Dongpo's Commentary on the I Ching: The Cui (Gathering) Hexagram

Hexagram 45: Cui (Gathering) — Lake over Earth (Dui above, Kun below)

Holistic Interpretation

Hexagram Judgment

"Cui" (Gathering): Supreme success. The king approaches the ancestral temple. It is favorable to see the great person. Supreme success. Favorable to uphold integrity. Using the great sacrificial offering (ox) brings good fortune. Favorable to have somewhere to go.

The Cui hexagram symbolizes the meaning of gathering and coming together: smooth progress and success. The king personally arrives at the ancestral temple to pay homage to his ancestors, favorable for encountering the virtuous and highly esteemed great person, smooth progress, and favorable for upholding the correct path. Using the abundant great sacrificial offering (the ox) to perform rituals brings good fortune. Favorable to proceed forward and take active action. 🌱

The Commentary on the Judgment (Tuan Zhuan)

"Cui" (Gathering) means coming together. The lower trigram Kun represents compliance, and the upper trigram Dui represents joy — compliance leading to joy. The yang line in the fifth position (Yang) occupies the central position and responds to the yin line in the second position (Yin) also in the central position — yin and yang responding to each other, thus enabling gathering. "The king approaches the ancestral temple" expresses the utmost sincerity of honoring ancestors and presenting offerings with filial devotion. "Favorable to see the great person, supreme success," means that gathering must conform to the correct path.

Su Shi's Exposition

The I Ching states: "Things of the same kind gather together; creatures are divided into groups." Wherever there is gathering, factions inevitably arise; wherever there are factions, conflict inevitably follows. Therefore, it is said that the Cui hexagram is the most concentrated manifestation of contention. Consider the line configurations in this hexagram as observation: the fifth yang line (taken as the leader at the top) can gather the second yin line to itself; the fourth yang line can gather the first yin line to itself; the third yin line, close to the fourth yang line yet without response from the sixth yin line above, can thus be gathered by the fourth yang line; the sixth yin line, close to the fifth yang line yet without response from the third yin line, can thus be gathered by the fifth yang line. Is this not a posture of mutual approaches and competing claims? Moreover, heaven and earth fundamentally know no principle that everything coalesces into a single locus. The so-called "great person" is merely one who can follow the natural tendencies of each group's gathering and entrust each to what it should be entrusted to. Thus, even if some things do not gather to me, among all the world, who but I can accommodate them — allowing everything to find its own proper place? Such a constellation of gathering is indeed expansive.

"Compliant and joyous, with the firm central yang responding" — this speaks only of the second (yin) and fifth (yang) lines. Could that alone accomplish the gathering? The answer: sufficient, more than sufficient! Those willing to submit to me, I welcome; those unwilling, I entrust to whom they wish to follow — this is the breadth of a great person! Hence, in the Cui hexagram, there are two instances of "progress": gathering itself is never without progress; but before seeing the great person, although there may be progress, it does not conform to the correct path. Not conforming to the correct path — this is what is meant by contending for things that are not rightfully one's own. Therefore it is said: "Favorable to see the great person, supreme success, for the gathering is correct." The so-called great person is simply one who has mastered the correct way of bringing things together. When the ruler is able to come personally to the ancestral temple, fully expressing filial devotion and offerings — this cannot be achieved unless one is in a state of peace and composure. When myriad things see his peace and composure, how could they not gather and submit to him? This is the "correctness of gathering" — the proper way of bringing people together.

"Using the great sacrificial offering brings good fortune; favorable to have somewhere to go, according with the mandate of Heaven."

Wherever the I Ching speaks of "presenting offerings," "washing hands before sacrifice," "modest sacrifices," or "offering rites," it does not do so merely for the sake of ritual itself, but always with deeper connections. Here, "using the great sacrificial offering" is akin to saying: use generous rewards to draw hearts together. The I Ching says: "What draws people together? Wealth." Since the scope of gathering is expansive, the resources employed cannot be stingy or meager. Heaven has destined me to be the shepherd of the myriad things — this is not for my own enrichment. If one sits back to enjoy the fruits without acting, that is a fault. Hence it is said: "Favorable to have somewhere to go" — this is actively acting in accordance with the requirement of Heaven's mandate.

"Observe how things gather together, and the true sentiments of heaven, earth, and all beings become visible."

What gathers of its own accord without prior arrangement speaks of the most genuine emotional affinity.

The Commentary on the Image (The Great Image)

The Lake sits above the Earth, symbolizing gathering. The exemplary person, contemplating this, understands: to maintain prepared military defenses to guard against unexpected contingencies. ⚔️

Wang Bi's commentary: "When people assemble without safeguards, it incites contending ambitions among the crowd."

Six in the First Line: If sincerity is not carried through to the end, chaos and indiscriminate gathering result. If weeping erupts, soon turning to smiles — do not grieve; going forth brings no blame.

Six in the first line: One possesses sincerity but cannot sustain it to the end, producing both confusion and thoughtless assembling. If one first cries out, then shakes hands and smiles — do not be anxious; proceeding forward brings no harm.

The Commentary on the Image: "Chaos and indiscriminate gathering," because the will has already become disturbed.

