20 · 风地观

观卦原文

观。盥而不荐，有孚顒若。

象曰：风行地上，观。先王以省方，观民设教。

白话文解释

观卦：祭祀时灌酒降神而不献人牲，因为用作祭祀的俘虏的头部肿了，不能用作祭品。

《象辞》说：本卦上卦为巽为风，下卦为坤为地，风行大地吹拂万物，这是观的卦象。先王观此卦象取法于周流八方的风，从而巡视邦国，观察民情，推行教化。

《断易天机》解

观卦巽上坤下，为乾宫四世卦。观卦象征将道义展示于众人面前。观卦风在上而地在下，是春风浩荡、万物滋生之象。

北宋易学家邵雍解

以下观上，周游观览；平心静气，坚守岗位。

得此卦者，处身于变化之中，心神不宁，宜多观察入微，待机行事，切勿妄进。

台湾国学大儒傅佩荣解

时运：出外游览，不易闲居。

财运：贩卖洋货，须防风险。

家宅：供养神佛。

身体：风湿之症，运动调养。

传统解卦

这个卦是异卦（下坤上巽）相叠，风行地上，喻德教遍施。观卦与临卦互为综卦，交相使用。在上者以道义观天下；在下者以敬仰瞻上，人心顺服归从。

大象：风运行于坤地之上，喻有周游观览之意。阴长阳消，正道衰微，万物难行。

运势：处身于变化之中，宜多观察入微，心身苦恼，并防外来诱惑。

事业：事业已出现不顺利的迹象，务必谦虚慎重，高瞻远瞩，尤忌短期行为，心胸开阔，注意搞好人际关系，团结他人，不宜轻率行动。必要时不妨投靠德行高的人，以图再度发展。

经商：市场形势不稳定，正处于变动，应谨慎小心，随时观察动向，从长计议，做好退却的准备。

求名：贵在自知之明，虚心向他人求教，端正处世态度，尤其不可自我满足，更须守中持正，树立远大理想，勿丧失个人追求的目标，勿偏离正道。

婚恋：不顺利，双方应经受住考验，从长计议，会有理想的结果。

决策：具有组织能力，适宜担任负责工作，但人生旅途多曲折，必须注意培养自己的预见性和观察力，办事务必公正，实事求是，注意人心动向，关心他人。尤其不可以陷入小人之道和近视行为之中。应有决断精神，不可盲从，必要时可进行策略依附。

第二十卦的哲学含义

观卦卦象，风地观卦的象征意义

风地观卦，这个卦是异卦相叠，下卦为坤，上卦为巽。风行地上，喻德教遍施。巽为风在上，坤为地在下。说明巽在上，为民办事，像风一样迅速，无处不到。地在下，表示地上的万物仰首观察巽的行为，产生敬重和羡慕的心理，决心学习巽的德才。由此可知，观卦本身是以敬重的态度观察和学习他人优点和长处的卦。

观卦启示了观下瞻上的道理，在上者以道义观天下；在下者以敬仰瞻上，人心顺服归从。观卦属于中上卦。《象》这样评断此卦：卦遇蓬花旱逢河，生意买卖利息多，婚姻自有人来助，出门永不受折磨。

风地观卦的卦画是下面四个阴爻，上面两个阳爻，与临卦的卦画排列顺序正好相反。

风地观卦从卦象上进行分析，观卦上卦为巽为风，下卦为坤为地，风吹拂着大地就是观卦的卦象。风无处不在，无孔不入，人也应当像风一样，无所不观，观察万物而得到更多的知识。

20.风地观(䷓)-高岛易断

按：“观”字，从雚，从见。雚即鹳，似鸿而大。鹳有白黑二种，白鹳巢树。鹳又能察时审变，每天阴晴雨雪，大风大水，气候不常，向树上瞻望，随所见之上下，以为趋避。故土人亦皆视鹳之飞鸣止食，以占常变。见，视也，常见曰见，非常曰“观”，故合雚与见为观。此卦下《坤》上《巽》，巽为风，坤为地。风本无形可观，以其触于物者而观之，犹上之德化无形，以施于政者观之，下之性情无形，以发于事者观之，有相观而化之义也。是以名其卦曰《观》。《序卦》曰，“物大然后可观，故受之以观”，此观之所以次于临也。

