Contemplation — viewing the whole, and being viewed in turn.
Step back and observe the larger pattern before acting. Your own conduct is itself contemplated by others, so it must be worthy. Insight must precede right action.
contemplationobservationperspectiveinsight
Contemplation places Wind (gentle, penetrating) above Earth (receptive, devoted). The interplay of these two trigrams gives the hexagram its character.
The Classical Textoriginal Chinese
The Judgment · 卦辞
盥而不荐，有孚颙若。
The Image · 大象
风行地上，观；先王以省方，观民设教。
The Six Lines · 爻辞
- 初六童观，小人无咎，君子吝。象曰：初六童观，小人道也。
- 六二窥观，利女贞。象曰：窥观女贞，亦可丑也。
- 六三观我生，进退。象曰：观我生，进退；未失道也。
- 六四观国之光，利用宾于王。象曰：观国之光，尚宾也。
- 九五观我生，君子无咎。象曰：观我生，观民也。
- 上九观其生，君子无咎。象曰：观其生，志未平也。
The judgment, image and line texts above are quoted from the original Zhou Yi. A modern Chinese translation of the full classic is available on the original-text page.