52. Keeping Still (Mountain) (艮)

Gèn (hexagram-52) means stopping. A single yang line stops above two yin lines; yang ascends from below, reaches the very top, and halts.

Its image is the mountain, taking the earth of Kūn (hexagram-2) and raising it high above, which also carries the meaning of stopping at the peak and not advancing further.

Its divination indicates that one must be able to stop at one's back and not possess one's body, and walk in one's courtyard without seeing one's people, only then being without blame. The body is a moving thing; only the back is at rest.

Keeping one's back still means stopping where one ought to stop. Stopping where one ought to stop means not moving along with the body; this is what it means not to possess one's body.

If one can do this, then even walking through the courtyard where people reside, one will not see anyone. Keeping one's back still and not possessing one's body means stopping when it is time to stop.

Walking in one's courtyard and not seeing one's people means remaining still even while moving. Both movement and stillness each stop in their proper place, and both take stillness as their master; this is why one obtains 'without blame.'

This explains the meaning of the hexagram name: Gèn (hexagram-52) means stopping. Yet moving and stopping each have their proper time; hence stopping when it is time to stop is stopping, and moving when it is time to move is also stopping.

The structure of Gèn is solid and substantial, hence it also carries the meaning of brightness; in hexagram-26 (The Taming Power of the Great), Gèn is also spoken of in terms of radiant brilliance.

This explains the hexagram statement, substituting 'stopping' for 'back' to make clear that the back is stopping. The back is the place of stopping.

In terms of the hexagram structure, the inner and outer trigrams, yin and yang, oppose each other as equals without resonance and do not interact. Not interacting, internally one does not see oneself, and externally one does not see others, and thus there is no blame.

Chao says that 'keeping still its stopping' should follow the hexagram statement and read 'keeping still its back.'

Hexagram-52 in the Sequence of Hexagrams: Zhèn (hexagram-51) means movement. Things cannot remain in motion forever; they must be stopped, hence it is received by Gèn (hexagram-52). Gèn means stopping.

Movement and stillness generate one another: movement entails stillness, and stillness entails movement. There is no principle of perpetual movement for things; this is why Gèn succeeds Zhèn. Gèn means stopping.

It is called Gèn rather than Zhǐ (stopping) because Gèn has the image of the mountain, carrying connotations of calm, weight, firmness, and solidity, which the concept of stopping alone cannot exhaust.

When Qián and Kūn interact, the third seeking produces Gèn: a single yang line dwells above two yin lines. Yang moves and ascends upward; once it arrives at the top, it halts. Yin is still. Halting above and still below, it forms Gèn.

If so, how does it differ from the stopping in Xù (hexagram-26)? The answer is: the stopping in Xù means restraining and taming, stopping by force. The stopping in Gèn means resting in tranquil stability, stopping in its proper place. Without blame.

The reason people cannot rest peacefully in their stopping is that they are moved by desires. Desires pull them from the front, making it impossible to stop. Therefore, the Dao of Gèn requires keeping still one's back.

What is seen lies in front, while the back is turned away from it; this is what is not seen. Stopping where nothing is seen, there are no desires to confuse the heart, and thus stopping becomes peaceful.

Not catching one's body means not seeing one's body; this refers to forgetting the self. Without self, there is stillness; if one cannot be without self, there is no way to stop.

Walking in one's courtyard without seeing one's people: the space of a courtyard is extremely close, yet if it is at one's back, even what is very close is not seen, which means not interacting with external things.

When external things do not make contact and internal desires do not sprout, stopping in this manner attains the Dao of stopping, which for stopping means being without blame.

Gèn means stopping. The Dao of stopping depends entirely on timeliness. If moving, stopping, action, and stillness do not accord with the time, they are rash. If one does not miss the proper time, one accords with principle and matches righteousness.

In things it is principle; in dealing with things it is righteousness. When movement and stillness accord with principle and righteousness and do not miss the time, that is the brightness of this Dao.

What the noble person values is the time; Confucius's knowing when to go, when to stop, when to delay, and when to hasten exemplifies this. The substance of Gèn is solid and substantial, carrying the meaning of brightness. Indeed.

'Keeping still its stopping' means stopping when restrained to a halt. Being able to stop when halted arises from stopping having found its proper place. If one stops without finding the proper place, there is no principle by which one can stop.

The Master said: 'In stopping, know where to stop,' referring to the place where one ought to stop. Wherever there is a thing, there must be its norm: a father stops in kindness, a son stops in filial piety, a ruler stops in benevolence, and a minister stops in reverence.

Among all myriad things and affairs, none does not have its proper place. Obtaining its place brings peace; losing its place brings perversion.

The reason the sage can bring compliant order to all under heaven is not that he invents norms for things, but merely that he stops each of them in its proper place.

In terms of the hexagram's capacity, the upper and lower trigrams oppose each other as equals without resonance, carrying no meaning of mutual interaction.

When yin and yang resonate, their sentiments connect and they interact; but because they are opposing equals, they do not interact. Not interacting, they turn their backs on each other, which constitutes the meaning of stopping by keeping still one's back.

Turning their backs on each other, they do not catch their bodies nor see their people; thus they are able to stop, and being able to stop, there is no blame.

Mountain both above and below forms joined mountains. Bringing this alongside that is 'joined,' meaning doubled and repeated. This is the image of doubled Gèn.

The noble person observes the image of Gèn's stopping, and in his thoughts rests peacefully in where he stops, not going outside his position. 'Position' is the allotted share of where one dwells.

All myriad affairs each have their proper place; obtaining their proper place, they stop and find peace.

If one stops when one should act, or lingers when one should hasten, whether exceeding or falling short, all are going outside one's position—how much more so exceeding one's bounds and holding what is improper!

