#52 艮 Mountain – Stop, Contentment in Position

 

#52 艮 Mountain – Stop, Contentment in Position

艮 艮为山 艮上艮下

This hexagram is made up of two Mountain trigrams stacked up. It represents Stop, stay put, don’t cross the boundary, and be content with the present.

Description:

1. 艮其背, 不获其身: Meet the back but don’t get the body(front)
2. 行其庭，不见其人: Move into the courtyard but do not see the man.
3. 无咎: No fault.

Textual Commentary:

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。

Mountain means to stop. When the time to stop then stop. When it is time to go then move. Stop or go is done at the right moment and hence the way is bright. Stopping because it is the right place to stop.

Pictorial Commentary: 象曰：兼山，艮；君子以思不出其位

Doubled hills are mountains. A wise man is contented in his position (and does not try to usurp others’ positions or cross into others’ boundaries).

Moral Teachings:

1. To the body, it is stopping. To the mind, it is resting. To the heart, it is being contented.
2. To stop, rest or contentment is an option in life.
3. There is time to move, stretch the limits of the mind, and boldly take risks to accomplish worthwhile goals. There is also time to stop, recharge, and enjoy the present situation.
4. Going and Stopping at the right time and place makes for long-term sustained progress and sanctification. The worst is to get all these mixed up, stopping when one needs to move and moving when one needs to rest. Doesn’t this remind us of the stock market? The key is to buy and sell at the right time and price.
5. Since we are stopping and taking a rest, there is no accomplishment and there is no fault else. Rest with peace of mind.
6. Be content and stay with our present position. Don’t give orders beyond our authority. Don’t cross into others’ boundaries. Know our own roles and play them well. Promotion will come when we do well in our present job. Being content does not mean not wanting to grow or to seek progress. It is not being envious of others and not complaining. Such a stressful mental state will not allow us to do our work well. With contentment, we have the vitality for growth.  A Chinese saying is “随遇而安”- be contented with whatever situation we encounter.

Stage 1 Begin Six: Stop at the toes. There is no fault. Beneficial to always follow the path of righteousness and purity. 初六：艮其趾，无咎，利永贞。
The pictorial commentary explains stopping at the toes means we have not moved away from the righteous path. 象曰：艮其趾，未失正也。

In life, there are many temptations to lure us away from following the righteous path. Stop immediately at the smallest movement of the body – the toes! Trust God, it is always better to stay on the righteous path. The Bible has a similar statement:

Proverb 1:15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path: 16 For their feet run to evil, and make haste to shed blood

Stage 2 Second Six: Stop at the calf of the leg. It is not following his desire (to keep going). He is unhappy. 六二：艮其腓，不拯其随，其心不快。
The pictorial commentary explains that the need to stop him from moving is because he has not listened to the retreat order. 象曰：不拯其随，未退听也。

We did not stop as we should have in stage 1 and continued with our move. We are stopped at the calf of our leg. We did not listen to the others telling us to stop. Hence, we are very unhappy about being stopped.  We thought they don’t like us. They are envious of us. They don’t want us to have a good time….. These are some reactions that teens have against their parents stopping them from going to wild parties. Or could be our sponsors not wanting to invest in our business ventures because they see the risks that we don’t and the lack of readiness that we think we are all ready to go.  When we are stopped, we need to find out why and not make a fuss.

Stage 3 Third Nine: Stopped at the waist. Torn the back. There is a danger of burning the heart. 九三：艮其限，列其夤，厉薰心。
The pictorial commentary just emphasizes the danger – the heart may be burnt. 象曰：艮其限，危薰心也。

Not listening to the wise restrain in stage 2, we progress further to encounter a greater obstacle. The loss is great. We need to wake up and stop else greater suffering awaits us.  This is like the gambler who borrows more money hoping to make it all back at the last bet. It will not happen and he will lose even more. They say the smart gamblers are the ones who know when to stop. The less smart stops when he loses his budgeted amount and the smarter one walks out when he makes some predetermined amount.

Stage 4 Forth Six: Stopped at the body. There is no fault. 六四：艮其身，无咎。
The pictorial commentary explains that stopping the body means we have the self-control to keep our righteous character. 象曰：艮其身，止诸躬也。

We have learned our lesson in stage 3 (hopefully at earlier stage 2) and know how to control our excesses and wild behavior.  We are able to discipline ourselves and live rightly.

Stage 5 Fifth Six: Stop at the Jaws. The speech is orderly. There is no regret. 六五：艮其辅，言有序，悔亡。
The pictorial commentary explains that being able to control the mouth (jaws) means being able to maintain balance at the center and continue to be righteous. 象曰：艮其辅，以中正也。

Our mouth or tongue is the most difficult to control. Curses, lies, gossip, slanders, and many other evils are committed with our mouths. Praises, teaching, and encouragement also come from the mouth. When we can control our mouths to speak the right thing at the right time in the right situation, we shall never have any regrets later.

Stage 6 Top Nine: Stop in the abundance of kindness and sincerity. Good fortune and blessing. 上九：敦艮，吉。
The pictorial commentary explains that the blessing of staying in kindness is to end in abundance and wellness. 象曰：敦艮之吉，以厚终也。

Past years of discipline and character-building resulted in a kind and righteous character. It ends well. Here is one from the Bible that is similar to this teaching:

1 Timothy 6:6 Godliness with contentment is great gains.

Summary:

Stop or Go at the right time and in the right position. We don’t always have to be on the move. Be content with our position and do the things we are supposed to do well. Don’t be envious of others.

Wisdom from the Stage Lines:

1. Stop at the Toes – Don’t stray even a little from the right and legal way.
2. Stop at the Calves – Find out why and don’t just fuss.
3. Stop at the waist – Enough is enough. Get out now before it is too late.
4. Stop at the body – Have self-control and discipline.
5. Stop at the jaws – Speak only at the right time and speak well.
6. Stop in Abundance & Kindness – Godliness and Contentment are great gains.

Lim Liat (c) 17/6/2010