Hexagram of the Day Monday, August 24, 2026: #18 Work on the Decayed (蛊)

'Xian' is pronounced with the fanqie xi-jian; 'hou' with hu-dou. Gu signifies that decay has reached its utmost and there are affairs to manage. In this hexagram, the firm Gen is above and the yielding Xun is below.

Superior and inferior do not interact; the lower is lowly and submissive while the upper carelessly stops; hence the hexagram is Gu.

Some say that firm above and yielding below means the hexagram shifts from hexagram-22: the initial moves to the top and the second to the bottom; or from hexagram-48: the fifth moves to the top and the top to the bottom; or from hexagram-63, which combines both, also placing the firm above and the yielding below—all of which constitute Gu.

When decay reaches its peak, chaos must be restored to order; hence its divination is supreme success and it is advantageous to cross the great river. Jia is the beginning of days and the origin of affairs. Three days before Jia is Xin; three days after Jia is Ding.

When a previous affair passes its midpoint and is about to decay, one may renew oneself to make it the starting point of subsequent affairs, preventing it from reaching utter ruin.

When subsequent affairs are just beginning and still fresh, one must exercise careful deliberation, examining the shortcomings of past affairs so that they do not swiftly fall into decay. The sage's warning is profound indeed.

Explaining the name and meaning of the hexagram through its structure, hexagram shifts, and inner qualities: it is through accumulated abuses like these that Gu is reached.

Explaining the hexagram statement: managing Gu to achieve supreme success is the image of restoring order out of chaos. The end of chaos marks the start of order; such is the course of Heaven.

Wind beneath the mountain: things decay and affairs arise. Yet among affairs, none is greater than these two: the way of cultivating oneself and the way of governing others.

Gu in the Sequence of Hexagrams: 'One who follows others with joy will surely encounter affairs; hence Following is succeeded by Gu.' Following the meanings of the two hexagrams establishes their order.

For one who follows others with delight will inevitably have affairs; without affairs, what delight or following could there be? This is why Gu succeeds Following. Gu means affairs. Gu does not mean affairs by literal gloss, but rather that affairs arise.

As a hexagram, it has wind beneath the mountain. When wind is beneath a mountain and encounters it, it whirls back, throwing things into confusion; this is the image of Gu. The meaning of Gu is decay and ruin.

In writing, it consists of worms over a vessel; worms inside a vessel signify decay. The Zuo Zhuan states: 'Wind brings down the mountain; a woman deludes a man.' An elder daughter placing herself beneath a younger son confuses his affections.

When wind meets a mountain and whirls back, things are disturbed and thrown into disorder; this is the image of having affairs to manage, hence it is said that Gu means affairs. Managing affairs after they have decayed is also an affair.

Speaking from the hexagram's image, it shows how Gu is formed; speaking from the hexagram's talent, it shows how Gu is remedied. Once there is decay, there is the principle of restoring order.

Since ancient times, order has always arisen from chaos; when chaos occurs, the way to order opens, which is the natural course. If one uses the talent of the hexagram to remedy Gu, one can achieve supreme success.

The greatest aspect of Gu is rescuing the world from hardship and perilous obstacles; hence it is said, 'It is advantageous to cross the great river.' Jia is the first of numbers and the beginning of affairs.

Just as in the heavenly stems Jia and Yi, or terms like 'first rank' and 'primary ordinance,' all denote the head. It is the genesis of affairs.

The way of remedying Gu requires thinking about the three days before and after it; tracing the origins before and after is the Dao of remedying abuses so that order may endure.

'Three days before Jia' means investigating the causes prior to this; 'three days after Jia' means anticipating what will happen subsequent to this. Mentioning one day, two days, up to three days expresses deep deliberation and far-reaching anticipation.

By investigating the causes, one knows the way to remedy them; by anticipating the future, one knows the means of preparation. Skillful remediation eliminates past abuses; skillful preparation ensures future benefits endure.