Su Shi's interpretation: The first yin line ought to respond to the fourth yang line (the only close yang above), but the fourth yang line is instead trusted primarily by the third yin line and fails to remain faithful to its proper correspondence with the first. The first line submits to the fourth initially because there seemed no viable support elsewhere; ultimately, finding that the fourth has other commitments, it leaves with a sigh. Hence, the Commentary on the Image says: "Gather with sighs." This describes a disordered mind that gathers carelessly. "If one cries out, then in that handshake there comes laughter" — chaos of wails and smiles intermingled, "a grasp" describing the confusion of calls and laughters crossing. The exemplary person reads fortune and calamity calmly through clear discernment, so one laughs without crying and cries without laughing. Once hardship gives way to a meeting, one may dissolve from frantic crying into united laughing — but never should cry and laugh come mixed together. Since this person's mind is confused, how can such a one turn into my mistake or misfortune? Thus: make no grief; go forth free of error.

Six in the Second Line: Drawn in with good fortune, no mistake; with sincerity, even lean late offering turns valuable.

Six in the second line: Being led into the gathering brings fortune, no harm. Provided that genuine sincerity exists, even modest offerings may be fitting.

The Image commentary: "Drawn to the right relations accomplishes fortune" because sincere holding of the center remains unchanged.

Su Shi's mirror: The yin line yields gracefully toward the domain of the yang above, valuing discipline that holds committed patience rather than hurrying over. Starting with correct standing, it fulfills the depth of the center not inclined to set out soon, devoting itself to serving those above. It is the fifth yang line's call that invites pursuit afterwards. Pursue once so introduced; how firm the union—called to where else? It will be forefended from guilt, indeed blessed. "禴" (lean, bloodless) has ceremony among fellowship that could scarcely meet a lesson beyond full attendance; it stays thus proper after good tie's near-bare begin. UNS: does the ultimate leader attract the low?? since compensation will distribute…above gets its tribute "Great Offering"; the outnumbered lesser person owes at gift the modwuné, —more that fortune beyond value wages must be conveyed—nor entirely as tax. 🙏

Six in the Third Line: Needing a gathering point brings grief. Nod other onward: carrying as self-begin, escape; however hard to great all further dearest fails calm itself within deeper folds.

Six in the Third Position: Form resembles gathering, yet burden the full course or deliver the gathering bare; no favorable quest exact foresight besides as you deliberate it accordingly to balance so needs. Leave into advance nonetheless summons other circumstance:

Let single caution from the Image lie as flattering weight meets when soft truly consents: Upper should lean because Six where any settled over the previous or soft-willed union can thus soothe the actual to call fair troth accepting around.

Awakening fall to path walking fine mind holds, hence minimal hold of complaint about not acquiring eventuality.

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Nine in the Fourth Place: Except on gathering as if fortune secured, small fault cleans itself at once done.

Grave benefits strong to bless task so full remain binding big blessing okay; has caught fair favor when future might miss shadow doing works whole with second better blessing far may holds man level larger makes have fit no blame stays longer wrong because major grant visible sign ending bless outweigh around hidden gaps visible!

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Hexagram 45: Cui (Gathering Together) — Lake over Earth (Dui above, Kun below)

Holistic Interpretation

Hexagram Text

"Cui" (Gathering Together): Supreme success. The king approaches the ancestral temple. Favorable to see the great person. Supreme success and favorable to remain steadfast. Using the great sacrificial offering (the ox) brings good fortune. Favorable to have somewhere to go.

The Cui hexagram symbolizes the concept of gathering and coming together: smooth and unobstructed. The king personally comes to the ancestral temple to offer sacrifices to the ancestors. It is favorable to meet the virtuous and honored great person; all goes smoothly, and it is favorable to uphold the correct path honestly. Making offerings with bounteous great sacrifices (an ox) brings good fortune. It is also favorable to advance and take active steps.🌱

Commentary on the Judgment (Tuan Zhuan)

"Cui" means gathering. The lower trigram Kun symbolizes compliance and docility, and the upper trigram Dui symbolizes joy and satisfaction; there is compliance and concomitant joy. The fifth line, firm and in the central position in the upper trigram, responds to the second line, soft and in the central position in the lower trigram; thus there is mutual resonance and recognition—so there is indeed gathering.

"The king approaches the ancestral temple" — this expresses his most sincere intent of honoring his ancestors and putting forth sacrificial tributes. "Favorable to see the great person and turns into smooth advantage"—the gathering process is magnified by wise governance. "Remaining steadfast," affirms that the way in which the gathering seeks principles remains straight.

Whereas "Using the great matter…came favorable to campaign" shows once there is secure and correct good stand remains exactly provided as plain per giving daily turn good accepted support fits environment own once maintained ritual frame total likewise alive but: as also yes view order and livelihood allowed be combined exactly ensure recognized certain end cohered self support above? Present enough interpretation left earlier full (known standards could still).

Su Shi's Discursive Interpretation

In the "Xici Zhuan" it is stated, "Things follow the tendencies of their kinds; creatures are separated according to their groups." Since gathering exists, factions are inevitable; and conflicts ensue. The Cui Hexagram is particularly manifested clash indeed.

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