⊞ About the Virtual Yarrow Stalks I Ching
The Virtual Yarrow Stalks I Ching works in the same way that conventional yarrow stalks do. You divide a virtual bundle of yarrow stalks to consult the I Ching, a volitional act similar to what you would do if you were holding real stalks in your hands.
Move your mouse over the stalks, then click on them to divide them into two “heaps.” The removal of one stalk and the counting through by fours of each heap is done automatically. Three such divisions determine one line, which is drawn beside the stalks. Repeat until the base hexagram is completed. If it contains moving lines, the transformed hexagram is displayed as well.
The line and hexagram numbers, and the text for each hexagram and moving line, are displayed below the stalks. This is the extent of the basic display. More information is available in the additional selections as follows.
Chu Hsi’s rules are based on the rules of interpretation by Chu Hsi in I Hsueh Ch’i Meng (published in 1186). The Nanjing rules are based on the stories of divination found in the Zuo Commentary, and Guoyu, “State Speeches,” which can be found in The Book of Changes (Zhouyi) by Richard Rutt. Note that sometimes the Nanjing rules allow only one line to change; in this case, the second hexagram may be different, and is displayed along with the rule. See links to detailed explanations of these rules and a variety of others at the rules of interpretation page.
A very basic summary of the line relationships is as follows. Lines 1, 3, and 5 are correct if they are yang; lines 2, 4, and 6, yin. The corresponding lines of the upper and lower trigrams (1 and 4, 2 and 5, 3 and 6) are said to be balanced if they are of opposite polarity, yin vs. yang. Correct and balanced relationships are generally considered favorable, but must be interpreted in context.
The nuclear trigrams are hexagrams made from the middle two trigrams of the original hexagrams (lines 2, 3, 4 and 3, 4, 5). If there are two or more moving lines, the steps of change are new hexagrams made by transforming each moving line separately. Likewise, the transitional hexagrams are new hexagrams made by transforming the moving lines one at a time, in cumulative fashion. These last two are a potential source of deeper understanding of the original text. The fan yao are the lines in a transformed hexagram that correspond to the moving lines in the base hexagram; the term was coined by Bradford Hatcher. Here, they are displayed for the transformed hexagram as a whole, and are incorporated into the display of the steps of change and transitional hexagrams. The patterns of change are created as follows based on the positions of the moving lines in the base hexagram. The inner pattern has a yin line in each position where the base hexagram has a moving line (regardless of which line it is) and vice versa, and is said to reflect the inner transformative aspects of the situation. The outer pattern similarly has a yang line for every moving line, and reflects the outer transformative aspects of the situation. The transitional hexagrams were first proposed by Mondo Secter and Bradford Hatcher. The steps of change were originally called “phantom hexagrams” by Larry Schoenholtz in New Directions in the I Ching. They, the patterns of change (change operators), and shadow site (below) are also described by Stephen Karcher in Total I Ching: Myths for Change.
The anti-hexagram is the hexagram made by transforming the non-moving, rather than the moving, lines in the base hexagram. (It is equivalent to the transformed hexagram of the reversed base hexagram in the foursome described below). I propose this as what the current situation is not changing into, or what is being avoided by the indicated course of action.
The King Wen counterpart is the original hexagram’s counterpart in the King Wen sequence: usually inverted, but sometimes reversed. The correctness hexagram has a yang line in each position where the hexagram line is correct (yang in 1, 3, and 5; yin in 2, 4, 6) and yin where incorrect. The balance hexagram is based on an online post by Harmen Mesker. Each pair of balanced lines (1 and 4, 2 and 5, 3 and 6 of opposite polarity as described above) generates a yang line; unbalanced ones, a yin line. Each hexagram generates a trigram if there is a transformed hexagram; otherwise the trigram generated by the base hexagram is doubled. The shadow site is the position of the base hexagram in the reverse sequence of hexagrams, and is said to be a blockage of transformative energy. The reversed trigrams are made by switching the positions of the lower and upper trigrams. They represent a reversal of the existing order of things. The core trigrams are the hexagrams made from the nuclear trigrams of the nuclear trigrams. They are always one of four hexagrams: 1, 2, 63, or 64. The alternating trigrams are hexagrams made from the trigrams consisting of the odd, or yang (1, 3, 5) and even, or yin (2, 4, 6) lines of the original hexagrams. Ning Lu in Ying-Yang Code calls them the active and passive primary symbols, and says that they represent the readiness of taking initiatives, and the reactions while receiving external actions. The Yin-Yang reversal hexagram is the hexagram formed by shifting the yang lines (1, 3, 5) to the yin positions (2, 4, 6), and vice versa. The ascending hexagrams are the five hexagrams that overlap the base and transformed hexagrams when the second is drawn above the first (or if the first is duplicated, if there are no moving lines), as if the lines were a continuous sequence. They are an extension of the line relationships described by Nigel Richmond in Langage of the Lines, and are reminiscent of the evolutionary hexagrams described below.
