Opposition. The Sequence of the Guas says: 'When the Dao of the family comes to an end, estrangement surely follows; hence it is received with Opposition. Opposition means estrangement.'
When the Dao of the family exhausts itself, estrangement and dispersal follow as an inevitable principle; therefore, The Family is followed by Opposition. As a Gua, Li (Fire) is above and Dui (Lake) is below; Li's fire blazes upward, while Dui's lake moistens downward.
The two bodies oppose each other, which is the meaning of Opposition. Furthermore, although the middle and younger daughters dwell together, their eventual homes are different, meaning their wills do not travel the same path; this also conveys the meaning of Opposition.
Opposition. In small affairs, good fortune. Opposition is a time of estrangement, alienation, and dispersal; it is not in itself a way of good fortune.
Yet due to the excellence of the Gua's talents, even while dwelling in a time of Opposition, there is good fortune in small affairs. The Tuan Commentary says: In Opposition, fire moves upward, and the lake moves downward.
Two women dwell together, yet their wills do not move in the same direction. The Tuan first explains the meaning of Opposition, next describes the talents of the Gua, and finally speaks of the Dao of uniting opposition, praising the greatness of its timely application.
The nature of fire moves upward, while the nature of the lake moves downward; the natures of the two things diverge, which constitutes the meaning of Opposition.
Although the middle and younger daughters dwell together, their wills do not move together, which also means Opposition. In their youth, daughters dwell together, but when grown, each departs to her marital home, and their paths diverge.
Speaking of Opposition implies that they were originally the same; if they were not originally the same, there would be no Opposition.
Joyous and adhering to luminosity; the yielding advances and moves upward, attains the Central Position and responds to the firm; hence, in small affairs, good fortune. Such are the talents of the Gua, which is why there is good fortune in small affairs.
Dui is joyous; Li is adhering, and also luminosity; hence it is joyous, compliant, and attached to luminosity.
Whenever Li is above and the Tuan Commentary intends to show the yielding occupying the honored position, it says: 'the yielding advances and moves upward,' as seen in Jin (Progress) and The Cauldron.
At the time of Opposition, Six in the Fifth Place occupies the honored seat with a yielding nature, possessing the excellence of joyful compliance adhering to clarity, and moreover attains the Central Dao while resonating with the firm.
Although unable to unite the estrangements of all under Heaven or accomplish great endeavors, it can still achieve small remedies; thus in small affairs, there is good fortune. Why can Five, despite being clear and responding to the firm, not achieve great good fortune?
The answer is: Five is yin and yielding; though it resonates with Two, during a time of Opposition, the bond of mutual association cannot yet be deep and solid. Thus, Two must 'meet his lord in an alley', and Five must 'bite through tender flesh' before becoming blameless.
In a time when all under Heaven is divided and estranged, ruler and minister must possess firm, yang, central correctness and utmost sincerity, cooperating with unified strength before unity can be forged. Heaven and Earth are opposed, yet their work is identical.
Man and woman are opposed, yet their wills are attuned. The myriad things are opposed, yet their affairs fall into kindred kinds. Great indeed is the timely application of Opposition!
Extending the underlying commonality of things to illuminate the timely application of Opposition is the sage's way of uniting estrangements. To see the same as the same is the knowledge of the common multitude.
The sage, however, illuminates the fundamental unity in the nature of things, and is thus able to harmonize the world and unite the myriad kinds.
Taking Heaven and Earth, man and woman, and the myriad things as illustrations: Heaven is high and Earth is low—their physical forms are opposed; yet yang descends and yin ascends, joining together to accomplish the work of generation and nurture, which is identical.
Man and woman have different constitutions—they are opposed; yet the desire to seek each other out is attuned.
Living creatures are manifold and diverse—they are opposed; yet all receive the harmony of Heaven and Earth and are endowed with the qi of yin and yang, which makes them kindred. Though things differ, their underlying principle is originally the same.
Therefore, though the world is vast and the multitude of living beings estranged into ten thousand varieties, the sage is able to unite them. Dwelling in a time of Opposition, the application of reconciling estrangements is exceedingly great; hence it is said, 'Great indeed!'
Fire above and Lake below: the natures of the two things diverge, which is the image of Opposition and estrangement. The noble person observes the image of Opposition and divergence, and amidst the great commonality, knows where one ought to differ.
When sages and worthies dwell in the world, in the constant norms of human relationships, they mostly conform to the general ways; but regarding what the vulgar multitude conforms to, there are times when they remain uniquely different.
In abiding by the constant moral law, they are the same; but regarding the errors of worldly customs, they are different.
One who cannot be the same as Heaven is a person who disrupts constants and violates principles; one who cannot remain uniquely different is a person who follows the herd and indulges in wrongs. The key lies in being able to differ while remaining in harmony.
As the Doctrine of the Mean says: 'He is harmonious and does not drift with the current'—this is the very point.