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

Chapter IX: The Jia Ren Hexagram from the Daoist Perspective

Section 1: "Returning to the Root" and "Guarding the Mother": Laozi's Philosophy of the Family Way

In Pre-Qin Daoist thought, although there is no direct discussion of the Jia Ren hexagram, many ideas from Laozi and Zhuangzi resonate deeply with its principles—a complementary resonance, not a contradictory one.

Laozi's concept of "returning to the root" ($\text{guī gēn}$, 归根) has a profound resonance with the Jia Ren hexagram. The Daodejing, Chapter 16, states:

"Attain the utmost emptiness, maintain the deepest stillness. The myriad things arise together; I observe their return. The things throng about, each returning to its root. Returning to the root is called stillness; stillness is called returning to destiny. Returning to destiny is called constancy; knowing constancy is called enlightenment. Not knowing constancy leads to reckless action, which brings misfortune. Knowing constancy allows for inclusion; inclusion leads to impartiality; impartiality leads to completeness; completeness leads to Heaven; Heaven leads to the Dao; the Dao leads to longevity; one remains unharmed until death."

"Each returning to its root"—all things ultimately return to their root. For a person, the "family" is the most fundamental "root." The Xu Gua Zhuan's statement, "That which is wounded externally must inevitably return to its family," is precisely the manifestation of "returning to the root." When people are wounded or suffer setbacks outside, their instinct is to return home—because "home" is their "root."

"Returning to the root is called stillness" ($\text{guī gēn yuē jìng}$): Returning to the root is stillness. The "Zhen" (firmness/constancy) of Line 6 in the Second of Jia Ren also contains the meaning of "stillness." The core quality of a family is not clamor and excitement, but quietness and steadfastness. If a family is always in flux, quarreling, or instability, it is not a true "family"—because it lacks the quality of "stillness," the feeling of having returned to the "root."

"Returning to destiny is called constancy; knowing constancy is called enlightenment." In Jia Ren, the lower trigram Li (Brightness) symbolizes "knowing constancy is called enlightenment." If the people in the family recognize the constant principles of the Family Way (father kind, son filial, husband righteous, wife compliant), they possess "knowledge of constancy," thus achieving "brightness" (inner clarity).

"Not knowing constancy leads to reckless action, which brings misfortune." If one does not know the constant principles of the Family Way and acts wantonly, misfortune will follow. In the family, if one ignores the basic laws of the Family Way (each occupying their proper position and fulfilling their role) and acts purely on impulse, the family will descend into chaos—this is exactly what Line 9 in the Third warns against: "Wife and children laugh merrily, in the end, there is embarrassment."

Laozi also speaks of "Guarding the Mother" (Daodejing, Chapter 52):

"Under Heaven there is a beginning; that beginning can be considered the mother of Heaven and Earth. Once one has grasped the mother, one knows the children. Once one knows the children, one returns to guard the mother; until death there is no danger."

"Under Heaven there is a beginning; that beginning can be considered the mother of Heaven and Earth"—there is an ultimate source for the world, which can be called the mother of Heaven and Earth. "Once one has grasped the mother, one knows the children"—by knowing this root, one knows the myriad things that arise from it. "Once one knows the children, one returns to guard the mother"—after knowing the myriad things, one returns to guard this root.

If we apply this thought to the Family Way: the "family" is the "mother" (root) for every individual. We start from the "family" to go out into the world ("know the children"), but ultimately we must return to "guard the mother"—to guard our own family. This is the profound philosophical basis for "that which is wounded externally must inevitably return to its family."

The hexagram statement "Favorable for the woman's firmness" ($\text{lì nǚ zhēn}$) connects "woman" with "mother" ($\text{mǔ}$, 母)—the ultimate destination of the woman is to become the mother. The woman enters the family through marriage, becomes a mother through childbirth, and the "mother" is the "root" of the "family." Laozi's idea of "guarding the mother" translates, at the family level, to "guarding the family"—protecting the family as the source of life.

Section 2: "Non-Action Governance" and the Natural Order of the Family

Laozi's idea of "governance through non-action" ($\text{wú wéi ér zhì}$, 无为而治) offers a unique revelation for family management.

The Daodejing, Chapter 17, states:

"The best ruler is one whose existence is scarcely known. Next is one whom the people love and praise. Next is one whom the people fear. Next is one whom the people despise... When the greatest virtue is not recognized, it is virtue. When the greatest benevolence is practiced, yet without attainment, it is benevolence. When the greatest righteousness is practiced, yet without result, it is righteousness. When the greatest propriety is performed, yet no one responds, one rolls up the sleeves and imposes order."

"The best ruler is one whose existence is scarcely known" ($\text{tài shàng, bù zhī yǒu zhī}$, 太上，不知有之)—the best governor is one whose existence is barely known to the people. This principle applies to the family: The best parent is one whose governance is almost imperceptible to the family members. Rules are internalized as habits, education is integrated into daily life, and the parent does not need to constantly exert deliberate control; the family naturally operates in order.

