#19
Approach
臨 · Lín
Upper trigram
Lower trigram
Approach
臨 · Lín
The Judgment
Approach has sublime success. Perseverance furthers. When the eighth month comes, there will be misfortune.
The Image
The earth above the lake: the image of Approach. Thus the superior person is inexhaustible in the willingness to teach and unlimited in tolerance.
Interpretation
Lín, 臨, shows Earth over Lake: like the shore approaching water, like spring advancing after winter. Two yang lines grow from below, pushing the four yin lines upward — the image of benevolent power advancing gradually, like the teacher approaching the student with patience and generosity. This hexagram describes a time of growth, expansion, and positive approach. Favorable forces advance; your influence grows; the right people approach you and you approach the right situations. It is a period where natural generosity produces abundant results. But Lín contains a prophetic warning: "When the eighth month comes, there will be misfortune." Every spring will be followed by autumn; every approach by a withdrawal. The I Ching says this not to embitter your joy but to motivate action: seize this golden period to create something lasting that can withstand the contraction cycles that will inevitably come. Lín pairs with Guān (Hexagram 20, Contemplation): where Lín actively approaches, Guān observes from distance. It also connects with Tài (Hexagram 11, Peace), as both describe moments of favorable expansion — the difference being Lín is growth's beginning while Tài is its fullness.
In love
Lín in love announces a luminous and benevolent approach. Someone approaches you with good intentions — or you approach someone with an open heart and the generosity of the lake offering its water to thirsty earth. It is an excellent moment to begin relationships, deepen existing intimacy, or reconcile after a period of distance. For couples, Lín indicates love renews through active approach: do not wait for connection to maintain itself. Approach your partner with renewed tenderness, genuine attention, the disposition of the teacher who never tires of teaching and learning. Love is an act of constant approach, not a static state. For those seeking a partner, conditions are favorable. Your approaching energy — generous, tolerant, patient — naturally attracts people who resonate with that quality. But remember the eighth month's warning: do not assume the honeymoon will last forever. Build solid foundations during the approach so the relationship withstands the distance that will eventually come.
In career
Lín in the professional realm indicates a period of growth, new opportunities, and the arrival of positive influences on your career. Like Earth approaching the Lake, your professional presence expands naturally into new territories. It is time to broaden your network, assume new responsibilities, and approach the people and opportunities that can boost your development. Lín's specific quality is close and generous leadership. Do not lead from the ivory tower: approach your team, teach with patience, be tolerant of learners' mistakes. The Xiang Zhuan says the sage is "inexhaustible in willingness to teach" — the leader who invests in team development harvests multiplied loyalty and competence. But as in every growth hexagram, Lín counsels foresight. Use current expansion to build reserves, consolidate positions, and create structures that will sustain you when the growth cycle decelerates. The wisest professional is not the one who grows most but the one who best prepares for descending cycles.
Advice
Approach speaks to you with the warmth of February sun announcing imminent spring. The judgment states: "Sublime success. Perseverance furthers. When the eighth month comes, there will be misfortune." Within this joy there is a seed of sober wisdom: enjoy the approach but do not forget that every approach carries within it the seed of withdrawal. The image teaches that the superior person is "inexhaustible in willingness to teach and unlimited in tolerance." This is the quality Lín asks you to cultivate: the generosity of one who approaches not to take but to give, not to dominate but to elevate, not to impress but to serve. Expand with confidence but without complacency. Be generous with those approaching you seeking guidance. And build — build solid relationships, build reserves for the future, build the foundations that will sustain what blooms today when tomorrow the wind changes direction. The true wisdom of approach is preparing, during spring, the provisions winter will need.
Yes/No Tendency
Lín says yes with optimism: the approach is favorable. But it contains a temporal warning — this favorable moment won't last forever. "In the eighth month comes misfortune." Act now, with joy and resolution.
The sun approaches the earth in spring without haste and without pause. What would happen if you approached your goals with that same serene confidence?
Reflection for contemplation