Chapter Six: Detailed Exegesis of the Six Lines (Part I): Initial Nine to Nine in the Third

Section 1: Initial Nine -- "Setting Boundaries for the Family; Regret Vanishes"

Line Statement:

"Initial Nine: Setting boundaries for the family (xian you jia); regret vanishes."

Small Image Commentary:

"Setting boundaries for the family -- the will has not yet changed."

Interpretation:

"Xian" means to guard, to prevent, to set boundaries. "Setting boundaries for the family" -- at the very beginning of family life, one must establish preventive measures and set rules. "Regret vanishes" -- in this way there will be no cause for regret.

Initial Nine is the first line of the Jiaren hexagram, symbolizing the beginning of the family Way. When a family is first established (at the time of marriage), what is the most important thing$10 To establish rules and set standards.

Why must one "set boundaries" at the "initial" stage$11 Because the beginning of all things is the easiest time for shaping, and also the easiest time for deviation. Once the beginning goes astray, the cost of later correction will be enormous. The wisdom of "setting boundaries for the family" lies in: preventing problems while they are small, preparing before trouble comes.

The Xici xia contains a celebrated passage:

"The Master said: 'Those in peril were once secure in their positions; those who perished once preserved their existence; those in chaos once had order. Therefore the exemplary person, when secure, does not forget peril; when existing, does not forget the possibility of perishing; when in order, does not forget the possibility of chaos. Thus the person is secure and the state can be preserved.'"

The Xici xia also states:

"Good not accumulated is not enough to make a reputation; evil not accumulated is not enough to destroy oneself. The petty person thinks that small good deeds are of no benefit and so does not do them, and thinks that small evil deeds do no harm and so does not avoid them. Thus evil accumulates until it cannot be concealed, and guilt grows until it cannot be pardoned."

The "boundaries" in "setting boundaries for the family" are precisely meant to prevent such accumulation of small evils -- any unwholesome tendency in family life should be corrected at its inception.

The Small Image Commentary says "the will has not yet changed" -- at the beginning of the family Way, the family members' aspirations are still pure and uncontaminated. Precisely because the will is still pure, establishing rules at this time is most readily accepted and most effective.

This resonates with the pre-Qin emphasis on early education. The Liji, "Neize," states:

"When a child can feed himself, teach him to use the right hand. When he can speak, boys should respond with 'yes' (wei), girls with 'indeed' (yu). ... At six, teach numbers and the names of directions. At seven, boys and girls should not sit together or eat together. At eight, ... begin teaching them deference. At nine, teach them the count of days. At ten, the boy goes out to an external tutor, lodges outside, and studies writing and arithmetic."

Education begins from early childhood -- this is precisely "setting boundaries for the family" put into practice at the educational level. The earlier rules are established, the better the effect and the less the regret.

Section 2: Six in the Second -- "Nothing to Pursue; Attend to the Provisions Within; Constancy Brings Good Fortune"

Line Statement:

"Six in the Second: Nothing to pursue (wu you sui); attend to the provisions within (zai zhong kui); constancy brings good fortune."

Small Image Commentary:

"The good fortune of Six in the Second is due to compliance and gentleness."

Six in the Second is the most critical line in the Jiaren hexagram. A yin line in a yin position, centered -- "properly positioned" and "centered" -- one of the most ideal states among the six lines.

"Nothing to pursue" does not mean doing nothing at all but rather that there is no need to chase after things externally. "Attending to the provisions" (zhong kui) in pre-Qin society was an extremely important responsibility -- effectively managing the entire family's material life.

The Shijing, "Zhounan," "Ge Tan," describes a woman who gathers kudzu, weaves cloth, and washes clothes without complaint, while also enjoying the autonomy of "going home to visit her parents." This is a vivid portrayal of "attending to the provisions within, constancy brings good fortune" -- content in her position, upright and fortunate.

The Small Image Commentary says "compliance and gentleness (xun)" -- yielding yet penetrating, displaying refined and careful ability in household management. Six in the Second is in proper responsive relationship with Nine in the Fifth, symbolizing the harmonious cooperation between wife and husband.

Section 3: Nine in the Third -- "The Family Sternly Rebuked; Regret and Severity, Yet Good Fortune. Wife and Children Giggling; In the End, Regret"

Line Statement:

"Nine in the Third: The family sternly rebuked (jiaren he he); regret and severity, yet good fortune. Wife and children giggling (fu zi xi xi); in the end, regret."

Small Image Commentary:

"The family sternly rebuked -- nothing has yet been lost. Wife and children giggling -- the family's discipline is lost."

This line raises a profoundly significant proposition: between severity and indulgence, which should one choose$12

Nine in the Third's answer is unequivocal: better severity than indulgence. Even though severity may bring temporary regret and tension, the end result is auspicious. Conversely, indulgence leads to "regret in the end."

Nine in the Third occupies the top of the lower trigram -- a yang line in a yang position, firm and forceful, symbolizing the "enforcer" role within the family. The words "regret and severity" serve as a warning against excessive harshness: stern but not harsh is the proper measure.

The Master said (Lunyu, "Xian Jin"): "Going too far is as bad as not going far enough." In family education, if one must choose between excess and deficiency, "stern rebuking" (leaning strict) is preferable to "giggling" (leaning lax).

The Guanzi, "Mu Min," states: "A state has four cardinal virtues: ritual propriety, righteousness, integrity, and a sense of shame." What is true of a state is equally true of a family. "Wife and children giggling" is the symptom of these virtues draining from the household.

Section 4-5: Dialectical Reflection and Logical Progression

The three lines from Initial Nine to Nine in the Third form a complete process:

1. Initial Nine: Prevention -- establishing systems before problems arise.
2. Six in the Second: Maintenance -- preserving order in daily life.
3. Nine in the Third: Correction -- sternly correcting when deviations occur.

These three steps cover the entire cycle of family governance.