53 漸 Development
Judgement
Everything advances little by little, like wild geese approaching in stages: the shore, the rocks, the plain, the trees. It is like a marriage well managed, made with time and good manners. Firmness and integrity bring an advantage. What is done slowly settles. Ask yourself what you want to achieve that allows no shortcuts, and whether you are willing to go through it in stages.
Image
A tree on a mountain: it grows slowly, with roots gripping the rock. The wise person reaches and keeps an extraordinary virtue, and improves the customs of the people. But they do it little by little: the extraordinary is built with constancy. Ask yourself what quality of yours would deserve daily care, and how you could strengthen it without expecting quick change or results that show soon.
Lines
Line 1
The wild geese approach the shore little by little. A young person in a similar position is in danger and is criticized, but is unlikely to go wrong. Beginnings are uncomfortable: people watch you and talk about you. Do not give up. Ask yourself what comments hold you back in your first step, and which of them are worth hearing.
Line 2
The geese approach the great rocks, where they eat and drink with pleasure and calm. It looks promising. You have reached a place of rest and food: enjoy it without guilt. It is not wasted time, it is regaining strength. Ask yourself whether you allow yourself to enjoy the stages in between, or value only the goal.
Line 3
The geese advance to the dry plain, far from the water. It is the image of someone who leaves and does not return, and of a child left unattended. That tends to end badly, though it may serve against plunderers. It is going too far from what sustains you. Ask yourself what you left behind by rushing.
Line 4
The geese advance to the trees and may perch on a flat branch. You are unlikely to go wrong. You find a stable spot in uncomfortable terrain: a small place to rest. Sometimes a flat branch is enough to go on. Ask yourself what your flat branch is right now, and whether you recognize it.
Line 5
The geese reach the high mound. It is like three years of waiting: what is natural tends to find its way in the end, and that is a good sign. Some obstacles yield to time, not effort. Ask yourself which wait costs you most, and what changes if you accept it as part of the road.
Line 6
The geese reach the great heights and their feathers may serve as adornment. That is a good sign. It is the end of the journey, and what you leave serves others: your example, your work, your style. What you did with patience remains as visible beauty. Ask yourself what you want to remain of what you do today.
Reflection
- What do you want to achieve that allows no shortcuts?
- What have you left behind by rushing?
- What do you want to remain of what you do today?