Anonymous (traditionally attributed to King Wen, the Duke of Zhou and Confucius) · Complete work
Hexagram 18 · Gǔ ䷑
Hexagram 18 · Gǔ ䷑ of 69. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Classical Chinese
蠱：元亨。利涉大川。先甲三日，後甲三日。
初六：幹父之蠱，有子考，无咎，厲終吉。
九二：幹母之蠱，不可貞。
九三：幹父之蠱，小有悔，无大咎。
六四：裕父之蠱，往見吝。
六五：幹父之蠱，用譽。
上九：不事王侯，高尚其事。
彖曰：蠱，剛上而柔下，巽而止，蠱。蠱，元亨，而天下治也。利涉大川，往有事也。先甲三日，後甲三日，終則有始，天行也。
象曰：山下有風，蠱；君子以振民育德。
幹父之蠱，意承考也。
幹母之蠱，得中道也。
幹父之蠱，終无咎也。
裕父之蠱，往未得也。
幹父用譽，承以德也。
不事王侯，志可則也。
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.
Gu (Repairing Decay): Supreme success. It is favorable to cross the great river. Three days before the first day, three days after the first day.
Six at the beginning: Repairing the father's decay. If there is a son, the departed father bears no blame. Danger, but good fortune in the end.
Nine in the second place: Repairing the mother's decay: one cannot be rigidly steadfast.
Nine in the third place: Repairing the father's decay. A little regret, but no great blame.
Six in the fourth place: Indulging the father's decay. To go on brings humiliation.
Six in the fifth place: Repairing the father's decay earns praise.
Nine at the top: He does not serve kings or lords, holding his work in high esteem.
The Judgment Commentary says: Gu has firmness above and yielding below; it is gentle yet stops: this is Repairing Decay. It brings supreme success, and all under heaven is governed. “It is favorable to cross the great river”: going forward, there is work to do. “Three days before the first day, three days after”: an end is followed by a beginning; such is heaven's course.
The Image Commentary says: Wind beneath the mountain: Gu. Thus the noble person stirs the people and nurtures virtue.
Repairing the father's decay: in intention one serves the departed father.
Repairing the mother's decay: one attains the middle way.
Repairing the father's decay: in the end there is no blame.
Indulging the father's decay: in advancing, nothing is attained yet.
Repairing the father's decay earns praise: one serves him through virtue.
Not serving kings or lords: his purpose may serve as a model.
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.
Gu (Repairing What Has Decayed): Supreme success. It is favorable to cross the great river. Three days before the first day of a cycle, and three days after it.
Six at the beginning: Repair what your father spoiled. He has a son who does this, so the deceased father has no blame. There is danger, but good fortune in the end.
Nine in the second place: Repair what your mother spoiled. Do not be too rigid about staying steady.
Nine in the third place: Repair what your father spoiled. A little regret, but no serious blame.
Six in the fourth place: Be lenient about what your father spoiled. Going on brings humiliation.
Six in the fifth place: Repair what your father spoiled and receive praise.
Nine at the top: Do not serve kings or regional rulers. Set a high standard for your own work.
The Judgment Commentary says: In Gu, the firm is above and the yielding below; there is gentleness and a stop. This is decay. Gu has supreme success, and the world is brought into order. Crossing the great river is favorable because there is work to do by going forward. Three days before and three days after the first day mean that when one end comes, there is a new beginning. This is heaven's course.
The Image Commentary says: Wind blows beneath the mountain: this is Gu. The noble person therefore stirs the people into action and develops their character.
Repairing what your father spoiled means intending to carry on your deceased father's work.
Repairing what your mother spoiled means finding a balanced way.
Repairing what your father spoiled means there is no blame in the end.
Being lenient about what your father spoiled means going on has not achieved its goal.
Repairing what your father spoiled brings praise because you continue his work with good character.
Not serving kings or regional rulers sets an example through one's purpose.