Hexagram 3 of 64
屯 Zhūn · Difficult Beginnings
上 坎 Water (Kǎn) over 下 震 Thunder (Zhèn)
All beginnings tangle. Draw out one thread.
Judgment
Zhouyi, hexagram 3, judgment. English translation in preparation.
Image
In short: cloud and thunder stir.
Zhouyi, hexagram 3, Great Image. Short gloss by Koyonari; full translation in preparation.
Commentary
Zhūn is clouds above and thunder below, the moment just before rain breaks through. Everything has only begun, and threads are tangled; a single tug ripples through the whole knot. Zhūn speaks of the difficulty of initial birth: do not rush to untangle everything at once. Seize a single strand and draw it out gently; as that stretch loosens, the whole mass eases.
Koyonari commentary.
The Six Lines
“Hesitation and lingering. Favorable to remain steadfast; favorable to establish rulers.” Lingering, unable to advance at the outset of an undertaking, is the meaning of pán huán. Remaining settled and steadfast in what is right is favorable, as is establishing regional lords. Steadfastness means holding to what is right; favorable means beneficial or appropriate. The first yang line of Zhūn describes securing one's position and establishing leadership when difficulties first arise.
Zhouyi, hexagram 3, line 1. Koyonari translation.
“Although hesitating, the will acts with rectitude. Using the noble to humble oneself beneath the lowly, one greatly wins the people.” Although nine in the first place faces difficulty and hesitates to advance, its inner intent unfailingly practices the correct path. Endowed with noble yang-firmness yet willingly placing itself beneath the lowly yin lines, it deeply wins the allegiance and devotion of the populace.
Zhouyi, hexagram 3, line 2. Koyonari translation.
“Hesitating and turning back, horses in delay. Not bandits, but suitors. The maiden remains steadfast and does not marry; after ten years she marries.” In a difficult situation, progress is halting; even on horseback, there is only circling in place. The newcomer is a suitor, not a bandit. The woman holds to what is right and refuses marriage, agreeing only after ten years. Steadfastness means holding to what is right; zì is understood as agreeing to marry. The delayed marriage depicts obstruction and prolonged waiting in Zhūn.
Zhouyi, hexagram 3, line 3. Koyonari translation.
“The difficulty of six in the second place comes from mounting the firm. After ten years she is betrothed, returning to the constant.” The stalling difficulties encountered by six in the second place occur because a yielding line rides above the firm nine in the first place. Only after ten years does she become betrothed (the term zì is interpreted by Zhū Xī as betrothal, by Kǒng Yǐngdá as love, and by Chéng Yí as childbearing), indicating that she finally returns to the proper and constant path.
Zhouyi, hexagram 3, line 4. Koyonari translation.
“Chasing deer without a forester, only getting lost deep in the forest. The noble person sees the sign and lets go; to go forward brings distress.” A person pursues a deer without the guidance of an official responsible for mountains and forests, and merely plunges into the woods. The virtuous noble person notices early signs of how things are developing and judges it better to give up. Continuing brings humiliation, meaning difficulty, shame, and regret. The point is that rash pursuit is inappropriate without guidance.
Zhouyi, hexagram 3, line 5. Koyonari translation.
“Chasing the deer without a forester, merely pursuing beasts. The noble person abandons it; going forward brings distress and exhaustion.” Chasing deer without a forester (an official in charge of mountains and marshes) to guide the way happens because one only focuses on pursuing wild game. The noble person relinquishes the hunt, knowing that going forward will only lead to distress and exhaustion.
Zhouyi, hexagram 3, line 6. Koyonari translation.
“Mounting the horse in hesitation, yet seeking union. To go forward brings good fortune; nothing that is not favorable.” Circling on horseback makes progress difficult for the moment. Going forward to seek marriage, however, brings good fortune, an auspicious result, with nothing unfavorable, meaning nothing inappropriate. The fourth yin line likewise uses the circling horse to express hesitation, but indicates that action taken to seek a union can bring a good outcome.
Zhouyi, hexagram 3, line 7. Koyonari translation.
“Seeking and going forward is wise.” Six in the fourth place seeks and goes forward wisely. The line statement refers to going forward to seek marriage.
Zhouyi, hexagram 3, line 8. Koyonari translation.
“Withholding bounty. Steadfastness in small matters brings good fortune; in great matters, misfortune.” Rich nourishment is held back and cannot be widely distributed; here it represents favors or benefits. Steadfastness means holding to what is right. In small matters this brings good fortune, an auspicious result; in major matters, even steadfastness brings misfortune, a dangerous outcome. Though the fifth yang line holds a high position, giving benefits is obstructed, limiting what it can undertake.
Zhouyi, hexagram 3, line 9. Koyonari translation.
“Withholding one’s bounty; its bestowal is not yet glorious.” Nine in the fifth place withholds and hoards its generous bounty without bestowing it broadly, indicating that the distribution of favors across the realm is not yet bright and expansive.
Zhouyi, hexagram 3, line 10. Koyonari translation.
“Mounting the horse in hesitation, weeping tears of blood.” On horseback, the rider circles without advancing, so grief-stricken that the weeping seems like tears of blood, with tears flowing one after another. Bān rú describes lingering without progress; lián rú describes tears flowing continuously. The top yin line stands at the end of Zhūn. Through stagnation and bitter weeping, it expresses the sorrow of being deeply trapped in difficulty.
Zhouyi, hexagram 3, line 11. Koyonari translation.
“Weeping blood with continuous tears; how could this endure long?” Weeping tears of blood in ceaseless sorrow, how could such a dire situation possibly endure?
Zhouyi, hexagram 3, line 12. Koyonari translation.