#57
Dispersion. Success. The king approaches his temple. It furthers one to cross the great water. Perseverance furthers.
The Image
The wind drives over the water:
The image of Dispersion. Thus the kings of old sacrificed to the Lord and built temples.
He brings help with the strength of a horse. Good fortune.
At the dissolution he hurries to that which supports him. Remorse disappears.
He dissolves his self. No remorse.
He dissolves his bond with his group. Supreme good fortune. Dispersion leads in turn to accumulation. This is something that ordinary men do not think of.
His loud cries are as dissolving as sweat. Dissolution. A king abides without blame.
He dissolves his blood. Departing, keeping at a distance, going out, is without blame.
It is time to choose your own direction and move towards the goal. The main driving force right now is hope. Doubts will dispel. But try to share joy with others and do not envy other people's achievements. Do not hide your feelings and intentions.
Richard Wilhelm's commentary
Wind blowing over water disperses it, dissolving it into foam and mist. This suggests that when a man's vital energy is dammed up within him (indicated as a danger by the attribute of the lower trigram), gentleness serves to break up and dissolve the blockage.
THE JUDGMENT
The text of this hexagram resembles that of Ts'ui, GATHERING TOGETHER (45). In the latter, the subject is the bringing together of elements that have been separated, as water collects in lakes upon the earth. Here the subject is the dispersing and dissolving of divisive egotism. DISPERSION shows the way, so to speak, that leads to gathering together. This explains the similarity of the two texts.
Religious forces are needed to overcome the egotism that divides men. The common celebration of the great sacrificial feasts and sacred rites, which gave expression simultaneously to the interrelation and social articulation of the family and state, was the means of employed by the great ruler to unite men. The sacred music and the splendor of the ceremonies aroused a strong tide of emotion that was shared by all hearts in unison, and that awakened a consciousness of the common origin of all creatures. In this way disunity was overcome and rigidity dissolved. A further means to the same end is co- operation in great general undertakings that set a high goal for the will of the people; in the common concentration on this goal, all barriers dissolve, just as, when a boat is crossing a great stream, all hands must unite in a joint task.
But only a man who is himself free of all selfish ulterior considerations, and who perseveres in justice and steadfastness, is capable of so dissolving the hardness of egotism.
In the autumn and winter, water begins to freeze into ice. When the warm breezes of spring come, the rigidity is dissolved, and the elements that have been dispersed in ice floes are reunited. It is the same with the minds of the people. Through hardness and selfishness the heart grows rigid, and this rigidity leads to separation from all others. Egotism and cupidity isolate men. Therefore the hearts of men must be seized by a devout emotion. They must be shaken by a religious awe in face of eternity-stirred with an intuition of the One Creator of all living beings, and united through the strong feeling of fellowship experienced in the ritual of divine worship.
Barbara Hejslip interpretation
The bright sun of success again ascends after the long period of failures. Everything to what you aspired, becomes possible. Very much can be, that you are expected with long travel. Try to not spend many money. Your business in every respect will go perfectly, and in the near future you will have a unexpected chance to become the leader. Your desire is already executed. And if you will be persevering and purposeful in the efforts - it will be executed entirely.