观：盥而不荐，有孚颙若。

▲　甲骨文观

按：盥字，从臼，从皿，水在皿上，有两手掬水之象。卦本《巽》，《巽》为入，谓以两手入水而洁之也。巽为不果，故曰“不荐”。《坤》下《坎》上，谓比，初爻曰“有孚盈缶”，缶亦盛水之器。《乾》下《巽》上，谓《小畜》，五爻曰“有孚挛如”，挛，即两手，均得有孚之象。《巽》下《坤》上谓《升》，与《观》互变，《升》二爻曰“孚乃利用禴”，有用祭之义焉。“颙”，《说文》曰“大首也”，谓昂首而望之，有《观》之象。“若”，顺也，有诚心而奉顺之意。“不荐”“有孚”，即不动而敬，不言而信，谓观于盥之用洁，而众情已孚，有不待荐而始感者也。是观在心不在貌，孚以神不以迹。即此盥手之初，而精诚所注，天下皆见其心焉，故曰“观：盥而不荐，有孚颙若”。

《彖传》曰：大观在上，顺而巽，中正以观天下。《观》，盥而不荐，有孚颙若，下观而化也。观天之神道，而四时不忒，圣人以神道设教，而天下服矣。

此卦两刚四柔，两刚在上，四柔在下，刚为大，柔为小，故曰“大观在上”。《坤》顺《巽》入，是能顺而《巽》也。九五处卦之中，刚居阳位得中。“天下”指四柔，谓其居于上卦之下。五爻为君，四柔皆臣也，中正之德大而在上，足以为观于天下。为观之道，全在精洁诚敬，至中至正，无稍间断。四柔观感诚意，咸思进而自洁，有不期其化而自化者矣，故曰“下观而化”。观圣即可观天，圣道无殊天道，天道神妙，故曰“神道”。天有“神道”，而时运“不忒”；圣有神道，而中正无私。天之道，不言而四时行，百物生，圣之道，“不荐”而万民孚也。圣人合天之德，法天之行，神而明之，发为政教，俾天下沐渥圣化，沦肌泱髓，妙合无言，所谓不识不知，顺帝之则，犹如戴天而不知天之高者矣，其化道之神为何如乎！故曰“圣人以神道设教，而天下服矣”。

以全卦观之，阳大阴小，四阳之卦，有曰《大过》，与《大过》相反，四阴之卦，有曰《小过》。《大壮》卦，四阳在下，二阴在上，此卦四阴在下，二阳在上，与《大壮》反，独不曰小。《彖传》曰“大观在上”，以九五阳刚，中正得位，故不言小。此全卦取名之主义也。凡阴盛阳微，必致以柔逼刚，爻多不吉，此卦六爻独不言凶，亦以五居君位，中正之德，足以仪型天下，群柔皆仰而观之，故相观者不致相持，而柔无复逼刚矣。卦义专取为观于下，不取阴盛之象。卦以四爻为主，四爻以柔居阴位得其正，上比二刚，下接三柔，率三柔以进于五，仰观德化，是以四爻为一卦之主也。初爻始阴在下，位与五违，所观者浅，如童蒙然，故曰“童观”。二与五本相应，但二阴暗柔弱，不能进而观光，而仅得窥见其仿佛，是效女子之贞也，故曰“利女贞”。三爻比四，四为主观，三观四之动作，以为进退，故曰“观我生，进退”。四比近于五，观最真切，五为君，四近于君而相得，故为“宾”。君之德教，发而为国之光华。“利用”者，谓将进而效用也，故曰“观国之光，利用宾于王”。五爻居一卦之尊，天下之民情风俗，由我而化，所谓正己以正万民者，故曰“观我生”。《象》曰“观民也”，盖内而观我，即外而观‘民也。上九居观之终，刚健有德，虽夙为民所瞻观，因其高而无位，不欲出而观民，惟反而自观，谨身免咎而已，故曰“观其生”。《彖》称“圣人”，《象》称“先王”，皆指五爻君位而言也。《彖》曰“神道设教”，以上体乾德，示观于天下；《象》曰“省方”“设教”，以俯效巽风，省观夫民俗也。故卦名之《观》，自上观下，爻辞之观，自下观上，义虽不同，各有所取。所谓“设教”，所以一其观德，消其逸志，使之咸归于中正之域，一道德而同风俗者也，故曰“大观在上”。

