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Chapter 36 of 64
东坡易传
The Ming Yi Hexagram (Hexagram 36)
Hexagram Image: Earth over Fire, Kun above and Li below 🌍🔥
Hexagram Statement: "Ming Yi": Advantage lies in being steadfast in adversity.
The Commentary on the Tuan says: Light withdraws into the earth — this is the image of the Ming Yi hexagram. Within, maintain civil refinement; without, appear gentle and yielding. By this means one endures great calamity — this is how King Wen conducted himself. "Advantage lies in being steadfast in adversity" means concealing one's own light. Dwelling amidst internal calamity while still rectifying one's mind and will — this is how the Viscount of Ji conducted himself.
The Commentary on the Xiang says: Light withdraws into the earth — this is the image of the Ming Yi hexagram. The exemplary person comprehends from this that in governing the people, one should conceal one's own discernment, and thereby achieve genuine clarity.
Wang Bi says: Displaying one's discernment outwardly is precisely what ought to be avoided.
The Commentary on the Xiang says: "The exemplary person on the move" — from the standpoint of righteousness, he ought not to eat this meal.
The governing line of the Ming Yi hexagram is Top Six. The second and fifth lines are both spheres where Top Six exercises influence. But Nine in the Third position possesses strength equal to the governing line Top Six, and its power is sufficient to correct it. These three lines all bear responsibility for the age of Ming Yi. When the exemplary person bears responsibility in such an age, if capable of rescue, he rescues — this is the approach of Six in the Second position, "using rescue"; if capable of correction, he corrects — this is the approach of Nine in the Third position, the "southern hunt"; if neither rescue nor correction is possible, then the exemplary person dares not avoid humiliation for personal convenience — this is the approach of Six in the Fifth position, modeled on the Viscount of Ji. When the exemplary person dwells in the age of Ming Yi, if he has responsibility, he must act to shoulder it; if he has no responsibility, he must preserve himself without losing the correct path. Initial Nine and Six in the Fourth position bear no responsibility in this age, so the one close to the governing line enters the inner chamber to obtain its intent, "departing through the gate"; the one farther away travels without regard for meals. The meaning of Ming Yi lies in: willingly incurring harm to oneself in order to preserve one's light. When about to fly, if one lifts the wings, one will certainly be bound, hence "drooping its wings" — to display the appearance of not flying. While not yet departing, "drooping its wings" is extremely relaxed and unhurried; when departing, fasting for three days is extremely urgent. Why is this so? Because of fear of not being spared. The governing line Top Six of Ming Yi has already lost the people's hearts; if I have a destination, that destination will inevitably be its enemy. Departing from the governing line toward its enemy, the governing line will suspect that I am plotting against it, hence it is said "the host will have words of reproach." "The host" refers to Top Six.
The Commentary on the Xiang says: The good fortune of Six in the Second position lies in its compliance and adherence to the proper way.
The text's mention of left and right is like speaking of inner and outer. What is above me is, from my perspective, left. In the age of Ming Yi, Kun is the sovereign, about to be deposed; Li is the minister, growing in strength. From the perspective of Li, the deposing of Kun is like a wound to the left thigh. Six in the Second position is utterly loyal and compliant, so it goes to rescue — cherishing its loyalty yet worrying that its strength may be insufficient. Hence the admonition: merely going is not enough for rescue. Only when the horse is strong does good fortune follow; the horse is what carries the wounded.
The Commentary on the Xiang says: The aspiration of the "southern hunt" is a great harvest.
Six in the Second position occupies a favorable station and does not lose the minister's proper conduct, so it can rescue the unenlightened ruler. It has merit without arousing suspicion, hence good fortune. As for Nine in the Third position, its situation has already become pressing. Though wishing to rescue, it cannot, so the "southern hunt" is used to correct the situation. Ming Yi begins with self-concealment of light; the "southern hunt" is that place where one's light is exercised. Bringing yang force to bear with yang force, one must be wary of excessive speed; hence once the "great chiefhead" has been captured, "one cannot insist on immediate rectification" — one must not urgently demand an immediate return to the proper path.
The Commentary on the Xiang says: "Entering the left chamber" means obtaining the intent of the other party.
