Contemplation

童觀，小人无咎，君子吝。

A child's view. No fault for a small person; difficulty for an exemplary person.

A child's view is assigned to the yielding bottom line, with different judgments for the small and exemplary person; firming it changes lower earth to thunder and produces Hexagram 42.

闚觀，利女貞。

Peering through a narrow opening. A woman’s constancy is beneficial.

Line 2 is yielding and centered, but its view is confined to a narrow opening. When this line becomes firm, lower earth turns to water and the result is Hexagram 59.

觀我生，進退。

Observing one's own life: advance or retreat.

At the top of inner earth, Line 3 turns observation toward one's own life and the choice to advance or retreat. Firming it changes earth to mountain and gives Hexagram 53.

觀國之光，利用賓于王。

Observing the radiance of the state. Being received as the king’s guest is beneficial.

The radiance of the state is viewed from Line 4, the entrance to upper wind and the place of the king's guest, while a firm line there changes wind to heaven and produces Hexagram 12.

觀我生，君子无咎。

Observing one's own life. The exemplary person is without fault.

Observing one's own life recurs at the firm and ruling fifth place. If this line yields, upper wind becomes mountain and the figure changes to Hexagram 23.

觀其生，君子无咎。

Observing their life. The exemplary person is without fault.

The top line stands outside the ruler’s active office but remains visible to others. Observation still calls for self-examination, now expressed from a third-person standpoint. Changing Line 6 to yielding turns upper wind to water and produces Hexagram 8.