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Chapter 20 of 64
东坡易传
The Guan Hexagram (Hexagram 20) is composed of Xun (Wind) above and Kun (Earth) below, symbolizing wind moving over the earth—the wind🔄 blows across the earth, reaching everywhere without exception, just as the ruler's moral teaching extends throughout the realm.
The Hexagram Statement says: "The ablution has been made, but not yet the offering; sincere and reverent in countenance." This means: During the sacrifice, one solemnly washes the hands to purify the heart, and before presenting the offerings, one already harbors sincerity and maintains a dignified bearing. True grand contemplation does not lie in the abundance of offerings, but in the utmost sincerity of the inner heart. A wise and enlightened sovereign establishes teachings through the way of the divine, relying not on elaborate rituals, but on moving the world through a heart of sincerity and reverence.
The Tuan Zhuan (Commentary on the Judgment) explains: The great one who contemplates dwells in the superior position, possessing a gentle and humble character, holding to the central and correct path to contemplate the world. "The ablution has been made, but not yet the offering; sincere and reverent in countenance" means that those below are moved by transformation and naturally incline toward goodness. Observing the mysterious working principles of Heaven—the four seasons succeed one another without error—the sage emulates this divine way to establish teachings, and all under Heaven willingly submit.
Su Shi's annotation is particularly incisive: Without relying on instruments, the people naturally gravitate; without depending on words, all things naturally become clear—this is the true essence of "contemplation." The sage establishes teachings through the divine way; those rewards, ranks, and punishments, though established, need not be employed. Entrusting this to ancestral temple sacrifices is "the ablution made, but not yet the offering"—the washing of hands signifies sincerity as the foundation; the presenting of offerings signifies flavor as the lesser matter. A heart of sincere reverence far surpasses material offerings.
The Xiang Zhuan (Commentary on the Image) says: Wind moving over the earth—this is the image of the Guan Hexagram. The ancient kings, understanding this, perceived that they should tour the four quarters, observe the conditions of the people, and establish teachings accordingly.
First Six (Initial Six): Observing things like a child—for the petty person, no blame; for the superior person, there is cause for regret. The Xiang Zhuan says: "In the first six, the childlike observation"—this is the way of the petty person. Su Shi's note: The great contemplation is above, so the four yin lines below all devote themselves to honoring guests. The first six is one who is childish and yet to enter official service, eager for employment, self-displaying and self-promoting. Only one of small capacity who matures early can be without blame; if a superior person acts thus, there will be regret.
Six in the Second Place: Peeping through a crack to observe—advantageous for the constancy of a woman. The Xiang Zhuan says: "'Peeping observation,' 'woman's constancy'—this also is a matter for shame." Su Shi's note: The six in the second place is far from the honored position and is weak; it is fitting to remain still rather than to advance. Speaking in terms of the woman, it is advantageous to remain constant and disadvantageous to act. If one uses peeping as observation, it is like a woman who, not waiting for the matchmaker's rites, steals a glance to seek a spouse—this is something the chaste person regards as shameful.
Six in the Third Place: Observing one's own life circumstances, to determine advance or retreat. The Xiang Zhuan says: "'Observing my life to advance or retreat'—this does not lose the correct path." Su Shi's note: The six in the third place is situated at the boundary between upper and lower, so it should observe its own life circumstances to infer advance or retreat. If one wishes to know how the sovereign is, one observes the people; thus, my own life circumstances are precisely the reflection of the sovereign's governance. Knowing the sovereign's actions, advance or retreat can be decided. The power of advance and retreat lies in one's own hands, so one does not lose the correct path.
Six in the Fourth Place: Contemplating the splendor of the state—advantageous to become a guest of the king. The Xiang Zhuan says: "'Contemplating the state's splendor'—honoring the guest." Su Shi's note: The decision of advance or retreat is crucial at the six in the third place. Therefore, below the third line, it is advantageous to retreat but not to advance; above the third line, it is advantageous to advance but not to retreat. Having advanced to the six in the fourth place, retreat is absolutely impossible, hence it says "advantageous to be a guest of the king."
Nine in the Fifth Place: Displaying my life circumstances—the superior person is without blame. The Xiang Zhuan says: "'Observing my life'—this means observing the people."
Top Nine (Top Yang): Being observed by all in one's life circumstances—the superior person is without blame. The Xiang Zhuan says: "'Observing his life'—the will is not yet at peace."
Su Shi's discrimination between the nine in the fifth and the top nine is exquisitely subtle: Though the two "guan" characters respectively express different subjects, their essence is one. The "guan" in "guan wo sheng" (observing/displaying my life) is read as in "guan bing" (reviewing troops)—it is displaying, showing off to others; the "guan" in "guan qi sheng" (observing his life) is read as in "guan yu" (watching fish)—it is passively being observed by others. The nine in the fifth occupies the most prominent position, displaying his own life to the people, making himself the exemplar—hence "guan wo sheng." The top nine, dwelling at the highest position, looks downward, reflecting on himself from the people's perspective—hence "guan qi sheng." Just as when one rides in a carriage along the road, pedestrians carrying burdens will feel resentment. The sage alone enjoys the delights of all under Heaven, displaying an abundant life to the world, yet the world does not resent him—there must be a reason that makes all under Heaven greatly convinced. When I display my comfortable and pleasurable life for others to see, and people also see that my life is thus comfortable and joyful, then contention in the world will arise from this—hence it says "the superior person is without blame"—only a true superior person can be without blame. How difficult this "without blame" is!
