Anonymous (traditionally attributed to King Wen, the Duke of Zhou and Confucius) · Complete work
Hexagram 19 · Lín ䷒
Hexagram 19 · Lín ䷒ of 69. Read it here for reference, or continue through the entire work without leaving the reader.
Open the complete readerOriginal Classical Chinese
臨：元亨。利貞。至于八月有凶。
初九：咸臨，貞吉。
九二：咸臨，吉无不利。
六三：甘臨，无攸利。既憂之，无咎。
六四：至臨，无咎。
六五：知臨，大君之宜，吉。
上六：敦臨，吉无咎。
彖曰：臨，剛浸而長。說而順，剛中而應，大亨以正，天之道也。至于八月有凶，消不久也。
象曰：澤上有地，臨；君子以教思无窮，容保民无疆。
咸臨貞吉，志行正也。
咸臨，吉无不利；未順命也。
甘臨，位不當也。既憂之，咎不長也。
至臨无咎，位當也。
大君之宜，行中之謂也。
敦臨之吉，志在內也。
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.
Lin (Approach): Supreme success. Steadfastness is favorable. By the eighth month there will be misfortune.
Nine at the beginning: Approach through mutual feeling. Steadfastness brings good fortune.
Nine in the second place: Approach through mutual feeling. Good fortune; nothing is unfavorable.
Six in the third place: Sweet-tongued approach. Nothing is favorable. Once one is troubled by it, there is no blame.
Six in the fourth place: Approach reaches its fullness. No blame.
Six in the fifth place: Wise approach, fitting for a great ruler. Good fortune.
Six at the top: Generous approach. Good fortune and no blame.
The Judgment Commentary says: In Lin, the firm gradually grows. Joyful and obedient, the firm stands in the center and receives a response; great success through uprightness is heaven's way. “By the eighth month there will be misfortune”: its waning is not far off.
The Image Commentary says: Earth above the lake: Lin. Thus the noble person's thought in teaching is inexhaustible, and his care to shelter the people has no bounds.
Approach through mutual feeling, steadfast good fortune: the will proceeds uprightly.
Approach through mutual feeling, good fortune, nothing unfavorable: it has not yet submitted to the mandate.
Sweet-tongued approach: its place is not fitting. Once troubled by it, the blame does not persist.
Approach reaches its fullness without blame: the place is fitting.
Fitting for a great ruler means acting from the center.
The good fortune of generous approach: the will is directed inward.
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.
Lin (Approach): Supreme success. Staying steady is favorable. By the eighth month, misfortune will come.
Nine at the beginning: Approach together. Staying steady brings good fortune.
Nine in the second place: Approach together. Good fortune; nothing is unfavorable.
Six in the third place: Approach with sweet talk. Nothing is favorable. If you recognize the danger and worry about it, there is no blame.
Six in the fourth place: Approach fully. No blame.
Six in the fifth place: Approach wisely, as a great ruler should. Good fortune.
Six at the top: Approach generously. Good fortune and no blame.
The Judgment Commentary says: In Lin, the firm lines grow gradually. There is joy and willing obedience; a firm line is central and receives a response. Great success through upright conduct is heaven's way. Misfortune arrives by the eighth month because the decline will not take long.
The Image Commentary says: Earth lies above a lake: this is Lin. The noble person therefore thinks endlessly about teaching and gives the people boundless protection and care.
Approaching together and staying steady bring good fortune because the aim is to follow the right way.
Approaching together brings good fortune and nothing unfavorable, although this line has not yet followed the command.
Approaching with sweet talk fails because the position is wrong. Once you worry about it, blame will not last long.
Approaching fully brings no blame because the position is right.
What is fitting for the great ruler means acting with balance.
Approaching generously brings good fortune because the intention is directed inward.