K'an / The Abysmal (Water)
above:K'an The Abysmal, Water
below:K'an The Abysmal, Water
Khan, here repeated, shows the possession of sincerity,
through which the mind is penetrating. Action (in accordance
with this) will be of high value.
Overall Meaning
Abysmal, the symbol of sinking
The trigram Khan, which is doubled to form this hexagram, is the lineal
symbol of water. Its meaning, as a character, is 'a pit', 'a perilous
cavity, or defile'; and here and elsewhere in the Yi it leads the reader to
think of a dangerous defile, with water flowing through it. It becomes
symbolic of danger, and what the authors of the Text had in mind was to show
how danger should be encountered, its effect on the mind, and how to get out
of it.
The trigram exhibits a strong central line, between two divided lines.
The central represented to King Wan the sincere honesty and goodness of the
subject of the hexagram, whose mind was sharpened and made penetrating by
contact with danger, and who acted in a manner worthy of his character. It
is implied, though the Thwan does not say it, that he would get out of the
danger.