I Ching hexagram · 52 of 64
Hexagram 52: Keeping Still 艮 Gèn · Stillness, focus, boundaries
Stop at the right place and calm the restless mind. Keeping the back still, so that one no longer feels the self. Going into the courtyard without seeing the people there. No blame.
- Upper: ☶ Mountain
- Lower: ☶ Mountain
- Nuclear: 40
- Opposite: 58
Number
52 of 64
Chinese name
艮 Gèn
Upper trigram
☶ Mountain
Lower trigram
☶ Mountain
Nuclear hexagram
䷧ 40. Deliverance
Opposite hexagram
䷹ 58. The Joyous
What hexagram 52 means
Hexagram 52 doubles the trigram Mountain: stillness upon stillness. It describes meditation, rest and the art of stopping at the right moment.
When the mind is still, you are no longer pushed around by every impulse. Rest when it is time to rest, act when it is time to act, and keep your thoughts on the situation in front of you.
The Judgement · 卦辞
艮：艮其背，不获其身；行其庭，不见其人，无咎。
Keeping the back still, so that one no longer feels the self. Going into the courtyard without seeing the people there. No blame.
The Image · 象曰
兼山，艮；君子以思不出其位。
Mountains standing close together: the image of keeping still. The noble person does not let their thoughts go beyond their situation.
The lines and trigrams
Keeping Still doubles the trigram ☶ Mountain (艮 Gèn), so its quality of stillness and restraint fills both the inner and the outer world.
A hexagram is read from the bottom line up. Lines 1 to 3 form the lower trigram and lines 4 to 6 the upper trigram. Solid lines are yang and broken lines are yin; in the traditional names a yang line is called Nine (九) and a yin line Six (六).
Hexagram 52 in your life
Love and relationships
Pause and reflect before acting. A calm presence and clear boundaries do more than anxious effort.
Personal growth
Practise stillness through meditation or quiet reflection. Peace of mind is the foundation of wise action.
The six changing lines
If you cast hexagram 52 and some lines come out as changing lines, read the text for those lines, then turn each one into its opposite to find the hexagram your situation is moving towards. See how to consult the I Ching.
Line 1 初六 · Six at the beginning
Keeping the toes still. Stopping before you start: no blame, and lasting perseverance brings benefit.
Line 2 六二 · Six in the second place
Keeping the calves still. You cannot stop the one you follow, and your heart is not glad.
Line 3 九三 · Nine in the third place
Keeping the hips still and stiffening the back. Forced stillness is dangerous; the heart is stifled.
Line 4 六四 · Six in the fourth place
Keeping the trunk still. No blame.
Line 5 六五 · Six in the fifth place
Keeping the jaws still. Words are spoken in order, and remorse disappears.
Line 6 上九 · Nine at the top
Noble-hearted stillness. Good fortune.
Hexagram 52 questions, answered
What does I Ching hexagram 52 mean?
Hexagram 52, Keeping Still (艮 Gèn), is about stillness, focus, boundaries. Stop at the right place and calm the restless mind. Hexagram 52 doubles the trigram Mountain: stillness upon stillness. It describes meditation, rest and the art of stopping at the right moment.
What does hexagram 52 mean in love?
Pause and reflect before acting. A calm presence and clear boundaries do more than anxious effort.
What does hexagram 52 mean for work and money?
Stop, consolidate and think before the next move. Don't take on new ventures until you are clear.
Which trigrams make up hexagram 52?
Hexagram 52 is made of the Mountain trigram (Gèn) doubled, above and below.
What are the related hexagrams of hexagram 52?
Its nuclear hexagram is 40, Deliverance. Its opposite, with every line changed, is 58, The Joyous. Turned upside down it becomes 51, The Arousing.
All 64 hexagrams
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