Hexagram 03
ChunDifficulty at the Beginning
Water (Kan) · Thunder (Zhen)
The image
Clouds and thunder: The image of Difficulty at the Beginning. Thus the superior man Brings order out of confusion.
This hexagram in one line
The name of the hexagram, Chun, really connotes a blade of grass pushing against an obstacle as it sprouts out of the earth—hence the meaning, “difficulty at the beginning.” The hexagram indicates the way in which heaven and earth bring forth individual beings. It is their first meeting, which is beset with difficulties. The lower trigram Chên is the Arousing; its motion is upward and its image is thunder. The upper trigram K'an stands for the Abysmal, the dangerous. Its motion is downward and its image is rain. The situation points to teeming, chaotic profusion; thunder and rain fill the air. But the chaos clears up. While the Abysmal sinks, the upward movement eventually passes beyond the danger. A thunderstorm brings release from tension, and all things breathe freely again.
Core Meaning
The core judgment of this hexagram.
Thunder creates chaos beneath heaven
Hexagram Judgment
Difficulty at the Beginning works supreme success, Furthering through perseverance. Nothing should be undertaken. It furthers one to appoint helpers.
Times of growth are beset with difficulties. They resemble a first birth. But these difficulties arise from the very profusion of all that is struggling to attain form. Everything is in motion: therefore if one perseveres there is a prospect of great success, in spite of the existing danger. When it is a man's fate to undertake such new beginnings, everything is still unformed, dark. Hence he must hold back, because any premature move might bring disaster. Likewise, it is very important not to remain alone; in order to overcome the chaos he needs helpers. This is not to say, however, that he himself should look on passively at what is happening. He must lend his hand and participate with inspiration and guidance.
Upper and Lower Trigrams
- Water (Kan)
- Water · Abysmal
- Thunder (Zhen)
- Thunder · Arousing
Lines
What each of the six positions expresses.
Classics
Tuan CommentaryThe reasoning behind the judgment.
Difficulty at the Beginning represents the moment when the firm and yielding first unite and difficulty arises. Movement within danger brings great success through perseverance. The movement of thunder and rain fills everything. Heaven creates the chaotic beginnings; it is fitting to establish rulers, though there will be no peace.
The Tuan explains that Zhun represents the tumultuous period when heaven and earth first unite to give birth to all things. The world is in chaos, like thunder and rain filling the sky before order emerges. This is a time of hidden potential awaiting proper direction and leadership.
Great ImageThe image itself, read as a picture of the situation.
Clouds and thunder: The image of Difficulty at the Beginning. Thus the superior man Brings order out of confusion.
Clouds and thunder are represented by definite decorative lines; this means that in the chaos of difficulty at the beginning, order is already implicit. So too the superior man has to arrange and organize the inchoate profusion of such times of beginning, just as one sorts out silk threads from a knotted tangle and binds them into skeins. In order to find one's place in the infinity of being, one must be able both to separate and to unite.
Further
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Frequently asked questions
What does Chun / Difficulty at the Beginning mean in the I Ching?
Times of growth are beset with difficulties. They resemble a first birth. But these difficulties arise from the very profusion of all that is struggling to atta...
How should I study Hexagram 3 on this page?
Start with the judgment and image, then read the line statements in sequence. If a person encounters a hindrance at the beginning of an enterprise, he must not try to force advance but must pause and take thought. However, nothing should put him off his cour...
How can this hexagram be applied in a modern reading?
The Tuan explains that Zhun represents the tumultuous period when heaven and earth first unite to give birth to all things. The world is in chaos, like thunder and rain filling the sky before order emerges. This is a tim...
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Original text from the I Ching; translation based on Richard Wilhelm's German version.