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Chapter 30 of 64
东坡易传
The Li Hexagram (Hexagram 30)
Li is fire, with Li below and Li above.
The "Li" hexagram takes its image from fire 🔥. Fire, by its nature, cannot manifest its own form; it must attach itself to an object before it can assume shape. Thus, the image of the "Li" hexagram is drawn from fire.
Favorable for constancy. Prosperous. Raising a female cow brings good fortune.
Favorable for upholding what is right. Prosperous and畅通. Raising a docile cow brings good fortune.
The Tuan Zhuan says: "Li" means attachment, dependence. The sun and moon attach themselves to the sky ☀️🌙, while the hundred grains and vegetation attach themselves to the earth 🌱.
This shows that all things in creation depend on each other according to their own categories.
The two layers of brightness above and below attach themselves to the correct path, thereby transforming and completing all under heaven; the yielding one attaches itself to the path of centrality and correctness, and thus there is "prosperity." Therefore, "raising a female cow brings good fortune."
In the attachment relationships of the six lines: the second and fifth lines are yielding lines occupying central and correct positions. When things attach to one another, if the object of attachment is not correct, then there tends to be expedient union that is difficult to sustain; if the object of attachment is correct, then hasty union is difficult, but once union occurs, it is necessarily firm. Thus it says, "Favorable for constancy. Prosperous." If one wishes to know what to raise, one must look to its master. With such a master, only then can one raise such talent. If there is such talent but no matching master, even if raised, it cannot be put to use. Therefore, when gentleness and docility take precedence, then of all things raised, only the female cow is most auspicious.
The Xiang Zhuan says: Two layers of brightness arise in succession—this is the "Li" hexagram. The great person, from this, comprehends how to illuminate the four quarters with continuous brightness.
Once fire obtains the medium it attaches to, a single torch can transmit and ignite ten thousand; once brightness obtains the vehicle it depends on, a single pair of ears and eyes can survey all under heaven, for those who extend my brightness throughout the realm are many.
Initial Nine: Treading with shuffling steps, respectful—no blame.
The Xiang Zhuan says: When "steps are shuffled and mixed," maintaining "respect" serves to avoid fault.
None of the six lines fail to make mutual attachment their concern. And since fire's nature is to rise upward, those in lower positions tend to attach themselves to those above. The Initial Nine attaches to the Six in the Second—one who is firm attaching to the yielding prefers to be proud rather than flattering; one who is yielding attaching to the firm prefers to be respectful rather than irreverent. To be irreverent toward the object of one's attachment is to abandon oneself. Thus the Initial Nine's steps are shuffling and disordered, treating the Second Line with respect, to avoid the fault of mutual irreverence.
Six in the Second: Yellow attachment—supreme good fortune.
The Xiang Zhuan says: "Yellow attachment, supreme good fortune," because it attains the central path.
"Yellow" is the color of centrality. The yielding line remains still and unmoving; the yang line comes to attach itself to it—therefore "supreme good fortune."
Nine in the Third: The attachment of the setting sun. If one does not beat the earthen pot and sing, then one will sigh in old age—misfortune.
The Xiang Zhuan says: "The attachment at the sun's decline"—how could it last long?
Fire, when it obtains the medium it attaches to, can transmit and continue; when it fails to obtain the medium, it is exhausted. The Initial Nine with respect to the Six in the Second, the Six in the Fifth with respect to the Top Nine—each obtains the object of attachment, because yin and yang support each other. Only the Nine in the Third, with respect to the Nine in the Fourth, cannot obtain continuation and encounters exhaustion—like the sun at its decline, like a person at the dusk of life. For the noble person to reach this state is a matter of fate. Hence "beat the earthen pot and sing," awaiting it tranquilly. If one does not do this but laments in anxiety, that is the path of misfortune.
Nine in the Fourth: Coming suddenly, like a blaze, like death, like abandonment.
The Xiang Zhuan says: "Coming suddenly"—there is no place to accommodate it.
