Anonymous (traditionally attributed to King Wen, the Duke of Zhou and Confucius) · Complete work
Hexagram 12 · Pǐ ䷋
Hexagram 12 · Pǐ ䷋ of 69. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
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否之匪人，不利君子貞，大往小來。
初六，拔茅茹以其彙，貞吉。亨。
六二，包承，小人吉，大人否。亨。
六三，包羞。
九四，有命，无咎，疇離祉。
九五，休否，大人吉。其亡其亡，繫于包桑。
上九，傾否，先否後喜。
彖曰：否之匪人，不利君子貞，大往小來。則是天地不交而萬物不通也，上下不交而天下无邦也。內陰而外陽，內柔而外剛，內小人而外君子，小人道長，君子道消也。
象曰：天地不交，否；君子以儉德辟難，不可榮以祿。
拔茅貞吉，志在君也。
大人否，亨。不亂羣也。
包羞，位不當也。
有命无咎，志行也。
大人之吉，位正當也。
否終則傾，何可長也。
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the classical Chinese, passage for passage, covering all 64 hexagrams with their judgments, line statements and attached commentaries, and the remaining Wings (the Great Commentary, the Discussion of the Trigrams, the Sequence and the Contrasts of the Hexagrams), 1,204 passages in all.
Pi (Stagnation): There are those who are not human. The noble person's steadfastness is not favored. The great departs; the small arrives.
Six at the beginning: Pulling up reeds by their roots brings their kind along. Steadfastness brings good fortune and success.
Six in the second place: Enfold and submit: good fortune for the petty person. The great person bears stagnation, and succeeds.
Six in the third place: Concealing shame.
Nine in the fourth place: There is a mandate. No blame. One's companions share in blessing.
Nine in the fifth place: Stagnation comes to rest. Good fortune for the great person. “It may perish! It may perish!” Bind it to a cluster of mulberry trees.
Nine at the top: Stagnation is overturned. First stagnation, then joy.
The Judgment Commentary says: Pi: there are those who are not human; the noble person's steadfastness is not favored; the great departs and the small arrives. Heaven and earth do not meet, and all beings are cut off; above and below do not meet, and there is no ordered realm under heaven. Yin within and yang without, yielding within and firm without, petty persons within and noble persons without: the petty person's way grows, the noble person's way wanes.
The Image Commentary says: Heaven and earth do not meet: Pi. Thus the noble person restrains his virtue to escape difficulty; he cannot be lured to glory by a salary.
Pulling up reeds; steadfastness brings good fortune: the will is fixed upon the ruler.
The great person bears stagnation and succeeds: he does not throw the group into disorder.
Concealing shame: the position is not fitting.
There is a mandate, no blame: the will finds expression.
The great person's good fortune: the position is rightly fitting.
When stagnation reaches its end, it overturns. How could it endure?
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the classical Chinese, covering all 64 hexagrams with their judgments, line statements and attached commentaries, and the remaining Wings (the Great Commentary, the Discussion of the Trigrams, the Sequence and the Contrasts of the Hexagrams), 1,204 passages in all.
Pi (Standstill): Bad people bring standstill. Staying steady is not favorable for the noble person. The great goes out and the small comes in.
Six at the beginning: Pull up a clump of grass; its roots bring others of their kind. Staying steady brings good fortune and success.
Six in the second place: Bearing and accepting. Good fortune for the petty person; standstill for the great person, yet success.
Six in the third place: Concealing shame.
Nine in the fourth place: There is a command. No blame. Those of the same kind share in the blessing.
Nine in the fifth place: Standstill comes to an end. Good fortune for the great person. “What if it is lost? What if it is lost?” Tie it to a cluster of mulberry trees.
Nine at the top: Overturn the standstill. First there is standstill, then joy.
The Judgment Commentary says: Bad people bring standstill. Staying steady is not favorable for the noble person. The great goes out and the small comes in. Heaven and earth do not join, so things cannot thrive. Those above and below do not communicate, so there is no proper state in the world. Yin is inside and yang outside; yielding is inside and firm outside; petty people are inside and noble people outside. The petty person's way grows while the noble person's way declines.
The Image Commentary says: Heaven and earth do not join: this is Pi. The noble person therefore saves his virtue and avoids difficulty; no salary should tempt him into seeking honor.
Pulling up grass and staying steady brings good fortune because one's aim is directed toward the ruler.
The great person experiences standstill but succeeds because he does not confuse himself with the crowd.
Concealing shame means occupying the wrong position.
Having a command and no blame means one's aim is carried out.
The great person's good fortune comes because his position is appropriate.
When standstill reaches its end, it topples. How could it last for long?