Yi Jing, Oracle of the Moon

Hex.19 and 20: the bigger picture

Hex.19 Lín, Nearing
The Overseer

象曰 the great images says:
澤上有地 above marsh is earth
君子 noble one
以 use
教思 teaching pondering
無窮 inexhaustable (without exhaust)
容保 tolerate protect
民 people
無疆 endless (without borders)

Ban Xiang (trigrams) lake-earth
Hu Gua (nuclear hex) 24
Qian Gua (inverse hex) 20
Jiao Gua (reverse hex) 45
Pang Tong Gua (opposite/complementary hex) 33

 

Pictures at top:

LIN: The character is composed of a man bending over (1), with a vertical eye (2): a slave, vassal or officer (GSR 377). Bending makes your eye vertical. And three mouths or objects (GSR 122). If they are objects, the meaning is class, to classify, quality, area, small, content, conceal. If they are mouths, it indicates a number of people one cares for. But they also resemble Ding (population, attendants or sound of wood-chopping) GSR833, L-LY64. Another old form of Lin shows connecting lines between the eye and the objects (a).
   LIN: oversee; be adjacent to; approach; face; overlook, arrive; be present, copy (calligraphy/painting), on the point of; just before; be about to, facing. 

The characters at left: words or compounds with Lín:
1 Mawangdui: (2 trees) wood, forest.
2 (look-down-blood) (same graph, but vessel with blood instead of objects) prison, jail, inspector, supervisor, supervise, inspect, watch
3 (near fate) on verge of death
4 (glory near) be present
5 (body near one's situation) experience personally
6 (face near) be faced with; be up against
7 (near origin) copy (of painting/etc.)
8 (bend-down near) overlook (from a height)

In compounds, 'overseeing', Lín, seems most of all '(being) near'.

Hex.20 Guān, contemplating
The Heron

象曰 the great images says:
風行地上 wind move over earth
先王
ancient king
以 use
省方inspect region
觀民 contemplate people
設教 set up teaching (exert cultural influence)

Ban Xiang (trigrams) earth-wind
Hu Gua (nuclear hex) 23
Qian Gua (inverse hex) 19
Jiao Gua (reverse hex) 46
Pang Tong Gua (opposite/complementary hex) 34

 Guān, the two big characters, one old, the other modern: at left a bird with big eyes and a crest: a heron. The eyes might be mouths: a bird with clamor (the oldest graph has no eyes). At right a man with a big eye: to look or see. The old character has no looking man. A mail from Harmen about it HERE.

The characters at left: words or compounds with GUAN1
1 (heron-breath) happy, cheerful, merry, dynamic, vigorous, pleasure, love 
2 (heron-strength) advise
3 (heron-heart) devoted, joy, content
4 (heron-fire) ritual torch, alarm fire, mounted or built high
5 (heron-bird) heron; crane; stork
6 (reach contemplate) take things philosophically
7 (contemplate stop) good beyond comparison
8 (contemplate wind) serve as lookout, look for opportunities, observe local customs

In compounds the meanings of'guàn, the heron, seem to be mostly like those of the Western owl: the wise observer and advisor. Together with strength: advise - with heart: devoted or content - with fire: a ritual torch.
Here, guàn + 'see': seeing with wisdom, not acting but observing, comparing, seeing with understanding. Guān + sound: Guānyīn, the goddess of mercy, she who hears/contemplates the prayers.