The “advanced” selection includes all the above. “Extended” is what I personally use the most, and includes only the steps of change (or the fan yao if there is only one moving line), the reversed hexagram (see below), and the anti-hexagram, along with the basic display.
The inverted and reversed hexagrams (quian and pang tong gua) are made by inverting (turning the image upside-down) and reversing (changing yin to yang and v. v.) the base hexagram, along the lines of the “foursomes” described in Yijing Wondering and Wandering by Jane Schorre and Carrin Dunne. I think of them as branches of the same tree, extending the original oracle in different directions. For example, inverting hexagram 866878 to 878668 results in
8:2,3 — 48-47 — 7:5,4
Reversing the original 866878 to 799787, then inverting the latter to 787997, results in
14:2,3 — 21-22 — 13:5,4
The line numbers of the reversed hexagrams are themselves reversed to preserve the relationship of the corresponding lines. If the base hexagram contains no moving lines, the results are much simpler.
The mutating hexagrams are made by tranforming the lines in the same pattern as the ancient 12-hexagram seasonal cycle. Each line changes polarity, yin vs.yang, one at a time from bottom to top. After 6 such transformations, the resulting hexagram is the reversed opposite of the original; after 12 transformations, the cycle repeats. This process is described by Diana ffarington Hook in The I Ching and You, and is said to reveal how a situation is likely to develop.
The evolutionary hexagrams are another 12-hexagram cycle; but in this case, the bottom five lines all move up one position, while the top line moves down to the bottom and changes polarity. These, and the transitional hexagrams above, are described by Mondo Secter in The I Ching Handbook. I have chosen to display the mutating and evolutionary hexagrams with moving lines, if any, kept in their original positions to create 12 unique transformed hexagrams.
The hexagram transitions are an extension of the transitional hexagrams described above, but they include all possible single-line transition pathways between the base and transformed hexagrams. They are displayed separately from the other items above because their numbers may be huge; if all six lines are changing, there are 720 different transition pathways.
The line and hexagram numbers are displayed so that you can view the results again later (see “About entering lines manually” below). Check “Plain text” to simplify the text for copying. The basic results include the base hexagram, moving lines if any, and transformed hexagram. “Extended” includes the steps of change (or the fan yao if there is only one moving line), the reversed hexagram, and the anti-hexagram. Check “Advanced,” “Inverted/Reversed,” “Mutating,” “Evolutionary,” or “Transitions” to display more detailed information.
The amount of information generated by the Virtual Yarrow Stalks I Ching may seem overwhelming at first. You don’t have to absorb it all at once; remember also that different people have different ways of interpreting it, and different degrees of importance that they place on the various elements. It never hurts to start with the basic display. Record your results and keep studying; you can always come back and ponder them later.
There are no limitations on how to click on the stalks except that you cannot click the first or last two. You will probably want to compose your mind and act thoughtfully as you would when consulting the I Ching by any other means. I click on the stalks while looking away and letting my hand find its own place, as an act of not-doing.
You may choose between four translations, taken from the following:
• Richard Wilhelm and Cary F. Baynes, The I Ching or Book of Changes. Princeton Univeristy Press, 1977.
• Nigel Richmond, The I Ching Oracle. Privately printed but available in facsimile form at Joel Biroco’s site.
• Gregory C. Richter, I CHING / YI JING: Transcription, Gloss, Translation. Downloadable from archive.org or scribd.com.
• Kaemon Takashima and Shigetake Sugiura, The Takashima Ekidan. Available for download from Google Books (U.S. only), as well as Joel Biroco’s site.
The Virtual Yarrow Stalks I Ching script © 2008-2023 by Russell Cottrell. Updated 10/17/2023.
The traditional yarrow stalk method’s line odds are 1:3:5:7 for moving yin, moving yang, yang, and yin, respectively; yang lines are more likely to be moving than yin lines. The coin method produces line odds of 1:1:3:3 for moving yin, moving yang, yang, and yin; yang and yin lines are equally likely to be moving. If you select Coin odds, remainders of 2 or 3 will be added as they are with coin values to produce the lines.
An alternative and possibly ancient method of using the yarrow stalks, described among other places in the Takashima Ekidan, is to obtain two trigrams by twice dividing then counting off one bundle of the stalks by eight, each time using the remainder (0-7 plus 1) as the result; then selecting just one moving line by similarly counting off by six. I make no recommendation about which method to use; but the traditional method (described in detail by Chu Hsi) results in many more opportunities for interpretation. If you want to use the simpler method, select One moving line.
