Hexagram 53: Development
Jian · 漸
The Judgment
The maiden is given in marriage. Good fortune. Persistence furthers. A tree on a mountain develops slowly according to the law of its being and consequently stands firmly rooted. Development proceeds gradually, step by step. Within is tranquility guarding against precipitate actions; without is penetration making development and progress possible. The very gradualness of development makes persistence necessary—persistence alone prevents slow progress from dwindling to nothing.
The Image
On the mountain, a tree. Abide in dignity and virtue to improve the mores. The tree on the mountain is visible from afar; its development influences the entire region. It does not shoot up like a swamp plant—growth proceeds gradually. Work on influencing people can only be gradual. No sudden influence or awakening has lasting effect. Progress must be quite gradual, and for such progress, personality must acquire influence and weight through careful and constant work on moral development.
「山上有木，漸。」山上的樹遠遠就能看見，它的發展影響整個地區的景觀。它不像沼澤裡的植物那樣猛長。象辭說君子「居賢德善俗」——通過自己的德行來改善風俗。影響人心只能是漸進的。任何突然的影響或覺醒都不會持久。這話說起來慢，但往往是真的。
The Six Lines
The wild goose gradually draws near the shore. The young son is in danger. There is talk. No blame. The shore is the first resting place. A lonely young person just starting out to make their way in life. Since no one comes to help, first steps are slow and hesitant, surrounded by danger. Naturally there is much criticism. But these very difficulties keep you from being too hasty, and progress is successful.
The wild goose gradually draws near the cliff. Eating and drinking in peace and concord. Good fortune. The cliff is a safe place on shore. Development has gone a step further. Initial insecurity is overcome, a safe position found, giving enough to live on. This first success brings joyousness. One goes to meet the future reassured. The wild goose calls to its comrades when it finds food—symbol of peace and concord in good fortune.
The wild goose gradually draws near the plateau. The man goes forth and does not return. The woman carries a child but does not bring it forth. Misfortune. It furthers one to fight off robbers. The high plateau is dry and unsuitable. Gone too far, contrary to the law of development. If you plunge too rashly into a struggle by your own choice, misfortune results. But if you don't willfully provoke conflict and confine yourself to vigorously maintaining your position, all goes well.
The wild goose gradually draws near the tree. Perhaps it will find a flat branch. No blame. A tree is not a suitable place for a wild goose. But if clever, it will find a flat branch on which it can get a footing. Life often brings you into inappropriate situations where it's difficult to hold your own. Being sensible and yielding enables you to discover a safe place, though surrounded by danger.
The wild goose gradually draws near the summit. For three years the woman has no child. In the end nothing can hinder her. Good fortune. In a high position, one easily becomes isolated. You are misjudged by the very person on whom you depend. This is the work of deceitful persons who have wormed their way in. Relationships remain sterile; nothing is accomplished. But in further development, misunderstandings are cleared away, reconciliation achieved after all.
The wild goose gradually draws near the cloud heights. Its feathers can be used for the sacred dance. Good fortune. Life comes to its end. Work stands completed. The path rises high toward heaven, like wild geese leaving the earth far behind, keeping strict formation. If their feathers fall, they can serve as ornaments in sacred temple dances. The life of one who has perfected themselves is a bright light for the people of earth, who look up to them as an example.
Artwork & Treatise
The Avenue at Middelharnis
Meindert Hobbema, 1689
Dutch Golden Age painter Meindert Hobbema depicts a tree-lined country road near Middelharnis in his 1689 work. Tall, slender poplars recede in precise linear perspective toward a vanishing point where the path meets horizon. Each tree marks a measured stage along the route. A hunter with dogs walks the middle distance. Tilled fields stretch on either side. The composition creates visual progression through repetition—same tree, same distance, same interval, extending into depth. Progress becomes visible through patient accumulation of identical steps.
This is Jiàn (漸), the Chinese hexagram of Gradual Progress. The character contains the water radical, suggesting slow seepage and incremental advance like moisture penetrating soil. Ancient diviners saw this configuration when Wind (Sun) sits above Mountain (Gèn): wood grows upon rocky slopes through persistent effort over seasons, each year adding rings without dramatic transformation. Hobbema's avenue demonstrates this principle through spatial geometry—the eye travels from foreground to background along a path that unfolds stage by stage, each tree a waypoint confirming steady movement.
{artwork_reasoning}
The Judgment declares: "Development. The maiden is given in marriage. Good fortune. Perseverance furthers." The ancient text references Zhou Dynasty wedding customs where the groom presented wild geese at progressive stages of courtship—each gift marking a phase in the ritual sequence. The marriage couldn't be rushed; each stage required completion before advancing to the next. Hobbema's path operates similarly—you cannot reach the distant trees without passing the near ones, cannot glimpse the church spire without traversing the measured intervals between poplars. Classical commentaries emphasize that Jiàn represents the wild goose migration: birds advancing to their destination through careful stages, each position deliberately chosen.
The Image Text states: "On the mountain, a tree: the image of Development. Thus the superior man abides in dignity and virtue, in order to improve the mores." Trees growing on slopes face harsh conditions—thin soil, exposed wind, steep grade. Growth comes slowly but roots strengthen through resistance. The six line texts describe the goose advancing from water's edge to boulder to plateau to treetop to summit, each stage presenting new conditions that require adaptation while maintaining direction. In the hexagram sequence, Development follows Keeping Still: after establishing mountain-like stability, gradual upward movement becomes possible without losing foundation.
Yilin Verse
別離分散，長子從軍，稚叔就賊，寡老獨居，莫為種瓜。
Jiao Yanshou's Forest of Changes (焦氏易林) — Unchanging verse for 漸 (Jiàn)
Character-by-Character Breakdown
Classical Chinese text with pinyin and English meanings