I Ching · Hexagram 50 of 64
Hexagram 50: Ding （鼎） — The Cauldron
Wind and Wood below, Fire above: wood feeds fire, and the shape is the ancient three-legged, two-eared vessel. The cauldron is the great vessel of state, cooking food to nourish the people and to sacrifice to Heaven, and so it stands for the weighty task of ordering the world. The hexagram shows how an ordinary small self is tempered into a vessel fit for the work of saving the world, beginning with embracing the One and settling one's mandate in the correct position.
At a glance
| Hexagram | 50 of 64 |
|---|---|
| Name | Ding 鼎 · The Cauldron |
| Upper trigram | Li （离）· Fire |
| Lower trigram | Xun （巽）· Wind |
| Structure | Fire over Wind |
| Lines | 6 lines |
The Judgment （卦辞）
The Cauldron. Supreme good fortune. Success.
ExplainedThe cauldron is the vessel of the state, the emblem of the weighty task of transforming hearts and nurturing society. Supreme good fortune is to embrace the One and hold fast to the pure nature within, not letting it wander outward; when a person returns to the root, even the ill-tempered turn fortunate and Heaven supports them. Only then comes success - here read as cooking: preparing spiritual food and spreading the truth so that people's hearts become pure and good. Embracing the One is the substance; cooking is its function, and without returning to the root there is no success, for one must awaken oneself before awakening others.
Tuan Zhuan — Commentary on the Judgment （彖传）
The Cauldron is an image. Wood enters below, fire is above: this is cooking. The sage cooks in order to offer sacrifice to God, and greatly cooks in order to nourish the holy and the wise. Gentle and yet clear of ear and eye, the yielding advances and moves upward; it attains the middle and responds to the firm. Therefore there is supreme success.
ExplainedWood beneath fire, wood feeding fire - this is the image of cooking, and the ancient word for success also means to cook. The sage cooks his offering to sacrifice to God, and what is offered is not the thing but the heart of sacrifice; he cooks the food of truth to nourish the holy and wise and raise up people of virtue and talent. The gentle means obedience to Heaven's command and the bright means clarity, so that one is obedient to Heaven yet clear of ear and eye. The yielding line rises to the ruler's place and the firm and wise answer it from above. With these two, one goes from the small self straight toward the path of sagehood.
Xiang Zhuan — Image Commentary （大象）
Fire over wood: The Cauldron. The gentleman settles his position and consolidates his mandate.
ExplainedFire over wood is the image of cooking, and so of the Cauldron. The gentleman takes this to settle his position and consolidate his mandate - the mind returning to its true seat, and the heavenly mandate gathered and refined until the dark soul becomes the original spirit. One who never leaves that seat has Heaven's power poured into him, and is fit to bear the weight of transforming the world.
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 · YinLine 1
The cauldron is overturned, its legs upward. It is favorable to pour out the stale. One takes a concubine for the sake of a son. No blame.
Small ImageThe cauldron overturned, its legs upward: this is not contrary. It is favorable to pour out the stale, in order to follow what is noble.
ExplainedThe first step of cultivation is to turn the cauldron over and pour out the filth - the seven emotions and the many desires that fill the heart. After the cleansing comes the shift from base to noble, as one takes a concubine for an heir and not for passion: acting for the common good and not for the self.
Line 2 · YangLine 2
The cauldron has substance. My enemy has an illness; he cannot come near me. Good fortune.
Small ImageThe cauldron has substance: be careful where you go. My enemy has an illness: in the end, no fault.
ExplainedThe cauldron is filled with new and genuine content - a life reformed and filled with what is real. Karmic enemies come swiftly to test you, but if your practice is solid, with sincere repentance and sincere cultivation, they cannot reach you. Watch your words and deeds, and in the end even resentment dissolves.
Line 3 · YangLine 3
The cauldron's ears are changed, its movement is blocked. The pheasant's fat is not eaten. When the rain comes, regret diminishes. In the end, good fortune.