Another method of consulting the I Ching is simply to choose two separate hexagrams. This can be done by physical means, such as by using a memory wheel; or the choices may be made based on one’s situation or feelings. The number of moving lines in this case is more likely to be large, 5 or even 6; so it is the hexagram judgments and relationships, not the moving lines, that are most important in this method of consulting. By selecting Two hexagrams, the hexagrams will be selected separately using the Takashima Ekidan method. (Or you may enter the hexagrams manually.) The results include the judgments of both hexagrams and the reversed and anti-hexagram. The texts of all six lines of these hexagrams are included for reference only, as an aid to understanding the core meaning of each hexagram. In this case they function something like the tail of a kite. Next come the patterns of change as described above. The yang lines in common and yin lines in common are found by applying the Boolean operators AND and OR to the binary values of the hexagrams. (The patterns of change are the results of similarly applying XOR and XNOR.) Finally come the steps of change and the ascending hexagrams as described above.
Select Playing cards to use the method described on the dynamic playing cards page. The deck starts out shuffled. Click any two cards to cut them and the cards between them (or skip this step if you prefer). A cut of about 1/4 to 1/2 of the deck will yield conventional results; a larger cut produces greater variation in the probabilities, and vice versa. Be sure to leave at least six cards in the deck. After the cut is removed, the deck is reshuffled. Then select any six cards from the remaining deck as hexagram lines. Black cards (spades, clubs) are yin lines; red (hearts, diamonds) are yang. Face cards (jack, queen, king) are moving lines.
Select Fractal to use the method described at Another Fractal I Ching. The sum of the RGB values from an image of the Zaslavsky web map is converted to a six-digit octal number, which is then converted to hexagram lines using coin odds. x and y are based on the mouse coordinates, with the system time added to the mantissa so that the equations never repeat; K is the canvas width; q is the degree of symmetry; and n is the number of points generated. There are no random numbers involved. Click the canvas to draw the image; when you get an image that you like, click Get the hexagram. You can right-click the canvas to save the image.
You may enter into the field above a list of lines or a hexagram reference that was previously generated, either by this or another script, or by physical means such as coins. Use any of these formats:
(1) a list of six line numbers in the form 888697. Yin is even, yang is odd, and the moving lines are 6 and 9. List all six, from bottom to top.
| moving yin | 6 | |
| yang | 7 | |
| yin | 8 | |
| moving yang | 9 |
(2) a hexagram reference in the form 20:4,5 consisting of the hexagram number followed by the numbers of the moving lines, if any. The numbers may be separated by any punctuation, or spaces, except for hyphen or dash. Do not include the number of the transformed hexagram; it is implicit.
(3) two hexagram numbers in the form 20-35 separated by a hyphen or dash. Spaces are ignored. If any entered number after the first number is preceded by a hyphen or dash, it will be used as the second hexagram, and any line numbers present will be ignored.
All of the above examples are equivalent.
| 000 | 100 | 010 | 110 | 001 | 101 | 011 | 111 | ||
| 000 | 2 | 16 | 8 | 45 | 23 | 35 | 20 | 12 | K’un: the Receptive, earthEarth: feminine, receptive, passiveKon: Earth |
| 100 | 24 | 51 | 3 | 17 | 27 | 21 | 42 | 25 | Chên: the Arousing, thunderThunder: movement, dangerShin: Thunder |
| 010 | 7 | 40 | 29 | 47 | 4 | 64 | 59 | 6 | K’an: the Abysmal, waterWater: the moon, a pit, dangerKan: Water |
| 110 | 19 | 54 | 60 | 58 | 41 | 38 | 61 | 10 | Tui: the Joyous, lakeLake: pleasure, satisfactionDa: Pond |
| 001 | 15 | 62 | 39 | 31 | 52 | 56 | 53 | 33 | Kên: Keeping Still, mountainMountain: stagnationGon: Mountain |
| 101 | 36 | 55 | 63 | 49 | 22 | 30 | 37 | 13 | Li: the Clinging, fireFire: the sun, brightness, beautyRi: Fire |
| 011 | 46 | 32 | 48 | 28 | 18 | 50 | 57 | 44 | Sun: the Gentle, wind, woodWind: wood, gentle, penetratingSon: Wind |
| 111 | 11 | 34 | 5 | 43 | 26 | 14 | 9 | 1 | Ch’ien: the Creative, heavenHeaven: masculine, creative, activeKen: Heaven |
1. Ch’ien / The Creative
THE JUDGMENT
THE CREATIVE works sublime success,
Furthering through perseverance.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
Hidden dragon. Do not act.
