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The literal meaning of Lu is to tread; to tread step by step in Chinese signifies to carry out. The hexagram text states: to tread the tiger’s tail, (but the tiger) not to bite, connoting this is due to its acting in accordance with propriety, as the pronunciation of Lu in Chinese is similar to that of propriety. Therefore Confucius’s commentary on its image advises that a gentleman should discriminates between superiority and inferiority, and determines people’s aspirations, signifying people’s aspirations must conform to propriety; then those below won’t defy those above, and the those above won’t bully those below. In the hexagram of treading the tiger’s tail, the most tender and feeble trigram of eight trigrams, Duei (the marsh, joy) and the one below, follows the most masculine and rigid trigram Chien (perseverance, the sky) with joy; line 5, the representative line of Chien and the one above, acts righteously and moderately; so the tiger doesn’t bite. Lu follows after Xiao Chu, wherein the small one serves and plays game with the big one, signifying difficulty in realizing its aspiration; Lu is at the stage of taking action but must proceed cautiously and properly like treading the tiger’s tail, and then it can progress smoothly.
To tread the tiger’s tail but the tiger doesn't bite people is due to people conforming to the norm of the hexagram Lu; however both line 3, the representative line of Lu, and line 5, the host line, perform differently from the hexagram text, because they don't act according to the norm of the hexagram Lu.
One eye is blind but one can still see; the cripple can still walk; treading (Lu) the tiger’s tail, (the tiger) biting people; this is ominous. One eye is blind; one can see but not clearly. The cripple can walk but not fast. A person walks behind the tiger, steps onto its tail and can't run away in time; so he is bitten by the tiger, like line 3 not staying at its right position and exceeding the middle of the bottom trigram, i.e. it doesn’t act righteously and moderately; it sustaining line 4 and correlating with line 6, but ignoring line 5, the king and the representative line of Chien; hence it is bitten. A warrior served the ancestral king. The ancestral king engaged in toppling the tyrannous regime; he needed brave warriors with iron will to fight for him. Line 6 represents the shrine wherein all the ancestral kings are worshipped. Although line 3 falls into the tiger’s mouth after it moves upward and exchanges positions with line 6, both obtain their right positions and correlate with each other, signifying these two lines act righteously and associate according to propriety. (please see attached Hex. 10.3)
Line 5 is opinionated Lu (carry-out); it is stern & cruel to persist. Line 5, the representative line of the upper trigram Chien: perseverance, which is pleased by the bottom trigram Duei: joy, is at the king’s position, surrounded by the masculine and in correlation with the masculine. Hence it acts opinionatedly like a tiger; to persist is dangerous.
Line 1: Plain Lu (carry-out), to go forth is of no fault (or calamity), signifying to act with a pragmatic attitude can be free from fault or calamity, since it is just at the beginning phase and less energetic. One must perform in accordance with one’s status and capability, and do what one is permitted; otherwise one can’t carry through one’s mission to the end.
Line 2: Lu’s (carry-out) path is flat; it is auspicious for the hermit to persist, signifying to act without the ambition of striving for fame and wealth, like a hermit, and then the road in front is flat. Line 2 is masculine and the masculine tends to move; however it is in the phase of ready to take action but what can be done is still limited. Provided that it can change to the feminine, i.e. to become capable of remaining still as an un-ambitious person, the bottom trigram will become Chen (quake, the thunder) which signifies the avenue; line 2 will turn out to stay at its right position and correlate with line 5 according to propriety; the hexagram will become Wu Wang (25), i.e. not to think or do what is undesired. (Please see Hex 10.2)
Line 4: Lu (to tread) the tiger’s tail; to be prudent and with dread will end up with auspiciousness, signifying to act prudently and cautiously like the courtier serving the king, and like a person walking behind the tiger, since it is next to line 5. The hexagram after this line is activated and changes to the feminine, i.e. it stays at its right position, correlates with line 1 and sustains line 5, is Zhong Fu: sincerity & trust in the heart (61), which is the best advice.
A person must be pragmatic and without undesired ambition, do what he can, prudently and with dread. After going through ordeals, line 6: To review Lu (carry-out) and to assess (whether it is) fortune; free revolution is greatly auspicious, signifying to reflect over what has been done and to assess it for better or worse; it is greatly auspicious if one can do this freely like the revolving door, i.e. without any remorse or resentment. It is worthwhile to celebrate as the hexagram, that forms after this line is activated and acts accordingly, signifies Duei: joy (58).
