58 兌 The Joyous
Judgement
There is joy, a calm pleasure that is shared: like two lakes refreshing each other. There is progress and success, on one condition: stay firm and upright. Joy is a good road, but it needs a center. Enjoy what you are given and keep your judgment. Ask yourself what truly makes you glad, without needing to be loud, and whether it goes together with your values.
Image
Two lakes, one above the other: water that renews itself, the current that comes and goes. The wise person encourages conversation among friends and shared practice. The deepest joy is the one that is shared and practiced together. Ask yourself with whom you truly converse, not just talk, and what practice you could share with them that improves everyone.
Lines
Line 1
You have the pleasure of inner harmony. It tends to go well. A quiet joy, with no need for applause, that comes from being at peace with yourself. Nothing more is needed. Look after it with attention and do not expose it unnecessarily. Ask yourself what gives you that quiet joy.
Line 2
You have the pleasure that comes from inner sincerity. It tends to go well and regret fades. You are glad because you are frank with yourself and with others. Truth, even when uncomfortable, gives a peace that pretense does not. Ask yourself whether something unsaid keeps you from enjoying fully, and whom you could tell.
Line 3
You draw toward you everything that might give you pleasure. That tends to end badly. It is joy sought outside, by accumulation. That eagerness does not fill you: it asks for more. Pleasure is not bad, but when you chase it without brakes, it empties you. Ask yourself what you are piling up to feel good.
Line 4
You are weighing where to seek your pleasure and find no rest. You brush against what could harm you, but there is reason for joy. You are at the point of choosing between the easy and the good. Here restlessness is useful: it forces you to decide. Ask yourself which way your heart leans.
Line 5
You trust someone who wants to harm you. The situation is dangerous. The warning is enough. This is the image of naivety before someone who flatters and is not sincere. A joy shared with someone who does not wish you well is a risk. Ask yourself whom you trust without having checked, and what signs you have overlooked.
Line 6
You enjoy guiding and drawing others in. There is a joy in being the center: leading others behind you. It is not bad, but it is not the deepest either. Ask yourself whether your taste for drawing others comes with something to offer them, and what you really seek when they follow.
Reflection
- What truly makes you glad, without any need for noise?
- With whom do you truly converse, and not just talk?
- Whom do you trust without having checked?