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Chapter 32 of 64
东坡易传
"Heng" (Duration): Penetrating success, no fault, beneficial to maintain correctness. Beneficial to have somewhere to go.
The Tuan Zhuan (Commentary on the Judgment) says: "Heng" means long-lasting. The firm is above and the yielding is below, thunder and wind cooperate with each other, following and moving in accord, the firm and the yielding all correspond to one another—this is "Heng." "Heng, penetrating, no fault, beneficial to be correct," speaks of holding fast to the Dao for a long time.
What enables something to become "Heng" lies in "Zhen" (correct steadfastness). And "Zhen" is applied after one has already attained "penetration and freedom from fault." When the upper and lower have not yet connected, when grace has not yet deepened, to suddenly employ "Zhen" is a dangerous course. Therefore, for one who would achieve "Heng," the beginning must have a process of profound penetration, and the end must have a stage of vigorous rectification. When penetrating all things, the boundary between upper and lower becomes intermingled. Through intermingling, penetration is achieved; through penetration, joy arises; joy is why there is no fault. Only after no fault can one speak of "Zhen"; only after being correct and steadfast can one achieve "Heng." Thus "Heng" is not the work of a single day—only one who persists in the Dao for long without seeking quick results can achieve it.
The Way of Heaven and Earth is enduring and unceasing. "Beneficial to have somewhere to go" means that after an ending, there is a new beginning.
Nothing among the ten thousand things is limitless without changing. Therefore, "Heng" does not mean clinging to one point without variation, but rather being able to change before reaching the point of exhaustion. If one changes only after exhaustion, there are traces of change; if one changes while still unexhausted, there is no appearance of change—this is the root of "Heng." Hence, in the time of "Heng," "it is beneficial to have somewhere to go," meaning one wishes to act before exhaustion. If one can go forth before exhaustion, then beginning and end succeed one another continuously, like a ring with no endpoint.
The sun and moon attain the Dao of Heaven and can shine for long.
"Shining" is the function of the sun and moon. What propels them is Heaven.
The four seasons transform and can accomplish long-enduring results.
When one wishes to clarify the Way of enduring unceasingly, and uses the movements of the sun and moon and the transformations of the four seasons to illustrate it, one is clarifying the principle of "changing before exhaustion." The yang force reaches the position of Noon, but is not yet exhausted; yet the yin force has already arisen. The yin force reaches the position of Midnight, but is not yet exhausted; yet the yang force has already stirred. Therefore, people are at ease during the alternation of cold and heat; but if things changed only after exhaustion, then living beings could not flourish.
The sage persists in the Dao for long, and the world's transformation and education are accomplished. Observing what he persistently maintains, the true conditions of all things under Heaven can be seen.
That which does not come from utmost sincerity will grow weary after a time.
The Xiang Zhuan (Commentary on the Images) says: Thunder and wind—this is Heng. The noble person thereby establishes himself and does not change his direction.
"Thunder" and "wind" are not the constant state of Heaven and Earth; yet the reason the transformations of Heaven and Earth are without constancy is precisely because of "thunder" and "wind." Thus the noble person emulates this: taking the ability to change as "Heng." "Establishing himself without changing direction"—while his Dao revolves of itself.
Initial Six: Deepening Heng — misfortune with correctness, nothing beneficial.
The Xiang Zhuan says: "Deep Heng" brings "misfortune" because seeking depth at the beginning is wrong.
At the beginning of "Heng," the yang should descend to connect with the yin to attain penetration; at the end, the yin should descend to follow the yang to clarify correct steadfastness. Now, Nine in the Fourth does not descend to connect with Initial Six; hence there is the misfortune of "deep Heng." The Top Six does not descend to follow Nine in the Third; hence there is the misfortune of "shaking Heng." Both are errors; only by exchanging positions would they be correct. Sinking downward is called "deepening"; surging upward is called "shaking." Because Nine in the Fourth does not come down to connect, Initial Six seeks depth to conceal itself and keep distant from him, causing the Fourth, despite hunting, to catch nothing—this may be called correct. However, when yin and yang are separated and do not communicate, this is not the proper state for the beginning of "Heng," so it is "misfortune." When the beginning is not penetrating and one employs correct steadfastness, ultimately both sides will be harmed, hence "nothing beneficial." At the beginning of "Heng," one should favor penetration over correct steadfastness.
Nine in the Second: Regret disappears.
The Xiang Zhuan says: Nine in the Second's "regret disappears" because it can hold the center for a long time.
When "Gen" and "Dui" combine, there is "Xian"; when "Zhen" and "Xun" combine, there is "Heng." Therefore, in the hexagrams, none are more auspicious than "Xian" and "Heng," because they value union. When one separates them and views them hexagram by hexagram, seeing only oneself and not the other, then the very foundation of why they are "Xian" and "Heng" is lost. Thus "Xian" and "Heng" have no perfect lines; at best, their excellence is merely "regret disappears." In the time of "Heng," only Nine in the Fourth is suited to descend and connect with Initial Six; from Initial Six upward, all take the yielding descending to follow the firm as correct. Hence Nine in the Second, Nine in the Third, Six in the Fifth, and Top Six are all incorrect. By employing the mean, one can still achieve "regret disappears"; by employing a course that is off-center, one becomes a person without constancy. Hence Nine in the Third "does not maintain steadfast virtue."
