Hexagram 19 Lin - Complete Guide Part 4: Philosophy — Approach in Confucian, Taoist, and Political Thought
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BY NICOLE LAU
Hexagram 19 Lin - Complete Guide Part 4: Philosophy — Approach in Confucian, Taoist, and Political Thought
Lin raises one of the most fundamental questions of moral and political philosophy: what is the nature of genuine approach, and how does the person of genuine inner virtue draw near to the people with the genuine inexhaustibility of the earth and the genuine joy of the lake? The Confucian tradition, the Taoist tradition, and classical Chinese political philosophy each offer a distinct and complementary answer — and together they give the complete philosophy of Lin.
The Confucian Reading: Benevolent Governance and the Inexhaustible Will to Teach
Ren (仁): Benevolence as the Foundation of Genuine Approach
The Confucian concept of ren — benevolence, the genuine love of the person for all people — is the philosophical foundation of Lin. The Xiang Zhuan’s instruction — “the superior person is inexhaustible in his will to teach, and without limits in his tolerance and protection of the people” — is the Confucian philosophy of Lin in its most direct expression: genuine approach is the expression of genuine benevolence in the social world. The person of genuine ren approaches the people with the genuine inexhaustibility of the earth: the genuine care that never runs out, the genuine tolerance that has no limits, the genuine protection that never fails.
The Analects record Confucius’s consistent teaching that genuine benevolence is expressed in the genuine approach to the people: “The man of genuine benevolence, wishing to be established himself, seeks also to establish others; wishing to be enlarged himself, he seeks also to enlarge others.” (Analects 6.28) This is the Confucian philosophy of Lin: the genuine approach that seeks to establish and enlarge others — the genuine drawing near that is grounded in the genuine love of the person for all people.
Jiao (教): Teaching as the Supreme Expression of Genuine Approach
The Confucian concept of jiao — teaching, the genuine transmission of genuine inner virtue from the person of genuine wisdom to the person who seeks genuine wisdom — is the supreme expression of Lin’s approach. The Xiang Zhuan’s instruction — “inexhaustible in his will to teach” — is the Confucian philosophy of Lin in its most practical expression: genuine approach is the genuine teaching that draws near to the student with the genuine inexhaustibility of the earth and the genuine joy of the lake.
The Confucian tradition’s most important teaching on jiao is the distinction between genuine teaching (which draws near to the student with genuine wisdom and genuine care) and the performance of teaching (which approaches from comfortable habit or personal advantage). This is the Confucian expression of Lin’s Line 3: the comfortable approach that has lost the genuine inner energy of genuine drawing near finds nothing that furthers.
The Paradox of Confucian Approach: Knowing the People
The deepest Confucian insight of Lin is the paradox of Line 5: the knowing approach of the great prince. The Confucian ruler who approaches the people with genuine wisdom — who knows the genuine needs of the people, the genuine state of the situation, and the genuine good that genuine approach can create — is the supreme expression of Confucian governance. The Analects: “When you know a thing, to hold that you know it; and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it — this is knowledge.” (Analects 2.17) The knowing approach of Lin’s Line 5 is the Confucian knowledge of the genuine needs of the people: the genuine wisdom that knows what the people genuinely need and draws near with the genuine care and genuine attention of genuine wisdom.
The Taoist Reading: Natural Drawing Near and the Spontaneous Approach of the Tao
Ci (慈): Compassion as the Taoist Foundation of Genuine Approach
The Taoist concept of ci — compassion, one of the three treasures of the Tao Te Ching — is the philosophical foundation of Lin’s approach. The Tao Te Ching: “I have three treasures which I hold and keep. The first is mercy (ci); the second is economy; the third is daring not to be ahead of others.” (Chapter 67) The genuine approach of Lin is the Taoist ci: the genuine compassion that draws near to the people with the genuine inexhaustibility of the earth and the genuine joy of the lake — not from duty or obligation but from the genuine love of the Tao for all things.