This aligns perfectly with the image of the Jia Ren hexagram, "Wind arises from Fire": the best education is natural, like wind arising from fire—it is not artificially imposed but naturally emanates from inner brightness.

"When the greatest virtue is not recognized, it is virtue." If the parents' words are unreliable or their actions inconsistent, family members will not trust them. This aligns with the spirit of Upper 9, "Possessing sincerity, yet appearing stern"—authority must be built on "sincerity" ($\text{fú}$).

The Daodejing, Chapter 37, further states:

"The Dao is always non-acting, yet there is nothing left undone. If rulers and kings can hold to it, the myriad things will transform themselves. When transformation begins and desires arise, I shall subdue them with the Uncarved Block ($\text{pǔ}$, 朴). Having no Uncarved Block, they will have no desires. Without desire and with stillness, the world will settle itself."

"The myriad things will transform themselves"—if the head of the house holds to the root of the Family Way (correctness, sincerity, respect, kindness), the family will "transform itself" and "settle itself"—without constant monitoring or control, the family will naturally achieve harmony and order.

This seems to contradict the sternness ($\text{hè hè}$) of Line 9 in the Third of Jia Ren. However, they are not contradictory. "Non-action" does not mean inactivity; it means not doing superfluous things, not doing things that violate natural laws. Establishing rules at the beginning (Initial 9, "Guarding the family") and maintaining correctness daily (Line 6 in the Second, "Managing the household provision") are necessary acts of "action." Once rules are internalized and habits formed, one can enter the state of "governance through non-action." The "harshness" of Line 9 in the Third is a necessary correction when rules are not yet established or have become lax—it is not the normal state. The normal state should be "The best ruler is one whose existence is scarcely known"—family members live naturally within harmonious order, perhaps not even sensing the rules.

Section 3: Zhuangzi's Discussion of "Innate Disposition" and Family Matters

Zhuangzi’s philosophy is often seen as the pursuit of transcendent, carefree wandering, seemingly far removed from the worldly topic of "family." However, if we read Zhuangzi carefully, we find profound insights into human relationships, especially parent-child bonds.

Zhuangzi, Jen Jian Shi states:

"Under Heaven there are two great prohibitions: one is destiny ($\text{mìng}$, 命); the other is righteousness ($\text{yì}$, 义). A son’s love for his parents is destiny; it cannot be dissolved in the heart. A minister’s service to his ruler is righteousness; there is no place where one is not a ruler, there is nowhere under Heaven and Earth to escape this. This is called the great prohibition. Therefore, one who serves his parents does not choose the place where he settles, which is the ultimate of filial piety; one who serves his ruler does not choose the task to which he applies himself, which is the height of loyalty."

"A son’s love for his parents is destiny; it cannot be dissolved in the heart"—the love of a son for his parents is ordained by Heaven’s decree, inherently impossible to erase from the heart. This statement is crucial. Zhuangzi—a thinker usually associated with transcending worldly attachments—explicitly acknowledges here that the love between parent and child is Heaven’s decree, the most fundamental, inalienable emotion of a person.

Why does Zhuangzi place such emphasis on parental love$13 Because, in his view, a person can transcend many things—fame, wealth, right and wrong, honor and disgrace—but not the blood connection of parent-child affection. This emotion is not learned later in life but is "destiny"—innate, essential, and unchosen.

This aligns perfectly with the fundamental spirit of the Jia Ren hexagram: the relationship between family members is not contractual (it can be signed and broken) but fated (it cannot be dissolved from the heart). Because of this, the "family" holds an irreplaceable, fundamental status in a person’s life.

"One who serves his parents does not choose the place where he settles, which is the ultimate of filial piety"—one who serves his parents can remain content regardless of the environment, which is the utmost of filial piety. This resonates with Line 6 in the Second, "No need to pursue, managing the household provision, firmness brings good fortune"—not chasing external things, abiding in one's position, fulfilling domestic duties with a peaceful attitude.

The story of "Butcher Ding Cutting Up an Ox" in Zhuangzi, Yang Sheng Zhu, although seemingly unrelated to family matters, contains a core principle—"following the natural grain" ($\text{yī yú tiān lǐ}$, 依乎天理) and "following what is inherent" ($\text{yīn qí gù rán}$, 因其固然)—which also applies to family management: The family should not be forcibly molded by human will, but should naturally follow the "heavenly principles" inherent in familial relationships. This is the deeper meaning of "Wind arises from Fire": The wind (education) is not blown in from the outside but naturally arises from the Fire (inner inherent principle).

Section 4: Daoist "Simplicity" and the True Nature of the Family

Laozi repeatedly mentions the concept of "simplicity" or the "uncarved block" ($\text{pǔ}$, 朴). In Daodejing, Chapter 19, he states:

"Discard sainthood and abandon wisdom, and the people will benefit a hundredfold; discard benevolence and abandon righteousness, and the people will return to filial piety and compassion; discard skill and abandon profit, and thieves and bandits will cease to exist. These three concepts are insufficient as external forms. Therefore, let them have something to rely on: See the simplicity and embrace the uncarved block; have few desires and little craving."

