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#52

Keeping Still (Mountain)

艮 — Gèn
Upper trigram: Mountain (Gèn) · Lower trigram: Mountain (Gèn)

Overall meaning

Hexagram Keeping Still symbolizes stillness and knowing when to stop. Both trigrams are Mountain — mountain over mountain, complete stillness. Keeping Still means stopping — not from helplessness but from knowing when to stop and when to advance. This is the hexagram of meditation and self-control.

Judgment text (Thoán từ)

Keeping Still: keeping his back still so that he no longer feels his body — he goes into his courtyard and does not see his people — no blame. Stop in the right place, no entanglement.

Line texts (6 lines)

  1. 1
    First Six: Keeping his toes still — no blame — continued perseverance furthers. Stop from the start — good foundation.
  2. 2
    Second Six: Keeping his calves still — he cannot rescue him whom he follows — his heart is not glad. Forced to stop while loved ones cannot follow — heart-pain.
  3. 3
    Third Nine: Keeping his hips still — making his sacrum stiff — dangerous, the heart suffocates. Stopping mid-stride at the wrong time — causes tension.
  4. 4
    Fourth Six: Keeping his trunk still — no blame. Stop in the right place at the middle — no blame.
  5. 5
    Fifth Six: Keeping his jaws still — the words have order — remorse disappears. Control speech and know when to stop — all remorse fades.
  6. 6
    Top Nine: Noble-hearted keeping still — good fortune. Stopping with sincerity and full awareness — great good fortune.

Applications by topic

Marriage
Know when to stop in arguments. Meditate and calm down before reacting. Inner stillness nurtures the bond.
Career
Pause to think before acting. Meditation aids wiser decisions. Sometimes doing nothing is the best strategy.
Wealth
Know when to stop when enough — don't grow greedier. Stop investments when target reached. Avoid endless desire spiral.
Health
Rest and meditation are good medicine. Stop before the body is exhausted. Inner calm helps every illness.
Lawsuit
Know to pause when conditions are not yet right. Don't advance without advantage. Sometimes stopping at the right time is the smartest strategy.

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