This is how the ancient sage kings renewed all under Heaven and left models for later generations.

Later rulers who managed Gu failed to understand the sage's warning of three days before and after Jia; their thoughts were shallow and their focus shortsighted, so they labored to rescue their age yet chaos was not eradicated, and before accomplishments were realized, fresh abuses had already sprouted.

Jia is the head of affairs; Geng is the head of change. For matters of institutional creation and political instruction, one uses Jia to indicate the beginning; for issuing commands and enacting decrees, one uses Geng, as Geng denotes changing and altering.

In terms of the hexagram shift and the meaning of the two trigrams, the firm goes above and the yielding comes below, meaning that Nine at the beginning of hexagram-1 ascends to become Nine at the top, and Six at the top of hexagram-2 descends to become Six at the beginning.

Yang-firm is noble and belongs above; now it goes to dwell at the top. Yin-yielding is lowly and belongs below; now it comes to dwell at the bottom. Though the male is young, he dwells above; though the female is elder, she dwells below.

Nobility and lowliness attain correctness, and upper and lower accord with principle; this is the way to remedy Gu. Through the firm ascending and the yielding descending, they transform into Gen and Xun. Gen means stopping; Xun means compliant.

Xun is below and Gen is above; it stops in compliance. Remedying Gu with the way of compliance brings supreme success. In remedying Gu, if one possesses the talent of the hexagram, supreme success will be attained and all under Heaven will be ordered.

In governing disorder, if one can rectify the duties between noble and lowly, upper and lower, so that those below are compliant while those above can stop and keep things orderly and calm, with all affairs resting in compliance, what decay could fail to be cured?

Its way is greatly good and prosperous; in this manner, all under Heaven is governed. 'It is advantageous to cross the great river': going forward, there are affairs to manage.

When all under Heaven is decaying and disordered, one should cross hardships and perils to go and rescue it; this is going forward because there are affairs to attend to.

'Three days before Jia, three days after Jia; an end is followed by a beginning: such is the movement of Heaven.' Where there is a beginning, there must be an end; once an end arrives, there must be a beginning: this is the Dao of Heaven.

Sages understand the way of ends and beginnings, and therefore can trace origins to investigate causes and anticipate outcomes to prepare for what is to come. Deliberating three days before and after Jia is how they remedy decay and achieve supreme success.

Wind beneath the mountain: when wind encounters a mountain, it turns back, throwing all things into disorder; hence it is the image of having affairs to manage. The noble person observes the image of having affairs and thereby stirs up and aids the people, nurturing their virtue.

For oneself, one nurtures virtue; for all under Heaven, one aids the people. Among the undertakings of the noble person, none is greater than these two.

The firm above can judge and decide; the yielding below can issue commands. Being both compliant and still, there is no contention. When there are affairs without the trouble of contention, one can accomplish undertakings.

Accomplishing undertakings with great success: what is this if not the governing of all under Heaven? Gu is a time of having affairs to manage while awaiting capable talent. That one can accomplish undertakings falls precisely in this time.

When things have joyfully followed, they await the establishment of institutions to settle affairs. Advancing in virtue and cultivating one's vocation, going forward brings success. Hence, 'Supreme success; it is advantageous to cross the great river.'

Jia refers to orders establishing new institutions. When instituting anew, one cannot hold people accountable by old standards; hence three days before and three days after, commands are clarified and only then are penalties applied.

Reissuing orders according to circumstances, an end returns to a beginning, just as Heaven operates through the four seasons.

Gu is a time of having affairs to manage while awaiting capable talent; therefore, the noble person aids the people and nurtures virtue.

From 'Gu: supreme success' to 'three days after Jia.' The correct commentary explains: Gu means affairs. Managing affairs and taking action brings great success and smooth passage.

In a time of action, advantage lies in rescuing from difficulty, hence 'it is advantageous to cross the great river.'

