Hexagram 21 Shi He - Complete Guide Part 2: The Six Lines and the Stages of Biting Through
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BY NICOLE LAU
Hexagram 21 Shi He - Complete Guide Part 2: The Six Lines and the Stages of Biting Through
Shi He's six lines tell the complete story of genuine decisive action — from the lightest penalty of stocks on the feet, through progressive difficulty, to the most severe penalty of the wooden cangue. The journey of Shi He is the journey from the beginning of genuine justice to its supreme expression.
Line 1 — Nine at the Bottom: Stocks on the Feet
His feet are fastened in the stocks, so that his toes disappear. No blame.
The lightest penalty — stocks on the feet that prevent further wrongdoing without causing serious harm. The toes disappear: the stocks cover the toes, the symbol of the beginning of the wrong path. No blame: the light penalty is appropriate for the beginning of wrongdoing — the decisive action that stops the wrong path before it goes further.
- Stage: The lightest penalty — prevention at the beginning
- Action: Apply the light penalty that stops the wrong path early
- Wisdom: No blame — the light penalty of genuine prevention
Line 2 — Six in the Second Place: Biting Through Tender Meat
Bites through tender meat, so that his nose disappears. No blame.
Biting through tender meat — the decisive action that is relatively easy but requires genuine commitment. The nose disappears: the biting through is so complete that the nose disappears into the meat — the image of decisive action that goes all the way through. No blame: the genuine biting through that removes the obstacle completely.
- Stage: Relatively easy decisive action
- Action: Bite through completely; do not stop halfway
- Wisdom: No blame — the decisive action that goes all the way through
Line 3 — Six in the Third Place: Biting Through Old Dried Meat
Bites through old dried meat and strikes on something poisonous. Slight humiliation. No blame.
Biting through old dried meat — decisive action that encounters unexpected difficulty and even poison. Slight humiliation: the unexpected difficulty of decisive action that encounters more resistance than anticipated. No blame: the slight humiliation is not a catastrophe; it is the natural consequence of genuine commitment to decisive action that encounters unexpected difficulty.
- Stage: Decisive action encountering unexpected difficulty
- Action: Continue despite unexpected difficulty and slight humiliation
- Wisdom: No blame — slight humiliation of unexpected difficulty is not a catastrophe
Line 4 — Nine in the Fourth Place: Biting Through Dried Bony Meat
Bites through dried bony meat. Receives metal arrows. It furthers one to be mindful of difficulties and to be persevering. Good fortune.
The obstacle itself — the yin line between the teeth — describes the most difficult biting through. Receives metal arrows: the genuine support of metal arrows — the genuine strength that the most difficult biting through requires. Be mindful of difficulties and persevering: genuine mindfulness and genuine perseverance through the hardest obstacle. Good fortune.
- Stage: The most difficult decisive action
- Action: Be mindful of difficulties; persevere through the hardest obstacle
- Wisdom: Good fortune — genuine perseverance bites through the most difficult obstacle
Line 5 — Six in the Fifth Place: Biting Through Dried Gristly Meat
Bites through dried gristly meat. Receives yellow gold. Perseverance brings danger. No blame.
The ruler's position — biting through dried gristly meat that receives yellow gold. Yellow gold is the symbol of genuine inner virtue: the genuine strength and clarity that the ruler's decisive action expresses. Perseverance brings danger: the genuine risk of decisive action that bites through the most resistant obstacle. No blame: the danger of genuine perseverance is the natural consequence of genuine commitment to decisive action.
- Stage: The ruler's decisive action — yellow gold of genuine inner virtue
- Action: Bite through with genuine inner virtue; be aware of the danger of perseverance
- Wisdom: No blame — the danger of genuine perseverance in decisive action
Line 6 — Nine at the Top: Stocks on the Neck
His neck is fastened in the wooden cangue, so that his ears disappear. Misfortune.
The most severe warning: the wooden cangue on the neck, the ears disappearing. The ears disappear: the person who cannot hear the genuine instruction of genuine wisdom — who has refused to learn from the light penalties of the earlier lines — finds the most severe penalty. Misfortune: the natural consequence of refusing to hear genuine justice. Line 6 is Shi He's ultimate warning: respond to the light penalties early, or face the most severe consequence in the end.
- Stage: The most severe penalty — for the person who refused to hear
- Action: Hear the genuine instruction of genuine justice before reaching Line 6
- Wisdom: Misfortune — the natural consequence of refusing to hear genuine justice
The Complete Journey: A Summary
- Line 1: Stocks on the feet — lightest penalty; no blame
- Line 2: Biting through tender meat — complete decisive action; no blame
- Line 3: Biting through old dried meat — unexpected difficulty; slight humiliation, no blame
- Line 4: Biting through dried bony meat — hardest decisive action; good fortune through perseverance
- Line 5: Biting through dried gristly meat — ruler's decisive action; no blame despite danger
- Line 6: Stocks on the neck — most severe penalty for refusing to hear; misfortune
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 Shi He in Practice
- Part 4: Philosophy — Shi He in Confucian, Taoist, and Political Thought
- Part 5: Practical Applications — Conflict Resolution, Decisive Leadership, Removing Obstacles
- Part 6: Modern Interpretations — Restorative Justice, Decisive Action Science, Contemporary Relevance
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