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Chapter 12 of 64
东坡易传
The Pi Hexagram (Hexagram 12) ☰☷ Qian above, Kun below
The way of "Pi" (standstill) is not the correct path for humanity, nor is it advantageous for the noble person to maintain steadfastness; the strong and great move outward, while the weak and small move inward.
The Tuan Zhuan says: "'Pi' is not the way of humans, nor is it advantageous for the noble person to be steadfast; the great departs and the small arrives" — this speaks of heaven and earth not communicating so that the myriad things cannot flourish, and the superior and inferior not communicating so that the world cannot form a state. Within is yin and without is yang, within is softness and without is hardness, within are petty persons and without are noble persons. The way of the petty person grows, while the way of the noble person diminishes.
The Chunqiu Zhuan says: "If there were no noble persons, could it still be called a state?" When the way of the noble person recedes, even if a state exists, it is as if it does not.
The Xiang Zhuan says: Heaven and earth not communicating constitutes the image of "Pi"; the noble person should use frugal virtue to avoid calamity and should not pursue glory and emolument.
When pulling up the cogongrass, the roots are connected, gathering together because of their kind; maintaining steadfastness to the correct path brings good fortune and smooth progress.
The Xiang Zhuan says: "Pulling up the reed," "persevering brings good fortune," the aspiration is directed toward the ruler above.
It is easy to go from "Tai" (Prosperity) to "Pi" (Standstill), but difficult to return from "Pi" to "Tai." Why? After yin and yang exchange positions, none do not wish to return; and once returned, none do not feel at ease in their positions. Therefore "Tai" has "zheng" (advancing), but "Pi" has no "zheng." If truly there were no "zheng," then ultimately there would be no "Tai" — can that be so? Therefore, Kun dwelling in the inner position without forgetting to maintain steadfastness toward Qian — this is the gradual beginning of "Tai," hence "success."
Embracing and yielding brings fortune to the petty person; the great man experiences blockage but ultimately finds success.
The Xiang Zhuan says: "The great man encounters standstill but finds success" — this means not allowing the various groups to become confounded.
The yin line occupies its proper position, wishing to embrace the multitude of yang lines, obtaining them through yielding compliance. Those above delight in its compliance without knowing its harm — this is the petty person's good fortune. The great man, wishing to rescue this age, would find that if he comes forward to contend, above, the ruler would not trust him, and below, he would be resented by petty persons. Thus it is better to retreat into standstill. When the great man retreats into standstill, the groups of the noble person and the petty person avoid confounding one another. The belief that evil can overcome good often arises during the unsettled period of intermingling; by the time the groups are distinguished and categories separated, the correct has never been defeated — hence "success."
Embracing shame.
The Xiang Zhuan says: "Embracing shame" — the position is improper.
The third position is originally a yang position, hence it embraces the multitude of yang lines while yet knowing shame.
There is the mandate of heaven — no fault; those of the same kind attain blessings.
The Xiang Zhuan says: "There is mandate, no blame" — the aspiration and conduct may be realized.
The noble person dwelling in the condition of "Pi" worries only about not being able to realize his aspirations. The Initial Six has aspirations toward the ruler, and Nine in the Fourth responds to it; if there is the mandate of heaven, then I need not attribute blame. Hence the kindred of the noble person attain blessings. "Chou" (畴) means "category" or "kind."
Cessation of the standstill — good fortune for the great man; vigilance against ruin, vigilance against ruin — as if bound to the clustered mulberry.
The Xiang Zhuan says: The "good fortune" of the "great man" — the position is proper.
Nine in the Fifth — the great man has obtained the proper position, appearing extremely secure and powerful. However, the actual control lies within the interior. To rely on the posture of security and strength to contend with petty persons for victory cannot succeed. Hence the text says: "Cessation of the standstill — the great man finds good fortune." But to rely on the posture of security and strength without guarding against petty persons achieving victory from within is also unacceptable. Hence: "May it perish, may it perish, attached to the clustered mulberry." "Halting the standstill" is what was earlier termed "the great man's standstill" — the petty persons cannot match us in opposition; this is perfectly clear. Petty persons only have an opportunity for opportunistic victory when we are in haste; their advantage lies in urgency, not in slowness. If the noble person retreats into standstill without contending, resting in that state, then inevitably there will emerge those who cannot match us in opposition, and so "the great man finds good fortune."
