Keeping Still 艮
Keeping Still means standing like a mountain. It advises you to stop when no action is needed, quiet your mind, and stay within your own limits.
Judgment
Keep your back still and you no longer feel your body. You go out into the courtyard and do not see the people. There is no blame in this.
Image
Mountains stand side by side. The wise person does not let their thoughts wander beyond the situation they are in.
What does Keeping Still mean?
Mountain upon mountain: this sign speaks of stillness, calm, and limits. But this stillness is not laziness. When it is time to move you move, and when it is time to stop you stop. Right now may be a time to stop. Your mind may be racing to the next step, to what others think, or to the uncertainty of the future. This rushing tires you and blurs what you see. The mountain does not budge. Wind blows, clouds pass, and it stays in the same place.
The ancient text speaks of keeping the back still. The back is the part of the body farthest from desire. Resting there means not letting cravings and worries run you. What is asked of you is to keep your thoughts within the situation you are in. Do not worry about problems that have not yet come, and do not meddle in other people's business. Stay quiet for a while, observe, and wait for the noise inside to settle. The step you take after this stillness will be much clearer. The person who knows how to stop also knows why they move when they do. A long walk or a quiet evening may give you more today than you expect.
What to do now
For now, stop, and call your mind back to where you are.
Love and relationships
It helps to hold back for a while in your relationship and not force things. Do not let your feelings sweep you away. See what you want with a calm head. Silence is sometimes the most honest answer.
Work and money
Do not rush into new ventures. Strengthen your current work and observe. You can postpone risky decisions. Listening carefully instead of talking too much gives you an advantage.
The lines
If a line changed (red) in your reading, read only that line. Lines are counted from the bottom up.
- First line
Keeping the toes still. Stopping before you even set out prevents mistakes from the start. Waiting steadily is beneficial.
- Second line
Keeping the calves still. You cannot stop the person you follow, so your heart is uneasy. Even so, you do not have to carry their mistake.
- Third line
Keeping the hips still and making the spine rigid. Calm forced by suppression is dangerous. The pressure inside tightens the heart.
- Fourth line
Keeping the trunk still. You are learning to rein yourself in. Even if full peace has not yet come, there is no blame.
- Fifth line
Keeping the jaw still. Your words find order. Because you do not speak without thinking, regret fades.
- Top line
Stillness that comes from the heart. Calm is no longer forced but part of your character. Good fortune.
Trigrams
still, resting
still, resting
Related hexagrams
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