Hexagram 22: 賁

bì — adorn, embellish(ment); dressing up; ornate

Upper TrigramMountain
Lower TrigramFire

Judgment

賁bìadorn, embellish(ment); dressing up; ornate
亨hēngfulfillment, satisfaction, success; satisfying
小xiǎo(a, of) little, (some) small, minor
利lìworth(while), reward(ing), benefit(icial)
有yǒu(to, in) have, find, take(ing) on; (if) there is
攸yōusomewhere; (a) place, direction, purpose
往wǎngto go, move towards; in going; ahead

Grace has success. In small matters it is favorable to undertake something. Beauty brings success when it serves substance, not when it replaces it.

Image

山shān(a, the) mountain
下xiàbelow, beneath; at the base, foot of
有yǒuis, there is
火huǒ(a, the) fire, flame
賁bìadornment
君jūn(a, the) noble, worthy, honored
子zǐyoung one, heir, disciple
以yǐaccordingly, therefore, thus
明míngclarifies, elucidates, explains, makes evident
庶shù(a) (great) many, multitude of; numerous
政zhèngpolicies, regulations, rules, legal measures
無wúwithout; but (does) not, (has) no; avoids
敢gǎnpresume(ption)(s), dare, make(ing) bold
折zhé(to, in, when) execute, decide(ing); cutting
獄yùlegal recourse, process; force of law, justice

Fire at the foot of the mountain: the image of Grace. Thus the superior man proceeds when clearing up current affairs, but he dare not decide controversial issues in this way. Use aesthetic form for minor matters; use greater earnestness for important decisions.

Digital Artifact

Apple II Case Design

Jerry Manock (1977)

Before the Apple II, personal computers were metal boxes with exposed circuits—pure function, zero form. Jerry Manock's case design for the Apple II changed everything: beige plastic housing, integrated keyboard, the logo with rainbow stripes. Steve Jobs understood what the classical text knew: grace is necessary for union to be well-ordered rather than chaotic. But Jobs also understood the limits. The Apple II's beauty was the fire at the mountain's foot—it illuminated and made pleasing, but the real power was the hardware underneath. The strong lines (Wozniak's engineering) were essential content; the weak line (Manock's aesthetics) was beautifying form. Get this wrong—prioritize form over function—and you get vapid consumer products that look good but fail. Get it right, and you get something that works beautifully in both senses: it functions reliably AND it brings aesthetic pleasure. The grace isn't decoration; it's integration of form and content. The Apple II case didn't hide the engineering; it presented it accessibly. That's perfect grace.

Historical Context

Period
Zhou Dynasty
Oracle Bone Etymology
Fire (☲) sits below, Mountain (☶) sits above—fire breaking from earth's depths, illuminating the mountain.
Traditional Use
The classical text notes that grace is necessary in union but is not the essential thing—only ornament, to be used sparingly and in little things. In fire trigram, yielding line makes two strong lines beautiful; in mountain trigram, strong line leads.

Lines

Line 1: 賁其趾舍車而徒

賁bìadorn, dress up, decorate, beautify(ing)
其qíthe, these, those, their, one's (own)
趾zhǐfeet
舍shědismiss, release, forsake, abandon(ing)
車chē(the) carriage, cart, wagon, vehicle
而érand (so, then, thus); then; while
徒túgo on foot, walk(ing)

Line 2: 賁其須

賁bìadorn, dress up, decorate, beautify(ing)
其qíthe, one's (own), that, his
須xūbeard, whiskers

Line 3: 賁如濡如永貞吉

賁bìelegant, fancy, sumptuous
如rúso, looking, in appearance, -like
濡rúdripping (wet); to drip; drippy, moist
如rúso; as if, though; apparently, seeming
永yǒng(with) last, prolong, endure, sustain(ed, ing)
貞zhēnpersistence, resolve, commitment, firmness
吉jí(is) promising, auspicious; good fortune

Line 4: 賁如皤如白馬翰如匪寇婚媾

賁bìelegant, fancy, sumptuous
如rúso, looking, in appearance, -like
皤pó(to be) (of) pure, clear, fair, silver white
如rúso; as if, though; apparently, seeming
白bái(and, on) (a) white
馬mǎhorse(man), steed, stallion
翰hànwinged, (to be) on wings, soaring, in flight
如rúas if, though; apparently, seeming
匪fěi(it, this) is not
寇kòu(a, an) assailant, adversary, enemy, robber
婚hūn(but) (a) marital, marriage-minded
媾gòusuitor, prospect, groom

Line 5: 賁于丘園束帛戔戔吝終吉

賁bìadorned, dressed up, decorated, beautified
于yúamidst, among, in, beside; on
丘qiū(the) hill(sides, tops), mounds, high places
園yuán(and) (in) gardens, parks, orchards
束shù(a, the, one's) gift (bundle), present, offering
帛bó(of) silk(s)
戔jiān(is) (a, but a) meager, shabby, pitiful, scanty
戔jiānremnant, scrap; (and) insignificant, etc.
吝lìnembarrass, humiliate(ing, ed, ment, ion); ashamed
終zhōng(but) in, by the end; at last, eventually
吉jípromising, auspicious, fortunate, hopeful

Line 6: 白賁無咎

白bái(plain) white; plain, simple, naked, easy
賁bìadornment, dress, elegance
無wú(is) no; nothing; (is) not; without, with no
咎jiùblame; (is) wrong; (a) mistake, (an) error(s)

Practical Guidance

Your product works. Now make it graceful. Or: your system functions, now make it maintainable. Or: your argument is sound, now make it persuasive. Grace as integration, not decoration. The text's warning about the beard is perfect for modern design discourse: don't devote care to ornament for its own sake, without regard for the content it should serve. The startup that spends six months on logo design before validating the business model? That's vanity. The developer who refactors variable names while ignoring algorithmic efficiency? Same problem. The writer who polishes sentences while the structure remains incoherent? Same failure. Here's the path: First, walk rather than taking the dubious carriage. Earn your position through substance, not surface. Then remember that form follows content like beard follows chin—the beard doesn't lead. Then avoid getting swamped by grace's charm. It's seductive, the mellow mood induced by beautiful things, but perseverance in substance matters more. Fourth line presents the choice: external brilliance or simple truth? The white horse brings the answer. Simplicity. Authentic relationship. Thoughts that transcend space and time. The highest stage: simple grace, perfect fitness of form to substance. The Apple II at its best—the case doesn't decorate the computer, it expresses the function perfectly. The codebase where naming conventions, module structure, documentation all serve comprehension without unnecessary flourish. Form and content unified. Ornament discarded. Value brought fully out. Make it work, then make it right, then make it beautiful. In that order.

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