Lin Hexagram & Guan Hexagram: One Requires Your Presence, the Other Calls for a Show of Presence

Lin (Approach) and Guan (Contemplation) are the 19th and 20th hexagrams of the 64 Hexagrams.

The structures of these two hexagrams are exact opposites.

Lin is 地泽临 (Di Ze Lin / Approach). It has Dui (The Joyous) as the lower trigram and Kun (The Receptive) as the upper trigram — the marsh lies below, and the earth rests above. With earth towering over the marsh, it evokes the image of looking down from above, hence the name "Lin" (approaching from a higher position).

Guan is 风地观 (Feng Di Guan / Contemplation). It has Kun (The Receptive) as the lower trigram and Xun (The Gentle) as the upper trigram — the earth lies below, and wind blows above. When wind sweeps across the land, everything comes into clear view, hence the name "Guan" (observing).

Lin is like a sovereign descending — moving from top to bottom.

Guan is like people looking up in respect — viewing from bottom to top.

One is about you going down to the ground level; the other is about others watching you from below.

The Hexagram Judgment of Lin: Lin, Originating, Penetrating, Advantageous, Correct. But by the eighth month, there will be misfortune.

Having all four characters of "Originating, Penetrating, Advantageous, Correct" is rare among the 64 Hexagrams. But right after that line comes the warning: "But by the eighth month, there will be misfortune."

The eighth month is when yin energy gradually grows. In other words, the momentum of Lin has a time limit — once that point passes, the tide will turn.

The six lines of the Lin hexagram describe six ways of "going down to the ground level".

Nine at the Beginning: 咸临 (Xian Lin / Approach with influence), Perseverance Brings Good Fortune. Going down by winning people over with sincere influence is upright and auspicious.

Nine in the Second Place: 咸临 (Xian Lin / Approach with influence), Good fortune, nothing that does not further. It is the same approach of sincere influence, but this line is even more favorable.

Six in the Third Place: 甘临 (Gan Lin / Approach with sweet words), nothing is furthered. If one worries about this, there is no blame. Going down with empty sweet talk brings no benefit. But if you realize the problem and feel concerned about it, you will not go wrong.

Six in the Fourth Place: 至临 (Zhi Lin / Approach in person), no blame. Going down to the very front line in person — there is no fault in this.

Six in the Fifth Place: 知临 (Zhi Lin / Approach with wisdom), this is fitting for a great ruler, good fortune. Leading with wisdom is what a Great Person should do, and it brings good fortune.

Six at the Top: 敦临 (Dun Lin / Approach with generosity), good fortune, no blame. Leading with honest generosity brings good fortune and no blame.

The Six in the Third Place is the only warning in the Lin hexagram: 甘临 (Gan Lin / Approach with sweet words).

Going down with honeyed words, trying to coax people along — this does no good.

Why? Because the essence of "Lin" is showing up and taking responsibility, not flattering people. If you just sweet-talk your team, they may feel good in the moment, but later they will see you as insincere.

The best approaches are the Six in the Fifth Place — 知临 (Zhi Lin / Approach with wisdom) — and the Six at the Top — 敦临 (Dun Lin / Approach with generosity).

Approach with wisdom means leading with insight, not authority. Approach with generosity means leading with honesty, not tricks.

Now let us look at the Guan hexagram.

The Hexagram Judgment of Guan: Guan, after the ritual ablution but before presenting the offerings, there is sincerity and a solemn, reverent demeanor.

"Guan" (ablution) refers to the ritual hand-washing, and "jian" (offering) refers to presenting sacrificial gifts. The moment after washing one’s hands but before laying out the offerings is when people’s hearts are most sincere and solemn.

So the core of Guan is not "looking at others" — it is "the state you are in when you are being watched".

The six lines of the Guan hexagram describe six levels of observation.

Six at the Beginning: 童观 (Tong Guan / Childlike observation), no blame for the ordinary person, but humiliation for the Junzi. Seeing things like a child is fine for regular people, but it is unbecoming for a superior person.

Six in the Second Place: 窥观 (Kui Guan / Peeking observation), it furthers the perseverance of a woman. Peeking through a crack in the door is fitting for someone who stays in their place, like a woman of old.

Six in the Third Place: 观我生 (Guan Wo Sheng / Observing one’s own life), advance and retreat. Examine your own actions and conduct to decide whether to move forward or step back.