The essence of the Guan Hexagram lies in "sincerity" and "transformation." The entire hexagram unfolds around three dimensions of "contemplation":
| Dimension | Meaning | Manifestation |
|---|---|---|
| Contemplation from below | The people look up to those above | "Those below observe and are transformed"—moved to transformation rather than forced into compliance |
| Contemplation from above | Those above observe the people's conditions | "Tour the provinces, observe the people, establish teachings"—traveling inspections, adapting teachings to local customs |
| Self-contemplation and self-reflection | Reflecting on one's own advance and retreat | "Observing my life to advance or retreat"—assessing the times, knowing oneself and the other |
Su Shi's interpretation particularly emphasizes that "sincerity" is superior to "ritual": The sincerity of washing the hands surpasses the flavor of the offerings. The essence of establishing teachings through the divine way is not ceremonial display, but the sincere responsiveness of the inner heart. This continues the tradition of the Doctrine of the Mean: "Sincerity is the Way of Heaven; attaining sincerity is the Way of humans."
The Guan Hexagram offers profound insights for contemporary leadership and personal cultivation:
The subtractive wisdom of "ablution without offering": In an age of information overload, true influence lies not in displaying how many resources one has or how many forms one piles up, but in whether the core sincerity is pure. If a leader relies excessively on institutional control and material incentives, this precisely indicates insufficiency in the appealing power of "sincerity." 🌱
The cognitive traps of "childlike observation" and "peeping observation": The first-six's childlike observation is shallow, naive observation—rushing to display oneself within a limited cognitive framework; the six-in-the-second's peeping observation is narrow, biased observation—looking at problems through a crack in the door, seeing only part and not the whole. Modern people facing complex problems often fall into these two errors: either making hasty judgments based on fragmented information, or understanding things one-sidedly from a single perspective.
The self-examination of "observing my life for advance and retreat": The six in the third place reveals a core methodology—assessing the timing of advance or retreat by observing one's own actual circumstances. In modern career development, this means regularly examining the feedback from one's environment to judge whether to hold firm or change course, rather than blindly following trends.
The "being observed" predicament of the nine in the fifth and top nine: Su Shi's distinction between "guan wo sheng" and "guan qi sheng" precisely portrays the dilemma of public figures. Every move of those in high positions is scrutinized; while enjoying resources, they also bear the examination of "uneasy hearts." Only a true superior person—one with a clear conscience and proper conduct—can be free from blame. This carries great admonitory significance for today's public figures and corporate leaders.
Concrete applications in modern life:
At the leadership level: Reflect on management methods through the wisdom of "establishing teachings through the divine way"—rather than creating intricate assessment systems that make people passively comply, set a benchmark through one's own sincere conduct, allowing the team to identify with and follow from the heart. 💡
At the personal decision-making level: The six in the third's "observing my life for advance or retreat" provides a concise decision framework: observe the feedback signals from your current environment—are you being nourished or depleted? Do your actions produce positive accumulation or negative consumption? Use this to determine advance or retreat, rather than being driven by anxiety.
At the public image level: In the age of social media, everyone may be in a state of "being observed" to some degree. The warning of the top nine is: when you flaunt your enjoyment, those watching will harbor unease and contention. Modesty and restraint are not conservatism, but a wisdom of self-protection.
At the cognitive enhancement level: Avoiding "childlike observation" (immature shallowness) and "peeping observation" (narrow vision) requires deliberate practice: broadly acquiring information, validating from multiple perspectives, avoiding premature conclusions. 🔍
The philosophical essence of "contemplation" is a mutually constitutive relationship in the ontological sense.
The observer and the observed are never unidirectional. When the sovereign "observes the people," the people are also "observing" the sovereign. When Su Dongpo writes "guan wo sheng" and "guan qi sheng," he reveals a profound existential condition: one's self-knowledge is always accomplished in the gaze of others. This bears remarkable resonance with Sartre's "Hell is other people," yet the Guan Hexagram offers a more positive way out—dissolving the weight of the gaze through sincerity.
The original meaning of "establishing teachings through the divine way" is also worth deep reflection: the divine way is not mysticism, but the natural laws of Heaven. The four seasons revolving without error is the "sincerity" of Heaven's way; the sage emulating Heaven's way is the "sincerity" of humans. When teachings are established upon sincere emulation of cosmic principles, rather than forced imposition of human-made institutions, the world naturally submits. This thought of "governing through non-action" is deeply connected with Daoist philosophy.
The top nine's line text "the will is not yet at peace" is particularly thought-provoking: even the sage, positioned where all people observe him, cannot be fully at peace within. "Without blame" is not a state of making no mistakes, but the cultivation of not deviating from the correct path under the immense pressure of being watched, judged, and anticipated. This is an extremely difficult realm, just as Su Shi says: "How difficult is this 'without blame'!"