Hexagram #12
Standstill
天地否
Heaven and earth separate — stagnation. The inferior advances; the superior man should withdraw.
Standstill (天地否, Hexagram 12) is the 12th of the 64 hexagrams in the I-Ching. It consists of the upper trigram Qián (Heaven) (乾, Kim) over the lower trigram Kūn (Earth) (坤, Thổ). Heaven and earth separate — stagnation. The inferior advances; the superior man should withdraw.
Judgment (Thoán từ)
Standstill: evil people. The great departs, the small approaches. Does not further perseverance of the superior man.
Image (Tượng từ)
Heaven and earth do not unite: the image of Standstill. The superior man falls back upon his inner worth in order to escape the difficulties. He does not permit himself to be honored with revenue.
The Six Lines
- 1
Line 1 yin: When ribbon grass is pulled up, the sod comes with it. Perseverance brings good fortune and success.
- 2
Line 2 yin: They bear and endure. This means good fortune for inferior people. The superior man’s standstill leads to success.
- 3
Line 3 yin: They bear shame.
- 4
Line 4 yang: He who acts at the command of the highest remains without blame. Those of like mind partake of the blessing.
- 5
Line 5 yang: Standstill is giving way. Good fortune for the great man. “What if it should fail? What if it should fail?” Tie it to a cluster of mulberry shoots.
- 6
Line 6 yang: The standstill comes to an end. First standstill, then good fortune.
Nuclear Hexagram (互卦)
䷴Frequently asked questions
- What does the Standstill hexagram (天地否) mean?
- Standstill is hexagram #12 of the 64 I-Ching hexagrams. Heaven and earth separate — stagnation. The inferior advances; the superior man should withdraw.
- What is the judgment text of Standstill?
- Standstill: evil people. The great departs, the small approaches. Does not further perseverance of the superior man.
- What is the image text of Standstill?
- Heaven and earth do not unite: the image of Standstill. The superior man falls back upon his inner worth in order to escape the difficulties. He does not permit himself to be honored with revenue.
- What are the upper and lower trigrams of Standstill?
- The upper trigram of Standstill is Qián (Heaven) (乾) — representing Heaven / The Creative, element Kim. The lower trigram is Kūn (Earth) (坤) — representing Earth / The Receptive, element Thổ.
- What is the mutual hexagram (互卦) of Standstill?
- The mutual hexagram of Standstill is Development (Gradual Progress) (風山漸). The mutual hexagram reveals the hidden inner dynamic and intermediate development of the situation.
- What are the six line texts of Standstill?
- Line 1: Line 1 yin: When ribbon grass is pulled up, the sod comes with it. Perseverance brings good fortune and success. | Line 2: Line 2 yin: They bear and endure. This means good fortune for inferior people. The superior man’s standstill leads to success. | Line 3: Line 3 yin: They bear shame. | Line 4: Line 4 yang: He who acts at the command of the highest remains without blame. Those of like mind partake of the blessing. | Line 5: Line 5 yang: Standstill is giving way. Good fortune for the great man. “What if it should fail? What if it should fail?” Tie it to a cluster of mulberry shoots. | Line 6: Line 6 yang: The standstill comes to an end. First standstill, then good fortune.
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