Hexagram 52 · Keeping Still

艮 · Gèn

Hexagram 52, Keeping Still (艮, Gèn), is one of the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching (Book of Changes). It is formed by Mountain below and Mountain above. Its judgment reads, in the Chinese original: “艮其背，不获其身；行其庭，不见其人，无咎。”. In the classical tradition this hexagram is associated with stillness — the mountain, and knowing when to stop. This page collects its structure, judgment, Image and six line texts for cultural study.

Structure

Lower trigram: Mountain (艮) — stillness and knowing when to stop
Upper trigram: Mountain (艮) — stillness and knowing when to stop
Symbol: ䷳ · Name: 艮 (Gèn) · Number: 52 of 64

Judgment (Chinese original)

The Image (Chinese original)

The Six Lines (Chinese original)

1. Bottom line (yin) (初六)
   艮其趾，无咎，利永贞。
   The Image says: “艮其趾”，未失正也。
2. 六二 (六二)
   艮其腓，不拯其随，其心不快。
   The Image says: “不拯其随”，未退听也。
3. 九三 (九三)
   艮其限，列其夤，厉熏心。
   The Image says: “艮其限”，危“熏心”也。
4. 六四 (六四)
   艮其身，无咎。
   The Image says: “艮其身”，止诸躬也。
5. 六五 (六五)
   艮其辅，言有序，悔亡。
   The Image says: “艮其辅”，以中正也。
6. Top line (yang) (上九)
   敦艮，吉。
   The Image says: “敦艮”之“吉”，以厚终也。

FAQ

What is I Ching Hexagram 52?

Hexagram 52 is Keeping Still (艮, Gèn), one of the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching. It is formed by Mountain below and Mountain above, and belongs to the classical Chinese textual tradition.

What is the judgment of Keeping Still?

The judgment of Keeping Still reads, in the Chinese original: “艮其背，不获其身；行其庭，不见其人，无咎。”. Its Great Image reads: “兼山，艮。君子以思不出其位。”. Translations vary by edition; the judgment and the Image are the core texts for understanding the hexagram.

What does Keeping Still symbolize?

In the classical tradition, Keeping Still is associated with stillness — the mountain, and knowing when to stop. It is studied as cultural symbolism — a lens for reflection — not as a prediction of fortune or future events.