Hexagram 35: 晉

jìn — expansion

Upper TrigramFire
Lower TrigramEarth

Judgment

晉jìnexpansion, progress, advance, development
康kāngthe prosperous, exalted; ^Kang(shou Feng)
侯hóulord, governor, chief; Lord
用yòngpresent, offer, send; use, utilize (s, ed)
錫xīgrants, awards, rewards, gifts
馬mǎof horses
蕃fānin, to propagate, breed, multiply, increase (ing)
庶shùa, the multitude, large numbers; numbers
晝zhòuand (in, by) the light of
日rìa, one day
三sānthree times
接jiēmeet, receive, contact; grant(s, ed) audience(s)

Progress. The powerful prince is honored with horses in large numbers. In a single day he is granted audience three times. Merit recognized, influence expanding through genuine contribution rather than force.

Image

明míngthe light clarity, intelligence, vision
出chūrises, arises emerges, comes out, appears
地dì^(the) earth, ground, land
上shàngover, above, across

The sun rises over the earth: the superior man himself brightens his bright virtue. The higher it rises, the more it emerges from dark mists. Personal computing emerges from hobbyist obscurity into mainstream clarity.

Digital Artifact

Apple II Startup: The Expanding Frontier

Steve Wozniak & Steve Jobs (1977)

1977: the Apple II ships with color graphics, expansion slots, and a design philosophy that says 'this is yours to build on.' Not a closed system—an open architecture. The sun rising over earth. Each peripheral card someone designs, each piece of software someone writes, expands what's possible. VisiCalc turns it into a business machine. Print Shop makes desktop publishing accessible. Every addition brings clarity to what personal computing can be. This isn't forced progress—it's organic expansion through participation. The powerful prince (Wozniak) creates something technically excellent but doesn't hoard it. The sovereign (the market, the users) rewards him. Audience granted three times—each new application category validates the platform again. Fire rising above earth: illumination spreading, boundaries widening naturally. Progress that generates its own momentum.

Historical Context

Period
Zhou Dynasty
Oracle Bone Etymology
Fire (☲) above, Earth (☷) below—the Clinging mounted on the Receptive. The sun rising over the earth, spreading light progressively.
Traditional Use
Wilhelm describes this as rapid, easy progress with ever-widening expansion and clarity. The feudal lord who rallies others through genuine merit, rewarded by the sovereign without jealousy.

Lines

Line 1: 晉如摧如貞吉罔孚裕無咎

晉jìn^expansion, advance; ^ far along, ahead
如rúit may seem that v; so, how (very) v
摧cuī^ overwhelmed; ^ frustrated, pressed
如rúis to be, the same as v; (and yet, to be) so v
貞zhēnbut persistence, dedication, commitment
吉jíis promising, auspicious, opportune, timely
罔wǎnguse wits; net, snare, trap, steal [by any means get]
孚fúfor trust, confidence, assurance, the true
裕yùand be tolerant, accepting, generous
無wúno; (this is) not; nothing
咎jiùblame; is wrong; a mistake, an error (s)

Line 2: 晉如愁如貞吉受茲介福于其王母

晉jìn^ expansion, advance; ^ far along, ahead
如rúit may seem that v; so, how (very) v
愁chóu^ anxious, worried; ^ fearful, gloomy
如rúis to be, the same as v; (and yet, to be) so v
貞zhēnbut persistence, dedication, commitment
吉jíis promising, auspicious, opportune, timely
受shòuaccept, receive, take; be given; enjoy
茲zīthe, these present, given; these this
介jièboundary, border, limitation, constraint (s)
福fúas (if, one would) (a) blessing, favor, gift
于yúfrom, by, of
其qíone's (own)
王wánggrand-
母mǔmother [i.e. graciously and gratefully]

Line 3: 眾允悔亡

眾zhòngmany, numerous; much; a multitude of
允yǔnpermission, allowance, grant, liberty (s) +
悔huǐregret(s), remorse
亡wángpass, disappear, dissolve (s)

Line 4: 晉如鼫鼠貞厲

晉jìnadvancing, progressing, moving forward
如rújust, much like; as if, though
鼫shía, the squirrelly, long-tailed, skulking
鼠shǔrodent, rat
貞zhēnpersistence, determination, resolve
厲lìis harsh, dangerous, difficult; trouble

Line 5: 悔亡失得勿恤往吉無不利

悔huǐregret(s), remorse; regret, repent (and)
亡wángpass, disappear, dissolve (s); move on
失shīabout, over loss; giving up; failure
得déand gain; receiving; attainment
勿wùare not to be; do not
恤xùtaken to heart; worry, be concerned
往wǎngsimply to go, move on, advance, progress
吉jíis promising, auspicious, opportune, timely
無wúwithout; (there is) nothing
不bùdoubt; (that) (is) not; (which) cannot be
利lìworthwhile; (turned to) advantage(ous)

Line 6: 晉其角維用伐邑厲吉無咎貞吝

晉jìnadvancing, extending
其qíthe, one's, his, those
角jiǎohorns, antlers
維wéilimit, confine, constrain, restrain, hold
用yòngthe, this practice, application, use, exploit
伐fāto subjugate, subordinate, discipline (ing)
邑yìof the home town, community; locally
厲lìthat harsh, stern, strict (ness); severity
吉jíis promising, opportune, timely, positive
無wúis not; nothing
咎jiùto be blamed; wrong; a mistake, an error
貞zhēnbut persistence; to persist, continue
吝lìnis embarrassment; a disgrace, shame

Practical Guidance

You're watching something good actually expand. The expansion is real. Don't overthink it—just don't get stupid. Here's the mechanism: progress comes from someone in a dependent position creating something others willingly follow. Not because they have to, but because the thing itself is worth following. The Apple II succeeded because Wozniak built genuine technical excellence and Jobs understood how to position it without jealousy-inducing power plays. The warning: don't become the hamster hoarding possessions in the wrong place. Times of progress are also times when dubious procedures come to light. Success doesn't license corner-cutting. The temptation is always to maximize advantage, to push harder because momentum is with you. But the best move here is often restraint—taking not gain and loss to heart, securing opportunities for sustained beneficial influence. If you're experiencing genuine progress, your job is to maintain the conditions that enabled it. That means staying connected to first principles. Not letting success separate you from the people and practices that got you here. The sun rises through natural law, not through forcing itself upward. Progress with the horns—offensive action—is only permissible for correcting your own mistakes. Everything else should flow from maintained excellence, not aggressive expansion. The light spreads because it's light, not because it's pushing.

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