Page images
PDF
EPUB

4

XXXII. KÔ (1 Permanence).

Kô. Auspicious; free from blame; advantageous to be constant; advantageous to advance.

Exposition. Kô means to be permanent. Strong elements are above and

weak ones below; and the thunder and the wind go hand in hand. [Kô] is weak and yet active. Kô is characterized by the strong and weak elements being all concordant. "Kô is auspicious, free from blame; advantageous to be constant," because [Kô] is permanent in principle. The principles of the Heaven and the earth are permanent and ceaseless. It is "advantageous to advance," because an end is followed by a beginning. The Sun and the Moon are able to shine permanently, because they have the Heaven [to shine in]. The four seasons are sucessively changing and are thereby able to continue permanently. Sages stick to their principles permanently, and the world receives his influence. By observing their permanence, may be seen the nature of the Heaven and the earth, and of all things therein contained.

Interpretation. The thunder and the wind are [the emblem of] Kô. Honourable men accordingly take a fixed position and never change the course of their conduct.

Negative I. Seeks to be permanent in deepness. Unlucky, though just. Not advantageous in any way. Interpretation. It is unlucky to seek to be permanent in deepness, because too much is sought after in the beginning.

Positive II. Is free from remorse.

Interpretation.

"Positive II is free from remorse

because he is able to be permanent in the middle course. Positive III. Is not permanent in his virtues, and suffers obloquy. Inauspicious, though just.

Interpretation. "[Positive III] is not permanent in his virtues," that is to say, he has no place to turn for.

Positive IV. No game is obtained in hunting. Interpretation. [Positive IV] is permanent, but his position is improper. How, then, can he get game? Negative V. Is permanent in his virtues, and is constant. Lucky for women, unlucky for men.

Interpretation. It will be lucky for women to be constant, that is to say, a woman must follow one (husband) till death. But men ought to walk by justice, and it is unlucky for them to follow women.

Negative VI. Is permanently in motion. Unlucky. Interpretation. If "permanently in motion," the superior will have no success.

EXAMPLES.

THE ACCUSATION AGAINST COREA.

A tumult arose in Corea in June of the 15th. of Meiji, and Minister Hanafusa and others all escaped to Nagasaki. Next month the Government sent out the army and navy, and ordered the Minister to go and open an accusative negotiation to Corea. I divined and obtained the change of "Kô ()" into "Taisô (#), whose "Exposition" says, "Kô means to be permanent. Strong elements are above and weak ones below and the thunder and the wind go hand in hand. [Kô] is weak

[ocr errors]

and yet active. Kó is characterized by the weak and strong elements being all concordant. Kô is suspicious, free from blame; advantageous to be constant, because [Kô] is permanent in principle. The principles of the Heaven and of the earth are permanent and ceaseless. It is advantageous to advance, because an end is followed by a beginning. The Sun and the Moon are able to shine permanently, because they have the Heaven [to shine in]. The four seasons are suc cessively changing and are thereby able to continue permanently. Sages stick to their principles permanently, and the world receives his influence. By observing their permanence, may be seen the nature of the Heaven and the earth, and of all things therein contained."

"From the interpretation' it is clear that Corea will make a gradual progress in civilization. It is admitted universally that our demeanor toward her is of a persuasive character and not assulting. We are persuasive, so that we have never armed against her, even though she has been often impolite to us. Our policy is thus and permanent, so that we are not liable to change it at the present occasion. It will be a grievous fault, if we be excited by this temporary wrong to forsake the permanency and take to arms against her.

"The Negative I' says, 'Seeks to be permanent in deepness. Unlucky, though just. Not advantageous in any way;' and the 'Interpretation,' 'It is unlucky to seek to be permanent in deepness, because too much. is sought after in the beginning.' These mean that it is wrong to demand her with those things which she can not bear. Hence, the accusation must be directed on those points which she can afford; to do so is the principle of permanence. One might ask, what is to be done when the negotiation can not be effected through the principle of permanence?' My answer is, 'There is a

[ocr errors]

way of overcoming that difficulty,' which I shall now point out.

"The Negative I' of 'Kô' changing, leads into 'Taiso' (H), so that all that we have to do is to press her with our array of army of 'Taisô.' We have to divide our army into six divisions, four of which are to be stayed at Bakan and the remainders are to be made a nominal assistance of the Progressive Party of Corea. Should this still fail to be effective, we have to attack her back from Genzan with one division, and make the Progressive Party protect and keep Corea."

After interpreting thus, I sent this to a certain Noble, who sent a message to me and asked, “As you say, the Corean affair is not worthy of much concern, but the relation with China is of a great consequence. Please, be kind enough to divine the result of our relation with China." I consented with his request, and obtained

"Gon" unchanging.

"Gon' is a hexagram of two mountains facing each other. When two mountains are facing each other, they can stare at, but can not come nearer to, nor agree with, each other. In such a diagram as not approaching, nor agreeing, it is certain that there will be no war. The 'Exposition' says, 'Gon means to stop. Stop when the times counsel you to stop, and go when the times counsel you to go. In motion as well as at rest, the spirit of the times is not lost sight of; and the principle of Gon is glorious. To stop where it is best to stop, is to stop at the right place. The upper and the lower complement are opposed to each other, and there is no mutual attraction between them. Hence one does not touch the body. One goes to the yard, but does not see the man. Free from blame.' 'To stop....right place means that our fleet will stand back on back with the Chinese fleet, in the Sea of Corea. The upper and the........ between them' means they and we will meet together but

[ocr errors]

will not combine. One goes.. see the man' means that it will come out to be 'free from blame,' if we will look upon the Chinese soldiers, no more than we would the fruits in an orchard, that is, not to look uppon them as fighting men."

ecy.

All the affairs turned out to be exactly as my proph

RAIN OR NO RAIN IN AUG. 1886.

I was at Hakone during the month of August of 1886. My divination friend Mr. M. Kajitori sent me a letter dated 13th., which says, "Since last month we have no rain here about Tokyo. The wells are dried up and the fields are cracked. I am very anxious for rain for the sake of agriculture and life. Will it rain within a few days? please divine." I then divined and obtained the "Negative I" of "Kô (†

).”

"The hexagram of 'Kô' has no water, and the 'Interpretation' to 'Negative I' says 'It is unlucky to seek to be permanent in deepness, because too much is sought after in the beginning.' This element is trying to get deeper while it is at the bottom of the diagram. Thus it is an emblem of hastily deepening the bottom of the well for water, as the draught exposed the bottom. Then certainly this month will continue dry without rain. But there may be more or less rains, if the Emperor will pray to the Almighty.'

[ocr errors]

I wrote him back as the foregoing. After a few days a little shower of rain relieved the cracks of the field to some extent. But the wells were dried up, and the deepening of wells were general in the country.

« PreviousContinue »