Gua 23

☶GenMountain

☷KunEarth

剝

Decay

— King Wen of Zhou

䷖

Ancient Comments on the Image

— Duke of Zhou

山附地上，剝

Mountain attaches to earth: decay

上以厚下，安宅。

above treats the below with thickness, a secure dwelling.

Judgment

— King Wen of Zhou

剝：不利。有攸往。

Decay: Not advantageous. To have a course to go.

Moving Lines

— Duke of Zhou

1

剝牀以足，蔑貞凶。

Stripping the bed with the foot; disregarding steadfastness is ominous.

2

剝牀以辨，蔑貞凶。

Stripping the bed by separations; disregarding steadfastness is ominous.

3

剝之，无咎。

Stripping it, no blame.

4

剝牀以膚，凶。

Stripping the bed with skin, ominous.

5

貫魚，以宮人寵，无不利。

Stringing fish; by the favor of palace people, nothing is not advantageous.

6

碩果不食，君子得輿，小人剝廬。

The large fruit is not eaten; the superior man obtains a carriage, the small person strips the hut.

Ancient Comments on the Moving Lines

1

剝牀以足，以滅下也。

Stripping the bed with the foot—to destroy from below.

2

剝牀以辨，未有與也。

Stripping the bed by separations: not yet having an ally.

3

剝之无咎，失上下也。

Stripping it without blame is to lose above and below.

4

剝牀以膚，切近災也。

Stripping the bed with skin—pressing close to disaster.

5

以宮人寵，終无尤也。

By the favor of palace people, in the end there is no blame.

6

君子得輿，民所載也。小人剝廬，終不可用也。

The superior man obtains a carriage: that which the people carry. The small person strips the hut: in the end, cannot be used.

Ancient Comments on the Judgment

剝，剝也，柔變剛也。不利有攸往，小人長也。順而止之，觀象也。君子尚消息盈虛，天行也。

Decay is decay; yielding transforms the firm. Not advantageous to have a course to go, for the small person grows. Following and stopping it: observing the image. The superior man values waning and waxing, filling and emptying; [this is] the movement of heaven.

Chinese notes

山

附

地

上

剝

以

厚

下

安

宅

不

利

有

攸

往

牀

足

蔑

貞

凶

辨

之

无咎

膚

貫

魚

宮

人

寵

无不利

碩

果

食

君

子

得

輿

小

廬

滅

也

未

與

失

切

近

災

終

无

尤

民

所

載

可

用

柔

變

剛

利有攸往

長

順

而

止

觀

象

尚

消

息

盈

虛

天

行