（附言）

神字从示从申。示，《唐韵》：“音侍，垂示也”。《说文》曰：“天垂象，见吉凶，所以示也”。《玉篇》曰：“示，语也”，以事告人曰示，申，引伸也，盖神者，所以引伸其道以示人者也。《象传》曰，“圣人以神道设教”。是以垂示神道，以教天下也。古昔圣王之祭神，以至诚求神告而已，故上则神明假格，下则群黎服从。《观》卦之圣人，以此设教，其妙有不可思议，天下一观，而感应捷于影响，莫不服圣人之观也。

余尝慨我邦神教之衰，明治二十四年春，曾创兴阴阳寮之议一篇，附记以补“神道设教”之说：

恭惟我国，称曰神国，我国治道，称曰神道，其所由来久矣。盖神道，邦语曰“计惟神之道”。惟神者，即随神之谓也，故一作神随。观古先皇之建国，以神祭为政事，以神敕为国是，凡一切政事、苟涉疑虑，皆依神教决之，是所以称我国曰神国也。国君通称天子，天子者，为天之子，谓奉天明命，抚临万国，尊无二上，以天为父，故尊之曰天子。上自大臣，下至属官，皆佐天子以敷教者也。孟子引《书》曰：“天降下民，作之君，作之师，惟曰其助上帝，宠之四方”，是天子而能助上帝也。《书》曰：“乃文乃武，乃圣乃神’”是天子而即为神皇也。《观》之《象》辞曰：“圣人以神道设教，而天下服”，可知治道通于神道，惟神道乃可以补治道之不及。

古者国有大事，必藉卜以决疑，此神道之最彰者也。天人感通之理，其在斯乎？夫人虽贤明，不能前知未来之事，惟卜筮则能前知。昔在我国神代之时，垂鹿卜之法，以问神意，称曰卜问，今奈良春日畜鹿，即此遗意也。后与支那交通，传得龟卜、蓍卜之术，神人感通之道愈备，未来前知之法益明。“天地设位，圣人成能，人谋鬼谋，百姓与能”，于是朝廷置阴阳寮于中务省，设阴阳头、阴阳助、阴阳博士、阴阳士等吏员，以供其职，以修其业。令典所垂，自古有然；中世以来，皇政式微，寮废宫阙。然当国家大事，皇上亲祭伊势大庙及贤所，使府县知事代拜全国官国币社，告以事由，派遣吏员于外国，使之参拜贤所。奉神威以临异域，朝廷之崇敬神教，未尝或替，下民效之，凡值神诞祭礼，及春祈秋报，陈俎豆以飨神明，荐馨香以祈福佑，虽卜筮之法几废，而酬报之礼犹存也。我国地居东海，古号神洲，是以神道之昭垂愈著，民心之爱戴愈虔，凡忠君爱国之忧，罔不敬神之诚而焕发也。其功如斯，若能尽诚尽敬，开明布教，克复前徽，斯精灵感格，有求必孚，其灵效之显赫，当更有进者矣。