The Nine in the Third has nothing to attach to; the Nine in the Fourth has none who come to attach to him—both are exhausted ones. Yet the exhaustion of the Nine in the Third is merely sighing; the Nine in the Fourth sees that the Six in the Fifth is worth pursuing, but does not consider that it cannot righteously be obtained. Thus he comes "suddenly," his flame "burns fiercely." The Six in the Fifth rejects him and does not accept him, so he is exhausted and has nowhere to harbor himself. The Nine in the Fourth's desire to obtain the Six in the Fifth is rivalry with the Top Nine, and the Top Nine is the lord of the "Li" hexagram. Therefore, he dies and the multitude abandons him.
Six in the Fifth: Tears flowing in torrents, lamenting with sighs—good fortune.
The Xiang Zhuan says: The good fortune of the Six in the Fifth lies in attaching to the lord.
The "lord" refers to the Top Nine. The Six in the Fifth attaches upward to the Top Nine, while the Nine in the Fourth wishes to obtain her. Hence "tears flow in torrents" and "lamentations and sighs" to manifest unwavering loyalty to the one above. If the Six in the Fifth has no second intention toward the Nine in the Fourth, then the Top Nine will draw close to her—thus good fortune.
Top Nine: The king employs him to go on campaign. There is merit in beheading the ringleaders, capturing not their kind—no blame.
The Xiang Zhuan says: "The king goes on campaign," to correct the states.
All those in lower positions cannot avoid attaching themselves to others. Only the Top Nine causes others to attach to him, while he himself attaches to none. Therefore his position is that of a king, and his virtue can correct the multitude, causing each to rest content in his own proper attachment. And should one appear who disrupts the classes of beings, that is what the king must campaign against. "The meritorious one" refers to the Six in the Fifth. "Not of the same kind" refers to the Nine in the Fourth. None of the six lines have proper counterparts, therefore those who are close and mutually attach can be called "meritorious." The reason the Six in the Fifth can overcome the Nine in the Fourth, who is not of her kind, is because the Top Nine aided her.
The essence of the Li hexagram is "attachment"—the fundamental mode of all existence.
In his interpretation, Su Shi reveals a profound philosophical proposition: 🔥 fire cannot manifest itself but must attach to things before assuming form. Extending this broadly, all things are thus—sun and moon attach to heaven, plants attach to earth, and humans attach to social relationships, value systems, and spiritual anchors. No existence is isolated and self-sufficient.
The core structure of the Li hexagram is the mutual attachment of the six lines: the First attaches to the Second, the Second supports the Third, the Third encounters exhaustion with the Fourth, the Fourth dies contending for the Fifth, the Fifth attaches to the Top and gains good fortune, and the Top occupies the kingly position, attached to none. The entire hexagram portrays a complete atlas of attachment relationships—which attachments are proper and enduring, and which are overreaching and ruinous.
The key distinction lies in:
| Type of Attachment | Example Lines | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Yin-yang mutual support (proper attachment) | First Nine attaches to Second Six; Fifth Six attaches to Top Nine | No blame, good fortune |
| Same-force mutual pressing (exhausted attachment) | Third Nine encounters Fourth Nine | Sigh of the setting sun |
| Seizure and plunder (rebellious attachment) | Fourth Nine contends for Fifth Six | Burning, death |
| Yielding and central (achieved attachment) | Second Six yellow attachment | Supreme good fortune |
Su Shi particularly emphasizes "what is correct is difficult to unite but ultimately enduring; what is incorrect is easily united but difficult to sustain"—this assertion directly identifies the quality of attachment relationships: unions on the correct path, though difficult at first, have deep foundations; expedient unions appear easy but cannot withstand the test of time.
The Li hexagram reflects the existential predicament and relational wisdom of modern people.
