Hexagram 20 Guan - Complete Guide Part 3: Divination Guide — How to Read Contemplation in Practice
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BY NICOLE LAU
Hexagram 20 Guan - Complete Guide Part 3: Divination Guide — How to Read Contemplation in Practice
Guan is one of the most nuanced hexagrams to receive in a reading because it calls for a quality of attention that is itself the answer: genuine contemplation. This guide gives you the practical framework for reading Guan accurately in any divination context.
What Guan Is Actually Telling You
The core message of Guan in any reading: the time of genuine contemplation has arrived — observe with the penetrating intelligence of the wind above the earth, see the whole pattern of the situation, and respond with genuine wisdom. Full of trust they look up to you.
Questions Guan Answers Best
- Strategic clarity: What is really happening in this situation? — Observe the whole pattern from the elevated perspective of the watchtower.
- Self-examination: What is the genuine state of my inner life? — Lines 3 and 5 (contemplation of my life) give the answer.
- Leadership and influence: How do I exert genuine influence? — Line 4 (contemplation of the light of the kingdom): exert influence as the guest of a king.
- Decision-making: Should I advance or retreat? — Line 3: contemplation of my life decides the choice between advance and retreat.
- Wisdom and perspective: How do I see this situation more clearly? — Step back and observe the whole pattern from the elevated perspective of genuine wisdom.
- Spiritual development: What is the genuine state of my spiritual development? — Line 6: the sage's contemplation of life itself.
What Guan Is Not Saying
- Guan does not mean passive observation. The kings of old contemplated the people and gave them instruction — genuine contemplation leads to genuine action.
- Guan does not mean detachment. The nuclear hexagram Bo (Splitting Apart) warns of the danger of contemplation that becomes detachment. Genuine contemplation is the elevated perspective that makes genuine engagement possible.
- Guan does not mean childlike observation is sufficient. Line 1's warning — childlike contemplation is humiliation for the superior person — is the most important warning of Guan.
Reading Guan Without Moving Lines
- The time of genuine contemplation has arrived — step back and observe the whole pattern
- The ablution has been made, but not yet the offering — the moment of pure, undivided attention has arrived
- Full of trust they look up to him — genuine contemplation naturally inspires trust
- Visit the regions of the world, contemplate the people, give them instruction — genuine contemplation leads to genuine instruction
No moving lines: observe with genuine clarity, see the whole pattern, and respond with the genuine instruction that genuine wisdom makes possible.
The Six Moving Lines: What Each Means in Practice
Line 1 Moving — Childlike Contemplation
Changing hexagram: Hexagram 23 Bo (Splitting Apart)
Childlike contemplation leads to the splitting apart of Bo — the fragmentation that occurs when genuine inner wisdom is absent. Develop genuine inner wisdom; move beyond surface observation.
Line 2 Moving — Contemplation Through the Crack of the Door
Changing hexagram: Hexagram 8 Bi (Holding Together)
The limited perspective of Line 2 leads to the genuine holding together of Bi. Persevere in the limited perspective — the genuine holding together of Bi is available.
Line 3 Moving — Contemplation of My Life
Changing hexagram: Hexagram 53 Jian (Development / Gradual Progress)
Genuine self-observation leads to the gradual progress of Jian. Contemplate your own life with genuine clarity — decide between advance and retreat.
Line 4 Moving — Contemplation of the Light of the Kingdom
Changing hexagram: Hexagram 42 Yi (Increase)
Political contemplation leads to the genuine increase of Yi. Contemplate the light of the kingdom — exert genuine influence as the guest of a king.
Line 5 Moving — Contemplation of My Life (The Ruler)
Changing hexagram: Hexagram 57 Xun (The Gentle / Wind)
The ruler's self-contemplation is grounded in the gentle, penetrating intelligence of Xun. Contemplate your own life with the gentle, penetrating intelligence of Xun. The superior person is without blame.
Line 6 Moving — Contemplation of His Life (The Sage)
Changing hexagram: Hexagram 59 Huan (Dispersion)
The sage's contemplation of life itself leads to the genuine dispersion of Huan — the dissolution of rigid boundaries. Contemplate life itself from the most elevated perspective. The superior person is without blame.
Five-Step Practical Reading Framework
- Assess the quality of observation: Is the contemplation genuine — grounded in genuine inner virtue? Or is it childlike observation that does not penetrate to the genuine inner reality?
- Identify the stage of contemplation: Childlike (Line 1), limited (Line 2), self-observation (Lines 3 and 5), political (Line 4), or the sage's (Line 6)?
- Determine the appropriate response: What does genuine contemplation reveal? What is the genuine instruction that genuine wisdom makes possible?
- Check the changing hexagram: What does it reveal about the specific quality of the contemplation and the path of genuine wisdom?
- Apply the standard of genuine inner virtue: Does the contemplation meet the standard — the penetrating intelligence of the wind, the genuine receptivity of the earth, the elevated perspective of the watchtower?
Three Example Readings
Example 1: Strategic — What is really happening?
Result: Guan with Line 4 moving → Hexagram 42 Yi. Contemplate the light of the kingdom. Exert genuine influence as the guest of a king. The genuine increase of Yi is the natural consequence.
Example 2: Personal — Should I advance or retreat?
Result: Guan with Line 3 moving → Hexagram 53 Jian. Contemplate your own life with genuine clarity. The gradual progress of Jian is the natural consequence of genuine self-observation.
Example 3: Spiritual — What is the state of my spiritual development?
Result: Guan with Line 6 moving → Hexagram 59 Huan. Contemplate life itself from the most elevated perspective. The genuine dispersion of Huan — the dissolution of rigid boundaries — is the natural consequence.
What Is Next in This Series
- Part 1: The Symbol and Structure
- Part 2: The Six Lines — Complete Line-by-Line Commentary
- Part 3 (This Article): 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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