Hexagram 59: Dispersion
Outer trigram (upper)
Tốn
Wind · Wood
Inner trigram (lower)
Khảm
Water · Water
Judgment
渙：亨，王假有廟，利涉大川，利貞.
Translation
Hoán (dispersal, scattering): success. The king approaches his ancestral temple. Favorable to cross the great river. Favorable to hold to correctness.
Commentary
Tốn above is wind, Khảm below is water. Wind blowing over water scatters the waves. Hoán means dissolving narrow self-interest so that people's hearts can come together. The king uses the ancestral temple — its rites and music — to reunite a people who have grown scattered.
Line Readings
Line 1 (yin)
初六：用拯馬壯，吉.
Translation
Using a strong horse to come to the rescue is auspicious.
Commentary
Line 1, yin, sits at the very bottom just as the dispersal begins. Acting with strength — a strong horse — to rescue the situation right away is auspicious: stop the scattering before it grows serious.
Line 2 (yang)
九二：渙奔其机，悔亡.
Translation
In the midst of dispersal, one hurries to a sturdy support; regret disappears.
Commentary
Line 2, yang, holds the center. Amid the scattering it quickly seeks something solid to lean on — a sturdy table — and holds to the middle way, so regret dissolves.
Line 3 (yin)
六三：渙其躬，无悔.
Translation
Dispersing one's own self-interest brings no regret.
Commentary
Line 3, yin, is neither centered nor correctly placed, but it knows to set aside selfish concerns — dispersing the self — and give itself to the greater cause. No regret.
Line 4 (yin)
六四：渙其群，元吉，渙有丘，匪夷所思.
Translation
Dispersing factions and cliques is greatly auspicious; the scattered pieces gather again into a great mound — something no one expected.
Commentary
Line 4, yin, is in its correct position. It disperses self-serving factions, breaking up small cliques so the wider community can come together, which is greatly auspicious. Out of dispersal comes a great gathering — a marvel no one saw coming.
Line 5 (yang)
九五：渙汗，其大號，渙，王居，无咎.
Translation
Dispersal breaks out like sweat — a great command goes forth; the king holds firm to his position. No blame.
Commentary
Line 5, yang, centered and correct, holds the position of honor. It issues a great command — like sweat once broken out, which cannot be called back — dissolving petty divisions and drawing people's hearts together. The king holds his position firmly; no blame.
Line 6 (yang)
上九：渙其血，去逖出，无咎.
Translation
Dispersal reaches the point of anguish (blood), but moving far away to escape it brings no blame.
Commentary
Top line, yang, at the extreme. The dispersal has reached the point of fear and anguish — blood — but by moving far from danger it escapes harm. No blame.