Regarding 'three days before Jia, three days after Jia,' Jia is an order establishing new institutions; being in a time of action, one cannot merely follow old decrees.

Now, using new decrees to govern the people, if someone violates them, one cannot immediately impose punishments, because the people are not yet accustomed.

Therefore, three days before proclaiming the order, one instructs them attentively; and three days after proclaiming the order, one instructs them even more thoroughly. If someone still fails to comply, only then are punishments applied.

Scholars such as Chu, He, and Zhou all agreed with Zheng's interpretation, taking 'Jia' as the day of enacting the new order: three days before Jia draws upon reforming faults and renewing oneself, hence using Xin; three days after Jia draws upon repeated instruction, hence using Ding.

Now, examining Wang Bi's commentary, it says 'Jia is an order establishing new institutions,' not the day of establishing institutions.

Furthermore, for Nine at the fifth position of hexagram-57, 'three days before Geng, three days after Geng,' Wang Bi's commentary states: 'Reiterating commands is called Geng.' Wang Bi also states: 'Both Jia and Geng refer to reiterating commands.'

Thus Wang Bi did not regard Jia as the day of establishment. Scholars who disregarded the intent of Wang Bi's commentary and arbitrarily fabricated differing views were mistaken.

From 'The Tuan says' to 'stops decay.' The correct commentary explains: 'The firm above and the yielding below, compliant and stopping: Gu' explains the name of the hexagram and clarifies the meaning of calling it Gu.

Because the firm above can judge and decide, while the yielding below can issue commands, being compliant and quiet, one can accomplish undertakings. Chu says: 'Gu means delusion.

Once things are deluded and disordered, they ultimately suffer decay, requiring affairs to be managed, which means taking action to govern. Hence the Sequence of Hexagrams says: "Gu means affairs."'

This means that when things decay, affairs inevitably arise; it does not mean that the word Gu itself is glossed as affairs. The correct commentary explains: Explaining the meaning of 'supreme success.' Attaining supreme success through action means all under Heaven is governed.

The correct commentary explains: 'It is advantageous to cross the great river: going forward, there are affairs to manage' explains 'it is advantageous to cross the great river.'

Gu is a time of action; rescuing from peril, one goes forward to attend to affairs, hence 'it is advantageous to cross the great river.' This employs an external image as a metaphor for peril and hardship.

'Three days before Jia, three days after Jia; an end is followed by a beginning: such is the movement of Heaven' explains the meaning of 'three days before Jia, three days after Jia.'

When the people violate orders, warning them is completed and then begun anew, admonishing them attentively without cease, just as Heaven operates: when the four seasons end, they begin anew with spring, mirroring Heaven's movement; hence it says 'such is the movement of Heaven.'

Regarding the note from 'Gu is a time' to 'the four seasons': The correct commentary explains: 'Gu is a time of having affairs while awaiting capable talent' means that once things are decayed, there must be active management; what is undertaken cannot succeed without the worthy and capable.

Hence the Classic says 'managing the decay of the father,' where 'managing' implies capability.

'Jia is an order establishing new institutions' means that Jia is the head of the ten days, and an order of creation stands at the head of subsequent orders; hence a creative order is called Jia.

Thus during the Han dynasty, weightier decrees were called 'Jia orders,' reflecting this meaning.

'When instituting anew, one cannot hold people accountable by old standards' means that when people violate an order and incur guilt, one cannot blame them according to old statutes and punish them immediately upon violation.

Thus one must attentively instruct them three days before and after, making them understand the new orders, and only then apply punishment—punishment here broadly includes reprimand and censure, not exclusively execution.

The correct commentary explains: It must say 'wind beneath the mountain' because wind can stir up and distribute nourishing moisture.

Here, 'wind beneath the mountain' signifies that the noble person can bestow favors downward to stir and aid the people, nurturing them with virtue. 'Stirring the people' mirrors the wind beneath the mountain; 'nurturing virtue' mirrors the mountain resting above.