44. Kou

	Coming on
	Upper Trigram:	Ch'ien, Creative Principle, Heaven
	Lower Trigram:	Sun, Gentle Penetration, Mildness, Wind, Wood
	Governing Rulers:	Nine in the second place Nine in the fifth place
	Constitutional Ruler:	Bottom six

The Image
Wind under the sky: the image of Kou. The sovereign, in accordance with this, delivers his charges, and makes public his announcements throughout the four quarters of the kingdom.

Miscellaneous Signs
Kou shows a meeting where the many strong are met by one that's weak, yet struggles long.

The Judgement
Kou shows a female who is bold and strong. It will not be good to marry such a female.

Commentary
Kou has the significance of unexpectedly coming on. We see in it the weak line coming unexpectedly on the strong ones.
'It will not be good to marry such a female': one so symbolised should not be long associated with.
Heaven and earth meeting together, all the variety of natural things become fully displayed. When a strong line finds itself in the central and correct position (the fifth place), good government will greatly prevail all under the sky. Great indeed is the significance of what has to be done at the time indicated by Kou.

The Lines and commentaries
Bottom six
Showing how its subject should be kept like a carriage, tied and fastened to a metal drag, in which case, with firm correctness, there will be good fortune. But if he move in any direction, evil will appear. He will be like a lean pig, which is sure to keep jumping about.

'Tied and fastened to a metal drag': this describes the arrest of the weak line in its advancing course.

Nine in the second place
Showing its subject with a wallet of fish. There will be no error. But it will not be well to let him go forward to the guests.

'He has a wallet of fish': it is right for him not to allow this (the subject of the first line) to get to the guests.

Nine in the third place
Showing one from whose buttocks the skin has been stripped, so that he walks slowly and with difficulty. The position is perilous, but there will be no great error.

'He walks with difficulty', but his steps have not yet been drawn into the course of the subject of the first line.

Nine in the fourth place
Showing its subject with his wallet, but no fish in it. This will give rise to evil.

The evil indicated by there being 'no fish in the wallet', is owing to the subject of the line keeping himself aloof from the people (deprived of his offensive correlate by the subject of the second line).

Nine in the fifth place
Showing its subject as a medlar tree overspreading the gourd beneath it. If he keep his brilliant qualities concealed, a good issue will descend as from heaven.

'He keeps his brilliant qualities concealed': as indicated by his central and correct position.
'The good issue descends as from heaven': his aim does not neglect the ordinances of Heaven.

Top-most nine
He is receiving others on his horns. There will be occasion for regret, but there will be no error.

'He receives others on his horns': he is exhausted at his greatest height, and there will be cause for regret.