皇政维新，百废俱兴，惟于阴阳寮，未见复设，无他，维新事业，多创建于兵马倥偬之际，既又侵入欧美文物，汲汲模效西学，无暇复古。况西人蔑视神道，创论为无，故习西法者，多惑其说，信口妄谈，谤毁神祗。由是渎慢之风，行于家庭则侮父兄，行于府县则侮官吏，行于国中则侮君上，败人间之秩序，害社会之安宁，方今天下之通弊也。察其弊所由来，皆由神道息微，以致人心狂妄，不知畏敬，极其所至，其祸有不可胜言者矣，可不慨叹乎！方今圣明在上，独断万机，大臣各进谠言，以相辅佐，复开贵族院、众议院，问国民之舆论，以定国是，是所谓君从相、从士、从庶民，从之时也。然谋于野而不谋于天，询于民而不询于神，未始非圣代之缺典也。古者命相则卜之，出师则卜之，求贤则卜之，礼曰，“卜筮者，所以决嫌疑，定犹豫者”是也。古时我国有行之者，即阴阳寮之属也。今朝堂之官吏，二万六千人，皆立君子之位，独阴阳寮职，不闻复古，粤稽古时，所称神随国者，其教既废，其名亦殆将灭绝矣。

余虽不肖，深为之惧，意欲修复阴阳之术，推阐感格之诚。然言之则罪犯僭越，不言则罪获冥明，其罪均也，则宁言之。不若使神国之称，得践其实，内可与四千余万生灵，同沾幸福，外可使欧西各国，昏昧而不知神道者，得闻此灵明玄妙之真理也。爰此，敢陈兴复阴阳寮一议。呜呼！所愿当道君子赞成此议，振兴舆论。得复阴阳寮之古职，不惟本邦之幸福，实足发世界之光辉也！谨议。

以此卦拟人事，不外观己观人两端，而家业之兴替关焉。卦体下《坤》上《巽》，二阳在上，四阴在下，五居尊位，一家之主，为家人所观仰也。四阴为家人，皆顺从于五，一家之主，道当庄敬严肃，时凛承祭见宾之意，使家人观感而化，群思澡身浴德，相争以诚，不敢偏存欺诈。虽家主柔顺谦和，绝无苛责，而中正之德，垂为仪型，自有不言而信，不动而敬者矣。天道正而四时调和，家道齐而一门肃睦，故人伦之重，称为天伦，物则之微，协于天则。人能敬从天命，与天合撰其神妙莫测之机，攸往咸宜，一旦出而临民，先王所谓“省方”“设教”者，措之裕如。而仅施诸一家一门之内，犹其小焉耳。初爻为一卦之始，如家中之幼子，所观者小，在小人固无咎也。二爻阴暗柔弱，仅能窥见仿佛，窥者从门隙而观之，在女子尚不失其贞也。三爻柔顺之极，能以顺时进退，故不失其道。四爻比近于五，是家主之亲人，其所观最为真切，为家主所信用也。五爻则刚阳中正，齐家之主，几家政之善恶，皆存乎其身，故曰“观我生”。上爻居五位之上，为家主之长亲也，虽其人已不关家政，而家人犹必仰观其道德，用为法则，故不能不避而自观也。古昔文王，德盛化神，必曰“刑于寡妻，至于家邦”可知治国必本治家，所谓观于家，而王道易见者也。此卦全体，阴盛阳微，道极可危。卦名曰《观》，五上两爻，二阳在上，虽不言凶，一则“观我生”，一则“观其生”，皆孜孜返观内省，其防危虑患，至深且切。凡人持身涉世，时时能敬凛此旨，庶可无咎矣。

