Hexagram 35 of 64
晉 Jìn · Progress
上 離 Fire (Lí) over 下 坤 Earth (Kūn)
Go toward the light, and leave room.
Judgment
Zhouyi, hexagram 35, judgment. English translation in preparation.
Image
In short: light rises over the earth.
Zhouyi, hexagram 35, Great Image. Short gloss by Koyonari; full translation in preparation.
Commentary
Jìn is sunlight rising above the earth, light growing gradually brighter. It speaks not of having reached the summit, but of moving upward, and unhurriedly—every step is seen, so every step must be steadfast. Being seen is itself the very condition of this hexagram.
Koyonari commentary.
The Six Lines
“Advancing, repulsed. Perseverance brings good fortune. If met with distrust, remain calm and generous: no blame.” An attempt to advance is met with resistance, yet holding to what is right can still bring “good fortune,” a favorable outcome. “Not trusted” means trust has not yet been gained. Remaining gentle and unhurried brings “no blame”: no fault and no reproach. This line concerns preserving the right path when efforts to advance are obstructed.
Zhouyi, hexagram 35, line 1. Koyonari translation.
“Advancing, checked: walking the correct path alone. Unhurried, no blame: not yet having received a command.” Advancing means pressing upward; checked means facing setbacks. The Lesser Image commentary explains walking alone uprightly: though untrusted by others, one persists on the upright path alone. Yù means unhurried and at ease, hence without blame; not receiving a command means lacking an official appointment, so one need not rush forward.
Zhouyi, hexagram 35, line 2. Koyonari translation.
“Advancing with sadness. Perseverance brings good fortune. One receives this great blessing from one's ancestral mother.” Advancing brings anxiety, yet holding to what is right can still bring “good fortune,” a favorable outcome. Great blessings are also received from Wángmǔ. This originally means a grandmother; here it symbolizes an honored, gentle yin figure in a higher position. Jièfú means “great blessings”: protection and blessings are still received while advancing with anxiety.
Zhouyi, hexagram 35, line 3. Koyonari translation.
“Receiving this great blessing: because of being centered and upright.” The line statement says one receives this great blessing from the "royal mother" (traditional commentaries gloss royal mother as grandmother). The Lesser Image commentary points out the cause: Six in the second place is yielding yin centered in the lower trigram and correctly situated; centered and upright, it can receive this great blessing.
Zhouyi, hexagram 35, line 4. Koyonari translation.
“All are in accord. Remorse disappears.” Gaining the trust and approval of others makes regret fade. Yǔn means trusting acceptance and approval; “regret disappears” means that the original cause for regret no longer exists. The line depicts gaining the trust of others while advancing, as doubt and regret subside.
Zhouyi, hexagram 35, line 5. Koyonari translation.
“The resolve trusted by the multitude: moving upward.” Yǔn means trust and allegiance. Six in the third place shares one mind with the multitude of yin lines below, so all trust and follow it. The Lesser Image commentary says the resolve trusted by the multitude moves upward, meaning that this will supported by everyone progresses upward, so that regret is eliminated.
Zhouyi, hexagram 35, line 6. Koyonari translation.
“Advancing like a marmot. Perseverance brings danger.” Striving to rise, yet grasping greedily and shrinking back like a shíshǔ. Shíshǔ is the name of a rodent in ancient texts, used here to depict someone in an unsuitable position, grasping for possession yet fearful. “Danger through steadfastness” means persisting in this way of advancing brings danger.
Zhouyi, hexagram 35, line 7. Koyonari translation.
“A great rodent, steadfastness brings danger: the position is improper.” The shíshǔ is a large rodent described in ancient books as gluttonous yet cowardly. In times of advancement, greedily clutching high office like the shíshǔ makes persisting in it dangerous. The Lesser Image commentary attributes the cause to an improper position: Nine in the fourth place is yang in a yin place, improperly situated, hence incurring this peril.
Zhouyi, hexagram 35, line 8. Koyonari translation.
“Remorse disappears. Worry not over loss or gain. Setting forth brings good fortune; nothing that is not favorable.” Regret fades; there is no need to worry over temporary gains and losses. Xù means worry. “Good fortune in proceeding” means continuing forward is auspicious; “nothing is unfavorable” means there is no disadvantage. The line concerns advancing from an honored position without dwelling on gains and losses.
Zhouyi, hexagram 35, line 9. Koyonari translation.
“Care not about loss or gain: going brings celebration.” Xù means worry. Six in the fifth place holds the honored station, where neither gain nor loss warrants concern. The Lesser Image commentary says going brings celebration, meaning advancing brings joy; thus the line statement promises good fortune and nothing disadvantageous.
Zhouyi, hexagram 35, line 10. Koyonari translation.
“Advancing with horns: only to punish one's own city. Danger, good fortune, no blame; perseverance brings regret.” Advance has become as rigid as a protruding horn and is suitable only for attacking one’s own town. Though dangerous, this can still bring good fortune and no fault. Yet “humiliation despite steadfastness” indicates that, even when action is right, excessively forceful advance still involves humiliation: something dishonorable and regrettable.
Zhouyi, hexagram 35, line 11. Koyonari translation.
“Only use it to discipline one's own city: the way is not yet glorious.” Horns refer to animal horns, denoting firmness at the top where advancing has reached its limit. Force can only be used to subjugate one's own domain, rectifying matters close at hand. The Lesser Image commentary says the way is not yet glorious: needing to turn inward indicates the correct path is not yet widespread; hence the line text says danger brings good fortune with no blame, yet persisting ends in hardship.
Zhouyi, hexagram 35, line 12. Koyonari translation.