Nine in the second place means:
Dragon appearing in the field.
It furthers one to see the great man.
Nine in the third place means:
All day long the superior man is creatively active.
At nightfall his mind is still beset with cares.
Danger. No blame.
Nine in the fourth place means:
Wavering flight over the depths.
No blame.
Nine in the fifth place means:
Flying dragon in the heavens.
It furthers one to see the great man.
Nine at the top means:
Arrogant dragon will have cause to repent.
When all the lines are nines, it means:
There appears a flight of dragons without heads.
Good fortune.
2. K’un / The Receptive
THE JUDGMENT
THE RECEPTIVE brings about sublime success,
Furthering through the perseverance of a mare.
If the superior man undertakes something and tries to lead,
He goes astray;
But if he follows, he finds guidance.
It is favorable to find friends in the west and south,
To forego friends in the east and north.
Quiet perseverance brings good fortune.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
When there is hoarfrost underfoot,
Solid ice is not far off.
Six in the second place means:
Straight, square, great.
Without purpose,
Yet nothing remains unfurthered.
Six in the third place means:
Hidden lines.
One is able to remain persevering.
If by chance you are in the service of a king,
Seek not works, but bring to completion.
Six in the fourth place means:
A tied-up sack. No blame, no praise.
Six in the fifth place means:
A yellow lower garment brings supreme good fortune.
Six at the top means:
Dragons fight in the meadow.
Their blood is black and yellow.
When all the lines are sixes, it means:
Lasting perseverance furthers.
3. Chun / Difficulty at the Beginning
THE JUDGMENT
DIFFICULTY AT THE BEGINNING works supreme success,
Furthering through perseverance.
Nothing should be undertaken.
It furthers one to appoint helpers.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
Hesitation and hindrance.
It furthers one to remain persevering.
It furthers one to appoint helpers.
Six in the second place means:
Difficulties pile up.
Horse and wagon part.
He is not a robber;
He wants to woo when the time comes.
The maiden is chaste,
She does not pledge herself.
Ten years—then she pledges herself.
Six in the third place means:
Whoever hunts deer without the forester
Only loses his way in the forest.
The superior man understands the signs of the time
And prefers to desist.
To go on brings humiliation.
Six in the fourth place means:
Horse and wagon part.
Strive for union.
To go brings good fortune.
Everything acts to further.
Nine in the fifth place means:
Difficulties in blessing.
A little perseverance brings good fortune.
Great perseverance brings misfortune.
Six at the top means:
Horse and wagon part.
Bloody tears flow.
4. Mêng / Youthful Folly
THE JUDGMENT
YOUTHFUL FOLLY has success.
It is not I who seek the young fool;
The young fool seeks me.
At the first oracle I inform him.
If he asks two or three times, it is importunity.
If he importunes, I give him no information.
Perseverance furthers.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
To make a fool develop
It furthers one to apply discipline.
The fetters should be removed.
To go on in this way bring humiliation.
Nine in the second place means:
To bear with fools in kindliness brings good fortune.
To know how to take women
Brings good fortune.
The son is capable of taking charge of the household.
Six in the third place means:
Take not a maiden who, when she sees a man of bronze,
Loses possession of herself.
Nothing furthers.
Six in the fourth place means:
Entangled folly bring humiliation.
Six in the fifth place means:
Childlike folly brings good fortune.
Nine at the top means:
In punishing folly
It does not further one
To commit transgressions.
The only thing that furthers
Is to prevent transgressions.
5. Hsü / Waiting (Nourishment)
THE JUDGMENT
WAITING. If you are sincere,
You have light and success.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
It furthers one to cross the great water.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
Waiting in the meadow.
It furthers one to abide in what endures.
No blame.
Nine in the second place means:
Waiting on the sand.
There is some gossip.
The end brings good fortune.
Nine in the third place means:
Waiting in the mud
Brings about the arrival of the enemy.
Six in the fourth place means:
Waiting in blood.
Get out of the pit.
Nine in the fifth place means:
Waiting at meat and drink.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
Six at the top means:
One falls into the pit.
Three uninvited guests arrive.
Honor them, and in the end there will be good fortune.
6. Sung / Conflict
THE JUDGMENT
CONFLICT. You are sincere
And are being obstructed.
A cautious halt halfway brings good fortune.
Going through to the end brings misfortune.
It furthers one to see the great man.
It does not further one to cross the great water.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
If one does not perpetuate the affair,
There is a little gossip.
In the end, good fortune comes.
Nine in the second place means:
One cannot engage in conflict;
One returns home, gives way.