The inevitability of attachment and the freedom of choice: Modern people often prize "independence" as the highest value, but the Li hexagram reveals a more fundamental truth—humans cannot exist detached from all attachments. The question is not "whether to attach" but "to what to attach." Career choices, value identification, and relationship formation are essentially practices of "attachment." 🔑
The modern meaning of "raising a female cow brings good fortune": Su Shi interprets "raising a female cow" as nurturing usable talent with the virtue of gentleness. In modern management, this means the leader's "softness" is not weakness but the capacity to accommodate and elevate others. A gentle master nurtures gentle ministers, like the docility of a female cow—the core of team building lies in temperamental matching and mutual fulfillment.
The leadership of "continuing brightness illuminating the four quarters": Fire's attribute of "one torch can transmit to ten thousand" corresponds to knowledge transfer and cultural inheritance in modern organizations. The core ability of an excellent leader lies in perpetuating brightness—developing successors, establishing transmissible institutions and culture, rather than relying on personal brilliance.
The career enlightenment of "the attachment of the setting sun": The Third Nine represents a turning point in one's life stage—when past attachment relationships no longer hold (such as industry decline or skill obsolescence), Su Shi's attitude is "beat the earthen pot and sing, awaiting it tranquilly." This is not passive resignation but a form of wisdom-laden acceptance: in the face of inevitable stage transitions, maintaining inner peace is wiser than futile struggle.
The warning of "coming suddenly": The tragedy of the Fourth Nine lies in "not measuring whether it can righteously be obtained"—knowing it cannot be done yet forcing it. In modern society, many career crises and interpersonal conflicts have their roots here: desires of overreach toward positions or relationships that do not belong to one, ultimately ending in "burning, death, abandonment."
A framework for relationship decisions: When establishing any significant relationship (partnership, collaboration, marriage), first examine whether "the object of attachment is correct." Correct relationships may be difficult to begin but have strong sustainability; incorrect ones are the opposite. One may use the method of "hypothesis—action—review" to verify: What is the "correctness" on which this relationship depends? Are there signs of "easily united but difficult to sustain" emerging in actions? Periodically review whether the foundation of the relationship remains solid.
Psychological adjustment during career transition: When facing the "Third Nine" situation—when one's original career attachment relationships reach their end—one may adopt the strategy of "beating the earthen pot and singing": acknowledge the end of a stage, maintain equanimity, and await new attachment opportunities with cautious optimism, rather than acting blindly from anxiety.
Leader succession planning: Drawing from the concept of "continuing brightness illuminating the four quarters," the core assessment criterion for leaders should be "whether your brightness can be transmitted." Specific practices include: establishing knowledge management systems, cultivating successors at multiple levels, and creating organizational operating mechanisms that do not depend on any individual's presence.
Boundary awareness of desire: The case of the Fourth Nine reminds us to conduct an "assessment of attainability" before pursuing goals—is this goal truly reachable on moral and practical levels? The cost of rash action often far exceeds expectations.
The Li hexagram raises a fundamental philosophical question: What is the relationship between existence and attachment?
Su Shi's interpretation suggests a relational ontology—things do not first exist independently and then enter into relationships; rather, existence itself is the manifestation of relationship. Fire does not exist prior to "attachment"; attachment is fire's mode of being. This recalls Heidegger's concept of "being-in-the-world": the human is not an isolated "subject" confronting a cold "object," but is always already "in the world," constituted by networks of relationships.
Deeper still is the paradox of light and its medium: light requires a medium to manifest, yet the meaning of light lies precisely in transcending its medium to illuminate universally. The spiritual life of the human being is likewise—it depends on "mediums" such as the body, language, and institutions, yet its essence points toward transcendence of these mediums. This tension is expressed in the Li hexagram as the duality of "attachment": at once dependence and illumination.
Su Shi's treatment of the Top Nine is particularly masterful: the Top Nine "separates from others yet is not separated from by others"—he attaches to none, yet all attach to him. This seems to point toward a state of ultimate freedom: attaining freedom from attachment by becoming the object of others' attachment. Yet this freedom is not isolated existence, but the highest position achieved within the network of relationships—a state of "kingship." This echoes remotely the Confucian ideal of "inner sagehood, outer kingship": one whose virtue is perfected naturally becomes the refuge of all.