One of the hexagram Lu’s features is that all line texts have the hexagram name Lu, signifying one should carry through one’s mission consistently to the end. According to the commentary on the text tagging, Lu (i.e. to act in accordance with propriety) is the foundation of virtue, it must act harmoniously and it can carry through its mission by virtue of harmony. Lu (i.e. to tread and to carry out) signifies ‘not to halt’, i.e. to proceed without a stop, as it walks behind the tiger, and it must courageously march forward.
Best regards
Tuck :bows:
To tread the tiger’s tail but the tiger doesn't bite people is due to people conforming to the norm of the hexagram Lu; however both line 3, the representative line of Lu, and line 5, the host line, perform differently from the hexagram text, because they don't act according to the norm of the hexagram Lu.
One eye is blind but one can still see; the cripple can still walk; treading (Lu) the tiger’s tail, (the tiger) biting people; this is ominous. One eye is blind; one can see but not clearly. The cripple can walk but not fast. A person walks behind the tiger, steps onto its tail and can't run away in time; so he is bitten by the tiger, like line 3 not staying at its right position and exceeding the middle of the bottom trigram, i.e. it doesn’t act righteously and moderately; it sustaining line 4 and correlating with line 6, but ignoring line 5, the king and the representative line of Chien; hence it is bitten. A warrior served the ancestral king. The ancestral king engaged in toppling the tyrannous regime; he needed brave warriors with iron will to fight for him. Line 6 represents the shrine wherein all the ancestral kings are worshipped. Although line 3 falls into the tiger’s mouth after it moves upward and exchanges positions with line 6, both obtain their right positions and correlate with each other, signifying these two lines act righteously and associate according to propriety. (please see attached Hex. 10.3)
Line 5 is opinionated Lu (carry-out); it is stern & cruel to persist. Line 5, the representative line of the upper trigram Chien: perseverance, which is pleased by the bottom trigram Duei: joy, is at the king’s position, surrounded by the masculine and in correlation with the masculine. Hence it acts opinionatedly like a tiger; to persist is dangerous.
Line 1: Plain Lu (carry-out), to go forth is of no fault (or calamity), signifying to act with a pragmatic attitude can be free from fault or calamity, since it is just at the beginning phase and less energetic. One must perform in accordance with one’s status and capability, and do what one is permitted; otherwise one can’t carry through one’s mission to the end.
Line 2: Lu’s (carry-out) path is flat; it is auspicious for the hermit to persist, signifying to act without the ambition of striving for fame and wealth, like a hermit, and then the road in front is flat. Line 2 is masculine and the masculine tends to move; however it is in the phase of ready to take action but what can be done is still limited. Provided that it can change to the feminine, i.e. to become capable of remaining still as an un-ambitious person, the bottom trigram will become Chen (quake, the thunder) which signifies the avenue; line 2 will turn out to stay at its right position and correlate with line 5 according to propriety; the hexagram will become Wu Wang (25), i.e. not to think or do what is undesired. (Please see Hex 10.2)
Line 4: Lu (to tread) the tiger’s tail; to be prudent and with dread will end up with auspiciousness, signifying to act prudently and cautiously like the courtier serving the king, and like a person walking behind the tiger, since it is next to line 5. The hexagram after this line is activated and changes to the feminine, i.e. it stays at its right position, correlates with line 1 and sustains line 5, is Zhong Fu: sincerity & trust in the heart (61), which is the best advice.
A person must be pragmatic and without undesired ambition, do what he can, prudently and with dread. After going through ordeals, line 6: To review Lu (carry-out) and to assess (whether it is) fortune; free revolution is greatly auspicious, signifying to reflect over what has been done and to assess it for better or worse; it is greatly auspicious if one can do this freely like the revolving door, i.e. without any remorse or resentment. It is worthwhile to celebrate as the hexagram, that forms after this line is activated and acts accordingly, signifies Duei: joy (58).
One of the hexagram Lu’s features is that all line texts have the hexagram name Lu, signifying one should carry through one’s mission consistently to the end. According to the commentary on the text tagging, Lu (i.e. to act in accordance with propriety) is the foundation of virtue, it must act harmoniously and it can carry through its mission by virtue of harmony. Lu (i.e. to tread and to carry out) signifies ‘not to halt’, i.e. to proceed without a stop, as it walks behind the tiger, and it must courageously march forward.
Best regards
Tuck :bows: