Keeping Still (艮, Gèn) is hexagram 52 of the 64 hexagrams of the I
Ching, in the traditional King Wen order. It is made of Mountain (☶)
above Mountain (☶).
Meaning of hexagram 52
A time to stop, like a mountain. Quieting the mind and holding back from
restless action gives clarity.
Advice
Pause, find your stillness and act only when you know it is the right
moment.
The two trigrams
Keeping Still doubles the trigram ☶ Mountain (Gèn): still, steady and
restrained above and below, the quality of mountain at its purest.
Hexagram
52. Keeping Still
Chinese name
艮 Gèn
Upper trigram
☶ Mountain (Gèn)
Lower trigram
☶ Mountain (Gèn)
Lines
2 yang (solid) and 4 yin (broken)
Place in the sequence
52 of 64 (King Wen order)
The six lines of Keeping Still
A hexagram is read from the bottom line up. In a reading, a changing
line (a 6 or a 9 in the three-coin method) draws attention to its
position.
First line(yin, broken): the beginning. The root
of the matter: early stirrings, foundations, and what has not yet
shown itself.
Second line(yin, broken): the inner circle. Your
immediate surroundings and steady supports: how things work at close
range.
Third line(yang, solid): the threshold. A point
of tension between inner and outer, often a test or a restless push
forward.
Fourth line(yin, broken): the approach. Stepping
into wider circles or nearer to authority; caution and good
relationships matter here.
Fifth line(yin, broken): the center of power. The
place of influence and clear leadership: where the situation is most
fully expressed.
Sixth line(yang, solid): the culmination. The far
edge of the situation: completion, overreach, or letting go.