Upsetting and overturning the standstill — first one endures the adversity of standstill, and only then comes joy.
The Xiang Zhuan says: When standstill reaches its end, it must overturn — how could it last forever?
"Pi" having reached this point, one can no longer maintain the course. Without a thorough sweeping and clearance, joy will not arrive of itself.
The core proposition of the Pi Hexagram is blockage and transformation. Su Shi's interpretation, structured around the waxing and waning of "the noble person versus the petty person," constructs a complete philosophy for surviving adversity:
Heaven and earth do not communicate — the myriad things do not flourish: The structure of Pi is Qian above and Kun below — heaven moves upward, earth sinks downward, and the two move in opposing directions. This is not "each resting in its proper place" but rather an inability of energies to exchange, forming a structural impasse. It resembles a room with doors and windows sealed tight — the air does not circulate; it appears intact yet suffocates.
"Tai" has "zheng" (advancing) while "Pi" has no "zheng": This is Su Shi's unique observation. Tai (Kun above, Qian below) possesses "zheng" because heaven and earth conjoin to naturally generate forward momentum; in Pi, however, the separation of yin and yang leaves any forward action devoid of inner support. Therefore, in a condition of standstill, hasty and rash advancement is the most dangerous strategy.
"The great man's standstill" and "halting the standstill": Both Six in the Second and Nine in the Fifth employ the character "pi" (否), but with different meanings. Six in the Second's "the great man's standstill" refers to active retreat, refusing entanglement with petty persons; Nine in the Fifth's "halting the standstill" means ceasing contention, overcoming movement with stillness. What they share in common is: non-contention. Su Shi maintains that the petty person's advantage lies in "urgency" — in snatching opportunistic victory while the noble person is pressing and agitated. So long as the noble person does not rush, the petty person finds no opening to exploit.
Extreme standstill inevitably overturns: The Top Nine's "overturning the standstill" reveals an iron law: the state of blockage cannot be maintained indefinitely. The rhythm of yin and yang waxing and waning will ultimately break the deadlock, yet the "overturning" does not happen automatically — it requires the active act of "a thorough sweeping and clearance." This implies that history does not progress automatically — the transition from "Pi" to "Tai" requires someone to shoulder the responsibility of "overturning" and to pay the price of "first the standstill." This invests every individual situated in a "Pi" condition with historical responsibility: you are not merely one who experiences the times, but potentially one who becomes the turning point of the times.
In contemporary organizations, the condition of the Pi Hexagram may correspond to the following scenarios:
Blocked information flow: Disconnection between high-level decision-making and grassroots execution; communication channels between superiors and subordinates are clogged. Managers hear only "good news," and the genuine problems at the foundational levels cannot reach the top. This is a modern version of "the superior and inferior do not communicate, and the world has no state."
Latent opposition beneath surface harmony: Six in the Second's "embracing and yielding" depicts a scenario of remarkable realism: subordinates "accommodate" their superiors through a posture of compliance, while superiors enjoy this compliance without perceiving the hidden dangers beneath. This resembles the culture in modern organizations of "outward compliance, inward defiance" — superficially no one opposes, but in reality no one genuinely executes.
The crisis awareness of "may it perish, may it perish": The image of the "clustered mulberry" in the Nine in the Fifth line text emphasizes that the firmness of one's foundations matters more than the appearance of strength on the surface. The clustered mulberry has deep and extensive roots, difficult to uproot. The true security of an organization or individual derives not from external forcefulness but from inner cohesion and resilience.
Su Shi's reading of Nine in the Fifth is particularly insightful for management studies: "Yet the actual control lies within the interior" — true control originates from the inside. A seemingly powerful leader whose inner circle has already been infiltrated by petty persons has in fact already lost control. This aligns remarkably well with modern management theory on "sources of power": formal authority does not equal real influence.
