29 坎 The Pit /Danger – Be Watchful & Righteous
This hexagram is made up of two Water trigrams 坎. 坎 is formed by the word owing 欠 and the word earth 土. Owing earth means a depression on the ground or a pit. It, therefore, signifies danger – falling into a pit. The trigram 坎 also means water (坎为水). Hence, we can see that the pit or depression is caused by running water. Ravine or Gorge is a better translation but may not be as easy to understand as the ‘pit’ for the English speaker. We have the common phrases of “falling into the pit”, “pit of hell”, etc.
Description:
- 习坎: surrounded by dangers (literally pits)
- 有孚: have honesty and integrity
- 维心亨: following the pure heart leads to a smooth flow
- 行有尚: the behavior results in respect and hence success.
Textual Commentary:
彖曰：习坎，重险也。 水流而不盈，行险而不失其信。 维心亨，乃以刚 中也。 行有尚，往有功也。 天险不可升也，地险山川丘陵也，王公设险以守其国，坎之时用大矣哉！
Encountering repeating pits means being in deep danger with danger after danger (of the sky and of the earth). Flowing water does not overflow. Encountering danger and yet losing one’s integrity. Holding on to a conscious clear heart will open up the way. This is because the inside is strong, fair, and balanced. The behavior is honorable and going forth will bring rewards. The danger of the sky is the sun and moon not rising (or wealthier becomes abnormal). The danger on earth is the tall mountains and ravines. The king set up dangerous obstacles to protect his country. The use of dangerous pits at the right moment and place brings great benefits.
The final commentary, “using danger as a protection” is one of the key principles of i-Ching – fortune or disaster is not absolute but requires wise application within the context of time and positioning.
Pictorial Commentary:
象曰：水洊至，习坎；君子以常德行，习教事。
Waves and waves of water flowing in represent unending dangers. A wise man should do likewise with unending moral behavior and continuing in teaching others.
Morale Teachings:
- Be watchful of forthcoming danger. Chinese has a famous proverb， “居安思危”, meaning in a peaceful time, one should consider the potential danger. One should live life circumspectly (see point 4).
- The way to handle danger is through integrity and honesty. Take the path of righteous and virtuous behavior. Doing righteous things will keep you safe from danger.
- We can make use of danger and dangerous obstacles as protection.
- Our watchfulness of danger keeps us alert and helps us to walk circumspectly.
- We should continuously practice moral and righteous behavior.
- We should also continuously teach others.
Stage 1 Begin six: Surrounded by dangers and still fall into the pit. This is a misfortune.
初六：习坎，入于坎窞，凶。
The pictorial commentary explains the reason for falling into the pit. It is because of deviating from the righteous path. 象曰：习坎入坎，失道凶也。
By constantly living in temptations and dangerous environments, we may get used to the evils and inadvertently commit the same evil thereby bringing forth suffering and misfortune ourselves. The teaching is clear – stay clear and away from all forms of dangers and temptations. The famous Chinese proverb is “Staying close to red color beans we come red and staying close to black ink makes us black”. People are usually not that strong to be not influenced by the surrounding environment. Why put ourselves in danger? Stay away from them.
Stage 2 Second Nine: Pit spells danger. Seek only small gains. 九二：坎有险，求小得.
The pictorial commentary explains that seeking small gains is only possible because we have not walked out of danger yet (literally, still in an imbalanced state). 象曰：求小得，未出中也。
Now that we have fallen into the pit, we should not take drastic actions immediately. We should study it carefully and probe little by little to make small gains or movement out of the danger. We probe and move cautiously.
Stage 3 Third Six: Pits are all over. They are deep and dangerous. Trapped inside a pit and could not move. 六三：来之坎坎，险且枕，入于坎窞，勿用。
The pictorial commentary explains that surrounded by pits and despite trying hard, it ends without any success. 象曰：来之坎坎，终无功也。
We get stuck into deeper pits and any effort does not seem to yield any result. In fact, it is worse. It is like falling into quicksand and any struggle sinks us deeper into the sands. The action to take seems to be just to remain at rest and wait for the right opportunity.
Stage 4 Fourth Six: A bottle of wine and a bowl of rice. Using earthen vessels to send them through the window. Eventually, there is no disaster. 六四：樽酒簋贰，用缶，纳约自牖，终无咎。
The pictorial commentary explains that wine and rice, represent in times of trouble, the strong and the soft helping each other, and hence there is no disaster. 象曰：樽酒簋贰，刚柔际也。
The picture painted represents helping each other in times of trouble. When one is trapped, help, in the form of simple food and drink, comes from the outside through the window. True friendship is seen in times of trouble.
Stage 5 Fifth Nine: The pit has not been filled up but the hill has already been leveled. There is no blame. 九五：坎不盈，祗既平，无咎。
The pictorial commentary explains that the pit is not fully filled up because there is insufficient strength at the center core. 象曰：坎不盈，中未大也。
We try our best and not be over-ambitious in times of danger. While the pit is not fully filled up, we manage to get out of danger. One piece of advice is to follow the line of least resistance to get out of danger. We may at times need to suffer some shame such as exiting from business or taking some losses, to get to safety. We can rebuild again in the future.
It also explains that because our integrity is not fully developed so the pit is not fully filled up. Continue to develop the basic core character strength. Who levels the hill? Could be our friends that come to help in stage 4. Could be the timing is now right. But the help comes from external. It is important to build up internal strength as well.
Stage 6 Top Six： Tied up with ropes and put in prison with the thorn-hedged wall. Bond for three years. Disaster. 上六：係用徽纆，置于丛棘，三岁不得，凶。
The pictorial commentary gives the reason for three years of disastrous time. It was because of one’s losing the right ways. 象曰：上六失道，凶三岁也.
At the end of the danger, one learns the basic lesson – the way to prevent and to get out of danger is to follow the righteous way. Any other way of cheating and cutting corners to gain instant success will only put us in prison!
Stage 5 tells us that our inner core is not developed and filled up. Stage 6 tells us we have left the righteous path and fallen into crime and got imprisoned, repeating the pattern in Stage 1. This is a serious warning to all. Don’t be stuck in the vicious circle of dangers, crimes, and imprisonment!
Summary:
Always be on the alert and watch out for impending danger. The safest and surest way is to hold on to integrity and honesty. Instead of being afraid of danger, we can use dangerous obstacles for our protection. Convert any threat to opportunity. We should teach others to be righteous and alert too.
Wisdom from the stage lines teaches you how to act in times of danger:
- Stay away from Dangers / Temptation else you will fall into them.
- Probe and move cautiously if you fall into it.
- Dangers everywhere, just stay at rest. Wait for help.
- True friendship is seen in times of trouble. They come to help.
- Core integrity strength not fully developed yet got out of danger due to external help. Take heed to develop internal strength.
- Stay righteous – the sure way to prevent and keep out of danger else back to stage 1 of imprisonment.
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