臨Overseeing
línAlso known as “Approach” (Wilhelm/Baynes) and “Lin” (Legge)
In plain words
Earth over the lake: looking down from the shore. Yang grows and influence approaches — supreme success now, with a warning that the eighth month brings a turn.
The attitude it asks for
Lead with care and generosity while your influence grows, and plan for the season when it wanes.
Structure
卦辭 The Judgment
臨：元，亨，利，貞。至于八月有凶。Lin (indicates that under the conditions supposed in it) there will be great progress and success, while it will be advantageous to be firmly correct. In the eighth month there will be evil.
臨，剛浸而長。說而順，剛中而應，大亨以正，天之道也。至于八月有凶，消不久也。In Lin (we see) the strong (lines) gradually increasing and advancing. (The lower trigram is the symbol of) being pleased, and (the upper of) being compliant. The strong (line) is in the central position, and is properly responded to. 'There is great progress and success, along with firm correctness:'—this is the way of Heaven. 'In the eighth month there will be evil:'—(the advancing power) will decay after no long time.
澤上有地，臨；君子以教思无窮，容保民无疆。(The trigram for) the waters of a marsh and that for the earth above it form Lin. The superior man, in accordance with this, has his purposes of instruction that are inexhaustible, and nourishes and supports the people without limit.
爻辭 The six lines
When one line moves, the hexagram becomes another:
- 上六Six at the top
敦臨，吉无咎。
The sixth line, divided, shows the advance of honesty and generosity. There will be good fortune, and no error.
Its symbolism 敦臨之吉，志在內也。
'The good fortune consequent on the advance of honesty and generosity' is due to the will (of the subject of the line) being set on the subjects of (the first two lines of) the inner (trigram).
- 六五Six in the fifth place
知臨，大君之宜，吉。
The fifth line, divided, shows the advance of wisdom, such as befits the great ruler. There will be good fortune.
Its symbolism 大君之宜，行中之謂也。
'What befits the great ruler' means the pursuing the course of the due mean.
- 六四Six in the fourth place
至臨，无咎。
The fourth line, divided, shows one advancing in the highest mode. There will be no error.
Its symbolism 至臨无咎，位當也。
'The freedom from error consequent on the advance in the highest mode' is due to the (various) appropriateness of the position.
- 六三Six in the third place
甘臨，无攸利。既憂之，无咎。
The third line, divided, shows one well pleased (indeed) to advance, (but whose action) will be in no way advantageous. If he become anxious about it (however), there will be no error.
Its symbolism 甘臨，位不當也。既憂之，咎不長也。
'He (shows himself) well pleased to advance:'—his position is not that appropriate to him. 'If he become anxious, however, about his action,' his error will not be continued.
- 九二Nine in the second place
咸臨，吉无不利。
The second line, undivided, shows its subject advancing in company (with the subject of the first line). There will be good fortune; (advancing) will be in every way advantageous.
Its symbolism 咸臨，吉无不利；未順命也。
'The good fortune and every possible advantage attending the advance (of the subject of the second line), in company (with the subject of the first),' arises from the fact that those (to whom the advance is made) are not yet obedient to the ordinances (of Heaven).
- 初九Nine at the beginning
咸臨，貞吉。
The first line, undivided, shows its subject advancing in company (with the subject of the second line). Through his firm correctness there will be good fortune.
Its symbolism 咸臨貞吉，志行正也。
'The good fortune through the firm correctness of (the subject of the first line) advancing in company (with the subject of the second)' is due to his will being set on doing what is right.
Shown in the classical Chinese with James Legge's English (1882).
Read 臨 Overseeing for a question about
古籍
From the classics
Two of the Ten Wings speak of every hexagram: the Sequence (Xù Guà) says why it follows the one before, the Miscellany (Zá Guà) sums it up in a phrase. Here is what they say of 臨 lín · Overseeing.
有事而后可大，故受之以臨；臨者大也。Having affairs, one can then grow great; therefore Lín follows. Lín means great.
iching.tools translation (from the Chinese)
臨、觀之義，或與或求。The meaning of Lín and Guān: one gives, the other seeks.
iching.tools translation (from the Chinese)
The classical Chinese is the authoritative text. Translations are iching.tools' own from the Chinese unless another translator is named; several attributions are traditional rather than historical (託名).
Questions about this hexagram
- What does Hexagram 19, Overseeing, mean?
- Earth over the lake: looking down from the shore. Yang grows and influence approaches — supreme success now, with a warning that the eighth month brings a turn.
- Which trigrams form Overseeing?
- 坤 above 兌 — earth over lake. Its nuclear hexagram (lines 2–5) is 復 Returning.
- What happens when a line of Overseeing changes?
- A moving line turns the hexagram into another one; the list above shows all six. With several moving lines, the guide to changing lines explains which text to read.
- How do I get Overseeing in a reading?
- Build six lines from the bottom up with three coins or yarrow stalks; the pattern — — - - - - - - - - is Overseeing. You can also cast a reading here — the lines are decided by code, the text is this page's.
Chinese text: the received Zhouyi (Wuyingdian lineage). English: James Legge, The Yî King, Sacred Books of the East XVI, 1882 (public domain).