The image
Thunder and wind: the image of DURATION.
Thus the superior man stands firm
And does not change has direction.
Thunder rolls, and the wind blows; both are examples of extreme mobility and so are seemingly the very opposite of duration, but the laws governing their appearance and subsidence, their coming and going, endure. In the same way the independence of the superior man is not based on rigidity and immobility of character. He always keeps abreast of the time and changes with it. What endures is the unswerving directive, the inner law of his being, which determines all his actions.



The lines
Six at the beginning [yin at bottom] means:
Seeking duration too hastily brings misfortune persistently.
Nothing that would further.
Whatever endures can be created only gradually by long- continued work and careful reflection. In the same sense Lao-tse says:
\"If we wish to compress something, we must first let it fully expand.\"
He who demands too much at once is acting precipitately, and because he attempts too much, he ends by succeeding in nothing.
Nine in the second place means:
Remorse disappears.
The situation is abnormal. A man\'s force of character is greater than the available material power. Thus he might be afraid of allowing himself to attempt something beyond his strength. However, since it is the time of DURATION, it is possible for him to control his inner strength and so to avoid excess. Cause for remorse then disappears.
Nine in the third place means:
He who does not give duration to his character
Meets with disgrace.
Persistent humiliation.
If a man remains at the mercy of moods of hope or fear aroused by the outer world, he loses his inner consistency of character. Such inconsistency invariably leads to distressing experiences. These humiliations often come from an unforeseen quarter. Such experiences are not merely effects produced by the external world, but logical consequences evoked by his own nature.
Nine in the fourth place means: