六爻
View from Mount Holyoke (The Oxbow)
䷓

第20卦

觀

Guān

Contemplation

View from Mount Holyoke (The Oxbow) — Thomas Cole, 1836

From the summit of Mount Holyoke, the Connecticut River valley spreads below in a vast panorama. Thomas Cole painted this view in 1836, positioning his easel—and himself, visible in the lower foreground—on elevated ground above the oxbow's curve. The composition divides between wilderness on the left and cultivated farmland on the right, with the artist observing both. The elevated vantage point allows comprehensive vision impossible from the valley floor.

阅读完整论述 ↓

The I-Ching calls this perspective Guān (觀), Contemplation—a character showing "to see" and "to be seen." The hexagram shows Wind (Xùn) above Earth (Kūn): gentle penetration moving over receptive ground. In ancient divination, this configuration appeared when someone needed to step back from direct action and observe patterns from a distance. But contemplation in I-Ching practice has a dual nature: the one who contemplates is also being contemplated. The watchtower on the mountain serves both lookout and landmark. Cole, founder of the Hudson River School, painted this panoramic view of the Connecticut River valley from an elevated vantage point. The composition contrasts wilderness and cultivated land, with the artist visible in the lower foreground observing the landscape. The elevated perspective allows contemplation of both natural forces and human settlement patterns. The Judgment text speaks to Cole's composition: "Contemplation. The ablution has been made, but not yet the offering. Full of trust they look up to him." The text refers to the moment in religious ceremony when the priest has purified himself but not yet made the sacrifice—a pause for reverent observation. Ancient court rituals included this interval when subjects observed the ruler's bearing, assessing whether he embodied proper conduct. Cole paints himself small but present, both observer and observed element within the landscape. The Image Text offers guidance: "The wind blows over the earth: the image of Contemplation. Thus the kings of old visited the regions of the world, contemplated the people, and gave them instruction." Effective contemplation requires movement, not static removal—the ruler who never leaves the palace cannot truly understand his realm. Cole, founder of the Hudson River School, traveled extensively to paint American landscapes, arguing that wilderness observation cultivated moral and spiritual insight. In the I-Ching sequence, Contemplation follows Approach: after the advance toward connection comes the withdrawal to higher ground for perspective. The next hexagram is Biting Through, when contemplation must give way to decisive action.

上卦

☴

巽 Xùn

Wind — Gentle

五行Wood方位Southeast家庭Eldest Daughter性质gentle, penetrating, persistent

下卦

☷

坤 Kūn

Earth — Receptive

五行Earth方位North家庭Mother性质receptive, yielding, nurturing

经典文本

彖辞

The ablution has been made, but not yet the offering. They look up with full trust. The ritual has begun—the sacred moment before the central act. Genuine inner preparation creates the reverence others feel.

爻辞

第初爻

Childish contemplation. For the small person, no blame. For the person of stature, humiliation. Surface seeing works for those who can't do better. For those who should see deeply, superficiality is shameful.

第二爻

Peeping out through the door crack. Furthers the perseverance of a woman. Limited view from a protected position. Acceptable for those in restricted circumstances; inadequate for those who should see broadly.

第三爻

Contemplating my own life, deciding whether to advance or retreat. Self-examination to determine next action—watching yourself as the ground for choice.

第四爻

Contemplating the light of the kingdom. Furthers one to be a guest of the king. Seeing the order clearly enables participation at the highest level. Observation precedes contribution.

第五爻

Contemplating my own life. The person of moral stature remains without blame. Examining your own impact—your effect on others—the mature form of self-knowledge.

第上爻

Contemplating his life. The person of moral stature remains without blame. Observing life itself—existence as such—the sage's perspective. Beyond personal impact to universal pattern.

焦氏易林

焦延寿《易林》——第20卦本卦之辞。西汉时期以四言诗阐释卦变，为最早的系统性易学占辞集。

Yilin artwork for Hexagram 20
歷山之下，虞舜所處，躬耕致孝，名聞四海。為堯所薦，纘位天子。

風行地上，觀之重卦，觀觀自身。

阅读完整注释 ↓

風行地上，觀之重卦，觀觀自身。歷山之下，虞舜躬耕而致孝。父頑母嚚弟傲，然舜事之無怨，名聞四海。為堯所識薦，終纘天子之位。據《史記·五帝本紀》，舜耕於歷山，鄰人感其德而讓畔。從觀至觀，自我映照之卦象：觀者成為被觀者。舜之躬耕致孝本身即是一種觀照，其德行引天目下視，使農夫化為天子，使被省察者成為省察萬方之人。

English commentary

Wind over earth, doubled: Contemplation gazing upon itself. Beneath Mount Li, Shun the humble farmer tills the soil and practices supreme filial piety. His renown spreads across the four seas despite his lowly station. Emperor Yao hears of him, recommends him, and Shun ascends to the throne of the Son of Heaven. According to tradition, Shun's father Gu Sou was blind and cruel, his stepmother malicious, yet Shun served them without resentment until his virtue became impossible to conceal. From Contemplation to Contemplation, the pattern is self-referential: the observer becomes the observed. Shun's quiet cultivation at Li was itself a form of contemplation that drew heaven's gaze downward, transforming the watcher into the watched, the farmer into the sovereign.

卦变

第20卦变为其余各卦，附焦氏易林诗辞。

䷀1䷁2䷂3䷃4䷄5䷅6䷆7䷇8䷈9䷉10䷊11䷋12䷌13䷍14䷎15䷏16䷐17䷑18䷒19䷓20䷔21䷕22䷖23䷗24䷘25䷙26䷚27䷛28䷜29䷝30䷞31䷟32䷠33䷡34䷢35䷣36䷤37䷥38䷦39䷧40䷨41䷩42䷪43䷫44䷬45䷭46䷮47䷯48䷰49䷱50䷲51䷳52䷴53䷵54䷶55䷷56䷸57䷹58䷺59䷻60䷼61䷽62䷾63䷿64

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䷈小畜Small Taming䷤家人The Family䷩益Increase䷴漸Development䷸巽The Gentle Wind䷺渙Dispersion䷼中孚Inner Truth

同为坤（Earth）下卦

䷁坤The Receptive䷇比Holding Together䷋否Standstill䷏豫Enthusiasm䷢晉Progress䷬萃Gathering Together
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