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Hexagram 12 vs Hexagram 39

liquidity

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How do you feel about the differences between the two hexagrams? How have they played out differently in your readings and experiences?

My instinct is to say that 39 shows that there is potential in the situation, but the timing is not right... 12 suggests that there's something fundamentally lacking or empty in the thing.

Hexagram 12 judgment
WB: "Standstill. Evil people do not further the perseverance of the superior man. The great departs; the small approaches."
Legge: "Divorcement means there is a lack of communication between the different classes of men. This is unfavorable to the superior man. The great has departed and the inferior has arrived."

Hexagram 12 image:
WB: "Heaven and earth do not unite: the image of Standstill. Thus the superior man falls back upon his inner worth in order to escape the difficulties. He does not permit himself to be honored with revenue."
Legge: "Heaven and earth are estranged -- the image of Divorcement. The superior man preserves his virtue by withdrawing from evil, and refuses both honor and wealth."

Hexagram 39 judgment:
WB: "Obstruction. The southwest furthers. The northeast does not further. It furthers one to see the great man. Perseverance brings good fortune."
Legge: "During an Impasse advantage is found in the southwest, disadvantage in the northeast. See the great man. Firm correctness brings good fortune."

Hexagram 39 image:
WB: "Water on the mountain: the image of Obstruction. Thus the superior man turns his attention to himself and molds his character."
Legge: "Water on the mountain -- the image of Impasse. The superior man turns around to examine himself and cultivate his virtue."
 

moss elk

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What is a good way to say it?

In 12 the advice is to seperate yourself.
(from bad actors),
I think the block is generally external.

In 39 the advice is that you are blocked,
and to turn around examine what you are doing, then to do something different,
I think the problem is more internal or attitudinal within you than it is external.
Look at this guy, he is about to tackle a dangerous mountain, but if he were to look behind him, he would see there is an easy trail around the obstacle:

faith-believing-in-yourself-might-turn-out-to-be-the-36023659.png
 

my_key

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I would mostly agree with Moss Elk.

12 - certainly speaks to me of being blocked but perhaps more than that circumstances, events, people etc seem to conspire against us, like pesky varmints do, to make the situation seem extremely difficult and out of sync. The onus is on us bear the situation as best we can applying external restraints and not reacting to things. Others can see the battles we encounter and more often than not the associated failure if we are not prepared to take a backward step.

39 - talks more of approaching a particular hardship from a place of maturity and things can be remedied through internal reflection and adjustment. e.g changing your perspective on something, biting your tongue or counting to 10 before replying. Changing those kind of things that happen inside us that others would not be aware of and would not easily see, but which are more likely to bring a modicum of success to the situation.

I think more of 12 as being totally 'roped and tied' to quote Elton John and 39 as ' walking back to happiness' to quote Helen Shapiro. (Edit:) Perhaps it's easier to just simply make the comparison of the two heagrams as Hogtied v Hampered.
 
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bradford

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People insist on reading 12 as a blockage or obstruction, which is the case with 39. But there is no opposing obstacle or force in 12. Things are moving apart instead of towards each other. The closest 12 comes to a "blockage" might be seen in the term "writer's block," where things just aren't coming together or making any compelling sense.
 

moss elk

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there is no opposing obstacle or force in 12. Things are moving apart instead of towards each other.

I agree completely and just used the word 'blocked' because as Freedda said:

and this separtion can end up feeling like you're being 'blocked', or at a 'standstill' -

When Will is Thwarted, (and the reason hasn't been identified), it can feel like
being blocked.
 
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my_key

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People insist on reading 12 as a blockage or obstruction, which is the case with 39. But there is no opposing obstacle or force in 12. Things are moving apart instead of towards each other. The closest 12 comes to a "blockage" might be seen in the term "writer's block," where things just aren't coming together or making any compelling sense.
Hi Bradford
I'm wondering if you could expand on this to help with my understanding. I've given some more consideration to my previous post -

12 - the structure of heaven and earth being in the right relative position but not mixing or mingling. So yes, not in any way an obstruction. However, the lack of mingling could be seen as a block to a situation, bringing with it a pseudo 'opposing obstacle or force'. Here the is junzi advised to stay away from any troubles Nothing to do but staying small and weather the storm.

39 - the ideograph talks of limping and the use of crutches which seems more about encountering difficulties. I can see there is a blockage element here. Struggling on seems to be the order of the day, as it were, with the advice to the junzi to overcome these through changes to our person.
 

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