Scryway

Hexagram 18

蠱 Gǔ · Repairing decay

Legge: Ku

☶ Mountain (Gèn) above ☴ Wind, wood (Xùn)

Scryway summary

Modern commentary written for Scryway. Not part of the classic text.

Setting right what was spoiled, often something inherited. Consider before acting and after.

The judgment

Ku indicates great progress and success (to him who deals properly with the condition represented by it). There will be advantage in (efforts like that of) crossing the great stream. (He should weigh well, however, the events of) three days before the turning point, and those (to be done) three days after it.

The image

(The trigram for) a mountain, and below it that for wind, form Ku. The superior man, in accordance with this, (addresses himself to) help the people and nourish his own virtue.

The lines, bottom to top

  1. Bottom line, broken

    The first line, divided, shows (a son) dealing with the troubles caused by his father. If he be an (able) son, the father will escape the blame of having erred. The position is perilous, but there will be good fortune in the end.

  2. Second line, solid

    The second line, undivided, shows (a son) dealing with the troubles caused by his mother. He should not (carry) his firm correctness (to the utmost).

  3. Third line, solid

    The third line, undivided, shows (a son) dealing with the troubles caused by his father. There may be some small occasion for repentance, but there will not be any great error.

  4. Fourth line, broken

    The fourth line, divided, shows (a son) viewing indulgently the troubles caused by his father. If he go forward, he will find cause to regret it.

  5. Fifth line, broken

    The fifth line, divided, shows (a son) dealing with the troubles caused by his father. He obtains the praise of using (the fit instrument for his work).

  6. Top line, solid

    The sixth line, undivided, shows us one who does not serve either king or feudal lord, but in a lofty spirit prefers (to attend to) his own affairs.

Quoted from James Legge (trans.), The Yi King, Sacred Books of the East vol. XVI, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1882. Public domain. The image is from Legge’s Appendix II. Words in parentheses are Legge’s additions.