Hexagram 22 Bi - Complete Guide Part 2: The Six Lines and the Stages of Grace
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BY NICOLE LAU
Hexagram 22 Bi - Complete Guide Part 2: The Six Lines and the Stages of Grace
Bi’s six lines tell the complete story of genuine grace — from the adorning of the toes at the beginning, through the progressive refinement of genuine outer form, to the supreme simplicity of white grace that transcends all ornament. The journey of Bi is the journey from outer adornment to the genuine inner virtue that genuine grace expresses.
Line 1 — Nine at the Bottom: Adorning the Toes
He lends grace to his toes, leaves the carriage, and walks.
The first line of Bi describes the grace of the toes — the genuine grace that begins at the foundation, that adorns the most basic movement of genuine inner virtue. He leaves the carriage and walks: the person of genuine grace does not rely on the carriage of external support but walks on their own feet, adorned with the genuine grace of genuine inner virtue. The grace of Line 1 is the grace of genuine independence: the person who adorns their own toes with genuine grace and walks on their own feet.
- Stage: The grace of the foundation — adorning the toes, walking on one’s own feet
- Action: Adorn the foundation with genuine grace; do not rely on external support
- Wisdom: Leave the carriage and walk — genuine grace begins with genuine independence
Line 2 — Six in the Second Place: Adorning the Beard
Lends grace to the beard on his chin.
The second line of Bi describes the grace of the beard — the genuine grace that adorns the face, the outer expression of genuine inner virtue. The beard moves with the chin: the grace of Line 2 is not independent but dependent on the genuine inner virtue that it expresses. The person who adorns the beard with genuine grace finds that the grace of the beard is the grace of the chin — the outer expression of the genuine inner virtue that the chin represents.
- Stage: The grace of the face — adorning the outer expression of genuine inner virtue
- Action: Adorn the outer expression of genuine inner virtue; let the grace of the beard follow the genuine inner virtue of the chin
- Wisdom: The grace of the beard is the grace of the chin — outer grace follows inner virtue
Line 3 — Nine in the Third Place: Graceful and Moist
Graceful and moist. Constant perseverance brings good fortune.
The third line of Bi describes the grace that is graceful and moist — the genuine grace that is full of genuine inner vitality, that is not dry and brittle but moist and alive. Constant perseverance brings good fortune: the genuine grace of Line 3 requires constant perseverance — the genuine commitment to genuine inner virtue that genuine grace expresses. The person who maintains the graceful and moist quality of genuine grace through constant perseverance finds good fortune.
- Stage: The grace of genuine vitality — graceful and moist
- Action: Maintain the graceful and moist quality of genuine grace through constant perseverance
- Wisdom: Constant perseverance brings good fortune — genuine grace requires genuine commitment
Line 4 — Six in the Fourth Place: Grace or Simplicity?
Grace or simplicity? A white horse comes as if on wings. He is not a robber; he will woo at the right time.
The fourth line of Bi — the most complex and most beautiful line of the hexagram. Grace or simplicity? The question of Line 4 is the central question of Bi: is genuine grace the elaborate adornment of outer form, or is it the genuine simplicity of genuine inner virtue? The white horse that comes as if on wings is the image of genuine inner virtue arriving with genuine speed and genuine grace — not the robber who takes by force but the genuine suitor who woos at the right time. The genuine grace of Line 4 is the grace of genuine simplicity: the white horse of genuine inner virtue that arrives at the right time.
- Stage: The grace of genuine simplicity — the white horse of genuine inner virtue
- Action: Choose genuine simplicity over elaborate adornment; woo at the right time
- Wisdom: He is not a robber; he will woo at the right time — genuine grace is genuine simplicity arriving at the right moment
Line 5 — Six in the Fifth Place: Grace in Hills and Gardens
Grace in hills and gardens. The roll of silk is meager and small. Humiliation, but in the end good fortune.
The ruler’s position in Bi — the grace of hills and gardens, the genuine grace of the natural world that does not require elaborate adornment. The roll of silk is meager and small: the genuine grace of Line 5 is not the elaborate silk of elaborate adornment but the meager and small roll of genuine simplicity. Humiliation, but in the end good fortune: the person who offers the meager and small roll of genuine simplicity — who expresses genuine inner virtue without elaborate adornment — finds humiliation at first but good fortune in the end.
- Stage: The grace of the natural world — hills and gardens, meager and small
- Action: Offer genuine simplicity without elaborate adornment; accept the initial humiliation
- Wisdom: Humiliation, but in the end good fortune — genuine simplicity finds good fortune in the end
Line 6 — Nine at the Top: Simple White Grace
Simple white grace. No blame.
The supreme line of Bi — and the most profound teaching: simple white grace. The person who has journeyed through all the stages of genuine grace — from the adorning of the toes to the grace of hills and gardens — finds at the summit the supreme simplicity of white grace: the genuine inner virtue that needs no outer adornment, the genuine beauty that is the natural expression of genuine inner light. No blame: the simple white grace of Line 6 is the natural expression of genuine inner virtue that has transcended all outer ornament. This is the supreme teaching of Bi: genuine grace is not the elaborate adornment of outer form but the simple white grace of genuine inner virtue.
- Stage: The supreme grace — simple white grace that transcends all outer ornament
- Action: Transcend all outer ornament; express genuine inner virtue in simple white grace
- Wisdom: No blame — simple white grace is the natural expression of genuine inner virtue
The Complete Journey: A Summary
- Line 1: Adorning the toes — grace of genuine independence; leave the carriage and walk
- Line 2: Adorning the beard — outer grace follows inner virtue; the beard follows the chin
- Line 3: Graceful and moist — grace of genuine vitality; constant perseverance brings good fortune
- Line 4: Grace or simplicity? — the white horse of genuine inner virtue; woo at the right time
- Line 5: Grace in hills and gardens — meager and small; humiliation but in the end good fortune
- Line 6: Simple white grace — the supreme simplicity of genuine inner virtue; no blame
The consistent theme: genuine grace is not the elaborate adornment of outer form but the natural expression of genuine inner virtue — the fire of genuine inner light illuminating the mountain of genuine outer form. The journey of Bi is the journey from outer adornment to the simple white grace of genuine inner virtue.
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 Bi in Practice
- Part 4: Philosophy — Bi in Confucian, Taoist, and Aesthetic Thought
- Part 5: Practical Applications — Aesthetic Leadership, Personal Style, Authentic Beauty
- Part 6: Modern Interpretations — Aesthetic Philosophy, Design Thinking, Authentic Beauty Science
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