Abundance
The Sun at Midday
Take the fullness without sorrow at its passing: at midday the sun has already begun to set.
Li, the Clinging, Fire, stands below Zhen, the Arousing, Thunder, and the Image is thunder and lightning coming together, clarity within and movement without. Abundance on this scale belongs to a ruler, and the Judgement tells the king who attains it not to be sad but to be like the sun at midday. The commentary then states the limit plainly: when the sun stands at midday it begins to set, and when the moon is full it begins to wane. The lines darken as they rise, showing the Big Dipper visible at noon, and the Image applies the pairing to justice, where clarity sees the case and movement carries out the sentence.
Light
The height of plenty, where clear sight and the power to act are held at the same time, with the counsel to take the fullness of the moment without sorrow at its passing.
Shadow
The zenith cannot be prolonged. The lines show noon gone dark, and a house so abundant that its owner screens off his family and peers through the gate at a courtyard where nobody remains.
