Ji Ji

Judgment

旣濟 亨 小 利貞 初吉 終亂

It will prosper, it is a little bit beneficial. At first it's good but the ends will be dizzy.

Interpretation

The Gije Hexagram has Gam (Water) in the upper trigram and Ri (Fire) in the lower trigram. The image of this hexagram shows water above fire. Water above fire indicates that water extinguishes fire, meaning the power of water overcomes the power of fire. When fire occurs, it is put out by water, and the task of extinguishing the fire has already been accomplished. Gije means "already completed" or "already accomplished."

In the Commentary on the Hexagrams, it is said, "This point is similar to the situation where King Gong of the Yin Dynasty conquers the Guifang. The beginning of the conquest is favorable, but the end is chaotic, indicating that there is a small benefit."

初九 曳其輪,濡其尾,无咎

Initial Nine: Dragging the wheel, wetting its tail, no harm.

Ye refers to pulling, while Yun refers to a wheel. The oracle suggests that the situation may involve difficulty or hardship, but it will not be insurmountable. A person consulting the oracle and receiving this line will find that while obstacles may arise, they will ultimately overcome them.

六二 婦喪其笰,勿逐,七日得

Six Second: The wife loses her basket, do not chase, seven days will bring.

The precious item, once lost, will be recovered in due time. Although there is a delay, the situation is favorable, and the lost object will be found soon. This suggests that the person will achieve success with patience and perseverance.

九三 高宗伐鬼方,三年克之,小人勿用

Nine Third: The great ancestor attacked the ghost tribe, after three years, victory. Small people should not be used.

The term "Gojong" refers to the king of the Yin dynasty. The battle to conquer the distant region was long and arduous, with many casualties. The person asking about the hexagram is in a situation where they are facing a difficult and lengthy task, but they will eventually succeed. However, those in lower positions will not gain any benefit from the outcome.

六四 襦有衣袽,終日戒

Six Fourth: The robe is without clothing, always cautious.

Small mistakes could lead to disaster. The task at hand requires constant caution.

九五 東鄰殺牛(以祭),不如西鄰之禴祭,實受其福

Nine Fifth: The eastern neighbor kills cattle as a sacrifice, it is not as good as the western neighbor’s ceremony, in the end, they receive the blessings.

Yin’s lavish sacrifice pales beside Zhou’s humble one, earning Zhou blessings through fragrant virtue. The task at hand will bring blessings if you cultivate pure virtue like King Wen, reaping rewards.

上六 濡其首,厲

Top Six: Wetting the head, danger.

Drunk on victory, soaking the head with wine, imperils triumph despite success. The task at hand risks peril through excess, teetering on the edge.