Hexagram 52 of 64 · King Wen order
艮Keeping Still, Mountain
Gèn · ䷳ · above: Mountain ☶ 艮 Gèn · below: Mountain ☶ 艮 Gèn
The achievement of inner peace through meditation and stopping movement at the right time.A one-line gloss written for this site (AI-assisted). Everything below it is the classical text.
The Judgment 卦辭
艮其背，不獲其身，行其庭，不見其人，無咎。
When one's resting is like that of the back, and he loses all consciousness of self; when he walks in his courtyard, and does not see any (of the persons) in it,—there will be no error.
James Legge, The Yî King (1882), the Text. Words in (parentheses) are Legge's own additions.
Commentary on the Judgment 彖傳 (Tuan, the first Wing)
1. Kan denotes stopping or resting;—resting when it is the time to rest, and acting when it is the time to act. When one's movements and restings all take place at the proper time for them, his way (of proceeding) is brilliant and intelligent.
2. Resting in one's resting-point is resting in one's proper place. The upper and lower (lines of the hexagram) exactly correspond to each other, but are without any interaction; hence it is said that '(the subject of the hexagram) has no consciousness of self; that when he walks in his courtyard, he does not see (any of) the persons in it; and that there will be no error.'
The Image 象
兼山，艮；君子以思不出其位。
(Two trigrams representing) a mountain, one over the other, form Kăn. The superior man, in accordance with this, does not go in his thoughts beyond the (duties of the) position in which he is.
Legge's Great Image (Appendix II). The Chinese above also carries the Small Images of the six lines.
The six lines 爻辭
Read from the bottom (line 1) to the top (line 6). Each line: the Chinese, Legge's translation, and the Small Image commentary on it.
Line 1 初六
The first line from the bottom, yin (broken, six)
艮其趾，無咎，利永貞。
The first SIX, divided, shows its subject keeping his toes at rest. There will be no error; but it will be advantageous for him to be persistently firm and correct.
Small Image: 'He keeps his toes at rest:'—he does not fail in what is correct (according to the idea of the figure).
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 22, Grace.
Line 2 六二
The second line from the bottom, yin (broken, six)
艮其腓，不拯其隨，其心不快。
The second SIX, divided, shows its subject keeping the calves of his legs at rest. He cannot help (the subject of the line above) whom he follows, and is dissatisfied in his mind.
Small Image: 'He cannot help him whom he follows:'(he whom he follows) will not retreat to listen to him.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 18, Work on what has been spoiled.
Line 3 九三
The third line from the bottom, yang (solid, nine)
艮其限，列其夤，厲薰心。
The third NINE, undivided, shows its subject keeping his loins at rest, and separating the ribs (from the body below). The situation is perilous, and the heart glows with suppressed excitement.
Small Image: 'He keeps the loins at rest:'—the danger (from his doing so) produces a glowing, heat in the heart.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 23, Splitting Apart.
Line 4 六四
The fourth line from the bottom, yin (broken, six)
艮其身，無咎。
The fourth SIX, divided, shows its subject keeping his trunk at rest. There will be no error.
Small Image: 'He keeps the trunk of his body at rest:'—he keeps himself free (from agitation).
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 56, The Wanderer.
Line 5 六五
The fifth line from the bottom, yin (broken, six)
艮其輔，言有序，悔亡。
The fifth SIX, divided, shows its subject keeping his jawbones at rest, so that his words are (all) orderly. Occasion for repentance will disappear.
Small Image: 'He keeps his cheek bones at rest:'—in harmony with his central position he acts correctly.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 53, Development.
Line 6 上九
The sixth line from the bottom, yang (solid, nine)
敦艮，吉。
The sixth NINE, undivided, shows its subject devotedly maintaining his restfulness. There will be good fortune.
Small Image: 'There is good fortune through his devotedly maintaining his restfulness:'—to the end he shows himself generous and good.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 15, Modesty.
Related hexagrams
lines 2-4 below, 3-5 aboveOpposite 錯卦58. The Joyous, Lake 兌
every line changedInverse 綜卦51. The Arousing 震
turned upside down
A hexagram is a mirror, not a command: read it to reflect, never to obey. Sources: James Legge (tr.), The Yî King, Sacred Books of the East vol. XVI (Oxford, 1882; 2nd ed. 1899), public domain; the Chinese text from Project Gutenberg ebook #25501 (易經), public domain. The trigram facts and the related hexagrams are computed from the line pattern. The gloss, selection and arrangement are CC-BY-SA-4.0 (PlayfulProcess). Data: github.com/PlayfulProcess/recursive-iching.