I Ching Oracle / Hexagrams / 20
The Judgement
The ablution has been made, but not yet the offering. Full of trust they look up to him.
Observation before action; look inward as well as outward.
The Image
The wind blows over the earth; the kings of old visited the regions of the world, contemplated the people, and gave them instruction.
This hexagram on ten matters
- WorkCAREER
- Contemplate. The ablution has been made but not yet the offering — the task now is reverent observation, not action.
- LoveRELATIONSHIP
- See clearly before speaking. Contemplation through the crack of the door is not the whole picture; do not judge on a partial view.
- MoneyFINANCE
- Hold and watch. Contemplating the light of the kingdom — observing how others do it is worth more than acting right now.
- HealthBODY
- Contemplation of my life decides advance and retreat. Turn attention inward. Read the signals your body gives, but do not over-interpret them.
- StudyLEARNING
- The ideal phase for learning by watching. Studying how skilled people work beats grinding alone.
- An examEXAM
- Do not start writing the moment you get the paper. Contemplate before acting: spend two minutes surveying the whole paper, its difficulty and mark distribution, then decide your order.
- PeopleSOCIAL
- Observe more, declare less. You are being watched as much as you are watching.
- A choiceDECISION
- Do not decide yet; take another look. The information is still moving.
- TravelJOURNEY
- A short observational trip suits; a long journey with high stakes does not.
- A lost itemLOST ITEM
- Do not rummage yet; observe. Survey the whole area from a distance or from above — easier than searching up close.
The Six Lines
Boylike contemplation. For an inferior man, no blame. For a superior man, humiliation.
Boylike contemplation; no blame for the inferior, humiliation for the superior. Seeing too shallowly. Harmless in an ordinary person, dereliction in one with responsibility.
Contemplation through the crack of the door. Furthering for the perseverance of a woman.
Contemplation through the crack of the door. A restricted view, unaware of its own restriction. Judging from it produces error.
Contemplation of my life decides the choice between advance and retreat.
Contemplation of my life decides advance and retreat. Reviewing your own record to decide whether to stay. The hexagram's pivot: look inward to know which way.
Contemplation of the light of the kingdom. It furthers one to exert influence as the guest of a king.
Contemplation of the light of the kingdom; it furthers one to be the guest of a king. Go and see a larger world. You are a guest here, and that is the opportunity.
Contemplation of my life. The superior man is without blame.
Contemplation of my life; the superior man is without blame. Looking back on yourself from a high place. The higher the position, the more the review matters.
Contemplation of his life. The superior man is without blame.
Contemplation of his life; the superior man is without blame. Examining the effect you have had. This line has moved past the self to what is left behind.
The governing line
Nuclear · Opposite · Reverse
The nuclear hexagram shows the middle stretch of the matter; the opposite is the same situation seen from the reverse position; the reverse is the view from the other party's side.