Hexagram 63 of 64
既濟 Jì Jì · After Completion
上 坎 Water (Kǎn) over 下 離 Fire (Lí)
Done, yet do not let go.
Judgment
Zhouyi, hexagram 63, judgment. English translation in preparation.
Image
In short: water above fire.
Zhouyi, hexagram 63, Great Image. Short gloss by Koyonari; full translation in preparation.
Commentary
Jì Jì is water above fire: each in its proper place, the matter accomplished. Jì Jì speaks of not letting go after accomplishment—the state of completion requires maintenance, it does not sustain itself automatically. Today's task lies not in opening new chapters, but in wrapping up, recording, and explaining clearly what is already achieved.
Koyonari commentary.
The Six Lines
“Dragging his wheels, getting his tail wet: no blame.” Holding back the carriage wheels prevents a rash advance; there is also an image of a tail getting wet while crossing water. No blame means no fault. Jìjì signifies that the matter is already complete, yet Nine in the first place still restrains the forward momentum instead of rushing ahead because completion is achieved.
Zhouyi, hexagram 63, line 1. Koyonari translation.
“Dragging back its wheels: in principle, there is no blame.” The Lesser Image Commentary explains Nine at the beginning: holding back the wheels from advancing impetuously brings no blame in principle.
Zhouyi, hexagram 63, line 2. Koyonari translation.
“The woman loses her carriage veil: do not pursue it, it will be recovered in seven days.” A woman loses the carriage covering called fú, making travel inconvenient for a time. Rather than chasing after it, she will recover it after seven days. The image of loss followed by recovery describes a temporary obstruction: there is no need for hasty pursuit, since the original conditions can be restored when the favorable moment returns.
Zhouyi, hexagram 63, line 3. Koyonari translation.
“Obtained in seven days, through acting according to the central path.” The Lesser Image Commentary explains Six in the Second Place: losing the carriage screen (fú, also said to be hair ornaments) requires no pursuit and is recovered in seven days because Six in the Second Place adheres to the central path.
Zhouyi, hexagram 63, line 4. Koyonari translation.
“Gaozong attacked the Guifang; after three years he conquered them. Do not employ inferior persons.” Gāozōng's campaign against Guǐfāng took three years to achieve victory, showing how difficult the undertaking was and that it cannot be treated lightly. The warning against employing petty people means not appointing those of insufficient virtue. Even when a task can be completed, the hardship involved and the choice of people still require attention.
Zhouyi, hexagram 63, line 5. Koyonari translation.
“Subduing it in three years: exhausting indeed.” The Lesser Image Commentary explains Nine in the Third Place: King Gāozōng of the Yīn dynasty campaigned against the Guǐfāng and barely subdued them after three years, showing that a distant expedition exhausts resources, wearying people and steeds in distress.
Zhouyi, hexagram 63, line 6. Koyonari translation.
“There are leaks, and rags are kept ready; vigilant all day long.” Old clothes are kept ready while crossing water to plug leaks in the boat, with vigilance maintained all day. Yī rú means old, worn clothes. The interpretation here concerns preparing materials against a leaking boat (the base text has rú, which some ancient commentaries suggest rereading as another character, also pronounced rú, meaning wet). Even after completion in Jìjì, precautions against oversights remain necessary.
Zhouyi, hexagram 63, line 7. Koyonari translation.
“Alert all day long: there is reason for apprehension.” The Lesser Image Commentary explains the line text of Six in the Fourth Place: keeping old rags constantly ready to plug leaks in the boat and staying alert all day long occurs because one is in a precarious situation, harboring vigilance and caution toward latent perils without daring to become the slightest bit negligent.
Zhouyi, hexagram 63, line 8. Koyonari translation.
“The eastern neighbor slaughters an ox, yet cannot match the western neighbor's modest Yue sacrifice; it is the western neighbor who truly receives the blessing.” The eastern neighbor slaughters an ox for a lavish sacrifice, yet fares worse than the western neighbor's modest yuè rite; it is the western neighbor who truly receives blessings. The yuè rite is a sacrifice with meager offerings. By comparing the two rites, the line emphasizes their fitness for the circumstances: the abundance of offerings alone is not the measure.
Zhouyi, hexagram 63, line 9. Koyonari translation.
“The eastern neighbor slaughters an ox, not equaling the western neighbor’s seasonal sacrifice; truly receiving its blessing, great good fortune arrives.” The Lesser Image Commentary explains Nine in the Fifth Place: the lavish slaughter of cattle by the eastern neighbor does not match the modest seasonal sacrifice of the western neighbor; the western neighbor receiving blessing shows that inward sincerity and acting with the season bring magnificent good fortune naturally.
Zhouyi, hexagram 63, line 10. Koyonari translation.
“Getting his head wet: danger.” Even the head gets wet while crossing water, a condition the line calls danger. The top Six occupies the final position of Jìjì: although the matter is complete, it is now moving toward the opposite state. The image of water reaching the head shows that the danger has deepened.
Zhouyi, hexagram 63, line 11. Koyonari translation.
“Soaking its head brings danger: how could this last long?” The Lesser Image Commentary explains Six at the top: soaking one's head brings peril; Six at the top is at the culmination of After Completion, and such danger cannot endure.
Zhouyi, hexagram 63, line 12. Koyonari translation.