1 Qian2 乾

The lower: Qian2 (perseverance, heaven). The upper: Qian2 (perseverance, heaven).

Qian2: creativity and perseverance, heaven; the qualities of a founder and leader.

Hexagram

Preface:

Trigram Qian2 (乾) represents heaven (天). In Chinese culture, 天tian, heavens and celestial bodies, is seen as the supreme power (Heaven) that creates and dominates the world. Hexagram Qian2 is composed of two Qian2 trigrams. The name indicates its instinct, characteristic and significance.

乾qian2 itself depicts brilliant sunlight at sunrise (倝gan4) which arouses all life and stimulates prosperity. It also denotes a newly-sprouting plant struggling to grow toward the sun as seen in 乙yi3. Like Heaven, hexagram Qian2 fulfills its assigned mission of creating by being the first hexagram of the I Ching.

Heavens circle around the ground where all creatures live (the earth) day and night, season after season, year upon year without slackening or neglect. Starting from the bottom, the six solid, masculine lines of Qian2 display themselves strongly and firmly toward the top, indicating that Qian2 behaves as perseveringly as the heavens.

The I Ching begins with hexagrams Qian2 and Kun (submissiveness, earth). They are formed on behalf of heaven and earth. Like Heaven and earth creating and accommodating the world, their masculine and feminine give birth to the remaining 62 hexagrams in sequential order, constructing the world of the I Ching.

Text (of Zhou Yi): 乾：元，亨，利，貞。

Qian2 (creativity and perseverance, heaven): It possesses the virtues of origination (i.e. a great new beginning full of creative power), smooth progress, advantage (or appropriateness, i.e. being appropriate for all concerned, which creates benefit), and persistence (in maintaining what has been achieved and righteously carrying on toward what is intended).

Commentary on the text (Tuan Zhuan): The mighty origination of Qian2!  Like that of Heaven by which the whole of Creation is set in motion; as a result it rules the heavens.  The clouds are flying and the rain is falling; all manner of substance comes into being.  The great brightness (i.e. the masculine Yang of Qian2) ends the same way it starts.  Six positions are established according to the sequence of time, and its lines advance along the timeline, step by step, like riding the dragon to dominate the heavens in an opportune manner and fulfill the mission of Qian2.  With the norm of Qian2 varying, each line develops and forms its own character and destiny; this is like the whole of Creation evolving into its own features, according to the rules of Heaven, and living together in symbiosis and harmony.  Thus it is advantageous (or appropriate) to persist in maintaining what has been achieved and righteously carrying on toward what is intended.  The saint among the ordinary people becomes the leader; countries around the world all become peaceful. This is the ultimate end and the true spirit of Qian2.

Text explanation:

 Qian2 is the first hexagram of the I Ching, representing a new and great start which is full of creative power like the origination of Heaven that creates the world and gives life to all creatures. By merging with the feminine of hexagram Kun (2), the world of the I Ching is produced.

All creatures coming into being is regarded as the smooth progress of Heaven. The masculine lines of hexagram Qian2 advancing in a straightforward way to the end and where Hexagram Kun appears is the smooth progress of Qian2.

All creatures follow the rule of Heaven to mature and develop their own unique features, as well as live together in symbiosis and harmony. So too, hexagram Qian2 will act as Heaven to establish appropriate environments for all concerned, so that all its lines can live together peacefully with their individual characters and destinies. This is its creating benefit.

Therefore it is advantageous (or appropriate) to persist in what is intended, maintaining what has been achieved, and carrying out these tasks righteously, continuously and ceaselessly.

Origination, smooth progress, advantage, and persistence are the four virtues of hexagram Qian2. Confucius paraphrased them as: the fountain of goodness (i.e. benevolence, like the creativity of Heaven); the convergence of optimums (i.e. the favourable interplay between the masculine and feminine, or founder and adherent, or leader and assistant in accord with etiquette); the sum of appropriate acts; and principles when dealing with tasks (i.e. persistence in benevolence, etiquette and appropriate acts).

All these constitute the pattern of a gentleman’s behaviour. Possessing benevolence enables him to lead people; conforming to etiquette enables him to create favourable interplay; acting appropriately enables him to benefit all concerned; and persisting (in benevolence, etiquette and appropriate acts) enable him to carry out various tasks (with wisdom).

Commentary on the image (Da Xiang Zhuan): The heavens perform with perseverance, in accordance with which a gentleman exerts himself strongly and tirelessly.

Overview:

Hexagram Qian2 is a new start which is full of creative power and fundamental to initiation. It will progress smoothly as its masculine lines orderly appear along the timeline. However, the clouds flying in the wake of the dragon require cold wind to produce rain, and the masculine of Qian2 needs the feminine of Kun to give birth to life. Therefore Qian2 must act strongly without tiring until the end of the hexagram where it starts changing and femininity appears. Persistence bears fruit.

Qian2 behaves like Heaven, therefore it will progress smoothly. However, its actions must be appropriate for all concerned and it must persevere in its goals.