The people of his town,
Three hundred households,
Remain free of guilt.
Six in the third place means:
To nourish oneself on ancient virtue induces perseverance.
Danger. In the end, good fortune comes.
If by chance you are in the service of a king,
Seek not works.
Nine in the fourth place means:
One cannot engage in conflict.
One turns back and submits to fate,
Changes one’s attitude,
And finds peace in perseverance.
Good fortune.
Nine in the fifth place means:
To contend before him
Brings supreme good fortune.
Nine at the top means:
Even if by chance a leather belt is bestowed on one,
By the end of a morning
It will have been snatched away three times.
7. Shih / The Army
THE JUDGMENT
THE ARMY. The army needs perseverance
And a strong man.
Good fortune without blame.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
An army must set forth in proper order.
If the order is not good, misfortune threatens.
Nine in the second place means:
In the midst of the army.
Good fortune. No blame.
The king bestows a triple decoration.
Six in the third place means:
Perchance the army carries corpses in the wagon.
Misfortune.
Six in the fourth place means:
The army retreats. No blame.
Six in the fifth place means:
There is game in the field.
It furthers one to catch it.
Without blame.
Let the eldest lead the army.
The younger transports corpses;
Then perseverance brings misfortune.
Six at the top means:
The great prince issues commands,
Founds states, vests families with fiefs.
Inferior people should not be employed.
8. Pi / Holding Together [Union]
THE JUDGMENT
HOLDING TOGETHER brings good fortune.
Inquire of the oracle once again
Whether you possess sublimity, constancy, and perseverance;
Then there is no blame.
Those who are uncertain gradually join.
Whoever come too late
Meets with misfortune.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
Hold to him in truth and loyalty;
This is without blame.
Truth, like a full earthen bowl:
Thus in the end
Good fortune comes from without.
Six in the second place means:
Hold to him inwardly.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
Six in the third place means:
You hold together with the wrong people.
Six in the fourth place means:
Hold to him outwardly also.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
Nine in the fifth place means:
Manifestation of holding together.
In the hunt the king uses beaters on three sides only
And forgoes game that runs off in front.
The citizens need no warning.
Good fortune.
Six at the top means:
He finds no head for holding together.
Misfortune.
9. Hsiao Ch’u / The Taming Power of the Small
THE JUDGMENT
THE TAMING POWER OF THE SMALL
Has success.
Dense clouds, no rain from our western region.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
Return to the way.
How could there be blame in this?
Good fortune.
Nine in the second place means:
He allows himself to be drawn into returning.
Good fortune.
Nine in the third place means:
The spokes burst out of the wagon wheels,
Man and wife roll their eyes.
Six in the fourth place means:
If you are sincere, blood vanishes and fear gives way.
No blame.
Nine in the fifth place means:
If you are sincere and loyally attached,
You are rich in your neighbor.
Nine at the top means:
The rain comes, there is rest.
This is due to the lasting effect of character.
Perseverance brings the woman into danger.
The moon is nearly full.
If the superior man persists,
Misfortune comes.
10. Lü / Treading [Conduct]
THE JUDGMENT
TREADING. Treading upon the tail of the tiger.
It does not bite the man. Success.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
Simple conduct. Progress without blame.
Nine in the second place means:
Treading a smooth, level course.
The perseverance of a dark man
Brings good fortune.
Six in the third place means:
A one-eyed man is able to see,
A lame man is able to tread.
He treads on the tail of the tiger.
The tiger bites the man.
Misfortune.
Thus does a warrior act on behalf of his great prince.
Nine in the fourth place means:
He treads on the tail of the tiger.
Caution and circumspection
Lead ultimately to good fortune.
Nine in the fifth place means:
Resolute conduct.
Perseverance with awareness of danger.
Nine at the top means:
Look to your conduct and weigh the favorable signs.
When everything is fulfilled, supreme good fortune comes.
11. T’ai / Peace
THE JUDGMENT
PEACE. The small departs,
The great approaches.
Good fortune. Success.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
When ribbon grass is pulled up, the sod comes with it.
Each according to his kind.
Undertakings bring good fortune.
Nine in the second place means:
Bearing with the uncultured in gentleness,
Fording the river with resolution,
Not neglecting what is distant,
Not regarding one’s companions:
Thus one may manage to walk in the middle.
Nine in the third place means:
No plain not followed by a slope.
No going not followed by a return.
He who remains persevering in danger
Is without blame.
Do not complain about this truth;
Enjoy the good fortune you still possess.
Six in the fourth place means:
He flutters down, not boasting of his wealth,
Together with his neighbor,
Guileless and sincere.
Six in the fifth place means:
The sovereign I
Gives his daughter in marriage.