Six in the Fourth Place: 观国之光 (Guan Guo Zhi Guang / Observing the glory of the state), it furthers one to be a guest of the king. Observing the state of a country makes one fit to be a guest of the ruler.

Nine in the Fifth Place: 观我生 (Guan Wo Sheng / Observing one’s own life), the Junzi has no blame. Reflecting on oneself — the superior person incurs no blame.

Nine at the Top: 观其生 (Guan Qi Sheng / Observing the impact of one’s life), the Junzi has no blame. Observing the ripple effects of one’s own actions — the superior person incurs no blame.

The Six at the Beginning and Six in the Second Place are the two lowest levels: 童观 (Tong Guan / Childlike observation) and 窥观 (Kui Guan / Peeking observation).

One is seeing only the surface like a child; the other is sneaking a peek through a crack.

These two lines are not wrong — they are just shallow. "No blame for the ordinary person" means regular people can get away with seeing things this way, but if you are someone who wants to get things done, this kind of observation is inadequate.

The Six in the Third Place is the turning point: 观我生 (Guan Wo Sheng / Observing one’s own life), advance and retreat.

This is when you start looking inward. You examine your own actions, then decide whether to move forward or hold back.

The Nine in the Fifth Place and Nine at the Top go a step further: 观我生 (Guan Wo Sheng / Observing one’s own life) and 观其生 (Guan Qi Sheng / Observing the impact of one’s life).

One is looking at yourself; the other is looking at the impact you leave on others.

Now let us put the two hexagrams together.

Lin is "me going down to the front line".

Guan is "me being watched by others".

These two things are actually two sides of the same coin: the moment you go down to the ground, people are already watching you.

Many people only do half the work.

When they should be showing up in person, they manage remotely. When a project runs into trouble, they hold a video call and send a few messages, thinking that counts as handling it. The Six in the Fourth Place of Lin says "至临 (Zhi Lin / Approach in person)" — go down to the very bottom yourself. If you do not show up, your team will never feel your commitment.

When they should be setting an example, they just nag others to act. You are supposed to lead by example, but instead you stand back and push people from behind. The Guan hexagram talks about "after the ritual ablution but before presenting the offerings" — everyone is watching you in that quiet moment before the action starts. If you do not wash your own hands first, no one will listen when you tell them to wash theirs.

How do you tell whether to use Lin or Guan?

Look at whether the root of the problem is "not seeing clearly" or "not taking action".

If the issue is not seeing clearly, use Guan. You need to observe first. But "observing clearly" does not mean peeking through a crack — it means the Six in the Third Place’s advice of "观我生 (Guan Wo Sheng / Observing one’s own life)": look at yourself first.

If the issue is inaction, use Lin. You need to go down to the front line. And not just any visit — the "至临 (Zhi Lin / Approach in person)" of the Six in the Fourth Place: be there yourself.

There is another more practical way to tell them apart.

The Lin hexagram is about "momentum". It is Originating, Penetrating, Advantageous, Correct — but by the eighth month, there will be misfortune. Momentum has an expiration date; you have to finish the job before the window closes.

The Guan hexagram is about "trust". After the ritual ablution but before presenting the offerings, there is sincerity and a solemn, reverent demeanor. You have not even started the work yet, but people already trust you.

So Lin is about racing against time; Guan is about building trust.

When you are racing against time, do not drag your feet — go down to the front line when you need to.

When you are building trust, do not rush — take the time to do your "ritual washing" properly.

The Six at the Top of Lin — "敦临 (Dun Lin / Approach with generosity), good fortune, no blame" — and the Nine at the Top of Guan — "观其生 (Guan Qi Sheng / Observing the impact of one’s life), the Junzi has no blame" — are both at the highest position, and they both say the same thing:

When you reach the top, leading (Lin) depends on generosity, and being observed (Guan) depends on the impact you make.

It is not about crushing people with authority, nor fooling people with performative acts.

One is about truly showing up on the ground; the other is about truly walking the talk.

At the end of the day, Lin and Guan are not two different management styles — they are two stages.

First, practice Guan: see yourself clearly. Then practice Lin: go to the place you need to be.

If you reverse the order, you will stay stuck up on high forever — never seeing clearly, and never showing up where it matters.