The four virtues of hexagram Qian2 can also be interpreted as creation, smooth progress, harvest and benefit, as well as preservation. These can be likened to spring, summer, autumn and winter in terms of sprouting, prosperous growth, maturity and harvest, and proper storage to maintain vitality. The four virtues of Qian2 are unconditional. To persist in maintaining what has been achieved is the most important aspect as its virtues can then recur continually, like the seasons following each other endlessly.

Lines

Deduction:

All the lines of hexagram Qian are masculine Yang. The dragon is symbolic of pure masculine; therefore it is used to explain the behaviour of the lines. In China, the dragon is a sacred animal and represents mighty prestige like that of a king. It is essentially dynamic, like the power of Nature. It flies in the sky but lives in the water; its snake-like body with raptors' claws comes from the zigzag image of lightning. The fish scales on its body are associated with the showering rain which originates in the water it inhabits.

The lines of hexagram Qian2 develop along the timeline from the incubation stage (in the earthly domain of positions 1 and 2) to the developing stage (i.e. the human domain at positions 3 and 4), and then from the developed stage (i.e. the heavenly domain at position 5 and 6) to the everlasting stage (i.e. the changing Qian2, where all the masculine lines start changing to feminine yet masculinity still exists). The I Ching commences with hexagram Qian2 which possesses creativity, so it acts like the leader and founder. The changing of Qian2 to Kun (submissiveness and receptiveness) unveils the ultimate significance of the hexagram, i.e. all leaders living together in peace.

The 1^st line

Text (of Zhou Yi): 潛(hidden, latent)龍(dragon)，勿(not)用。

The subject is in a state of a hidden dragon; do not act (or use it) (用).

Text explanation:

Line 1 is a hidden dragon as position 1 is within the domain of earth and under the ground.  Although masculine tends to move, there is no access (i.e. neither a correlate nor a friendly neighbour) available in front. On the other hand, in the beginning phase line 1 lacks knowledge of how to perform in its role to achieve its goal. Now that it is in a place right to it (positions 1, 3 and 5 are designated for masculine lines), it is better for it to remain still or leave it here.

用yong4 means to have something perform its function and is commonly signified as to use. The advice, 勿 wu4 (not)用, can be understood as 1) not to use it if the subject is taken as an objective; however in this hexagram it is interpreted primarily as 2) not to act.  

Commentary on the image (Xiao Xiang Zhuan): A hidden dragon and not to act (or use it), which is because the masculine stays at the bottom (or below the ground).

The dragon lives in the water and flies in the sky. Under the ground is not its territory and where its ability is limited to that of a snake.

Enlightenment through nine one (i.e. line 1 when it is cast as the old masculine (9) and starts changing to feminine): 1) to withhold one's ambitions and bide one's time, or 2) not to use what is in mind. The dragon hides underground signifying that it is not yet the right time (to act or to use it). One should remain still and take no action. Should this line fail to stop its movement and change to feminine, the hexagram would become Gou (44), to meet unexpectedly, where the masculine encounters a vigorous feminine, signaling a crisis is emerging.  

The 2^nd line

Text: 見龍在(in)田(field, farmland)，利(be advantage or appropriateness)見大人(great lord)。

The dragon appears (見xian4) in the field; it is advantageous (or appropriate) to see (見jian) a great lord (i.e. a person who has power to influence the future of others).

Text explanation:

Line 2 is in the earthly domain as well but on the ground, like a dragon appearing in a field. It is in a phase where the line is just starting its designated mission, i.e. it is ready to take action but what can be accomplished is still limited. Although it is at the position that correlates with line 5 at the king's position, it isn't right for the position as positions 2, 4 and 6 are designated for feminine lines.

If line 2 can change to feminine, i.e. act righteously at its position and be visible, there will be access for it to ascend (through its correlation with line 5). Once line 2 moves to position 5 to see the great lord, it will occupy the dominant position of hexagram Da You (14), abundant possessions, wherein feminine line 5 possesses all the masculine lines. Therefore it is advantageous or appropriate to see someone who has influence on one's future and helps one ascend.

見 signifies to appear when it is pronounced in xian4, while it means to see or to meet when pronounced in jian.

Commentary on the image: The dragon appears in the field, whereby its virtue will be widespread.

Line 2 is at the position of a low-ranking official who has a correlation with the king, line 5; therefore it focuses on building a good reputation so that, one day, it will be lifted to a higher post to carry out its aspirations. The dragon appears in the field signifying it is ready to take flight. Once it is airborne, with the help of a cyclone, its virtue will be widespread.

Enlightenment through nine two (i.e. line 2 when it is cast as the old masculine (9) and starts changing to feminine): to exhibit one's talent and establish interpersonal relationships to obtain recognition and assistance in getting started. The dragon appears in the field signifying that a person shows readiness to start his career. Therefore it is advantageous to see an influential person who can recognise his worth and lift him up. The hexagram that appears when this line changes to feminine is Tong Ran (13), to build fellowship, which suggests that one should have a wide circle of friends.

The 3^rd line

Text: 君子(gentleman)終(throughout)日(day)乾乾，夕惕若，厲无咎。

A gentleman is Qian2 and Qian2 (i.e. doubly persevering in exerting himself) for the entire day, as well as vigilant and cautious at night (夕惕若); the status is of sternness and cruelty (厲