Well, after systematically learning Qian hexagram and Kun hexagram, I have gained a profound understanding of them. Therefore, attached are some of my notes below.
(1)the bottom line or the first line,
The position is at the bottom,so it is the beginning. It‘s a long undivided line,so it’s a yang line. The name of this line is nine.
So,it reads “nine at the beginning”. 初九
It means that yang qi just begins to stir at the lowest place,suggesting people should be patient waiting for the right timing. And when the right time comes, he should take actions quickly.
People in the hall of fame
When they just started up, they were in obscurity. They encountered a lot of challenges. And it’s just like this stage of things. They were accumulating their strength. They were like hidden dragons waiting for the chance.
(2)Nine in the second place 九二
Dragon appearing in the field, it furthers one to see the great man. In legends, dragons are considered to have the right and responsibility to guard their palace undersea or make a rain in the sky. But now it appears in the field where corps grow, suggesting that the great man has extended his virtue far and wide.
For those who have endured all the hardship, maybe it is time for them to see some chance to come.
(3)九三
suggesting the great man perseveres in the right way time and again
Perseverance and cautiousness it takes for a man to achieve something.
(4)九四
The great man advances or retreats timely according to the occasion.
A man who endeavors for something, he would come across ups and downs. So at this point, he is like the wavering dragon; he is trying to get out of the turbulent situation.
(5)九五
The great man is developing into his cause.
So it seems his prime time has finally come. And I guess that is when we call a king as the majesty 九五至尊, the number 九、五
That is how the numbers come.
(6)上九
The great man cannot stay long in his prime. So the man has already got great success, so it is better for him to keep being prudent and not being arrogant so that he can keep his prime and success.
All the lines describe different developing states or activities of the dragon.
Each hexagon has six lines,but, here is an exception in qian and kun hexagrams.
So there are 7lines in these two hexagrams.
384lines +2exceptions—386 lines
(7)用九
there appears a flight of dragons without heads, it means that the virtue of heaven is not pose as the leader.
When all the lines are nines, or yang, it means that there appears a flight of dragons without heads which foresees good fortune.
And when all the lines become nine, then the hexagrams changes into the negative of each line. So that means the yang lines all turn into the yin lines. That becomes the kun hexagrams.
So this statement basically means in Qian hexagram, the central teach is to stay Yin, which means to keep being submissive, assistive, supportive. So this hexagram fits the situation when one finds himself in an assistant role.
(1)初六
it's quite similar to another famous proverb:“ When Winter comes,can spring be far behind?” so this line suggests the situation is not good for a start, which does give us a prospect of a certain kind of change in future though.
(2)六二
Such a statement tells that though things are still in the dark, there is nothing special one needs to do. Just be as it is, and be as what one is supposed to be. And such a righteousness reminds one of the virtue of the earth,opening up to all things, with full tolerance or acceptance.
(3)六三
In the service of the king, it seems that only through sustainable commitment to the assistant work and keep being humble can one sustain oneself from any possible political intrigues.
(4)六四
So here we come at a stage of risky situation. Because it is dangerous, one needs to keep himself in a sack, protected from the danger outside. This line seems to be suggesting that in a time of danger, say of great changes, it’s better for us to stay out of business and keep safe. Though this reads quite passive to us today, it doesn’t hurt to stay out of the way and take a good look at the situation before jumping into the chaos.
(5)六五
Yellow, the color of the earth to ancient Chinese, is the most propitious 吉利的 color to Chinese scholars,but they wear it underneath their black garment, suggesting kind of humbleness. This is to say for a person in the assistant role to succeed, he needs to keep a low profile even in his prime time.
And we don’t want to forget five in the position of a king in the Qian hexagram. This means that when a person in the assistant role reaches his time of prime, the only way for him to kind of continue his success is through humbleness.
(6)上六
So here the false dragon suggests that the assistant tries to get to the leading role, for example, a minister tries to take the throne from the king. And this is not a good sign, since the assistant should have stayed where his calling asks of him. And here the black blood, referring to the power of heaven, the leader, and the yellow blood, the power of earth, the should-be assistant, they are kind of engaged in a conflict that leads to final fallout 对决.
(7)用六
So that means after the fallout, everything goes back, and turns to Qian hexagram.