以此卦拟国家，卦象为阴盛剥阳，惟赖神明之呵佑，挽回衰运之时也。盖内外二体，外卦为政府，二阳在位，具中正刚强之德，足为亿兆观瞻；内卦为人民，四阴在下，怀柔顺卑《巽》之情，常欲仰观政化。人民众多，政府高远，彼小民不能亲观夫圣德，必就近侍夫君者之观以为观。四爻比五，为《巽》同体，一卦之主，凡下三阴欲进而观五，必先观四，故初曰“童观”，如孺子之望富门，高不及见也。二爻曰“间观”，有畏怯不敢直前，仅以潜身窥伺也。三爻曰“观我生，进退”三与四近，是以得观视而定进退也。四爻比近尊位，得亲待圣躬，瞻仰国光，“利用宾于王”，宾，犹臣也，即利见大人之谓也。五为大君，中正得位，盖以二阳孤立，高而可危，故曰“观我生”，其兢兢业业，不问正人而先正己，意甚深切。六爻居《观》之极，在五之上，身虽无位，与五合德，曰“观其生”盖其惕厉之意，与五亦同。统观四阴之意，皆以窥察大君之动作，以为进退；二阳在上，惟以明德新民，孜孜以持盈保泰为虑。爻辞曰“盥而不荐，有孚颙若”，谓君能至诚精洁，可以格神明，即可孚黎庶，是恭己南面，无为而治之旨也。《象》辞即释此意而引伸之曰“大观在上”，即有岌岌乎可危之象；曰“巽而顺，中正以观天下”。就卦体之巽前不顺中正，言君首当修明其德，为天下观。“观天之道”数句，亦从“盥而不荐”来，言天道神化不测，寒暑往来，四时不忒，圣人能效法神道，当为政教，于变时雍，天下咸服矣。《象传》曰“先王以省方观民设教”，此即示以观之之道。盖《彖传》之旨，以观示下，《象传》之旨，以观察下。统之乘此阳德，足为民观，亦足以观民，而群阴服从，否则阳德有亏，群阴即因而上逼，亦可危也。二阳爻皆言“君子无咎”，君子者，有德之称。有德则无咎，无德即有咎，反观而自明矣。为国家者，安可不凛凛哉！

《大象》曰：风行地上，观。先王以省方观民设教。

《坤》为地，为国土，为众，《巽》为风，为命令。此卦“风行地上”有施教于民之象。“方”者谓四方，“省方”者，省察四方民心之向背也。“观民”者，考验风土民俗之所尚也“设教”者，随其地，察其俗，设教而施治也。夫天下之民情，或为风气之所囿，或为习俗之所移，各有所偏倚，不能归中正和平之域。先王见风行地上，有周流披拂，无处不遍之象，法此以省方，有嘘枯吹新，鼓动万物之象。法此以“观民设教”政以束其身，教以导其心。从“省方观民”之后，而复设以教，则因奢而教以俭，因惰而教以勤，斯教愈善矣。故孟子有曰：“善政不如善教之得民心也。”要其教之深入民心，犹风之通行天下也，如此则化行俗美，弊革风清。观之道，无以加之，谓之“省方观民设教”。

【占】　问时运：目下正当振作有为，宜出外历览，不宜杜门静守。

○　问商业：贩运洋货，风险须防。

○　问家宅：宅中或旧有供奉神佛，或皈入教门之家，或是家主设馆教徒。

○　问战征：有风雷疾卷之势，可以掠得土地，收获民众。吉。

○　问疾病：是风湿之症，宜流行活动，血调而风自息。

○　问出行：远游吉，传教更好。

○　问讼事：得平匀断结。

○　问六甲：生男。

○　问天时：有风即晴。

○　问失物：初在地上，被风吹远，宜遍寻之，可得。

Judgment

Legge: Contemplation shows us a worshipper who has purified himself, but must still present his sacrifice with that dignified sincerity which inspires reverence.

Wilhelm/Baynes: Contemplation. The ablution has been made, but not yet the offering. Full of trust they look up to him.

Blofeld: Looking down. [This word often means “contemplation" and I have so translated it when the context so requires.] The ablution has been performed, but not the sacrifice. Sincerity inspires respect. [This is generally understood to mean that the first step has been taken or that one has bound oneself to follow a certain course...but that the main duties are yet to be performed.]

Liu: Observation. The hand-washing ritual is completed, but the sacrifice is still to come. All done and looked upon with sincerity.

Ritsema/Karcher: Viewing: hand-washing and-also not worshipping. Possessing conformity, like a presence. [This hexagram describes your situation in terms of something seen from a distance, out of immediate reach. It emphasizes that carefully observing and divining the meaning is the adequate way to handle it...]

Shaughnessy: Looking Up. Washing the hands but not making offering; there is a return with head held high.

Cleary (1): Observing, one has washed the hands but not made the offering; there is sincerity, which is reverent.

