Hexagram 45

萃 Cuì

Gathering Together

☱ Lake above ☷ Earth

Judgment 卦辭

亨。王假有廟。利見大人。亨。利貞。用大牲吉。利有攸往。

萃cuìcollectedness, assembly; security

亨hēngfulfillment, satisfaction, success, completion

王wángsovereign, king, ruler

假jiǎcomes, draws near to; approaches, adopts

有yǒuhis

廟miàoancestral temple, shrine

利lìworthwhile, rewarding, productive

見jiànto see, encounter, meet with, consult

大dàmature, complete, realized, great

人rénhuman being, character, one, person, man

亨hēngmaking a, an, the offering, sacrifice

利lìworthwhile, rewarding, beneficial

貞zhēnto be persistent, loyal, dedicated, steadfast

用yòngto use, try, dedicate, perform, present, offer

大dàgreat, big, large, major, important

牲shēngsacrificial beasts, animals, livestock

吉jíis promising, auspicious, opportune, timely

利lìworthwhile, rewarding, beneficial

有yǒuto have, find, take on; if there is

攸yōusomewhere; a place, direction, purpose

往wǎngto go, move towards; in going; ahead

Commentary

Success. The king approaches his temple. It furthers one to see the great man. Persistence furthers. Great offerings bring good fortune. It furthers one to undertake something. Where people are gathered, religious forces are needed. But there must also be a human leader as the center. To bring others together, a leader must first be collected within himself. Only collective moral force can unite the world. Great times of unification leave great achievements behind them.

Classical Text

萃坤下兌上萃，亨，王假有廟。利見大人，亨，利貞。用大牲，吉。利有攸往。

Cui: Kun below, Dui above. Gathering. Success. The king reaches the ancestral temple. It is Beneficial to see the great person. Success. Beneficial for Correctness. Using great sacrificial animals brings good fortune. It is Beneficial to have somewhere to go.

Image 象

澤上於地，萃。君子以除戎器，戒不虞。

Over the earth, the lake—if it gathers until it rises above the earth, there's danger of breakthrough. Renew your weapons to meet the unforeseen. Where people gather, strife arises; where possessions collect, robbery occurs. Arm promptly against the unexpected. Human woes come from unexpected events against which we're not prepared. Be ready, and they can be prevented.

Lines 爻辭

有孚不終乃亂乃萃若號一握為笑勿恤往無咎

有yǒubeing, holding, staying; having, finding

孚fútrue, sincere, confident, assured; trust, etc.

不bùis not, less than, never; will not be

終zhōngall, the end, whole of it; complete; finished

乃nǎiif first, now; first, now

亂luànconfused, perplexed, distracted, erratic

乃nǎiand then, next, now

萃cuìgather, pull, come together; collected

若ruòseeming, as if; like; just, much as, like

號hàoa, to call, crying out, for help; an outcry

一yīand one, a, the single

握wòhelping handclasp, held; firm grip

為wéibecomes, produces, makes for; restores

笑xiàolaughter, good humor, mirth, merriment

勿wùdo not, don't

恤xùworry, suffer; be anxious, concerned

往wǎnggo; in going; progress

無wúwithout; nothing; is not

咎jiùguilt; is wrong; a mistake, an error

Sincere but not to the end—sometimes confusion, sometimes gathering. If you call out, one grasp of the hand from the leader turns away all distress. You waver in decision because you're in a large group and allow yourself to be influenced. Don't be led astray. Attach yourself to the leader.

Classical commentary

初六，有孚不終，乃亂乃萃。若號一握為笑，勿恤，往无咎。

Initial Six: There is sincerity that does not last to the end; then there is disorder, then gathering. If one calls out, a single handful becomes laughter. Do not worry—going forward is without blame.

