from Rediscovering the I Ching

strong action

STRONG ACTION

Strong action
    will be supremely blessed.
Keep on.

lowest line
The dragon remains under water.
Do not act.

second line
The dragon appears in the fields.
Go to see the great man.

third line
All day the lord is active,
At night he remains alert.
There is danger,
      but he comes to no harm.

fourth line
If he leaps,
he will land in a pool
And come to no harm

fifth line
The dragon flies in the sky.
He should go to see someone big

top line
The dragon reaches his limit.
Regret.

all lines
A band of dragons appears
Among whom none is chief.
Auspicious.

Rediscovering the I Ching by Greg Whincup (St Martin's Press 1996 US$10.95 ISBN 0-312-14131-9)

This is the first hexagram of the 64 in the I Ching. Because it is made up entirely of solid, active lines, it represents pure strength and energy. The person it applies to is strong and should act. His symbol is a dragon, a creature the Chinese regarded as dangerously powerful but auspicious.

lowest line. The dragon who remains underwater is someone strong whose time for action has not yet come. Dragons were believed to live underwater as the rulers of rivers and lakes. By leaping into the sky, they brought rain for the crops.

second line. As soon as he emerges from his underwater home into the world of men, the dragon should seek the help of someone greater than himself. Line two is the place of the subject, who needs his ruler's help.

third line. Constant energy and alertness protect him from harm. Line three is the place of danger.

fourth line. If the dragon strives upward, he will find a comfortable place to land. The deep pool is a place of safety. Line four is the place of the high official.

fifth line. He cannot succeed on his own in these exalted regions, and must find someone to guide him. Line five is the place of the ruler.

top line. He would have been safe if he had found someone to guide him. The top line often has to do with going too far.

all lines. If all lines are emphasized, he is one of a team of powerful equals.

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