Hexagram 58
兌 Duì
The Joyous Lake
☱ Lake above ☱ Lake
Judgment 卦辭
亨。利貞。
Commentary
Success. Persistence is favorable. True joy rests on firmness and strength within, manifesting outwardly as yielding and gentle. Joy must be based on steadfastness if it is not to degenerate into uncontrolled mirth. Truth and strength must dwell in the heart, while gentleness reveals itself in social intercourse. Intimidation without gentleness may achieve something momentarily, but not for all time. When hearts are won by friendliness, people willingly take all hardships upon themselves.
Classical Text
兌兌下兌上 兌，亨，利貞。
Dui: Dui below, Dui above. Dui. Success. Benefit in Correctness.
Image 象
麗澤，兌。君子以朋友講習。
Lakes resting one on the other. Join with friends for discussion and practice. A lake evaporates upward and gradually dries up; but when two lakes are joined they do not dry up so readily, for one replenishes the other. In the field of knowledge, it becomes a refreshing and vitalizing force only through stimulating intercourse with congenial friends. In this way learning becomes many-sided and takes on cheerful lightness, whereas there is always something ponderous and one-sided about the learning of the self-taught.
Lines 爻辭
和兌吉
Contented joyousness. Good fortune. A quiet, wordless, self-contained joy, desiring nothing from without and resting content with everything, remains free of all egotistic likes and dislikes. In this freedom lies good fortune—the quiet security of a heart fortified within itself.
Classical commentary
初九，和兌，吉。
Initial Nine. Harmonious joy. Auspicious.
孚兌吉悔亡
Sincere joyousness. Good fortune. Remorse disappears. We often find ourselves associating with inferior people in whose company we are tempted by inappropriate pleasures. But if you do not permit your will to swerve, not even dubious companions will venture to proffer base pleasures. Thus every cause for regret is removed.
Classical commentary
九二，孚兌，吉，悔亡。
Nine in the Second. Sincere joy. Auspicious. Regret vanishes.
來兌凶
Coming joyousness. Misfortune. True joy must spring from within. But if one is empty within and wholly given over to the world, idle pleasures stream in from without. Those who lack inner stability and therefore need amusement will always find opportunity for indulgence. They attract external pleasures by the emptiness of their natures. Thus they lose themselves more and more.
Classical commentary
六三，來兌，凶。
Six in the Third. Approaching joy. Misfortune.
商兌未寧介疾有喜
Joyousness that is weighed is not at peace. After ridding himself of mistakes, a person has joy. Often one weighs the choice between higher and lower pleasures. As long as the decision is not made, there is no inner peace. Only when you clearly recognize that passion brings suffering can you turn away from lower pleasures and strive for higher. Once this decision is sealed, you find true joy and peace.
Classical commentary
九四，商兌未寧，介疾有喜。
Nine in the Fourth. Deliberating on joy, not yet at peace. Guarding against affliction, there is cause for rejoicing.
孚于剝有厲
Sincerity toward disintegrating influences is dangerous. Dangerous elements approach even the best of people. If you permit yourself to have anything to do with them, their disintegrating influence acts slowly but surely, bringing inevitable dangers. But if you recognize the situation and comprehend the danger, you know how to protect yourself and remain unharmed.
Classical commentary
九五，孚于剝，有厲。
Nine in the Fifth. Placing trust in what strips away. There is danger.
引兌
Seductive joyousness. A vain nature invites diverting pleasures. If unstable within, the pleasures of the world have so powerful an influence that you are swept along by them. Here it is no longer a question of good fortune or misfortune. You have given up direction of your own life, and what becomes of you depends upon chance and external influences.
Classical commentary
上六，引兌。
Top Six. Drawing out joy.