TL;DR: The Cấn trigram (艮, ☶) is the single trigram symbolizing Mountain, with the Earth element, and the Later Heaven direction Northeast according to Nhật Nguyệt's core calculation table. The Shuogua (a chapter of the Ten Wings, traditionally attributed to Confucius) says Cấn means stopping, and is the Northeast trigram where all things are completed, ending and then beginning again. Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: one should know when to stop, keep the mind at ease, and respect boundaries in relationships.
What is the single trigram Gen?
The Gen trigram (艮, ☶) is one of the eight single trigrams of the I Ching, consisting of one yang line above and two yin lines below. According to the Nhật Nguyệt core calculation table, Gen has the natural image of Mountain, the Five Elements element of Earth, and the Later Heaven direction of Northeast. Within the Bagua, Gen is listed as the seventh trigram in the Later Heaven order.
What does the Shuogua say about the Gen trigram?
The Shuogua is a chapter of the Ten Wings, traditionally attributed to Confucius; modern scholarship does not consider the authorship proven. Below are the passages in the Shuogua that speak directly about the Gen trigram, with the Chinese characters, Sino-Vietnamese pronunciation, and a close translation.
Chapter 4: 艮以止之。 Cấn dĩ chỉ chi. Gen is to stop it.
Chapter 5: 艮，東北之卦也，萬物之所成，終而所成始也，故曰成言乎艮。 Cấn, đông bắc chi quái dã, vạn vật chi sở thành, chung nhi sở thành thủy dã, cố viết thành ngôn hồ Cấn. Gen is the trigram of the Northeast, it is where all things are completed, ending and then beginning to be completed, therefore it is said "completion" is spoken of at Gen.
Chapter 6: 終萬物、始萬物者，莫盛乎艮。 Chung vạn vật, thủy vạn vật giả, mạc thịnh hồ Cấn. That which ends all things and begins all things, nothing is more flourishing than Gen.
Chapter 7: 艮，止也。 Cấn, chỉ dã. Gen is stopping.
Chapter 8: 艮為狗。 Cấn vi cẩu. Gen is the dog.
Chapter 9: 艮為手。 Cấn vi thủ. Gen is the hand.
Chapter 10: 艮三索而得男，故謂之少男。 Cấn tam sách nhi đắc nam, cố vị chi thiếu nam. Gen sought three times and obtained a son, therefore it is called the youngest son.
Chapter 11: 艮為山、為徑路、為小石、為門闕、為果蓏、為閽寺、為指、為狗、為鼠、為黔喙之屬。其於木也，為堅多節。 Cấn vi sơn, vi kính lộ, vi tiểu thạch, vi môn khuyết, vi quả lỏa, vi hôn tự, vi chỉ, vi cẩu, vi thử, vi kiềm uế chi thuộc. Kỳ ư mộc dã, vi kiên đa tiết. Gen is the mountain, is the narrow path, is the small stone, is the gate tower, is the fruit and melon, is the gatekeeper, is the finger, is the dog, is the rat, is the creatures of black muzzle. As for wood, it is the hard and many-jointed kind.
The images above are from the Shuogua. As for direction, Chapter 5 of the Shuogua places Gen in the Northeast (Later Heaven), matching the Nhật Nguyệt core calculation table; while the Earlier Heaven direction of Gen is the Northwest, these two systems differ and this should be made clear when consulting.
How does Zhu Xi comment on the image of the Gen trigram?
Zhu Xi, in the Zhouyi Benyi, first volume, in the "Eight Trigrams Chief Images Song", has the mnemonic: 艮覆碗 (Cấn phúc uyển), meaning Gen is like an overturned bowl. The image of one yang line above two yin lines evokes the overturned bowl, firm and still.
In Nhật Nguyệt's understanding, what does the Gen trigram mean?
In Nhật Nguyệt's understanding, the Gen trigram with the image of Mountain, the Five Elements element of Earth, and the Later Heaven direction of Northeast is a symbol of stillness, the stopping point, and enduring accomplishment. In the cycle of all things, after each period of movement and development, there is often a time when a stopping point is needed to consolidate, rest, and observe. Gen suggests that stopping point, not an absolute end but a deliberate pause, to look back, contemplate, and prepare for the next step.
The image of a mountain standing firm before storms suggests a state of mind that is at ease and steady before ups and downs. When the mind is still, external turbulence finds it hard to shake the inner self, and from there one can observe all things more objectively and act more rightly.
Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion for today
Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: In work, when a project has achieved a certain success, one may spend time consolidating and perfecting rather than expanding recklessly. In relationships, one should respect others' boundaries, knowing when to speak, when to be silent, when to move forward, and when to step back. Internally, one should find a quiet space to observe and listen to oneself. Regarding home feng shui, the Northeast area belongs to Gen, with the Five Elements element of Earth, and one may pay attention to keeping this place tidy and stable.
Quick reference table: the single trigram Gen
| Aspect | Content |
|---|---|
| Earlier Heaven number | 7 |
| Chinese character name | 艮 |
| Symbol | ☶ |
| Natural image | Mountain |
| Sino-Vietnamese combining form for the double trigram name | Sơn |
| Five Elements | Earth |
| Later Heaven direction | Northeast |
| Three lines, the first line at the bottom | first yin, second yin, third yang |
The figures in the table match the results of the lookup tools on Nhật Nguyệt.
Trigram structure and the nuclear and changed trigrams of Gen
| Type | Content |
|---|---|
| Single trigram Gen | ☶, first yin, second yin, third yang |
| Nuclear trigram | When the single trigram Gen is taken as the inner trigram, the nuclear trigram of the corresponding double trigram can be looked up with the tool |
| Changed trigram | When a line moves, the changed trigram is determined by the moving line |
*The nuclear trigram and changed trigram entries need to be looked up with the Nhật Nguyệt tool to get accurate results for each case.*
Topic overview article: Bagua