"Discard benevolence and abandon righteousness, and the people will return to filial piety and compassion" ($\text{jué rén qì yì, mín fù xiào cí}$, 绝仁弃义，民复孝慈)—This line is often misunderstood as Laozi opposing benevolence and righteousness. In reality, Laozi opposes hypocritical, formalized benevolence and righteousness—when "benevolence and righteousness" become affected performances used to gain advantage, true filial and compassionate feelings are obscured. Laozi advocates returning to "simplicity" ($\text{sù pǔ}$, 素朴)—returning to one's true, unadorned, natural emotional state.

Applied to the Family Way: when family rules and rituals become overly cumbersome and formalized to the point of obscuring the true affection between members, one needs to "discard benevolence and abandon righteousness"—remove those empty forms and return to the genuine essence of "filial piety and compassion."

The Daodejing, Chapter 36, states this more clearly:

"When the Great Dao is abandoned, benevolence and righteousness arise. When wisdom appears, great hypocrisy arises. When the six relationships are not harmonious, filial piety and compassion arise. When the state and kingdom are in chaos, loyalty and integrity arise."

"When the six relationships are not harmonious, filial piety and compassion arise" ($\text{liù qīn bù hé, yǒu xiào cí}$, 六亲不和，有孝慈)—This means that only when the six relationships (parents, brothers, husband, wife) are disharmonious do terms like "filial piety" and "compassion" need to be emphasized. The implication is: in the ideal state, affection between relatives is natural and spontaneous, requiring no verbal reminder—much like one does not need to talk about "health" when one is healthy.

This offers an important supplement to understanding the Jia Ren hexagram: The reason the hexagram details the various norms of the Family Way suggests that the ideal state of the "family" is no longer spontaneous—it requires conscious maintenance and intentional construction. This is both a necessity (because human society has moved far from primitive simplicity) and a regret (because the best state requires no such rules).

Zhuangzi further elaborates on this in Zhuangzi, Ma Ti:

"In the age of ultimate virtue, people lived alongside birds and beasts, grouped with the myriad things. How could they know of noble and petty men$14 In being undifferentiated from the unknowing, their virtue did not leave them; in being undifferentiated from desirelessness, this is called simplicity. With simplicity, the nature of the people is attained."

"With simplicity, the nature of the people is attained"—in a simple, natural state, the inherent nature of family members—the love between relatives—can be best preserved.

However, we must acknowledge that the "age of ultimate virtue" described by Zhuangzi is ultimately an idealized recollection. In actual human society, measures like "Guarding the family in the beginning" (establishing rules) and "harsh sounds" (strict discipline) are indispensable. The contribution of Daoism is to remind us: All rules and disciplines are means, not ends. The end is returning to "simplicity"—to the genuine emotion naturally flowing between family members. If the means end up suppressing the end (e.g., overly strict rules harming affection), then the order of means and ends has been inverted.

Section 5: "The Soft Overcomes the Hard" and the Yin Force in the Family

Laozi’s famous proposition, "The soft overcomes the hard," holds special significance in the context of family dynamics.

Daodejing, Chapter 76, states:

"Man is born soft and weak; he dies hard and stiff. Plants are born soft and tender; they die dry and withered. Therefore, the stiff and strong are followers of death; the soft and weak are followers of life. Therefore, the army that is strong is destined to be defeated; the tree that is strong is destined to be broken. The strong and great occupy the lower position; the soft and weak occupy the upper position."

"The soft and weak are followers of life"—softness and weakness belong to the side of life. In the family, the "soft and weak" represent the Yin force—gentleness, empathy, inclusiveness, and tolerance. These qualities are often associated with the "feminine" role in the family (though not exclusively).

The Jia Ren hexagram statement, "Favorable for the woman's firmness," when viewed from the Daoist perspective, affirms the principle of "the soft and weak occupying the upper position" within the family. The maintenance of the Family Way relies not on hard power (violence, command, punishment) but on soft power (gentleness, care, tolerance). A gentle yet firm mother is often more capable of having a lasting influence on a child's character than a stern and irritable father.

The Daodejing, Chapter 78, states:

"Nothing under Heaven is softer and weaker than water, yet for attacking the hard and strong, nothing surpasses it, because nothing can replace it. The weak overcomes the strong, the soft overcomes the hard; everyone under Heaven knows this, yet no one can practice it."

"Nothing under Heaven is softer and weaker than water, yet for attacking the hard and strong, nothing surpasses it"—water is the softest, yet in overcoming the hard, it is the most effective. In the family, using softness to overcome hardness is often more effective than using hardness to subdue hardness.

This does not mean that "hardness" is unimportant—the "harshness" ($\text{hè hè}$) of Line 9 in the Third of Jia Ren is necessary when required. But Daoist wisdom tells us that in the context of the family, which is bound by the ties of affection, "softness" is more fundamental than "hardness."

Line 6 in the Second, "No need to pursue, managing the household provision, firmness brings good fortune"—not deliberately chasing anything, quietly abiding in one's position. This "no need to pursue" is the embodiment of Laozi’s "non-action" within the family: not contending, quietly preserving one's role, and maintaining harmony through soft strength.