Ch’ien/THE CREATIVE :: 1 Creative Power

The Creative brings sublime success,
Advancing through perseverance.
The movement of heaven is full of power.

Be strong and untiring. 

Lin/APPROACH :: 2 The Receptive

Approaching is supremely successful.
Perseverance helps.
When the eighth month comes,
There will be misfortune.
The earth above the lake:
The image of Approach.
Be inexhaustible in the will to teach,
And without limits in tolerance and protection
of friends.

Chun/DIFFICULTY AT THE BEGINNING :: 3 DifficultyAtTheBeginning

 

Difficulty at the Beginning works supreme success,
Furthering through perseverance.
Nothing should be undertaken.
It furthers one to appoint helpers.
Clouds and thunder:
The image of Difficulty at the Beginning.

Bring order out of confusion.

Youthful Folly can bring success :: 4 Youthful Folly

It is not I who seek the young fool;
The young fool seeks me.
At the first oracle I inform him.
If he asks two or three times, it is importunity.
If he importunes, I give him no information.
Perseverance helps.
A spring wells up at the foot of the mountain:
The image of Youth.

Foster your character by
being thorough in all that you do.

Hsu/WAITING :: 5 Patience

If you are sincere,
You have light and success.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
It helps one to cross the great water.
Clouds rise up to heaven:
The image of Waiting.
Eat and drink, and be joyous and happy.

Sung/CONFLICT :: 6 Conflict

You are sincere
And are being obstructed.
A cautious halt halfway brings good fortune.
Going through to the end brings misfortune.
It helps one to see the great person.
It does not help one to cross the great water.
Heaven and water go their opposite ways:
The image of Conflict.

In all your transactions, carefully consider the beginning.

Shih/THE ARMY :: 7 Organized Discipline

The army needs perseverance
And a strong person.
Good fortune without blame.
In the middle of the earth is water:
The image of The Army.

Be generous towards
the people around you.  

K’an/THE ABYSMAL :: 8 Holding Together

If you are sincere, you have success in your
heart, and whatever you do succeeds.
Water flows on uninterruptedly and reaches its goal:
The image of the Abysmal repeated.

Walk in lasting virtue
and carry on the business of teaching.

Hsiao Ch’u/TAMING POWER OF THE SMALL :: 9 Small Influences

The Taming Power of the Small
Has success.
Dense clouds, no rain from our western region.
The wind drives across heaven:
The image of The Taming Power of the Small.
Refine the outward aspect of your nature.

Lu/TREADING :: 10 Treading Carefully 

Treading upon the tail of the tiger.
It does not bite the man. Success.
Heaven above, the lake below:
The image of Treading.

Discriminate between high and low,
And strengthen the thinking of others.

T’ai/PEACE :: 11 Harmony

The small departs,
The great approaches.
Good fortune. Success.
Heaven and earth unite: the image of Peace.
Thus the ruler
Divides and completes the course of
heaven and earth;
He furthers and regulates the gifts of
heaven and earth, and so aids the people.
Help others through regulation of the
gifts of heaven and earth.

T’ung Jen/FELLOWSHIP :: 13 Fellowship

Success.
It furthers one to cross the great water.
The perseverance of the superior person helps.
Heaven together with fire:
The image of Fellowship with friends.
Organize people and make distinctions between things.

Ta Yu/POSSESSION IN GREAT MEASURE :: 14 Affluence

Supreme success.
Fire in heaven above:
The image of Possession in Great Measure.

Curb evil and further good,
And thereby obey the benevolent will.

Ch’ien/MODESTY :: 15 Humility

Modesty creates success.
The superior person carries things through.
Within the earth, a mountain:
The image of Modesty.

Reduce that which is too much,
And add to that which is too little.
Weighs things and make them equal.

Yu/Enthusiasm :: 16 Enthusiasm

It furthers one to install helpers
And to set armies marching.
Thunder comes resounding out of the earth:
The image of Enthusiasm.
Make music to honor merit,
And offer it with splendor
To heaven, inviting your ancestors
to be present.

Kuan/CONTEMPLATION :: 20 Overview

The ablution has been made,
But not yet the offering.
Full of trust they look up to you.
The wind blows over the earth:
The image of Contemplation.
Visit the regions of the world,
Contemplate the people,
And give them instruction.

Shih Ho/BITING THROUGH :: 21 Cutting Through

Biting Through is successful.
It is favorable to let justice be administered.
Thunder and lightning:
The image of Biting Through.

Make firm the laws
Through clearly defined penalties.

Pi/GRACE :: 22 Grace and Beauty

Grace is successful.
In small matters
It is favorable to undertake something.
Fire at the foot of the mountain:
The image of Grace.

With grace proceed
When clearing up current affairs.
But not when deciding controversial issues.

Po/SPLITTING APART :: 23 Splitting Apart

It does not further one
To go anywhere.
The mountain rests upon the earth:
The image of Splitting Apart.

You can maintain your position
Only by giving generously to those below.  

Fu/RETURN :: 24 Returning 

Return. Success.
Going out and coming in without error.
Friends come without blame.
To and Fro goes the way.
On the seventh day comes return.
It helps to have somewhere to go..
Thunder within the earth:
The image of The Turning Point.
Close the passes
At the time of solstice.
Do not go about,
And do not travel about.

Wu Wang/INNOCENCE :: 25 Innocence

Innocence. Supreme success.
Perseverance furthers.
If someone is not as he or she should be,
this brings misfortune,
And it does not further him
To undertake something.
Under heaven thunder rolls:
All things attain the natural state of innocence.
Rich in virtue, and in harmony with the time,
Foster and nourish all beings.

Ta Ch’u/TAMING POWER OF THE GREAT :: 26 Containment Of Potential

Perseverance helps.
Eating away from home brings good fortune.
It furthers one to cross the great water.
Heaven within the mountain:
The image of The Taming Power of the Great.

Acquaint yourself with many sayings of antiquity
And many deeds of the past,
In order to strengthen your character.

I/CORNERS OF THE MOUTH :: 27 Nourishment

Perseverance brings good fortune.
Pay heed to the providing of nourishment.
And to what a man seeks
To fill his own mouth with.
At the foot of the mountain, thunder:
The image of Providing Nourishment.
Be careful with words
And be temperate in eating and drinking.

Ta Kuo/PREPONDERANCE OF THE GREAT :: 28 Excessive Pressure

The ridgepole sags to the breaking point.
It helps to have somewhere to go.
Success.
The lake rises above the trees:
The image of Preponderance of the Great.
When standing alone,
be unconcerned,
And when necessary to renounce the world,
be undaunted.

Li/THE CLINGING :: 30 Clinging Like Fire

The Clinging. Perseverance helps.
It brings success.
Care of animals brings good fortune.
That which is bright rises twice:
The image of Fire.
By perpetuating brightness,
light the four quarters of the world.

Heng/DURATION :: 32 Endurance

Success. No blame.
Perseverance.
It helps to have somewhere to go.
Thunder and wind: the image of Duration.
Stand firm and do not change direction.