Jia Ren I Ching Gua Meaning

The thirty-seventh gua is called Jia Ren, which is associated with the fifth month of the lunar year, or June in the solar calendar. The character jia translates to family, and the character ren translates to person. This gua includes both jia and ren to emphasize the inclusion of every family member as well as other domestic relationships. As a gua, Jia Ren translates to mean Household or the family. Confucius cared deeply about filial piety, believing that good governance originates first from assuming one’s appropriate place in the household. The virtues of filial piety are transferable to the relationship between the government and its people. This gua states that after one is injured (Ming Yi), they are likely to return home for recovery.

Two ideographs represent the gua, Jia Ren. The first is an image of a house and a pig to represent the family. The significance of the pig in this ideograph stems from the idea that family members must be educated just as animals must be tamed and trained. Family members must learn their place in the hierarchy as well as learn acceptable behavior and morals. Ancient Chinese households commonly raised pigs, giving further significance to this portion of the ideograph. The second ideograph is ren or the image of a person. They are bending over to reach both hands and feet to the ground. The two ideographs combined illustrate the whole image of the household.

Jia Ren is Wind above Fire; Wind blows forth from Fire, implying a warm and harmonious household dynamic is present. Wind in this gua represents a harmonious wind springing from the flames of love represented by Fire. One should cultivate peace and goodwill from the very beginning of the family. A husband and wife begin the family and must bring an atmosphere of harmony to the home. Their responsibility is to manage their home and provide a healing environment for Ming Yi to move into.

After returning home from prison, King Wen encouraged people to establish households, families, and careers. He encouraged filial piety, stating that it was more favorable for each family member to adhere to their position in the hierarchy. For example, he believed as Confucius did that women should remain managers of home affairs, while men should manage outside affairs. Additionally, he believed that home management was akin to kingdom governance on a much smaller scale. When people respect the structure of the household, they learn to exist within a community of people. Once people have established their relationship with others in their community, they can adhere to their social position as a subject of the government. If people cultivate stable household relationships, then they would be more likely to conform to government hierarchy. King Wen understood that assuming one’s place in society requires leaders to define these positions in the first place. For this reason, he began where all people begin—in the family. From this foundational point, adherence to social positions is said to develop naturally.

䷤ Jia Ren hexagram

䷤ Jia Ren hexagram meaning

A woman knows best about her home,
And there she makes good plans.

Bottom Line

Bottom Line meaning

When you have a spacious house,
You have no worries at your door.

Line Two

Line Two meaning

Waiting about for your heart to catch fire,
You tend the cooking pots.
Your future still looks bright.

Line Three

Line Three meaning

Silence and decorum keep us safe
From giggling children and joking women,
Who may bring vexing trouble.
When every family member
Feels free to speak his mind,
It may cause no end of problems.
But still, fortune smiles on joy.

Line Four

Line Four meaning

Fortune smiles on him 
Who makes a prosperous home.

Line Five

Line Five meaning

The visit of a king,
Staying in your home,
Is an honor, not a punishment.
Be not frightened, for it bodes well. 

Top Line

Top Line meaning

To win honor and prestige
Is a worthy goal for you.