Small ImageThe cauldron's ears changed: it has lost what is right.
ExplainedAfter the test, strange voices whisper at the ear and tempt one away, until the road is blocked. The fine food in the cauldron - the true teaching - goes untasted while one seeks outside. Once one has suffered and regretted, the rain of truth falls and Heaven still turns the person back. The difference between noble and petty lies in choosing between what is right and what is profitable.
Line 4 · YangLine 4
The cauldron's legs break. The prince's food is overturned. His form is drenched. Misfortune.
Small ImageOverturning the prince's food: how can he be trusted?
ExplainedA broken leg means taking on a great task without measuring one's strength. When virtue is thin while the position is high, when wisdom is small while the plan is great, the vessel cannot be carried and the food meant for all is spilled. Such a person cannot be trusted with weight, and should know his own measure.
Line 5 · YinLine 5
The cauldron has yellow ears and a golden carrying ring. Favorable to persevere.
Small ImageThe cauldron with yellow ears: the middle is taken as its substance.
ExplainedYellow ears and a golden ring mean that one has become a great vessel of the state. Yellow belongs to the center, so the ears hear evenly, taking in praise and blame alike as sweet rain. Only now can one truly benefit all beings and become a noble person, holding the center so that neither attack nor slander can disturb the heart.
Line 6 · YangLine 6
The cauldron has a jade carrying ring. Great good fortune. Nothing is unfavorable.
Small ImageThe jade ring is above: firm and yielding are tempered.
ExplainedThe jade ring is the emblem of final attainment, the cauldron unmoving. A golden ring wins people by justice; a jade ring transforms them by virtue, as the pole star stays in its place while all the stars bow to it. Neither purely firm nor purely yielding, it is firm and soft by turns, and so reaches the highest place and feeds both Heaven and the wise.
Key takeaway
The cauldron is the great vessel of state: the hexagram teaches how the ordinary small self is tempered into a vessel fit for the work of saving the world, the first requirement being to embrace the One and settle one's mandate in the correct position.
Frequently asked questions
What does Hexagram 50 (Ding) mean in the I Ching?
Wind and Wood below, Fire above: wood feeds fire, and the shape is the ancient three-legged, two-eared vessel. The cauldron is the great vessel of state, cooking food to nourish the people and to sacrifice to Heaven, and so it stands for the weighty task of ordering the world. The hexagram shows how an ordinary small self is tempered into a vessel fit for the work of saving the world, beginning with embracing the One and settling one's mandate in the correct position.
What is the judgment of Hexagram 50?
The Cauldron. Supreme good fortune. Success. The cauldron is the vessel of the state, the emblem of the weighty task of transforming hearts and nurturing society. Supreme good fortune is to embrace the One and hold fast to the pure nature within, not letting it wander outward; when a person returns to the root, even the ill-tempered turn fortunate and Heaven…
What do the six lines of Hexagram 50 say?
Line 1: The cauldron is overturned, its legs upward. It is favorable to pour out the stale. One takes a concubine for the sake of a son. No blame. Line 2: The cauldron has substance. My enemy has an illness; he cannot come near me. Good fortune. Line 3: The cauldron's ears are changed, its movement is blocked. The pheasant's fat is not eaten. When the rain comes, regret diminishes. In the end, good fortune. Line 4: The cauldron's legs break. The prince's food is overturned. His form is drenched. Misfortune. Line 5: The cauldron has yellow ears and a golden carrying ring. Favorable to persevere. Line 6: The cauldron has a jade carrying ring. Great good fortune. Nothing is unfavorable.
What is the main lesson of Hexagram 50 (The Cauldron)?
The cauldron is the great vessel of state: the hexagram teaches how the ordinary small self is tempered into a vessel fit for the work of saving the world, the first requirement being to embrace the One and settle one's mandate in the correct position.
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