Hexagram 20 of 64 · King Wen sequence

Contemplation

观 · guān

Above: Wind
Below: Earth

Wind above earth: watching — from the tower, and from within.

Wind moves across the ground and touches everything without disturbing it: Contemplation is the hexagram of watching done well — the tower view that sees the whole shape of things, and the inward gaze that sees what the tower cannot.

The tradition pairs two gazes. Look out: observe the whole field before judging any part. Look in: examine the life you are actually living, not the one you are narrating. Both are disciplines, and neither rewards hurry.

Questions this hexagram asks

What would I see if I watched this situation for a week before acting?
What am I narrating about my life that the evidence contradicts?
Who is watching me, and what are they learning?

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