觀
Guān · Contemplation
What you look at shapes you; what you show shapes others.
The judgment
觀：盥而不荐，有孚顒若。
Contemplation. Hands washed, offering not yet presented; sincere and serious. The moment before the ritual is the one people watch.
Received text; plain English after the Chinese. Source: 周易經傳 (public-domain). Passage: hex20.judgment.
The image
象曰：風行地上，觀。先王以省方觀民設教。
Wind over the earth: contemplation. The old kings inspected the regions, watched the people, and set up teaching accordingly.
Received text; plain English after the Chinese. Source: 周易經傳 (public-domain). Passage: hex20.image.
What you look at shapes you; what you show shapes others.
The six lines
Each line is a stage, from the bottom of the hexagram to the top. Open any line to read it in plain English.
初六 童觀，小人無咎，君子吝。 A child's view. Fine for a small person, embarrassing for a great one: looking without understanding.
A child's view. Fine for a small person, embarrassing for a great one: looking without understanding.
六二 窺觀，利女貞。 Peeking from behind the door. Fits a narrow position; stay within it and it is lucky.
Peeking from behind the door. Fits a narrow position; stay within it and it is lucky.
六三 觀我生，進退。 Look at your own life and decide whether to advance or withdraw. The answer is in how you have been living.
Look at your own life and decide whether to advance or withdraw. The answer is in how you have been living.
六四 觀國之光，利用賓於王。 You see the country's light and are fit to serve the ruler. Look closely at how power actually works.
You see the country's light and are fit to serve the ruler. Look closely at how power actually works.
九五 觀我生，君子無咎。 Look at your own life as a great person would. No blame: self-examination is the work of this line.
Look at your own life as a great person would. No blame: self-examination is the work of this line.
上九 觀其生，君子無咎。 Look at their life, the life beyond your own. No blame: the last line asks you to see others as clearly as yourself.
Look at their life, the life beyond your own. No blame: the last line asks you to see others as clearly as yourself.