Six Doors · No. 44
第44卦 姤 Gòu · Coming to Meet
Essence: A small influence arrives; meet it, don't indulge it.
I
Judgment
An influence that looks trivial has slipped into the picture; unremarkable now, it will grow into a dominant force if indulged. There is no need for alarm, but do not bind yourself to it. The meeting was not your choosing—how you respond is.
II
Trigrams
Upper
乾 Heaven
Lower
巽 Wind
III
The lines
- Line 1Brake the thing with iron the moment it appears—the scrawny pig looks weak, but its restless pacing shows what it intends.
- Line 2Keep the fish wrapped and in your own keeping; the influence must not be passed along to others.
- Line 3Drawn toward it despite yourself, raw and hobbling—dangerous ground, but not yet a grave mistake.
- Line 4The wrapper is empty: losing touch with those below you is exactly where the trouble starts.
- Line 5Shield the melon with willow leaves—excellence kept quietly within—and what is meant for you drops from heaven in its own time.
- Line 6Meeting the world only with your horns, aloof and unbending, wins you isolation and some scorn—but no real harm.
IV
All the doors
Every single-step transition available from where you stand.
- Line 11 乾 · The Creative
Creative power at full flow; act, and keep acting.
- Line 233 遁 · Retreat
Withdraw in good order while leaving is still your choice.
- Line 36 讼 · Conflict
In conflict, settle midway; fighting to the end ruins both.
- Line 457 巽 · The Gentle
Gentle persistence penetrates where force cannot.
- Line 550 鼎 · The Cauldron
Cook the new order; nourish those who will carry it.
- Line 628 大过 · Great Excess
The beam bends under load; act boldly, stand alone.
V