This brings blessing
And supreme good fortune.
Six at the top means:
The wall falls back into the moat.
Use no army now.
Make your commands known within your own town.
Perseverance brings humiliation.
12. P’i / Standstill [Stagnation]
THE JUDGMENT
STANDSTILL. Evil people do not further
The perseverance of the superior man.
The great departs; the small approaches.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
When ribbon grass is pulled up, the sod comes with it.
Each according to his kind.
Perseverance brings good fortune and success.
Six in the second place means:
They bear and endure;
This means good fortune for inferior people.
The standstill serves to help the great man to attain success.
Six in the third place means:
They bear shame.
Nine in the fourth place means:
He who acts at the command of the highest
Remains without blame.
Those of like mind partake of the blessing.
Nine in the fifth place means:
Standstill is giving way.
Good fortune for the great man.
“What if it should fail, what if it should fail?”
In this way he ties it to a cluster of mulberry shoots.
Nine at the top means:
The standstill comes to an end.
First standstill, then good fortune.
13. T’ung Jên / Fellowship with Men
THE JUDGMENT
FELLOWSHIP WITH MEN in the open.
Success.
It furthers one to cross the great water.
The perseverance of the superior man furthers.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
Fellowship with men at the gate.
No blame.
Six in the second place means:
Fellowship with men in the clan.
Humiliation.
Nine in the third place means:
He hides weapons in the thicket;
He climbs the high hill in front of it.
For three years he does not rise up.
Nine in the fourth place means:
He climbs up on his wall; he cannot attack.
Good fortune.
Nine in the fifth place means:
Men bound in fellowship first weep and lament,
But afterward they laugh.
After great struggles they succeed in meeting.
Nine at the top means:
Fellowship with men in the meadow.
No remorse.
14. Ta Yu / Possession in Great Measure
THE JUDGMENT
POSSESSION IN GREAT MEASURE.
Supreme success.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
No relationship with what is harmful;
There is no blame in this.
If one remains conscious of difficulty,
One remains without blame.
Nine in the second place means:
A big wagon for loading.
One may undertake something.
No blame.
Nine in the third place means:
A prince offers it to the Son of Heaven.
A petty man cannot do this.
Nine in the fourth place means:
He makes a difference
Between himself and his neighbor.
No blame.
Six in the fifth place means:
He whose truth is accessible, yet dignified,
Has good fortune.
Nine at the top means:
He is blessed by heaven.
Good fortune.
Nothing that does not further.
15. Ch’ien / Modesty
THE JUDGMENT
MODESTY creates success.
The superior man carries things through.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
A superior man modest about his modesty
May cross the great water.
Good fortune.
Six in the second place means:
Modesty that comes to expression.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
Nine in the third place means:
A superior man of modesty and merit
Carries things to conclusion.
Good fortune.
Six in the fourth place means:
Nothing that would not further modesty
In movement.
Six in the fifth place means:
No boasting of wealth before one’s neighbor.
It is favorable to attack with force.
Nothing that would not further.
Six at the top means:
Modesty that comes to expression.
It is favorable to set armies marching
To chastise one’s own city and one’s country.
16. Yü / Enthusiasm
THE JUDGMENT
ENTHUSIASM. It furthers one to install helpers
And to set armies marching.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
Enthusiasm that expresses itself
Brings misfortune.
Six in the second place means:
Firm as a rock. Not a whole day.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
Six in the third place means:
Enthusiasm that looks upward creates remorse.
Hesitation brings remorse.
Nine in the fourth place means:
The source of enthusiasm.
He achieves great things.
Doubt not.
You gather friends around you
As a hair clasp gathers the hair.
Six in the fifth place means:
Persistently ill, and still does not die.
Six at the top means:
Deluded enthusiasm.
But if after completion one changes,
There is no blame.
17. Sui / Following
THE JUDGMENT
FOLLOWING has supreme success.
Perseverance furthers. No blame.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
The standard is changing.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
To go out of the door in company
Produces deeds.
Six in the second place means:
If one clings to the little boy,
One loses the strong man.
Six in the third place means:
If one clings to the strong man,
One loses the little boy.
Through following one finds what one seeks.
It furthers one to remain persevering.
Nine in the fourth place means:
Following creates success.
Perseverance brings misfortune.
To go one’s way with sincerity brings clarity.
How could there be blame in this?
Nine in the fifth place means:
Sincere in the good. Good fortune.
Six at the top means:
He meets with firm allegiance
And is still further bound.
The king introduces him
To the Western Mountain.
18. Ku / Work on What Has Been Spoiled [Decay]
THE JUDGMENT
WORK ON WHAT HAS BEEN SPOILED
Has supreme success.
