觀
“Viewing” — King Wen #20
Contemplation. Step back, observe the whole, and let your example be seen.
The Judgment 卦辞
盥而不薦，有孚顒若。
Guan shows (how he whom it represents should be like) the worshipper who has washed his hands, but not (yet) presented his offerings - with sincerity and an appearance of dignity (commanding reverent regard).— The I Ching, trans. James Legge, 1899 (public domain)1
The Six Lines 爻辞
童觀，小人無咎，君子吝。
The first SIX, divided, shows the looking of a lad - not blamable in men of inferior rank, but matter for regret in superior men.
窺觀，利女貞。
The second SIX, divided, shows one peeping out from a door. It would be advantageous if it were (merely) the firm correctness of a female.
觀我生，進退。
The third SIX, divided, shows one looking at (the course of) his own life, to advance or recede (accordingly).
觀國之光，利用賓于王。
The fourth SIX, divided, shows one contemplating the glory of the kingdom. It will be advantageous for him, being such as he is, (to seek) to be a guest of the king.
觀我生，君子無咎。
The fifth NINE, undivided, shows its subject contemplating his own life(-course). A superior man, he will (thus) fall into no error.
觀其生，君子無咎。
The sixth NINE, undivided, shows its subject contemplating his character to see if it be indeed that of a superior man. He will not fall into error.
Reading the Picture
Hexagram 20 places earth (坤) beneath wind (巽) —receptive ground holding all things below, gentle influence working inward above. This is why the tradition reads it as “Viewing”:contemplation. Step back, observe the whole, and let your example be seen Whenever you cast this figure, the classical reading points back to that turning of forces.
Questions About Hexagram 20
What does 觀 (guān) mean?
Hexagram 20 of the I Ching is named 觀 (guān), usually rendered "Viewing" in English editions. Its figure pairs earth (坤) below with wind (巽) above.
Which trigrams form hexagram 20?
巽 (Wind) sits above and 坤 (Earth) sits below — the classical picture is receptive ground holding all things beneath gentle influence working inward.
How is hexagram 20 related to the other hexagrams?
Changing every line of hexagram 20 gives hexagram 34 — 大壯 (Great Invigorating). Turned upside down it becomes hexagram 19 — 臨 (Nearing). Its nuclear hexagram — the inner pattern of lines 2 through 5 — is hexagram 23 — 剝 (Stripping).
Ask your own question
Reading about hexagram 20 is looking it up. Casting it — shaking the tube, watching your own coins fall — is how an answer becomes yours.
Cast this question yourselfNew to casting? How it works · All 64 hexagrams
Related Hexagrams 錯綜互
1 Legge, James. The Yi King, Sacred Books of the East vol. XVI (1899), public domain. Classical Chinese from the received Zhouyi text. · For reflection and entertainment — not financial, medical, or life advice.