Nine in the Third: Not maintaining steadfast virtue—one may be overtaken by shame; correct but humiliating.
The Xiang Zhuan says: "Not maintaining steadfast virtue"—there is no place to contain oneself.
The Analects say: "A person without constancy cannot serve as a shaman or a physician." Confucius said: "Then there is no need to consult the oracles." For a person without constancy, to work with him as a shaman or physician is impossible—how much less to undertake significant endeavors with him? Because a person with constancy has a determinable pattern, his good and evil can be known from outside. A person without constancy—when he appears good, it seems one could work with him; when he changes, like ice dissolving and water drying up, and I bear the shame. Thus, when encountering such a person, to leave him is auspicious; to cling to him is shameful. Good and evil each have their own kind; only the inconstant person has no kind. Therefore it is said: "Not maintaining steadfast virtue—having no place in which to be contained."
Nine in the Fourth: The hunt yields no game.
The Xiang Zhuan says: Long occupying a position that is not proper, how can one capture game?
Nine in the Fourth occupies an improper position and values the lower Initial Six. "Initial Six" is what he seeks to obtain, hence he is said to "have no game"; his position is too high and his counterpart's is too deep—to obtain Initial Six is difficult.
Six in the Fifth: Maintaining his virtue consistently—correct fortune for a woman; misfortune for a husband.
The Xiang Zhuan says: "For a woman, correctness brings fortune"—she follows one to the end; a husband must adjudicate by what is right; to follow a woman brings misfortune.
"Heng" takes the yielding following the firm as its correct pattern. Six in the Fifth descending to Nine in the Second is a woman's correctness. Nine in the Second ascending to follow Six in the Fifth is a husband's corruption.
Top Six: Shaking Heng—misfortune.
The Xiang Zhuan says: "Shaking Heng" at the top position—great accomplishments are without merit.
At the end of "Heng," the yielding should descend to follow the firm. Not content with its station, it strives upward, wishing to pursue achievement, but the timing is wrong. Thus, "misfortune."
The essence of Heng is "changing before exhaustion": Su Dongpo's understanding of "Heng" is exceptionally nuanced—"Heng" is not rigidly maintaining immutability, but rather changing before things have reached their point of exhaustion. Because this change occurs before the limit is reached, it does not manifest the appearance or trace of "change." This is like the first yang line arising at the winter solstice and the first yin line arising at the summer solstice—yin does not wait until yang is completely exhausted to appear, but begins to stir even at yang's moment of greatest strength.
"Penetration" comes before "Correctness": Su Dongpo advances a crucial order of operations: first, there is "penetration and freedom from fault," only then can there be "correct steadfastness." When the upper and lower have not yet connected, when grace has not yet deepened, to force "Zhen" (rigid rectitude, strict adherence to rules) is "a dangerous course." First, let the relationship flow freely and the parties be mutually satisfied; only then speak of firm correct steadfastness. This negates the approach of imposing rigid rules on everything from the outset.
The ability to change is Heng: The noble person takes "establishing himself without changing his direction" as Heng, but this "unchanging direction" is precisely rooted in "the ability to change." Thunder and wind are not Heaven and Earth's constant state, yet the creative transformation of Heaven and Earth changes endlessly precisely because of thunder and wind. The noble person emulates "taking the ability to change as Heng"—the principle is invariant while its application changes boundlessly.
Lasting arises from union: The hexagrams Xian (Gen over Dui) and Heng (Zhen over Xun) are auspicious because of "union." Once divided and viewed independently, seeing only oneself and not the other, the foundation of "Heng" is lost. Hence, the hexagrams Xian and Heng have no perfect lines—at best, merely "regret disappears." This reveals a profound truth: even intimate and long-lasting relationships inherently carry imperfection; a perfect constancy does not exist.
"Changing before exhaustion" and iterative thinking: Su Dongpo's "changing before exhaustion" is in fact an extraordinarily forward-thinking management philosophy. In contemporary terms, this corresponds to "proactive iteration" rather than "reactive change." A business, a relationship, or a system—if we wait until outright breakdown before transforming, there will be "traces of change": rupture, pain, uncontrollability. But when we keenly sense emerging signs of change while things still run smoothly and make ongoing fine adjustments, there is "no name of change"—outwardly no reform may be perceived, yet everything has been consistently evolving. This is the supreme state of Heng.
"Penetration before correct steadfastness" and management rhythm: Su Dongpo warns that "suddenly employing correct steadfastness" is a "dangerous course," corresponding to a common malady in modern management: the priority given to formal regulations too early. A new team or new project at its inception—before interconnections and trust have been established—readily becomes subject to hurried rules, performance metrics, rigid discipline, which often smothers vitality. Only by first allowing information to flow, relationships to open, value to be seen (penetration), and only then progressively instituting norms (correctness), can we achieve durability.
Philosophy of Time Research: Su Dongpo's view of time as "beginning and end mutually receiving, like a ring without end" offers a space for dialogue with contemporary process philosophy (Whitehead) and cyclical concepts of time (Nietzsche's "eternal recurrence"), providing a philosophical framework for understanding "constancy" that transcends linear time.