An Analysis of the Structure, Ethics, and Ontology of the 'Jia Ren' Hexagram in the Zhou Yi

Section 4: "Woman's Firmness" and Pre-Qin Views on Marriage

The discourse on "favorable for the woman's firmness" cannot avoid extending to the Pre-Qin view of marriage. In Pre-Qin texts, marriage was regarded as the beginning of human relationships and the foundation of the Family Way.

The Li Ji, Hun Yi states:

"The rites of marriage are intended to unite the harmony of two surnames; above, to serve the ancestral temples; and below, to continue the lineage. Therefore, the noble person regards it with reverence."

"Hence in the rites of marriage, the presentation of the betrothal gift, the inquiry of the name, the reporting of the auspicious prognostication, the presentation of the formal betrothal gifts, and the request for the date, all involve the host preparing the mats and vessels in the ancestral temple, and bowing to welcome the groom outside the gate. Upon entering, they exchange bows and ascend, receiving the command in the ancestral hall—this is how they respect and seriously establish the rites of marriage."

"Only after respecting and seriously establishing them can they be intimate. This is the great structure of the Rites, and the means by which the distinction between man and woman is established, and the righteousness of husband and wife is set up. When there is distinction between man and woman, there is righteousness between husband and wife; when there is righteousness between husband and wife, there is closeness between father and son; when there is closeness between father and son, there is correctness between ruler and minister. Thus it is said: The rites of marriage are the root of all rites."

"The rites of marriage are the root of all rites" ($\text{hūn lǐ zhě, lǐ zhī běn yě}$, 昏礼者，礼之本也)—what a weighty declaration! Why is it the "root of all rites," rather than the coming-of-age ceremony, funeral rites, or sacrificial rites$20 Because marriage creates the family, and the family gives rise to the closeness between father and son, and the correctness between ruler and minister—the starting point of all human order lies in marriage.

This completely echoes the statement "favorable for the woman's firmness" in the Jia Ren hexagram. "Woman’s firmness"—the correctness of the woman—is the prerequisite for the healthy maintenance of the marital relationship, and the healthy maintenance of the marital relationship is the foundation of the Family Way and even the great Way of the world.

The Shi Jing, Bei Feng, Gu Feng contains the lament of a discarded wife:

"The mild north wind blows, bringing clouds and rain. Strive with one heart, there should be no anger. Pick the winding taro, do not choose the base parts! The virtue of your words should not be violated; I swore to die with you."

"Walking the path slowly, my heart goes astray. Not far yet near, you lightly send me off from my threshold. Who says wormwood is bitter$21 It is sweet as shepherd's purse to you. You enjoy your new marriage, treating me like an elder brother or younger brother."

The discarded wife's lament in this poem confirms, from the negative side, the difficulty of "woman’s firmness" and the fragility of the Family Way. No matter how much the wife "strives with one heart" or "swears to die with you," if the husband "enjoys his new marriage," the Family Way will ultimately collapse. This reminds us that although the hexagram statement specifically mentions "woman's firmness," the maintenance of the Family Way is never solely the responsibility of the woman—it requires the mutual steadfastness of both husband and wife. The hexagram statement emphasizes "woman's firmness" because, structurally, the woman (Line 6 in the Second, Yin line in the center of the inner trigram) occupies the core position of the Family Way; but this does not mean the man (Line 9 in the Fifth, Yang line in the center of the outer trigram) lacks the same responsibility.