Wu: Admiration indicates a worshipper washing his hands in preparation for the offerings, but not participating in it. He shows sincerity and awe.

The Image

Legge: The image of earth and wind moving above it form Contemplation. The ancient kings, in accordance with this, examined the different regions of the kingdom to see the ways of the people, and set forth their instructions.

Wilhelm/Baynes: The wind blows over the earth: the image of Contemplation. Thus the kings of old visited the regions of the world, contemplated the people, and gave them instruction.

Blofeld: This hexagram symbolizes wind blowing across the earth. The ancient rulers visited the different regions to keep watch over their people and carefully instruct them.

Liu: The wind blowing over the earth symbolizes Observation. The ancient kings visited their territories, observed the people, and gave instruction.

Ritsema/Karcher: Wind moving above earth. Viewing. The Earlier Kings used inspecting on-all-sides, viewing the commoners to set-up teaching.

Cleary (1): Wind is over the earth, observing. Thus did the kings of yore set up education after examination of the region and observation of the people.

Cleary (2): Wind travels over the earth – observing. Kings of yore examined the regions and observed the people to set up education. [In Buddhist terms, the ancient Buddhas examined the “regions” of possible experience and observed the people in various states of being, then set up various teachings to accommodate them, just as the wind travels over the earth reaching everywhere.]

Wu: The wind pervades above the earth; this is Admiration. Thus the ancient kings inspected various regions of the country, observed the sentiments of the people, and laid down their instructions.

COMMENTARY

Confucius/Legge: Observation from above -- from the trigram of Flexibility surmounting the trigram of Docility. The ruler is in his correct central position, and thus exhibits his lessons to all below. He has purified himself, but not yet sacrificed. All beneath look to him and are transformed. When we contemplate the spirit-like way of heaven, we see how the four seasons proceed without error. The sages, in accordance with this spirit-like way, laid down their instructions, and all under heaven yield submission to them.

Legge: The Chinese character from which this hexagram is named is used in the sense of both seeing and being seen. The theme is the sovereign and his people -how he shows himself to them, and how they in turn perceive him. The two dynamic lines at the top belong to the ruler, and the four magnetic lines below

represent his subjects. In the Judgment the ruler is portrayed as a worshipper at the commencement of a sacrifice. He is the great Manifester in line five. The lower trigram symbolizes earth, with the attribute of Docility; the upper trigram symbolizes wind, with the attributes of Flexibility and Penetration. Wind moving above the earth has the widest sweep, and nothing escapes its influence. The personal influence of the ruler effects much, but the ancient kings wished to add to that the power of published instructions which were specially adapted to the character and circumstances of the people. The spirit-like way of heaven is the invisible order underlying the laws of nature. [Ed. Note: Ritsema/Karcher use the phrase: "Viewing Heaven's spirit tao ... The all-wise person uses spirit tao to set-up teaching."

Spirit(s), SHEN: independent spiritual powers that confer intensity on heart and mind by acting on the soul, KUEI; gods, daimons. Tao: way or path; ongoing process of being and the course it traces for each specific person or thing; keyword. The ideogram: go and head, leading and the path it creates.]

NOTES AND PARAPHRASES

Judgment: Contemplate your motivations and discern the purity of your intent. "Put your money where your mouth is.” or "Walk your talk.” The Superior Man evaluates and rectifies his attitudes. The "ancient kings” in the Image symbolize the creators of an original

state of perfection -- an archetypal model toward which the superior man aspires. This idea is common to all mystical traditions, many of which depict this state in the image of an ideal or prototypical man. Here is a summary of the Gnostic conception: Not only the body but also the "soul" is a product of the cosmic powers, which shaped the body in the image of the divine Primal (or Archetypal) Man and animated it with their own psychical forces: these are the appetites and passions of natural man, each of which stems from and corresponds to one of the cosmic spheres [i.e., planets] and all of which together make up the astral soul of man, his "psyche."

