艮
Hexagram 52 · 艮
Upper trigram: 艮 · Lower trigram: 艮
Gen (Keeping Still): the hexagram of an appropriate pause. Settle attention, respect your limits, and stop where stopping serves the moment.
The image
Mountain stands above mountain, repeating an image of stable boundaries. Each summit remains in its own place. Gen means stopping or keeping still. The picture concerns an appropriate pause that makes both rest and later movement more coherent.
Judgment
艮其背，不獲其身，行其庭，不見其人，无咎。
Keeping the back still, one does not grasp the self. Walking in the courtyard, one does not see the people. No blame.
The commentary emphasizes stopping and moving at their proper times. A person finishing the working day can put aside unfinished correspondence for an agreed interval instead of carrying every demand into the evening.
Great Image
兼山，艮；君子以思不出其位。
Mountains together: Keeping Still. The exemplary person accordingly does not let thought go beyond the proper position.
Attention becomes steadier when it recognizes what is actually one's responsibility. During a team review, concentrating on one's assigned decisions can be more useful than trying to control everyone's work.
Line texts
Line 1 · 初六
艮其趾，无咎，利永貞。
Keeping the toes still. No blame. Lasting constancy is beneficial.
Six in the first place is yin stopping an impulse before it becomes movement. The Small Image says uprightness remains intact, like pausing before replying sharply to an irritating message.
Line 2 · 六二
艮其腓，不拯其隨，其心不快。
Keeping the calves still. Unable to rescue what they follow, the heart is not glad.
Six in the second place is central yin constrained by movement it cannot direct. The Small Image notes the failure to listen, like an assistant unable to change a supervisor's decision despite having raised a reasonable concern.
Line 3 · 九三
艮其限，列其夤，厲薰心。
Keeping the waist still, rending the flesh along the spine. Danger smolders in the heart.
Nine in the third place is forceful yang turning stillness into rigidity. The Small Image emphasizes inner strain, like trying to suppress every thought during a break instead of allowing attention to settle naturally.
Line 4 · 六四
艮其身，无咎。
Keeping the trunk still. No blame.
Six in the fourth place is fitting yin limiting activity within the self. The Small Image makes that inward boundary explicit, like choosing not to join an argument while remaining available for a later calm discussion.
Line 5 · 六五
艮其輔，言有序，悔亡。
Keeping the jaws still. Words have order, and regret disappears.
Six in the fifth place is central yin giving speech a measured form. The Small Image credits central propriety, like collecting the relevant facts before making a concise contribution in a meeting.
Line 6 · 上九
敦艮，吉。
Wholehearted stillness. Good fortune.
Nine at the top is yang bringing the pause to a substantial completion. The Small Image praises a generous ending, like finishing a period of rest without continually reopening the tasks one has set aside.
When asking about
Career
A deliberate pause can clarify responsibility. Stop unnecessary activity before deciding which task deserves attention.
Love
Quiet can help a conversation when its purpose is clear. Agree on a pause without using silence to punish.
Money
Waiting can make an impulsive purchase easier to assess. Review actual needs after the first urge settles.
Home
Clear periods of quiet can support shared comfort. Discuss boundaries so rest does not become withdrawal from agreed duties.
Study
Focused attention often benefits from a defined stopping point. Rest between sessions and return to one topic at a time.
Health
Make room for ordinary rest and a calmer evening rhythm. See a doctor for any health concern.
Advice
Stop where the moment calls for stopping. Keep the pause natural and proportionate, and let settled attention guide the next movement.
Related hexagrams
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Cast a hexagramReference content based on the I Ching classic, not a prediction.