引吉無咎孚乃利用禴

引yǐnto be led, lured, attracted, enticed, drawn by, to

吉jíis the promises, promising; opportunity, fortune

無wúno; this is not; nothing inherently

咎jiùblame; harm; wrong; a mistake, an error

孚fúbut sincerity; confidence, trust

乃nǎiis, comes before; precedes; first, and then

利lìthe real worth, merit, reward, gains

用yòngin, when offering, presenting, dedicating

禴yuèa, the modest, sparing spring sacrifice

Letting yourself be drawn brings good fortune and remains blameless. If sincere, even a small offering suffices. Make no arbitrary choice. Secret forces lead together those who belong together. Yield to this attraction. Where inner relationships exist, no great formalities are necessary.

Classical commentary

六二，引吉无咎，孚乃利用禴。

Six in the Second: Being drawn forward brings good fortune and is without blame. With sincerity, it is then Beneficial to use the Yue sacrifice.

萃如嗟如無攸利往無咎小吝

萃cuìto congregate, gather; a congregation

如rúit seems that, like, as if; such what

嗟jiēa lamentation, complaint; complaints

如rúis like, about, the same as; and such, what

無wúthis is no, not; this lacks, has no

攸yōudirection, purpose; an aim, orientation

利lìwith merit, of value, with rewards

往wǎngto go, proceed, continue on, thus, in this

無wúis not; will, would not be

咎jiùblameworthy, harmful, wrong; a mistake

小xiǎobut a little, small, slight, minor

吝lìnembarrassment, humiliation; shameful

Gathering together amid sighs. Nothing furthers. Going is without blame. Slight humiliation. You want to unite but others have already formed a group—you remain isolated. Ally yourself resolutely with someone nearer the center who can help gain admission. Somewhat humiliating, but not a mistake.

Classical commentary

六三，萃如，嗟如，无攸利。往无咎，小吝。

Six in the Third: Gathering thus, sighing thus—nothing is Beneficial. Going forward is without blame, but there is slight regret.

大吉無咎

大dàmuch, great, major; full of, a lot of

吉jípromise, hope, opportunity, happiness

無wúno; not; nothing; without, with no; avoid

咎jiùblame; is wrong; a mistake, an error

Great good fortune. No blame. Gathering people in the name of your ruler, not striving for personal advantage, working unselfishly for general unity. Success; everything as it should be.

Classical commentary

九四，大吉，无咎。

Nine in the Fourth: Great good fortune, and no blame.

萃有位無咎匪孚元永貞悔亡

萃cuìassemble, convene; pull, bringing together

有yǒuwith, has, finds, takes; assumes, presumes

位wèiplace, position, attitude, dignity, stature

無wúno; this is not; nothing

咎jiùblameworthy; is wrong; a mistake

匪fěibut to be without, no; an absence of

孚fúassurance, confidence, trust, conviction

元yuánmeans an extremely, supremely, a most

永yǒngprolonged, enduring, constant, sustained

貞zhēnpersistence, determination, resolve, focus

悔huǐbut, though regrets, remorse

亡wángwill pass, disappear, dissolves

Having position in the gathering brings no blame. If some are not yet sincere, sublime and enduring persistence is needed. Then remorse disappears. Some gather around you not from confidence but merely because of your influential position. Deal with them by gaining their confidence through steadfastness and intensified devotion to duty. Secret mistrust is gradually overcome.

Classical commentary

九五，萃有位，无咎，匪孚。元永貞，悔亡。

Nine in the Fifth: Gathering while possessing the position—no blame. There is a lack of trust. With a Sublime Beginning, perpetual Correctness, regret vanishes.

齎咨涕洟無咎

齎jīoffer up, give, grant, bestow, furnishing

咨zīcounsel, proposals, plans, reports, advice

涕tìbut, while weeping, sobbing, crying

洟yíand sniveling, sniffling, nasal mucus

無wúbut, yet no; not, nothing; no harm is done

咎jiùblame; is wrong; harm

Lamenting and sighing, floods of tears. No blame. You would like to ally yourself with another but your good intentions are misunderstood. This is the right course—it may cause the other to come to their senses, achieving the alliance painfully missed.

Classical commentary

上六，齎咨涕洟，无咎。

Top Six: Lamenting and sighing, weeping and sniveling—no blame.