شش خطی 39
دشواری در پیشروی، متوقف شدن، مشقت (Jian)

Halting means forward progress is difficult. As for the qualities of the hexagram, above is water , dangerous, and below is mountain , stopping: Stopping in the midst of danger, it is therefore called halting.

This hexagram represents preserving the primordial in the midst of the temporal; it follows on the previous hexagram people in the home. In people in the home, illumination is not used outwardly; it is the work of refining the self. Refining the self is only refining the acquired yin. From the time people lose the primordial and temporal conditioning takes charge, the human mind is perilous, like the two yins being outside one yang in water ; the mind of Tao is faint, like the one yang fallen between two yins in water. With yang fallen into yin, the mind of Tao is burdened by the human mentality and cannot manifest actively—it is all the human mind that does things; this is the extreme of danger.

But as long as there is danger, it is necessary to be able to stop in danger. If one can stop in danger, then the human mentality gradually evaporates, and the mind of Tao gradually grows; it is possible thereby to deal with danger, and to leave danger, without being injured by the negative energy of acquired conditioning.

The statement “when halted, the southwest is beneficial, not the northeast” is precisely the secret of dealing with danger and leaving danger. The “southwest” is the province of earth , the homeland of utter emptiness and complete stillness. Utter emptiness beckons fulfillment; when stillness is complete, then action goes into motion. The primordial energy comes from within empty nothingness; as the mind of Tao appears, the human mind naturally recedes. This is the place that gives life to the self, so it is called beneficial.

The “northeast” is the direction of mountain , where yin energy has nearly stripped yang completely away. Yin energy stripping away yang, following its desires the human mind takes charge of affairs and the mind of Tao is on the verge of disappearance. This is the place that kills the self, so it is called not beneficial.

It is beneficial to enliven the mind of Tao and withdraw the human mind; it is not beneficial to arouse the human mind and damage the mind of Tao. If you enliven the mind of Tao, then you can deal with danger; if you can withdraw the human mind, then you can get out of danger.

So the fact that it is surely “profitable to see a great person” and “innocence is auspicious” is because a “great person” is one who has not lost the mind of an infant. The mind of an infant does not discriminate or cognize, has no greed or ambition—this is the mind of Tao. When one has the mind of Tao one is a great person; without the mind of Tao one is a petty person. Getting rid of the human mentality is not possible without seeing the mind of Tao; only when seeing the mind of Tao can one get rid of the human mind. So “it is profitable to see a great person” simply means it is beneficial to see the mind of Tao.

Once one has seen the mind of Tao, false and true are distinguished; at peace, in accord, essence is stabilized and feelings forgotten. No longer seduced by the human mentality, by stillness one can control danger, and by action one can solve danger. Stillness and action are both functions of the mind of Tao. Meeting danger with rectitude, maintaining rectitude in the midst of danger, eventually one will surely get out of danger, resolve danger, and fulfill the great path, completing it auspiciously.

Halting means there is difficulty and one cannot proceed onward. Above is water , below is mountain ; there is water atop a mountain. A mountain is high and is very earthy; add water on top of that, and earthiness is strong while the celestial is weak. This is the image of halting.

What superior people see in this is that when people are unable to make progress on the path of sages, it is because they are competitive and contentious, emotional and greedy, not knowing how to improve themselves and correct their errors. Therefore superior people examine themselves and cultivate virtue.

If one is incapable of self-examination, one will not have self-mastery, and will be subject to manipulation; every act, every step, will entail danger and difficulty, will involve injury to life. Only by self-examination can one abandon the false and enter the real; not being deluded by externals, with every step one's feet then tread the real ground and virtue can be cultivated.

When virtue is cultivated, one's nature is stabilized and feelings are forgotten, so that one is unshakable and unwavering as a mountain. Not halted by obstacles, one cannot be injured by difficulties and troubles.

But the work of self-examination and cultivation of virtue requires clear knowledge of the image of the hexagram. The water is above, the mountain is below; the water being above means that the danger that causes halting is external, while the mountain being below means that developmental cultivation is internal. Seeing there is danger, if one can then use that danger to cultivate character, then even though the situation be dangerous the mind is not in danger. Outwardly there is danger, but inwardly it is not dangerous; the danger lies elsewhere, while cultivation of virtue and character lies in oneself. Using virtue to ward off danger, danger dissolves; using danger to cultivate character, virtuous action grows daily more lofty. So obstacles cannot faze one—indeed, it is after being halted by obstacles that one can cultivate character and virtue. If students can recognize the reality of self-examination, there is no need to worry about halting, and no need to worry about inability to develop virtue.