H. Jonas -- The Gnostic Religion In the Kabbalah, the template of this archetypal man (named Adam Kadmon) exists in each of the four realms of consciousness corresponding to intuition, intellect, emotion and sensation, and "he" is perceived as androgynous

in all of these worlds except the last -- the "sensation” world of our physical spacetime reality. The Adam of these first three worlds was androgynous. The Adam of the fourth world is the Adam of the expulsion, the Adam of flesh traversing

the desert of his exile, and the Adam capable of reproducing himself now that he is no longer androgynous.

C. Ponce -- Kabbalah Considering that androgyny is one of the symbols used in the Western Mystery Tradition to depict the correct union of male and female forces within the psyche, we quickly recognize that the properly matched male and female correlate lines in the I Ching are a Chinese depiction of the identical concept. Note that the messages of the following three quotations are in complete accord with the goal of the Work as outlined in the I Ching: Somewhere there is an Adam within each of us in need of restoration, in exile from the Garden. The aim of Kabbalism is the restoration of the divine man in the medium of mortal man. We are the laboratory and we are the workers who work in that space.

C. Ponce -- Kabbalah Within our six-foot body we must strive for the form which existed before the laying down of heaven and earth.

The Secret of the Golden Flower The destiny of man is to build the Heavenly Jerusalem on Earth. In other words, to civilize a planet. It is the aim of the occultist, in consort with all men of good will, to bring about this heavenly fact into earthly reality. And the only way it will come about is by every man doing the right thing at the right time for twenty-four hours a day.

Gareth Knight -- The Work of a Modern Occult Fraternity The ancient kings in hexagram number-20 base their laws upon their recognition of diversity among the various forces which make up the kingdom of the psyche. Their divine regulations therefore represent the proper ecology existing between heaven and earth, yin and yang, male and female, Logos and Eros. In this regard, the I Ching's version of the Archetypal Man might be seen as hexagram number-63, Completion, in which the polarity of each of the lines is in perfect correlation. (See the editor's commentary on Hexagram number 11 for further insights into this idea.) The theme of the hexagram is Contemplation of your situation to see if your attitude meets the archetypal standards of the Work. The worshipper in the Judgment has purified himself for sacrifice but has not yet carried it out. Wilhelm uses the word "ablution” in his translation of the Judgment. An ablution is a ritual cleansing associated with a religious rite:

Ablution: In alchemy ... the adept worker achieves [success] only by purifying his soul of all that commonly agitates it. Washing, then, symbolizes the purification not so much of objective and external evil as

of subjective and inner evils ... The principle involved in this alchemic process is that implied in the maxim "Deny thyself."

J. E. Cirlot -- Dictionary of Symbols It is important to note that the sacrifice has yet to be performed: preparation is meaningless until it is acted upon. Psychologically, this refers to intellectual "gnosis" which still needs to be grounded in behavior. Wisdom is achieved very slowly. This is because intellectual knowledge, easily acquired, must be transformed into `emotional,' or subconscious, knowledge. Once transformed, the imprint is permanent. Behavioral practice is the necessary catalyst of this reaction. Without action, the concept will wither and fade. Theoretical knowledge without practical application is not enough ... Intellectually the answers have always been there, but this need to actualize by experience, to make the subconscious imprint permanent by `emotionalizing' and practicing the concept, is the key.

Brian L. Weiss, MD -- Many Lives, Many Masters Without changing lines, Contemplation is an oracular invitation for you to consider your situation and especially your motivations in regard to it. One way of doing this is to reduce everything to a brief written statement, including

your best conscious conclusions. Then ask for a comment from the oracle -- often it will become apparent that you have been undergoing a kind of examination.

SUGGESTIONS FOR MEDITATION

The ancient kings are mentioned in the Images of both this figure and number twenty-one, Discernment, immediately following. What are the differences between Contemplation and Discernment, as depicted in these images? How does the concept of sacrifice relate to this, as mentioned in the Judgment? Compare the Judgment of this hexagram with hexagrams and lines 17:6, 45:2, 46:2, 46:4, 47:2, 47:5 and 63:5 for further insights on this extremely important tenet of the Work.