Pi / Holding Together [Union]
above: K'an The Abysmal, Water
below: K'un The Receptive, Earth
The waters on the surface of the earth flow together wherever they can,
as for example in the ocean, where all the rivers come together.
Symbolically this connotes holding together and the laws that regulate
it. The same idea is suggested by the fact that all the lines of the
hexagram except the fifth, the place of the ruler, are yielding. The
yielding lines hold together because they are influenced by a man of
strong will in the leading position, a man who is their center of
union. Moreover, this strong and guiding personality in turn holds
together with the others, finding in them the complement of his own
nature.
The Judgement
HOLDING TOGETHER brings good fortune.
Inquire of the oracle once again
Whether you possess sublimity, constancy, and perseverance;
Then there is no blame.
Those who are uncertain gradually join.
Whoever come too late
Meets with misfortune.
What is required is that we unite with others, in order that all may
complement and aid one another through holding together. But such
holding together calls for a central figure around whom other persons
may unite. To become a center of influence holding people together is a
grave matter and fraught with great responsibility. It requires
greatness of spirit, consistency, and strength. Therefore let him who
wishes to gather others about him ask himself whether he is equal to
the undertaking, for anyone attempting the task without a real calling
for it only makes confusion worse than if no union at all had taken
place.
But when there is a real rallying point, those who at first are
hesitant or uncertain gradually come in of their own accord.
Late-comers must suffer the consequences, for in holding together the
question of the right time is also important. Relationships are formed
and firmly established according to definite inner laws. Common
experiences strengthen these ties, and he who comes too late to share
in these basic experiences must suffer for it if, as a straggler, he
finds the door locked.
If a man has recognized the necessity for union and does not feel
strong enough to function as the center, it is his duty to become a
member of some other organic fellowship.
The Image
On the earth is water:
The image of HOLDING TOGETHER.
Thus the kings of antiquity
Bestowed the different states as fiefs
And cultivated friendly relations
With the feudal lords.
Water fills up all the empty places on the earth and clings fast to it.
The social organization of ancient China was based on this principle of
the holding together of dependents and rulers. Water flows to unite
with water, because all parts of it are subject to the same laws. So
too should human society hold together through a community of interests
that allows each individual to feel himself a member of a whole. The
central power of a social organization must see to it that every member
finds that his true interest lies in holding together with it, as was
the case in the paternal relationship between king and vassals in
ancient China.