Annotated Book of Changes · Hexagram 47

kun2

Oppression

See also: Wilhelm commentary for Hexagram 47

Hexagram Statement

卦辭

經 Classic Text

困坎下兌上 困,亨。 貞,大人吉,无咎。 有言不信。 「有言不信」者,處困求濟,在於正身脩德。若巧言飾辭,人所不信,則其道彌窮,故誡之以有言不信也。

Translation

Kun (Confinement): Kan (Water) below, Dui (Lake) above.

Confinement. Success.

Correctness. The great person has good fortune and is without blame.

If one speaks, one is not believed.

As for "if one speaks, one is not believed": when dwelling in confinement and seeking deliverance, it lies in rectifying oneself and cultivating virtue. If one uses clever words and embellished speech, people will not believe it, and one's Way will become ever more impoverished.

Therefore the warning says that if one speaks, one is not believed.

注 Wang Bi's Commentary

窮必通也。處窮而不能自通者,小人也。 處困而得无咎,吉乃免也。

Translation

When one is exhausted, one must find a way through. Those who dwell in exhaustion yet cannot find their own way through are petty people.

To dwell in confinement and attain freedom from blame — only through good fortune can one be spared.

疏 Kong Yingda's Subcommentary

正義曰:困者,窮厄委頓之名,道窮力竭,不能自濟,故名為困。亨者,卦德也。小人遭困,則窮斯濫矣。君子遇之,則不改其操。君子處困而不失其自通之道,故曰「困亨」也。

Translation

The Correct Meaning states: "Confinement" (kun) is a term for being impoverished, distressed, and worn out — when the Way is exhausted and strength is depleted, unable to rescue oneself, therefore it is named Confinement. "Success" (heng) is the virtue of the hexagram.

When petty people encounter confinement, they sink into excess and disorder. When the noble person encounters it, he does not alter his integrity. "

「貞,大人吉,无咎」者,處困而能自通,必是履正體大之人,能濟於困,然後得吉而无咎,故曰「貞,大人吉,无咎」也。

Translation

As for "Correctness. The great person has good fortune and is without blame": to dwell in confinement yet be able to find one's own way through, one must be a person who treads in correctness and embodies greatness.

Only one who can bring deliverance from confinement will then attain good fortune and be without blame — therefore it says "Correctness. "

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Source: eee-learning.com (易學網) · Edition: 武英殿十三經注疏