I Ching · Hexagram 19 of 64
Hexagram 19: Lin （临） — Approach
Lin is Earth over Lake: the broad land looks down upon the great water, whose tide surges in homage, the posture of one who rules. Lin means to lead and to teach, as tutor and guardian instruct a prince. It follows the hexagram of decay and shows how to come close to the multitude and draw living beings toward the good.
At a glance
| Hexagram | 19 of 64 |
|---|---|
| Name | Lin 临 · Approach |
| Upper trigram | Kun （坤）· Earth |
| Lower trigram | Dui （兑）· Lake |
| Structure | Earth over Lake |
| Lines | 6 lines |
The Judgment （卦辞）
Approach. Supreme success, favorable to be steadfast. In the eighth month there will be misfortune.
ExplainedWhoever would teach others must himself carry the four virtues, lest the blind lead the blind. To return to the source is to see one's original face, and to be inwardly still is to be joined with Heaven; benefit is the boundless virtue of one's own nature poured out without attachment, and steadfastness is the settled and tranquil heart. In the eighth month the shared karma of the crowd ripens and misfortune comes, yet it passes, for calm endurance outlasts it.
Tuan Zhuan — Commentary on the Judgment （彖传）
Approach. The firm is soaked and grows; glad and compliant, firm within and answered, great success through correctness: this is the way of Heaven. In the eighth month there will be misfortune: the decline does not last.
ExplainedA single yang line, watered by the law, grows and swells until it opens into the full brightness of three yangs. Teaching must persuade and adapt to the capacity of each listener, like water fitting the shape of the cup, while the truth at the center never changes. He who returns to the source and is joined to Heaven reaches success through correctness, and since sincerity is the way of Heaven itself the four virtues flow out of it; the waning of the eighth month does not endure.
Xiang Zhuan — Image Commentary （大象）
Earth above the lake: Approach. Thus the noble one teaches with tireless thought, and shelters and protects the people without boundary.
ExplainedLooking down upon the sea of suffering, the noble one teaches without end and protects all beings as parents protect their children. There is no boundary to his care and no class of person excluded, and all his teaching remains centered in the four virtues.
The Six Lines （六爻）
The lines are read from the bottom upward. Each carries its own text, a Small Image commentary, and a plain-English reading.
Line 1 · YangLine 1
Moving approach. Perseverance brings good fortune.
Small ImageMoving approach with perseverance brings good fortune: the will moves correctly.
ExplainedApproach begins with feeling, not with demands. The deepest impression comes from steadfastness, for when one is truly an upright person others see the Way and virtue in him and long for them. Let the will be set on becoming a good and benevolent person rather than on success and wealth.
Line 2 · YangLine 2
Moving approach. Good fortune. Nothing that is not favorable.
Small ImageMoving approach brings good fortune: he does not yet follow the mandate.
ExplainedHere leader and following are bound by deep affection, and much is accomplished through that loyalty. Yet such devotion does not yet follow the mandate of Heaven, for it leads men to win kingdoms and not to become sages, and so it lasts only a while.
Line 3 · YinLine 3
Sweet approach. Nothing that is favorable. If he becomes anxious about it, there is no blame.
Small ImageSweet approach: his place is not fitting.
ExplainedThis is the least acceptable way to lead, pleasing the crowd with sweet words because one fears displeasure, like parents who give a child everything he likes and raise an unfeeling heir. Nothing is gained by it; yet if one awakens to the fault and repents, the error can be repaired.
Line 4 · YinLine 4
Perfect approach. No blame.
Small ImagePerfect approach without blame: his place is fitting.
ExplainedPerfect approach is to fill one's role exactly: a leader knows the duties of his post, and officer, teacher and missionary each act so fittingly that no one doubts whether they belong there. Where role and cultivation match, no fault is incurred.
Line 5 · YinLine 5
Knowing approach. The fitness of a great prince. Good fortune.
Small ImageThe fitness of a great prince means acting from the center.
ExplainedThis is wisdom joined to compassion: the benevolent one loves people, the wise one understands them and gives each a fitting task. Ask and observe, exalt the good and pass over the evil, and holding both extremes apply the center to the people; only the four virtues in one person produce such discernment.
Line 6 · YinLine 6
Earnest approach. Good fortune. No blame.
Small ImageThe good fortune of earnest approach: his will is within.
ExplainedEarnest approach is to transform others by virtue, unmoved as a mountain, teaching without words and without clamor. The heart does not leak outward but returns its light, and though utterly still its influence reaches everywhere, like a hidden teacher whose garden still flourishes.
Key takeaway
Approach is the art of leading and teaching: to move others by sincerity rather than reproach, and to hold the four virtues quietly while the tide of shared karma passes.
Frequently asked questions
What does Hexagram 19 (Lin) mean in the I Ching?
Lin is Earth over Lake: the broad land looks down upon the great water, whose tide surges in homage, the posture of one who rules. Lin means to lead and to teach, as tutor and guardian instruct a prince. It follows the hexagram of decay and shows how to come close to the multitude and draw living beings toward the good.
What is the judgment of Hexagram 19?
Approach. Supreme success, favorable to be steadfast. In the eighth month there will be misfortune. Whoever would teach others must himself carry the four virtues, lest the blind lead the blind. To return to the source is to see one's original face, and to be inwardly still is to be joined with Heaven; benefit is the boundless virtue of one's own nature poured out without attachment, and steadfastness is the settled…
What do the six lines of Hexagram 19 say?
Line 1: Moving approach. Perseverance brings good fortune. Line 2: Moving approach. Good fortune. Nothing that is not favorable. Line 3: Sweet approach. Nothing that is favorable. If he becomes anxious about it, there is no blame. Line 4: Perfect approach. No blame. Line 5: Knowing approach. The fitness of a great prince. Good fortune. Line 6: Earnest approach. Good fortune. No blame.
What is the main lesson of Hexagram 19 (Approach)?
Approach is the art of leading and teaching: to move others by sincerity rather than reproach, and to hold the four virtues quietly while the tide of shared karma passes.
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