Monday, September 9, 2013

I Ching: Hexagram 56 - The Image

Fire on the mountain:
The image of THE WANDERER.
Thus the superior man
Is clear–minded and cautious
In imposing penalties,
And protracts no lawsuits.


When grass on a mountain takes fire, there is bright light. However, the fire does not linger in one place, but travels on to new fuel. It is a phenomenon of short duration. This is what penalties and lawsuits should be like. They should be a quickly passing matter, and must not be dragged out indefinitely. Prisons ought to be places where people are lodged only temporarily, as guests are. They must not become dwelling places.
Translator of this version of the I Ching is Richard Wilhelm. If you missed any posts in this series, please utilize the I Ching label below.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Comments are unmoderated, so you can write whatever you want.