Hexagram 52
艮 Gèn
Keeping Still Mountain
☶ Mountain above ☶ Mountain
Judgment 卦辭
其背。不獲其身。行其庭。不見其人。无咎。
Commentary
Keeping his back still so that he no longer feels his body. He goes into his courtyard and does not see his people. No blame. True quiet means keeping still when the time has come to keep still, and going forward when the time has come to go forward. Rest and movement in agreement with the demands of the time—thus there is light in life. When the movement of the spinal nerves is brought to a standstill, the ego with its restlessness disappears. When calm, you may turn to the outside world. You no longer see struggle and tumult but have that peace of mind needed for understanding the great laws of the universe.
Classical Text
「上下敵應，不相與也」者，此就六爻皆不相應，釋艮卦之名，又釋「不獲其身」以下之義。凡應者，一陰一陽，二體不敵。今上下之位，雖復相當，而爻皆峙敵，不相交與，故曰「上下敵應，不相與」也。然八純之卦皆六爻不應，何獨於此言之者，謂此卦既止而不交，爻又峙而不應，與「止」義相協，故兼取以明之也。 「是以不獲其身，行其庭，不見其人，无咎也」者，此舉經文以結之，明相與而止之，則无咎也。
"The upper and lower lines stand opposed in correspondence and do not interact with one another": this addresses the fact that all six lines fail to correspond, explaining the name of the Gen hexagram, and further explaining the meaning from "one does not perceive one's own body" onward. In general, for lines to correspond, one must be yin and one yang, so that the two bodies are not in opposition. Now though the upper and lower positions are aligned, the lines all stand confrontationally opposed and do not interact; therefore it says "upper and lower stand opposed in correspondence and do not interact." Yet among the eight pure hexagrams, all have six lines that do not correspond—why is this mentioned only here? Because in this hexagram, stopping means no interaction, and the lines also stand opposed without corresponding, which accords with the meaning of "stopping"; therefore both aspects are taken together to elucidate it. "Therefore one does not perceive one's own body; walking through the courtyard, one does not see the other person—there is no blame": this quotes the Classic text to conclude, clarifying that when one stops in mutual relation, there is no blame.
Image 象
兼山，艮。君子以思不出其位。
Mountains standing close together. Do not permit your thoughts to go beyond your situation. The heart thinks constantly. This cannot be changed, but thoughts should restrict themselves to the immediate situation. All thinking that goes beyond this only makes the heart sore.
Lines 爻辭
艮其趾無咎利永貞
Keeping his toes still. No blame. Continued persistence furthers. Halting before you have even begun to move. The beginning is the time of few mistakes—still in harmony with primal innocence. Not yet influenced by obscuring interests and desires, you see things intuitively as they really are. Halt at the beginning, and you find the right way. But persisting firmness is needed to keep from drifting irresolutely.
Classical commentary
初六，艮其趾，无咎；利永貞。 象曰：艮其趾，未失正也。
Initial Six: Keeping still at one's toes—no blame. Benefit in lasting Correctness. The Image says: Keeping still at one's toes means one has not yet lost what is correct.
艮其腓不拯其隨其心不快
Keeping his calves still. He cannot rescue the one he follows. His heart is not glad. The leg cannot move independently; it depends on the body's movement. If a leg is suddenly stopped while the whole body moves vigorously, the continuing motion will cause a fall. The same is true of serving a master stronger than yourself. You are swept along; even though you halt on the path of wrongdoing, you can no longer check the other in their powerful movement.
Classical commentary
六二，艮其腓，不拯其隨，其心不快。 象曰：不拯其隨，未退聽也。
Six in the Second: Keeping still at one's calves. One cannot lift what follows along; one's heart is not glad. The Image says: Not lifting what follows along—one has not yet withdrawn to listen obediently.
艮其限列其夤厲薰心
Keeping his hips still. Making his sacrum stiff. Dangerous. The heart suffocates. Enforced quiet. The restless heart is subdued by forcible means. But fire smothered changes into acrid smoke that suffocates. In meditation and concentration, don't try to force results. Calmness must develop naturally out of inner composure. Artificial rigidity leads to unwholesome results.
Classical commentary
九三，艮其限，列其夤，厲薰心。 象曰：艮其限，危薰心也。
Nine in the Third: Keeping still at one's waist. The flesh along the spine is split apart; danger sears the heart. The Image says: Keeping still at one's waist—peril sears the heart.
艮其身無咎
Keeping his trunk still. No blame. Though able to keep the ego with its thoughts and impulses at rest, you are not yet quite liberated from its dominance. Nonetheless, keeping the heart at rest is an important function, leading in the end to complete elimination of egotistic drives. Though not yet free from dangers of doubt and unrest, this frame of mind is not a mistake.
Classical commentary
六四，艮其身，无咎。 象曰：艮其身，止諸躬也。
Six in the Fourth: Keeping still at one's whole body—no blame. The Image says: Keeping still at one's whole body means stopping at one's own person.
艮其輔言有序悔亡
Keeping his jaws still. The words have order. Remorse disappears. In a dangerous situation where you are not adequate, the inclination is to be very free with talk and presumptuous jokes. But injudicious speech easily leads to situations giving much cause for regret. If reserved in speech, your words take ever more definite form, and every occasion for regret vanishes.
Classical commentary
六五，艮其輔，言有序，悔亡。 象曰：艮其輔，以中正也。
Six in the Fifth: Keeping still at one's jaws. Words are well-ordered; regret vanishes. The Image says: Keeping still at one's jaws—because of centrality and correctness.
敦艮吉
Noblehearted keeping still. Good fortune. Consummation of the effort to attain tranquility. At rest not merely in small, circumscribed ways regarding matters of detail, but with a general resignation regarding life as a whole. This confers peace and good fortune in relation to every individual matter.
Classical commentary
上九，敦艮，吉。 象曰：敦艮之吉，以厚終也。
Top Nine: Magnanimous keeping still—auspicious. The Image says: The auspiciousness of magnanimous keeping still is because of ending with generosity.