Structure, Ethics, and Ontology of the Jiaren (Family) Hexagram in the Zhouyi
This article offers a deep exploration of the philosophical significance of Hexagram 37 'Jiaren' (Family) in the Zhouyi (Book of Changes), analyzing the relationship between the Wind-over-Fire trigram image and the Way of the family, and elucidating the foundational status of 'family' in ancient social structures through pre-Qin Confucian thought on 'roots' (ben) as found in Confucius, Mencius, and the Great Learning.
Chapter Nine: The Jiaren Hexagram from the Daoist Perspective
The Most High (Laozi)'s "returning to the root" resonates deeply: "Each returns to its root. Returning to the root is called stillness." "Family" is every person's most fundamental "root." His "guarding the mother" concept -- "Having known the children, return and guard the mother" -- on the family plane means guarding the family as the source of life.
The Most High's "non-action in governance" offers distinctive insights: "The greatest ruler -- the people are unaware of his existence." Applied to the family, the best head of household is one whose governance the family barely perceives -- rules internalized into habits, instruction woven into daily life.
Master Zhuang acknowledged: "A child's love for its parents is destiny -- it cannot be untied from the heart." Even this "transcendent" thinker recognized the parent-child bond as the most fundamental, ineradicable human emotion. His "follow the natural grain, accord with what is inherently so" applies equally to family governance.
The Daoist contribution lies in reminding us: all rules and discipline are means, not ends. The end is to return to the genuine feeling naturally flowing among family members. "The soft overcomes the hard" -- in the family, gentleness is more fundamental than severity.