The Paradox of Taoist Approach: Drawing Near Through Withdrawal
The Taoist philosophy of Lin is the philosophy of drawing near through withdrawal — the paradox of the sage who draws near to the people by withdrawing from personal advantage. The Tao Te Ching: “The sage does not accumulate. The more he does for others, the more he has. The more he gives to others, the more he possesses.” (Chapter 81) The magnanimous approach of Lin’s Line 6 is the Taoist drawing near through withdrawal: the genuine magnanimity that transcends personal advantage and approaches with the genuine receptivity of the earth finds that the genuine approach naturally draws the people near.
The warning about the eighth month is the Taoist teaching of Lin: the natural cycle of approach and withdrawal is the Tao’s own rhythm. The person who does not recognize the natural cycle — who clings to the time of approach when the time of withdrawal has come — finds misfortune as the natural consequence of resisting the Tao’s own rhythm.
The Political Philosophy of Lin: Genuine Proximity and Lasting Authority
Lin as Political Vision
The I Ching’s political reading of Lin is one of its most sophisticated contributions to classical Chinese political philosophy. The image — earth above the lake, the superior person inexhaustible in will to teach and without limits in tolerance and protection — is a political vision: the genuine ruler who draws near to the people with the genuine inexhaustibility of the earth and the genuine joy of the lake, who approaches the people with the genuine wisdom of Line 5 and the genuine magnanimity of Line 6.
The political leader of genuine approach is not the leader who rules from a distance but the leader who draws near to the people with genuine care and genuine attention — who knows the genuine needs of the people and approaches with the genuine wisdom of the knowing approach. This is the political expression of Lin: the genuine proximity that creates lasting authority through genuine drawing near.
The Warning of the Eighth Month: The Natural Cycle of Political Approach
The judgment’s warning — when the eighth month comes, there will be misfortune — is the political wisdom of Lin: the time of genuine approach is followed by the time of withdrawal, and the political leader who does not recognize the natural cycle finds misfortune when the eighth month comes. The political leader of genuine approach knows when to draw near and when to withdraw — when to approach the people with genuine care and genuine attention, and when to withdraw to allow the people to develop their own genuine inner virtue.
Lin and the Philosophy of Invariant Constants
Lin and Guan (Contemplation, Hexagram 20) together express one of the I Ching’s most important invariant constants: the natural cycle of approach and contemplation. The person who approaches with genuine inner virtue (Lin) finds the genuine contemplation that genuine approach makes possible (Guan); the person who contemplates with genuine wisdom (Guan) finds the genuine approach that genuine contemplation inspires (Lin). The invariant constant is not the approach itself but the natural cycle that makes genuine approach and genuine contemplation possible.
The philosophical insight of Lin is that genuine approach is not the opposite of genuine withdrawal but its foundation: the person who draws near with genuine inner virtue — who approaches with the genuine inexhaustibility of the earth and the genuine joy of the lake — finds that the natural cycle of approach and withdrawal is the Tao’s own rhythm. This is the invariant constant of Lin: genuine approach creates genuine lasting authority through the power of genuine drawing near.
What Is Next in This Series
- Part 1: The Symbol and Structure
- Part 2: The Six Lines — Complete Line-by-Line Commentary
- Part 3: Divination Guide — How to Read Lin in Practice
- Part 4 (This Article): Philosophy — Approach in Confucian, Taoist, and Political Thought
- Part 5: Practical Applications — Leadership, Teaching, Mentorship, Genuine Presence
- Part 6: Modern Interpretations — Servant Leadership, Proximity Management, Presence Science
Keywords: hexagram 19 philosophy, lin confucian, lin taoist, approach confucianism i ching, ren benevolence lin, jiao teaching approach, ci compassion taoist lin, eighth month warning philosophy, lin political philosophy, i ching approach philosophy, genuine proximity lasting authority, lin invariant constant, 64 hexagrams philosophy, lin complete guide, i ching genuine approach philosophy, earth lake philosophy, knowing approach great prince philosophy