What one stops is behind, hence one does not catch one's body. Because they turn their backs on each other. Whenever things face each other without communicating, it is the Dao of Pǐ (hexagram-12). Gèn is the hexagram of stopping without communicating with each other.

When each stops without interacting, how can there be no blame? Only by not seeing each other is it permissible. Applying stopping to the back does not block external desires, but finds the proper place to stop. The back is an object that sees nothing.

Seeing nothing, it naturally rests in stillness; resting in stillness and seeing nothing, 'one does not catch one's body.' 'Turning their backs on each other,' even though close they do not see each other; hence 'walking in his courtyard, he does not see his people.'

If one applies stopping not to what is unseen, allowing things to stop naturally, but forces them to stop, treacherous evil will arise together, and being close without being in harmony brings misfortune.

That it obtains 'without blame' is because 'keeping his back still, he does not catch his body; walking in his courtyard, he does not see his people.'

The correct Dao cannot be applied constantly; it must be applied where movement is impossible. Adapting to the proper time, the Dao becomes glorious and bright. Indeed. Substituting 'stopping' for 'back' makes clear that the back is stopping.

Applying stopping cannot be done at the face; applying it to the back is permissible. Applying stopping to stopping, and not applying stopping to walking, attains its proper place; hence it is said: 'Keeping still its stopping means stopping in its proper place.'

Each stops in its proper place and does not encroach upon others' offices.

From 'Keeping his back still, he does not catch his body' to 'without blame.'

The Correct Meaning states: 'Keeping his back still, he does not catch his body; walking in his courtyard, he does not see his people; without blame': 'Gèn means stopping,' carrying the meaning of resting in stillness.

This is the hexagram imaging a mountain, taking its name from Gèn. Applied to human affairs, it means restraining the passions of things and preventing their active desires, hence it is called stopping. 'Keeping his back still' clarifies the proper place for applying stopping.

If applying stopping finds the right place, its Dao is easily accomplished; if applying stopping misses the right place, its merit is difficult to achieve. Therefore Laozi said: 'Not seeing what is desirable keeps the heart unconfused.' 'The back is an object that sees nothing.'

'Seeing nothing, it naturally rests in stillness.' The method of prevention and stopping ought to prevent things before they manifest. If one stops them after they have already manifested, it wounds the nature of things.

Therefore, applying stopping to where nothing is seen does not block external desires, but attains the proper place to stop.

If one 'applies stopping to the face,' then 'they face each other without communicating'; forcibly stopping their passions, 'treacherous evil will arise together,' leading to misfortune and blame.

Stopping where nothing is seen, what one stops is behind, not facing each other directly. When an object approaches facing one, desires and private partialities arise within oneself. Once stopped behind, stopping is applied where nothing is seen.

When what is stopped is unseen, how could one see one's body? Hence 'he does not catch his body.' Having 'not caught his body,' they turn their backs on each other.

When turning their backs on each other, though close they do not see each other; hence 'walking in his courtyard, he does not see his people.'

Only like this does one obtain 'without blame'; hence it is said: 'Keeping his back still, he does not catch his body; walking in his courtyard, he does not see his people; without blame.'

Furthermore, if one can stop things before they manifest, it is governing before sprouting; whereas facing each other without communicating is the Dao of Pǐ (hexagram-12). Only by stopping at the back can one obtain 'without blame.'

From 'The Commentary on the Decision says: Gèn means stopping' to 'its Dao is glorious and bright.'

The Correct Meaning states: 'Gèn means stopping' defines its name.

As for 'Stopping when it is time to stop, and moving when it is time to move; when movement and stillness do not miss their time, its Dao is glorious and bright,' this is about to explain that applying stopping possesses brightness and that applying stopping has its time.

The movement and rest of all things naturally have their proper times and turns. The method of using stopping cannot be made perpetual; one must move or stop in accordance with the time, and only then will its Dao attain brightness.

The Correct Meaning states: This explains the place where stopping is applied. 'Keeping still its stopping' repeats the canon text's 'keeping still its back.'

'Substituting stopping for back to make clear that the back' is an object that sees nothing, which is precisely the place where one may stop. Since one ought to stop when it is time to stop and move when it is time to move, applying stopping must find its proper place.

Since 'Gèn' is defined as stopping, now saying 'keeping still its stopping' means stopping what ought to be stopped; hence it says: 'Keeping still its stopping means stopping in its proper place.'

The Correct Meaning states: As for 'The upper and lower trigrams oppose each other as equals and do not interact,' this explains the name of the Gèn hexagram and the meaning from 'not catching his body' downward based on the six lines all lacking resonance.

In general, resonance requires one yin and one yang, where the two trigrams do not oppose each other as equals.

Here, although the positions above and below correspond, the lines all stand as opposing equals and do not interact; hence it says: 'The upper and lower trigrams oppose each other as equals and do not interact.'

Yet all eight doubled hexagrams have six lines without resonance; why is it mentioned only here? Because this hexagram not only stops without interacting, but also stands opposed without resonance, harmonizing with the meaning of 'stopping'; hence this is combined to clarify it.

Therefore, 'he does not catch his body; walking in his courtyard, he does not see his people; without blame' cites the canon text to conclude, making clear that stopping through mutual disengagement yields 'without blame.'

The Correct Meaning states: 'Joined mountains: Gèn.' Two mountains with doubled significance are called 'joined mountains.'

A single mountain is already able to weigh down and halt; now with two mountains stacked, the meaning of stopping is all the greater, hence it is called 'joined mountains: Gèn.'

As for 'the noble person accordingly does not let his thoughts go beyond his position,' the meaning of stopping is that each stops in its proper place. Therefore, at this time, the noble person keeps the reach of his thoughts and deliberations strictly within his own position.