Heaven Fire Tongren: Confucian-Daoist Dialogue and the Investigation of Ancient Spiritual Origins from a Pre-Qin Perspective

Section 1: Nine Four: Mounting the Wall but Failing to Attack, Auspicious

The line statement for Nine Four reads:

"Mounting the wall but failing to attack, it is auspicious (jí)." (乘其墉，弗克攻，吉。)

The Lesser Image Commentary states:

"Mounting the wall but failing to attack—this is because righteousness forbids it. The auspiciousness comes from being constrained and then returning to the proper way." (乘其墉，义弗克也。其吉，则困而反则也。)

The line statement of Nine Four continues the martial imagery of Nine Three, but the direction of development is completely different. Nine Three was hiding troops secretly; Nine Four is openly attempting to storm a city—"mounting the wall" (shèng qí yōng). However, in the end, Nine Four "fails to attack" (fú kè gōng), yet achieves "Auspiciousness" (jí).

Why is "failing to capture" considered "auspicious"$39

Analysis from Line Position:

Nine Four, a Yang line occupying a Yin position (Four is an even number, belonging to Yin), is therefore "improperly positioned" (bù dé wèi)—possessing rigid strength but in a position unsuitable for its exertion.

Nine Four is also adjacent to Six Two (separated by Nine Three), implying a tendency to approach Six Two. But unlike Nine Three, Nine Four has already entered the upper trigram Qian—he is closer to Nine Five and faces greater pressure.

"Mounting the wall"—climbing the wall in preparation for attack. This "wall" separates Nine Four from Six Two. Nine Four wishes to cross the barrier to approach Six Two, hence attempting to forcibly break through by scaling the wall.

But ultimately, he "fails to attack" (fú kè gōng). Why$40 The Lesser Image Commentary says: "Righteousness forbids it" (yì fú kè yě). It is not a lack of strength, but that "Righteousness" does not permit it. What "Righteousness"$41 It means that forcibly attacking or contending for Six Two is contrary to reason and righteousness—Six Two's proper correspondence is with Nine Five; Nine Four striving for Six Two is an act against the proper order.

The Wisdom of Being "Constrained and Returning to the Proper Way":

The Lesser Image Commentary further explains the reason for "Auspiciousness": "It is auspicious because one is constrained and then returns to the proper way" (kùn ér fǎn zé yě). When one encounters difficulty while acting, the ability to reflect promptly on whether one has taken the wrong path, and to stop immediately upon realizing the action is unrighteous—this is the source of "Auspiciousness."

Nine Four initially intended to attack (to forcibly contend for Six Two), but upon encountering obstruction, he reflected on his action, recognized that "righteousness forbids it," and therefore voluntarily gave up the attack. This capacity for self-correction is precisely the character of the noble man.

Contrast Nine Three and Nine Four: Nine Three "hiding armed men in the brush, remaining stalled for three years"—preparing in secret for a long time, but never daring to act, nor giving up, falling into a dilemma. Nine Four, however, shows more decisiveness: first attempting the attack, and when it fails, decisively giving up and returning to the proper way—although this process is circuitous, the final result is "Auspicious."

The Analects (Zǐ Zhāng) records Zixia saying:

"The faults of the small man are always concealed." (小人之过也必文。)

Conversely, the Analects (Zǐ Zhāng) records Zigong saying:

"The faults of the noble man are like eclipses of the sun and moon. His fault appears, and everyone sees it; when he corrects it, everyone looks up to him with admiration." (君子之过也，如日月之食焉。过也，人皆见之；更也，人皆仰之。)

Nine Four "mounting the wall" was a fault (improper to attack forcefully), "failing to attack" was correction (giving up the forceful attack), and "auspiciousness" was the reward for correction.

From the Perspective of the Way of Tóng Rén:

The story of Nine Four tells us that in the pursuit of Tóng Rén, mistakes might be made—perhaps using the wrong method (coercion, attack) to seek harmony with others. But as long as one recognizes the mistake in time and corrects it, one can still return to the proper Way. The Way of Tóng Rén allows for error, but not for obstinate adherence to error.

Zhuangzi states:

"The mind of the True Person is like a mirror: it neither holds on to the past nor welcomes the future, responding without concealment, thus it overcomes things without being harmed." (Zhuangzi, Responding to Emperors)

The mind of the True Person is like a mirror, responding to what comes and not grasping what departs—not being attached, not forcing things. Nine Four ultimately giving up the attack is precisely this movement from attachment to non-attachment—though it may not be the state of the "True Person," it is a step in the right direction.