初
初六。艮其趾、无咎、利永貞。
Still the toes—no blame; long-term correctness benefits. Stop immediately at the start.
䷳
Hexagram 52
Keeping Still (Mountain) (艮為山)
Gon-i-san / Gèn
Double mountain—complete stillness. Stop when time calls; move when time calls.
Judgment
艮其背、不獲其身。行其庭、不見其人。无咎。
Keep the back still, not grasping the body. Walk in the courtyard, not seeing the person. No blame. Proper stillness.
Now is time to halt; quiet the mind and body to avoid error.
Line-by-Line (Yao)
Interpretations if the line changes.
二
六二。艮其腓、不拯其随、其心不快。
Still the calves, not saving those who follow—heart is uneasy. Partial halt is uncomfortable.
三
九三。艮其限、列其夤、厲薫心。
Still the loins, splitting the spine—danger, heart aches. Forced stillness hurts.
四
六四。艮其身、无咎。
Still the whole body—no blame.
五
六五。艮其輔、言有序、悔亡。
Still the jaw—order your words; regret disappears. Speech restraint heals.
上
上九。敦艮、吉。
Thick stillness—good fortune. Solid calm is auspicious.
Practical Reading: Love, Career, Health & Decisions
When you cast Hexagram 52, Gèn (Keeping Still), the Book of Changes shows you a situation with Gen (Mountain) above and Gen (Mountain) below. Double mountain—complete stillness. Stop when time calls; move when time calls. Use the cards below to map that pattern onto your specific question — a love reading, a career decision, a health concern, or a yes/no choice.
Love & Relationships
Hold steady; give space rather than push. In a love or relationship reading, Hexagram 52 (Gèn) describes the meeting point of Gen (mountain) above and Gen (mountain) below: how the outer situation meets your inner state. Ask whether you are forcing the relationship to fit a picture, or letting it move at the rhythm this hexagram suggests. For a partnered question, read the changing lines to see which side — yours or the other person's — is being asked to shift.
Work & Career
Pause actions; assess carefully before moving. In work and career, Gèn points to whether the outer market or workplace (Gen (mountain)) and your inner stance (Gen (mountain)) are in alignment. If a project, negotiation, or job change is the question, ask what this hexagram says about timing rather than effort: pushing harder rarely changes a Gèn situation; reading the configuration usually does.
Health & Wellbeing
Rest and recuperate; forced action harms. For a body or wellness reading, treat the lines of Hexagram 52 as descriptions of phases, not diagnoses. Gèn usually signals where energy needs to be conserved versus where it is asking to be expressed. Combine the hexagram's advice with concrete medical guidance — the I Ching is a reflective tool, not a substitute for professional care.
Decision-Making
When the question is a yes/no — should I take the offer, move, leave, commit? — read Hexagram 52 (Gèn, Keeping Still) as a statement about the configuration of your situation rather than the outcome. The summary "Double mountain—complete stillness. Stop when time calls; move when time calls." is your starting frame. Ask: does this action respect that configuration, or fight it? Changing lines, if any, tell you which specific aspect needs to bend.
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