It furthers one to cross the great water.
Before the starting point, three days.
After the starting point, three days.
THE LINES
Six in the beginning means:
Setting right what has been spoiled by the father.
If there is a son,
No blame rests upon the departed father.
Danger. In the end good fortune.
Nine in the second place means:
Setting right what has been spoiled by the mother.
One must not be too persevering.
Nine in the third place means:
Setting right what has been spoiled by the father.
There will be a little remorse. No great blame.
Six in the fourth place means:
Tolerating what has been spoiled by the father.
In continuing one sees humiliation.
Six in the fifth place means:
Setting right what has been spoiled by the father.
One meets with praise.
Nine at the top means:
He does not serve kings and princes,
Sets himself higher goals.
19. Lin / Approach
THE JUDGMENT
APPROACH has supreme success.
Perseverance furthers.
When the eighth month comes,
There will be misfortune.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
Joint approach.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
Nine in the second place means:
Joint approach.
Good fortune.
Everything furthers.
Six in the third place means:
Comfortable approach.
Nothing that would further.
If one is induced to grieve over it,
One becomes free of blame.
Six in the fourth place means:
Complete approach.
No blame.
Six in the fifth place means:
Wise approach.
This is right for a great prince.
Good fortune.
Six at the top means:
Greathearted approach.
Good fortune. No blame.
20. Kuan / Contemplation (View)
THE JUDGMENT
CONTEMPLATION. The ablution has been made,
But not yet the offering.
Full of trust they look up to him.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
Boylike contemplation.
For an inferior man, no blame.
For a superior man, humiliation.
Six in the second place means:
Contemplation through the crack of the door.
Furthering for the perseverance of a woman.
Six in the third place means:
Contemplation of my life
Decides the choice
Between advance and retreat.
Six in the fourth place means:
Contemplation of the light of the kingdom.
It furthers one to exert influence as the guest of a king.
Nine in the fifth place means:
Contemplation of my life.
The superior man is without blame.
Nine at the top means:
Contemplation of his life.
The superior man is without blame.
21. Shih Ho / Biting Through
THE JUDGMENT
BITING THROUGH has success.
It is favorable to let justice be administered.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
His feet are fastened in the stocks,
So that his toes disappear.
No blame.
Six in the second place means:
Bites through tender meat,
So that his nose disappears.
No blame.
Six in the third place means:
Bites on old dried meat
And strikes on something poisonous.
Slight humiliation. No blame.
Nine in the fourth place means:
Bites on dried gristly meat.
Receives metal arrows.
It furthers one to be mindful of difficulties
And to be persevering.
Good fortune.
Six in the fifth place means:
Bites on dried lean meat.
Receives yellow gold.
Perseveringly aware of danger.
No blame.
Nine at the top means:
His neck is fastened in the wooden cangue,
So that his ears disappear.
Misfortune.
22. Pi / Grace
THE JUDGMENT
GRACE has success.
In small matters
It is favorable to undertake something.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
He lends grace to his toes, leaves the carriage, and walks.
Six in the second place means:
Lends grace to the beard on his chin.
Nine in the third place means:
Graceful and moist.
Constant perseverance brings good fortune.
Six in the fourth place means:
Grace or simplicity?
A white horse comes as if on wings.
He is not a robber,
He will woo at the right time.
Six in the fifth place means:
Grace in hills and gardens.
The roll of silk is meager and small.
Humiliation, but in the end good fortune.
Nine at the top means:
Simple grace. No blame.
23. Po / Splitting Apart
THE JUDGMENT
SPLITTING APART. It does not further one
To go anywhere.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
The leg of the bed is split.
Those who persevere are destroyed.
Misfortune.
Six in the second place means:
The bed is split at the edge.
Those who persevere are destroyed.
Misfortune.
Six in the third place means:
He splits with them. No blame.
Six in the fourth place means:
The bed is split up to the skin.
Misfortune.
Six in the fifth place means:
A shoal of fishes. Favor comes through the court ladies.
Everything acts to further.
Nine at the top means:
There is a large fruit still uneaten.
The superior man receives a carriage.
The house of the inferior man is split apart.
24. Fu / Return (The Turning Point)
THE JUDGMENT
RETURN. Success.
Going out and coming in without error.
Friends come without blame.
To and fro goes the way.
On the seventh day comes return.
It furthers one to have somewhere to go.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
Return from a short distance.
No need for remorse.
Great good fortune.
Six in the second place means:
Quiet return. Good fortune.
Six in the third place means:
Repeated return. Danger. No blame.
Six in the fourth place means:
Walking in the midst of others,
One returns alone.
Six in the fifth place means:
Noblehearted return. No remorse.
