Hexagram 20 Guan - Complete Guide Part 2: The Six Lines and the Stages of Contemplation
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BY NICOLE LAU
Hexagram 20 Guan - Complete Guide Part 2: The Six Lines and the Stages of Contemplation
Guan’s six lines tell the complete story of genuine contemplation — from the childlike observation of the person who has not yet developed genuine inner wisdom, through the contemplation of one’s own life and the light of the kingdom, to the sage’s self-contemplation and the final contemplation of one’s life. The journey of Guan is the journey from naive observation to genuine wisdom.
Line 1 — Six at the Bottom: Childlike Contemplation
Childlike contemplation. For an inferior man, no blame. For a superior man, humiliation.
The first line of Guan describes the childlike contemplation of the person who has not yet developed genuine inner wisdom — the observation that sees only the surface of things, that does not penetrate to the genuine inner reality. For an inferior man, no blame: the childlike contemplation of the person who has not yet developed genuine inner wisdom is appropriate for their stage of development — no blame. For a superior man, humiliation: the childlike contemplation of the person who should have developed genuine inner wisdom is humiliation — the failure to see clearly that genuine inner virtue requires.
- Stage: Childlike contemplation — surface observation without genuine inner wisdom
- Action: Develop genuine inner wisdom; move beyond childlike observation
- Wisdom: For the superior person, childlike contemplation is humiliation — genuine inner virtue requires genuine seeing
When this line appears: Examine the quality of your observation. Are you seeing only the surface of things? Develop genuine inner wisdom — move beyond childlike contemplation.
Line 2 — Six in the Second Place: Contemplation Through the Crack of the Door
Contemplation through the crack of the door. Furthering for the perseverance of a woman.
The second line of Guan describes the limited contemplation of the person who observes through the crack of the door — who sees only a partial view of the genuine reality, who is not yet in the position to observe the whole pattern of the situation. Furthering for the perseverance of a woman: the limited contemplation of Line 2 is appropriate for the person who is in a position of limited perspective — the woman who observes from within the household, the person who is not yet in the position of the watchtower. Perseverance in the limited perspective is furthering for the person in that position.
- Stage: Limited contemplation — observation through the crack of the door
- Action: Persevere in the limited perspective; do not force a broader view before the time is right
- Wisdom: Furthering for the perseverance of a woman — limited contemplation is appropriate for the person in a position of limited perspective
When this line appears: You are observing from a limited perspective. Persevere in the limited perspective — do not force a broader view before the time is right.
Line 3 — Six in the Third Place: Contemplation of One’s Own Life
Contemplation of my life decides the choice between advance and retreat.
The third line of Guan describes the contemplation of one’s own life — the genuine self-observation that sees clearly the genuine state of one’s own inner life and uses that genuine seeing to decide between advance and retreat. Contemplation of my life decides the choice: the genuine self-observation of Line 3 is the foundation of genuine decision-making — the person who sees clearly the genuine state of their own inner life can decide with genuine wisdom between advance and retreat.
- Stage: Self-contemplation — genuine observation of one’s own inner life
- Action: Contemplate one’s own life with genuine clarity; use genuine self-observation to decide between advance and retreat
- Wisdom: Contemplation of my life decides the choice — genuine self-observation is the foundation of genuine decision-making
When this line appears: Contemplate your own life with genuine clarity. The genuine self-observation of Line 3 is the foundation of genuine decision-making — use it to decide between advance and retreat.
Line 4 — Six in the Fourth Place: Contemplation of the Light of the Kingdom
Contemplation of the light of the kingdom. It furthers one to exert influence as the guest of a king.
The fourth line of Guan describes the contemplation of the light of the kingdom — the genuine observation of the genuine inner virtue that the ruler expresses, the genuine seeing of the genuine light that genuine leadership creates. It furthers one to exert influence as the guest of a king: the person who contemplates the light of the kingdom — who sees clearly the genuine inner virtue of the ruler — is in the position to exert genuine influence as the guest of a king. The contemplation of the light of the kingdom is the foundation of genuine political wisdom: the genuine seeing that understands the genuine inner virtue of the ruler and responds with the genuine influence of genuine wisdom.
