#44 姤 Encounter – Handle It Well
姤 天风姤 乾上巽下
This hexagram has a Heaven trigram on top of the Wind trigram. The word means encounter or to meet. It is the yin line joining to meet the other 5 yang lines. The end result of an encounter could be good or bad depending on who are the parties and what they do together.
Description:
- 女壮: The lady is strong.
- 勿用取女: Don’t marry such a lady.
- Note:
- Some translation says the lady is lustful going after 5 men giving that as the reason not to marry her.
- Another one considers the yin, representing soft lady, also representing little men (contemptible). Hence, righteous men should depart from her.
- Note:
Textual Commentary:
彖曰：姤，遇也，柔遇刚也。 勿用取女，不可与长也。 天地相遇，品物咸章也。 刚遇中正，天下大行也。 姤之时义大矣哉！
This hexagram means encounter or meet. The famine (soft) meets the masculine (strong, hard). Don’t marry such a lady. This is because one cannot have a long-term relationship with her. Heaven and Earth meet, resulting in an abundance of things. The strong meets the fair and square (the righteous and virtuous) and the world progresses greatly. The order and timing of the moral teaching of Encounter are great.
Pictorial Commentary: 象曰：天下有风，姤；后以施命诰四方
The Wind under Heaven forms an Encounter. The Queen (some translations interpret it as King. But 姤 is actually formed from lady and queen. It could mean the Queen taking power as King) proclaims her commands throughout the four corners.
Moral Teachings:
- An encounter of different forces will create a great impact.
- A good encounter for the right purpose and practicing the right ways will bring forth abundance and fortunes.
- When the good meets up with seemingly harmless evil, he should take care and stay away from the evil.
- A good man must not marry a lady who goes after many men.
- A good man must not marry a lady who behaves like a man.
Stage 1 Begin Six: Tied to a golden block and stopped. It is truly good fortune to follow the righteous ways. If letting it go where it likes it will meet danger. A tied pig paces to and fro and struggles to be led. 初六：系于金柅，贞吉，有攸往，见凶，羸豕踟躅。
The pictorial commentary explains that the stoppage by the bronze block is because of the influence of the soft ways. 象曰：系于金柅，柔道牵也。
Because we are tied to the righteous ways, we are stopped from being led astray by the temptations of evil on the way. Even though at times we are reluctant and have a struggle within us, nevertheless, dangers are avoided because we did not follow the evil.
Stage 2 Second Nine: There is fish in the sack. There is no fault. Not beneficial for friends. 九二：包有鱼，无咎，不利宾。
The pictorial commentary explains that the fish must be in the sack and not given to friends because our righteous character is not yet able to influence our friends. 象曰：包有鱼，义不及宾也。
We have fish, representing goodness, that we can feed on to grow up in our character. However, we are still not strong enough to be able to influence our friends for good. If we are not strong enough, meeting up with friends of the bad kind, we will easily be led astray. The Chinese like to use Lotus Flower to describe the wise and righteous person who is not influenced by the dirty and evil surrounding (出淤泥而不染). Unless we are strong we cannot withhold the temptations of our environment.
Stage 3 There is no skin on our backside. There is difficulty in movement. It is dangerous. But no big fault. 九三：臀无肤，其行次且，厉，无大咎。
The pictorial commentary explains the difficulty in movement is due to lack of pulling (i.e. help) 象曰：其行次且，行未牵也。
Character development is like climbing up a mountain. It is the challenges that strengthen one’s muscles and determination. But it is painful when our covers have to be stripped off. Stage 2 tells us to be careful about our friends. The pictorial commentary hinted that if we could get help from a good friend, we could move faster.
Stage 4 Fourth Nine: There is no fish in the sack. Arising is dangerous. 九四：包无鱼，起凶。
The pictorial commentary says the danger of no fish comes from distancing oneself from the people. 象曰：无鱼之凶，远民也。
We have nothing to offer the people. We cannot start anything useful because we have no support. We have to start meeting, listening, and helping our people.
Stage 5 Fifth Nine: Use the willow leaves to cover the fruits. It contains wisdom and order. Blessing falls from heaven. 九五：以杞包瓜，含章，有陨自天。
The pictorial commentary explains this person at this stage has a solid content of wisdom because he is righteous and balanced. Blessings fall from Heaven because one’s will did not violate the will of Heaven. 象曰：九五含章，中正也。 有陨自天，志不舍命也。
Development over time has matured us. We are humble and do not show off our abilities. Nevertheless, in the quiet working of our lives, we bring forth fruits to others and blessings from heaven.
Stage Six Top Nine: Encounter the horns. There is regret but no fault.上九：姤其角，吝，无咎。
The pictorial commentary explains that encountering the horn is because there is no further way to go. 象曰：姤其角，上穷吝也。
We have reached the end corner and there is no more to go. We can’t do much when we reach there. We have to prepare now for then. Reflect on one’s life now before you reach the end. What is the story we want to hear from our family members and close friends at our own funeral? Begin to live a life that way.
Summary: 44姤 Encountering – Handle It Carefully
- An encounter with differences will create a great impact.
- It must be for a good purpose and done the right way.
- We must be careful of seemingly harmless little evil.
- Man must select his wife carefully – not one that goes after many men or one that is too manly.
Wisdom from the Stage Lines:
- Encounter Temptation: Stay in the right way. Don’t be tempted into sin.
- Encounter Bad Friends: Build ourselves up first before we try to influence others.
- Encounter Good Friends: Growth comes from challenges. Get help from a good friend if possible.
- Encounter People: Start networking and help people.
- Encounter blessings from Heaven: Quietly serving the people brings forth blessings from Heaven.
- Encounter the End: Reach one’s life end. Reflect on one’s life now before we reach the end. Start doing them now.
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