復 Return (The Turning Point)
- Upper trigram
- 坤 The Receptive · earth
- Lower trigram
- 震 The Arousing · thunder
- Nuclear trigrams
- The Receptive / The Receptive
The Hexagram
Fu / Return (The Turning Point)
Above K'UN THE RECEPTIVE, EARTH
Below CHÊN THE AROUSING, THUNDER
The idea of a turning point arises from the fact that after the dark lines have
pushed all of the light lines upward and out of the hexagram, another light
line enters the hexagram from below. The time of darkness is past. The
winter solstice brings the victory of light. This hexagram is linked with the
eleventh month, the month of the solstice (December-January).
Judgment
RETURN. Success.
Going out and coming in without error.
Friends come without blame.
To and fro goes the way.
On the seventh day comes return.
It furthers one to have somewhere to go.
After a time of decay comes the turning point. The powerful light that has
been banished returns. There is movement, but it is not brought about by
force. The upper trigram K'un is characteri
Image
Thunder within the earth:
The image of THE TURNING POINT.
Thus the kings of antiquity closed the passes
At the time of solstice.
Merchants and strangers did not go about,
And the ruler
Did not travel through the provinces.
The winter solstice has always been celebrated in China as the resting time of
the year–a custom that survives in the time of rest observed at the new year.
In winter the life energy, symboli
Changing lines
- Line 1
Nine at the beginning means:
Return from a short distance.
No need for remorse.
Great good fortune.
Slight digressions from the good cannot be avoided, but one must turn back
in time, before going too far. This is especially important in the development
of character; every faintly evil thought must be put aside immediately, before
it goes too far and takes root in the mind. Then there is no cause for remorse,
and all goes well. - Line 2
Six in the second place means:
Quiet return. Good fortune.
Return always calls for a decision and is an act of self-mastery. It is made
easier if a man is in good company. If he can bring himself to put aside pride
and follow the example of good men, good fortune results. - Line 3
Six in the third place means:
Repeated return. Danger. No blame.
There are people of a certain inner instability who feel a constant urge to
reverse themselves. There is danger in continually deserting the good
because of uncontrolled desires, then turning back to it again because of a
better resolution. However, since this does not lead to habituation in evil, a
general inclination to overcome the defect is not wholly excluded. - Line 4
Six in the fourth place means:
Walking in the midst of others,
One returns alone.
A man is in a society composed of inferior people, but is connected spiritually
with a strong and good friend, and this makes him turn back alone.
Although nothing is said of reward and punishment, this return is certainly
favorable, for such a resolve to choose the good brings its own reward. - Line 5
Six in the fifth place means:
Noblehearted return. No remorse.
When the time for return has come, a man should not take shelter in trivial
excuses, but should look within and examine himself. And if he has done
something wrong he should make a noblehearted resolve to confess his fault.
No one will regret having taken this road. - Line 6
Six at the top means:
Missing the return. Misfortune.
Misfortune from within and without.
If armies are set marching in this way,
One will in the end suffer a great defeat,
Disastrous for the ruler of the country.
For ten years
It will not be possible to attack again.
If a man misses the right time for return, he meets with misfortune. The
misfortune has its inner cause in a wrong attitude toward the world. The
misfortune coming upon him from without results from this wrong attitude.
What is pictured here is blind obstinacy and the judgment that is visited
upon it.