Scryway

Hexagram 50

鼎 Dǐng · The cauldron

Legge: Ting

☲ Fire (Lí) above ☴ Wind, wood (Xùn)

Scryway summary

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

The vessel that transforms and offers. Culture, nourishment and what is held sacred.

The judgment

Ting gives the intimation of great progress and success.

The image

(The trigram representing) wood and above it that for fire form Ting. The superior man, in accordance with this, keeps his every position correct, and maintains secure the appointment (of Heaven).

The lines, bottom to top

  1. Bottom line, broken

    The first line, divided, shows the caldron overthrown and its feet turned up. (But) there will be advantage in its getting rid of what was bad in it. (Or it shows us) the concubine (whose position is improved) by means of her son. There will be no error.

  2. Second line, solid

    The second line, undivided, shows the caldron with the things (to be cooked) in it. (If its subject can say), 'My enemy dislikes me, but he cannot approach me,' there will be good fortune.

  3. Third line, solid

    The third line, undivided, shows the caldron with (the places of) its ears changed. The progress (of its subject) is (thus) stopped. The fat flesh of the pheasant (which is in the caldron) will not be eaten. But the (genial) rain will come, and the grounds for repentance will disappear. There will be good fortune in the end.

  4. Fourth line, solid

    The fourth line, undivided, shows the caldron with its feet broken; and its contents, designed for the ruler's use, overturned and spilt. Its subject will be made to blush for shame. There will be evil.

  5. Fifth line, broken

    The fifth line, divided, shows the caldron with yellow ears and rings of metal in them. There will be advantage through being firm and correct.

  6. Top line, solid

    The sixth line, undivided, shows the caldron with rings of jade. There will be great good fortune, and all action taken will be in every way advantageous.

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.