When confronting a "Pi" condition (communication blockages, deteriorating relationships, stalled careers), the six lines can serve as a phased decision-making framework:
Assumption–Action–Review:
| Phase | Assumption | Proposed Actions | Review Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Six (early stage of blockage) | Just entered an adverse situation; communication with like-minded peers is still possible | 🌱 Maintain connections with those who share your values; avoid rushing to prominence; hold fast to fundamental principles | Have you upheld "zheng" — maintaining your bottom line without drifting with the current? |
| Six in the Second (the trap of compliance) | Those around you are approaching with deference; their true motives must be discerned | 🚧 Do not participate in superficial games of harmony; maintain distance without direct confrontation | Has "not confounding the groups" succeeded — are the noble persons and petty persons still clearly delineated? |
| Six in the Third (the perception of shame) | Dwelling in an improper position, a sense of unease has already arisen within | 😔 Acknowledge the impropriety of the situation; do not deceive yourself; accumulate moral courage for subsequent action | Are you still "embracing" the shame — concealing problems through silence, or have you already recognized the gravity of the issue? |
| Nine in the Fourth (acting in accord with mandate) | There is legitimate support available; forced breakthrough is unnecessary | 🌬 Accord with the circumstances of the times; avoid futile sacrifice; await or create favorable conditions | Does the condition of "having mandate" exist? Is the action aligned with directions at a higher level? |
| Nine in the Fifth (dwelling securely while aware of danger) | Surface stability prevails, but genuine control may not lie in your own hands | ⛰ Cease direct confrontation with the opposing side; simultaneously examine repeatedly whether your foundations remain firm | Does "exploiting my urgency" exist — situations where opponents take advantage of your anxious haste? |
| Top Nine (extreme standstill must change) | The blocked condition has reached its limit; decisive action is mandatory | 🔥 Undertake a fundamental cleanup and realignment; do not anticipate gradual improvement | Does "first standstill, then joy" hold — have you accepted the necessary pain before acting? |
Core Principle: In a condition of Pi, the highest wisdom lies in not seeking quick results. Su Shi states, "Their advantage lies in urgency, not in slowness" — this is from the petty person's perspective; conversely, the noble person's advantage consists precisely in "slowness," in biding one's time, awaiting the moment when "the groups are distinguished and categories separated," allowing the boundary between the correct and the deviant to emerge naturally and clearly.
The most profound philosophical aspect of the Pi Hexagram lies in its dialectical understanding of "blockage" itself.
First, "Pi" is not purely "evil." Su Shi quotes the Chunqiu Zhuan, "Without noble persons, could it still be called a state?" — revealing a disturbing truth: when the way of the noble person recedes, the form of the state persists, yet the substance of the state has already died. This prompts us to reconsider: the relationship between formal intactness and substantive loss. An institution, a relationship, an organization may present no problems whatsoever in form, yet the inner "communication" — circulation, trust, interaction — has already ceased. This "quiet death" is more dreadful than violent conflict.
Second, the interdependence of "Pi" and "Tai." Though the Tai Hexagram brings smooth prosperity understand that "there is no level without slopes, no going forth without return" — within Tai, the seeds of Pi are already gestating. Though Pi is blocked, Kun dwells within and never forgets keeping faith with Qian — within Pi, the sprout of Tai is already contained. Su Shi says, "To go from Tai to Pi is easy; to return from Pi to Tai is difficult" — construction is always harder than destruction. The collapse of order can be accomplished in an instant, while the restoration of order demands a long, gradual process. This is both a warning and a cause for hope: precisely because it is "difficult," greater patience and wisdom are required.
Third, the necessity and initiative of "overturning the standstill." "When standstill reaches its end, it must overturn — how could it last forever?" — blockage cannot persist indefinitely; this is the rhythm of the cosmos. Yet "overturning" does not naturally transform into joy; it requires the conscious action of "a thorough sweeping and clearance." This signifies that history does not progress automatically — the transition from "Pi" to "Tai" demands someone who bears the responsibility of "overturning" and repays the price of "first the standstill." This invests every individual embedded in a condition of Pi with a historic responsibility: you are not only one who experiences the times — you may also be the pivotal moment of the times.