary further warns that disaster is at hand. 象曰：剥床以肤，切近灾也。
At this stage late stage of decay, the disaster is at the door. We have very little time to act. If you sleep on a bed with a decayed board, you will surely fall through it as it cannot carry our load.
Stage 5 Fifth Six: Leading others like a school of fish to gain favor from the top. All things progress well. 六五：贯鱼，以宫人宠，无不利。
The pictorial commentary adds that obtaining favors from the top will end well with no fault. 象曰：以宫人宠，终无尤也。
The situation has changed. It is likely that the bosses have awakened to the pending danger in stage 4. Acting together to get the top support for the change for truth and integrity is now favored.
Stage 6 Top Nine: Large fruit is not eaten. Wise men are given the means to act (literally, given horse carriage). Morally inferior men’s houses are broken apart. 上九：硕果不食，君子得舆，小人剥庐。
The pictorial commentary explains that Wise men are given carriages (signifying honor and authority) because the people respect and support them. Inferior men lose their houses because eventually they cannot be employed. 象曰：君子得舆，民所载也。小人剥庐，终不可 用也。
The wise men did not take the best (the large fruit) benefits for themselves but gave them to the common people. They in turn receive the support of the people. Justice eventually prevailed and the inferior men suffered great losses, even their homes. Life goes in a cycle of increase and decrease. We need to be watchful. There is a danger in success and opportunity in a recession.
Summary:
Life goes in a cycle. There is danger in every success and opportunity in every setback. Riches and successes may bring forth corruption and decay. We must have integrity and generosity in caring for others. Decay creeps in slowly and almost imperceptively. Hence we must always be watchful especially when we are successful.
The stage lines give us additional wisdom:
- Beware of early signs of decay. Take action.
- Listen to the warnings of some. Verify and take action.
- Breakaway from evil. Stay true.
- Disaster at hand. Act very fast.
- Act together to stop decay.
- Justice prevails. Have integrity and generosity.
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