Gen, resist

Ideogram: figure + big eye, looking around of backwards
attribute: Mountain

In the Mawangdui YiJing: root or base, cause, beginning (tree + stop).

Gen, solid

"God (Di) brings them to perfection in the sign of Gen."

  Behind all change everything has a 'way of being' which is its true nature. What is your original face, the face before you were born... This is where you are perfect, where everything is perfect. Perfect as the original creation, and perfect as whatever shape it happens to have formed, whatever hills and valleys and peaks have established themselves. "And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good."

"Gen is the trigram of the northeast, where end and beginning of all creatures are completed. Therefore it is said: “He brings them to perfection in the sign of Gen."

  Mountain is the opposite of Thunder, the arousing. In Thunder the dragon flies, in Mountain it is resting. The dragon acts when it is time for action and rests when it is time for rest. Only when action is completed or not necessary, rest can come about. Mountain defines the limits of everything we do, it is before and after action, when things just are the way they are.

"Gen brings about standstill."

  Gen is the axis of your being, the centre of your world. It defines who your are in the world. Everything turns around Gen, but Gen does not move from its place. The gods live where Heaven and Earth meet, only Mountain can reach up there. With Mountain you can connect with them – but on Mountain you can also feel their anger when you leave your true heart. Mountain is the stillness of the sage but also the isolation of pride or control and of turning away from others. Mountain is the inner defense against the world. It can be a protection, but just as well a prison of stone for oneself. "The ascent of this mountain belongs to self-knowledge and what happens at the top of the mountain leads to the knowledge of God." (Richard of St.Victor).

"The forces of Mountain and Lake are united (Lynn: as Mountain and Lake reciprocally circulate force)."

  Mountain gives a foundation and borders to life, nourishes what is next to it, and lake fills it in with living joy and exchange. Every creature needs both to make his life substantial and yet liquid, strong and yet full of movement.

"Of all the forces that give joy to things, there is none more gladdening than Dui, Lake. Of all the forces that end and begin things, there is none more glorious (Lynn: resourceful) than Gen, Mountain. Therefore: the forces of Mountain and Lake are united in their action."

  Individuality and exchange seem opposites, but they need each other. Through exchange with other creatures and everything around us we can develop our true nature, discover who we are and who we are not. When to open up and when to defend ourselves, when to join and when to withdraw.

"Gen manifests itself in the hand."

  People start to know each other by shaking hands. The hands are the visible sign of individuality, the means to act and receive. They are telltale of the mind and the heart.

"In Gen she seeks for a third time and receives a son. Therefore it is called the youngest son."

  Only after everything which happens comes one's true nature. When things still affect your being, you have not yet reached your inner stable core.

"Gen is a bypath; it means little stones, doors and openings, fruits and seeds, eunuchs and watchmen..."

  Gen is the transition between one phase and another, the silent moment, when breathing in changes to breathing out and vv, when change stops and will begin again. Meditation, sleep, the end of life or the first beginning, contemplating change and the past, getting an overview of the outside or inside.

Inner and outer trigram
"The noble one does not permit his thoughts to go beyond the situation"

  When Mountain is INNER (lower) trigram it brings its conscientious individuality into everything which is expressed through the outer trigram.

  When Mountain is INNER (lower) trigram it brings its conscientious individuality into everything which is expressed through the outer trigram.
  In 33 the powerful order of Heaven (The noble one distances himself from small people, without dislike and yet stern)
  In 15 the generous space of Earth (The noble one reduces the many and augments the few. He evaluates things and bestows equalizing)
  In 62 the energy of Thunder (The noble one exceeds in respect in actions, exceeds in sorrow at funerals, exceeds in thrift at spending)
  In 53 the influence of Wind (The noble one stays in dignity and virtue and improves the common people).
  In 39 the reshaping power of Water (The noble one reverses his being to repair the character)
  In 56 the clarity of Fire (The noble one is clear minded and cautious in imposing punishment and does not protract lawsuits).
  In 52 the conscientious individuality of Mountain (The noble one does not permit his thoughts to go beyond his situation)
  In 31 the reflection of Lake (The noble one receives people by emptiness)

  When Mountain is OUTER (upper) trigram it channels the inner trigram into (its) conscientious individuality (virtue).

  In 26 the powerful order of Heaven (The noble one knows many former words and deeds and proceedings, in order to accumulate his virtue)
  In 23 the generous space of Earth (The high ones make their house peaceful by generosity to the low ones)
  In 27 the energy of Thunder (The noble one uses cautious language and limited food and drink)
  In 18 the influence of Wind (The noble one inspires the people to raise virtue)
  In 4 the reshaping power of Water (A noble one nurtures virtue by reliable conduct)
  In 22 the clarity of Fire (The noble one has insight in many people's affairs without daring to judge in legal cases)
  In 52 the conscientious individuality of Mountain (The noble one does not permit his thoughts to go beyond his situation)
  In 41 the reflection of Lake (The noble one controls anger and restrains passion)

Shuo Gua
explaining the trigrams (transl. Wilhelm-Baynes)

The forces of mountain and lake are united (Lynn: as Mountain and Lake reciprocally circulate force).
  4. Keeping Still brings about standstill (Lynn: by Restraint that all things are made to stop).
  5. (God) brings them to perfection in the sign of Keeping Still. Keeping Still is the trigram of the northeast, where beginning and end of all creatures are completed. Therefore it is said: “He brings them to perfection in the sign of Keeping Still.”
  6. Of all the forces that give joy to things, there is none more gladdening than the lake. Of all the forces that end and begin things, there is none more glorious (Lynn: resourceful) than keeping still. Therefore: the forces of mountain and lake are united in their action.
  7. Keeping Still means stand-still.
  8. Keeping Still acts in the dog
  9. Keeping Still manifests itself in the hand
  10. In Keeping Still she seeks for a third time and receives a son. Therefore it is called the youngest son.
  11. Keeping Still is the mountain; it is a bypath; it means little stones, doors and openings (fruits and seeds (L: tree fruit and vine fruit), eunuchs and watchmen (L: gatekeeper and the palace guard), the fingers.
It is the dog, the rat, and the various kinds of black-billed birds.
Among trees it signifies the firm and gnarled.