Approaching an unenlightened ruler, yet not occupying a position of active influence, one may avoid disaster through humility. Hence "entering the left chamber, obtaining its intent" — and the exemplary person does not censure this, because its departure from the gate is swift. The exemplary person in this position fears only failure to avoid disaster. Once disaster has been avoided, none do not depart; having avoided disaster yet not departing, clinging to the gate, wishing to seek something further — the transgression would then be grave indeed.
The Commentary on the Xiang says: The proper path upheld by the Viscount of Ji shows that light cannot be extinguished.
Six in the Fifth position, with respect to Top Six: correcting it, one's force is insufficient; rescuing it, one's strength is inadequate; leaving it, righteousness does not permit — this is the most difficult of situations. Only one such as the Viscount of Ji can manage it. The Viscount of Ji, in this situation, could suffer humiliation of the body, but "light cannot be extinguished."
The Commentary on the Xiang says: "Initially ascending to heaven" means its light once shone upon the four directions; "afterward entering the earth" means it has lost the proper law.
All six lines are darkened, but the causes of their darkness differ: from the fifth line downward, they possessed light originally and concealed it actively; as for Top Six, it never possessed light and is benighted in reality. Hence the phrase "not bright, but benighted" — its darkness is genuine, not a matter of purposeful concealment. Those who are bright yet actively conceal themselves: at the beginning hidden, in the end luminous; those who are not bright and genuinely benighted: forcing illumination while in reality dark — such is the distinction between the two.
The central proposition of the Ming Yi hexagram is: How does light survive in an era when it is not seen? The entire hexagram constructs a symbolic system of "light entering the earth" — Li fire beneath Kun earth, like the sun sinking below the ground's surface — light is obscured but not annihilated.
Su Shi's interpretation particularly emphasizes the principle of matching responsibility with circumstances:
This tiered structure presents a complete mapping of how to make optimal choices according to one's position in times of adversity.
The Ming Yi hexagram is, in essence, a "model for survival strategies in adversity."
In a modern context, the state of Ming Yi can correspond to:
| Traditional Situation | Modern Correspondence |
|---|---|
| A benighted ruler above; worthy ministers suppressed | An unjust organizational leadership; capable individuals marginalized |
| Light entering the earth; unfavorable timing | Industry downturn cycles; individual value temporarily unrecognizable |
| The Viscount of Ji feigning madness | Temporarily sheathing one's edge and preserving strength in an unfavorable environment |
| The southern hunt to correct | Decisively rectifying systemic errors when the time matures |
Key practical insights:
Decision-making framework: The Ming Yi hexagram provides a framework for "the risk management of light":
Risk checklist:
Review method: An assumption–action–review loop: hypothesize that one is currently in a "Ming Yi" state → select a strategy according to position–responsibility matching → after practice, assess whether "beginning hidden" can lead to "ultimately luminous" → adjust the action plan accordingly.
"Concealing one's light" and "light that cannot be extinguished" form a profound paradox.
The essence of "advantage in steadfastness through hardship" is not the abandonment of light, but rather protecting the possibility of light by dividing and shortening it into a form that is temporarily obscured. This raises an ontological question: must light first exist in some obscured form in order to endure over a longer timescale? Su Shi answers through two figures — King Wen and the Viscount of Ji: King Wen, with "inner refinement and outer flexibility," endured great calamity — this is shrinking in extension while not diminishing in inner substance; the Viscount of Ji, with "the body may be humiliated, but the light cannot be extinguished," is yielding in existential form without compromising essential attributes.
Top Six's pattern — "initially ascending to heaven, afterward entering the earth" — reveals the parabolic destiny of false light: a surface brilliance maintained by force will inevitably plunge into genuine darkness. In contrast, the Viscount of Ji of Six in Fifth, although immersed in darkness, maintains an inner light that "cannot be extinguished." This suggests a profound philosophical judgment: the authenticity of light lies not in whether it can be perceived, but in whether it persists even when unperceived.
The exemplary person's way of governing the multitude through "using obscurity to achieve clarity" points toward a Daoist political wisdom: true discernment, precisely because it is genuine, does not display itself as discernment. By reining in cleverness, one can perceive more clearly — for overt cleverness provokes opposition, pretense and distortion of information, while covert insight pierces through surface appearances.