- Stage: Political contemplation — observation of the genuine inner virtue of the ruler
- Action: Contemplate the light of the kingdom; exert genuine influence as the guest of a king
- Wisdom: It furthers one to exert influence as the guest of a king — genuine political wisdom emerges from genuine contemplation of the light of the kingdom
When this line appears: Contemplate the light of the kingdom — the genuine inner virtue of the ruler. Exert genuine influence as the guest of a king. Genuine political wisdom emerges from genuine contemplation.
Line 5 — Nine in the Fifth Place: Contemplation of My Life
Contemplation of my life. The superior man is without blame.
The ruler’s position in Guan — the contemplation of my life by the person of genuine inner virtue. This is the most important line of Guan: the ruler who contemplates their own life — who observes with genuine clarity the genuine state of their own inner virtue — finds that the superior person is without blame. The contemplation of my life in Line 5 is not the self-examination of Line 3 (which decides between advance and retreat) but the genuine self-observation of the ruler who has achieved genuine inner virtue and contemplates their own life from the elevated perspective of genuine wisdom.
- Stage: The ruler’s self-contemplation — genuine observation of one’s own inner virtue from the elevated perspective of genuine wisdom
- Action: Contemplate one’s own life with genuine clarity from the elevated perspective of genuine wisdom
- Wisdom: The superior person is without blame — genuine self-contemplation from the elevated perspective of genuine wisdom
When this line appears: Contemplate your own life from the elevated perspective of genuine wisdom. The superior person is without blame — genuine self-contemplation is the foundation of genuine inner virtue.
Line 6 — Nine at the Top: Contemplation of His Life
Contemplation of his life. The superior man is without blame.
The supreme line of Guan — the contemplation of his life by the person who has transcended personal advantage and observes from the most elevated perspective of genuine wisdom. The superior person is without blame: the person who contemplates their life from the most elevated perspective of genuine wisdom — who observes with the genuine clarity of the sage who has transcended personal advantage — finds that the superior person is without blame. The difference between Line 5 and Line 6 is subtle but profound: Line 5 is the ruler’s self-contemplation (“my life”); Line 6 is the sage’s contemplation of life itself (“his life”) — the most elevated perspective of genuine wisdom that transcends the personal.
- Stage: The sage’s contemplation — observation of life itself from the most elevated perspective of genuine wisdom
- Action: Contemplate life itself from the most elevated perspective; transcend personal advantage in genuine observation
- Wisdom: The superior person is without blame — the sage’s contemplation of life itself
When this line appears: Contemplate life itself from the most elevated perspective of genuine wisdom. Transcend personal advantage. The superior person is without blame.
The Complete Journey: A Summary
- Line 1: Childlike contemplation — surface observation; humiliation for the superior person
- Line 2: Contemplation through the crack of the door — limited perspective; furthering for perseverance
- Line 3: Contemplation of my life — genuine self-observation; decides between advance and retreat
- Line 4: Contemplation of the light of the kingdom — political wisdom; exert influence as guest of a king
- Line 5: Contemplation of my life — the ruler’s self-contemplation; superior person without blame
- Line 6: Contemplation of his life — the sage’s contemplation of life itself; superior person without blame
The consistent theme: genuine contemplation is not passive observation but active wisdom — the genuine seeing that penetrates to the genuine inner reality of the situation and responds with the genuine instruction that genuine wisdom makes possible. The journey of Guan is the journey from childlike observation to the sage’s contemplation of life itself.
What Is Next in This Series
- Part 1: The Symbol and Structure
- Part 2 (This Article): The Six Lines — Complete Line-by-Line Commentary
- Part 3: Divination Guide — How to Read Guan in Practice
- Part 4: Philosophy — Guan in Confucian, Taoist, and Political Thought
- Part 5: Practical Applications — Mindfulness, Strategic Observation, Systems Thinking, Leadership
- Part 6: Modern Interpretations — Mindfulness Science, Metacognition, Systems Observation, Contemporary Relevance
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