Six at the top means:
Missing the return. Misfortune.
Misfortune from within and without.
If armies are set marching in this way,
One will in the end suffer a great defeat,
Disastrous for the ruler of the country.
For ten years
It will not be possible to attack again.
25. Wu Wang / Innocence (The Unexpected)
THE JUDGMENT
INNOCENCE. Supreme success.
Perseverance furthers.
If someone is not as he should be,
He has misfortune,
And it does not further him
To undertake anything.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
Innocent behavior brings good fortune.
Six in the second place means:
If one does not count on the harvest while plowing,
Nor on the use of the ground while clearing it,
It furthers one to undertake something.
Six in the third place means:
Undeserved misfortune.
The cow that was tethered by someone
Is the wanderer’s gain, the citizen’s loss.
Nine in the fourth place means:
He who can be persevering
Remains without blame.
Nine in the fifth place means:
Use no medicine in an illness
Incurred through no fault of your own.
It will pass of itself.
Nine at the top means:
Innocent action brings misfortune.
Nothing furthers.
26. Ta Ch’u / The Taming Power of the Great
THE JUDGMENT
THE TAMING POWER OF THE GREAT.
Perseverance furthers.
Not eating at home brings good fortune.
It furthers one to cross the great water.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
Danger is at hand. It furthers one to desist.
Nine in the second place means:
The axletrees are taken from the wagon.
Nine in the third place means:
A good horse that follows others.
Awareness of danger,
With perseverance, furthers.
Practice chariot driving and armed defense daily.
It furthers one to have somewhere to go.
Six in the fourth place means:
The headboard of a young bull.
Great good fortune.
Six in the fifth place means:
The tusk of a gelded boar.
Good fortune.
Nine at the top means:
One attains the way of heaven. Success.
27. I / The Corners of the Mouth (Providing Nourishment)
THE JUDGMENT
THE CORNERS OF THE MOUTH.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
Pay heed to the providing of nourishment
And to what a man seeks
To fill his own mouth with.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
You let your magic tortoise go,
And look at me with the corners of your mouth drooping.
Misfortune.
Six in the second place means:
Turning to the summit for nourishment,
Deviating from the path
To seek nourishment from the hill.
Continuing to do this brings misfortune.
Six in the third place means:
Turning away from nourishment.
Perseverance brings misfortune.
Do not act thus for ten years.
Nothing serves to further.
Six in the fourth place means:
Turning to the summit
For provision of nourishment
Brings good fortune.
Spying about with sharp eyes
Like a tiger with insatiable craving.
No blame.
Six in the fifth place means:
Turning away from the path.
To remain persevering brings good fortune.
One should not cross the great water.
Nine at the top means:
The source of nourishment.
Awareness of danger brings good fortune.
It furthers one to cross the great water.
28. Ta Kuo / Preponderance of the Great
THE JUDGMENT
PREPONDERANCE OF THE GREAT.
The ridgepole sags to the breaking point.
It furthers one to have somewhere to go.
Success.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
To spread white rushes underneath.
No blame.
Nine in the second place means:
A dry poplar sprouts at the root.
An older man takes a young wife.
Everything furthers.
Nine in the third place means:
The ridgepole sags to the breaking point.
Misfortune.
Nine in the fourth place means:
The ridgepole is braced. Good fortune.
If there are ulterior motives, it is humiliating.
Nine in the fifth place means:
A withered poplar puts forth flowers.
An older woman takes a husband.
No blame. No praise.
Six at the top means:
One must go through the water.
It goes over one’s head.
Misfortune. No blame.
29. K’an / The Abysmal (Water)
THE JUDGMENT
The Abysmal repeated.
If you are sincere, you have success in your heart,
And whatever you do succeeds.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
Repetition of the Abysmal.
In the abyss one falls into a pit.
Misfortune.
Nine in the second place means:
The abyss is dangerous.
One should strive to attain small things only.
Six in the third place means:
Forward and backward, abyss on abyss.
In danger like this, pause at first and wait,
Otherwise you will fall into a pit in the abyss.
Do not act this way.
Six in the fourth place means:
A jug of wine, a bowl of rice with it;
Earthen vessels
Simply handed in through the window.
There is certainly no blame in this.
Nine in the fifth place means:
The abyss is not filled to overflowing,
It is filled only to the rim.
No blame.
Six at the top means:
Bound with cords and ropes,
Shut in between thorn-hedged prison walls:
For three years one does not find the way.
Misfortune.
30. Li / The Clinging, Fire
THE JUDGMENT
THE CLINGING. Perseverance furthers.
It brings success.
Care of the cow brings good fortune.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
The footprints run crisscross.
If one is seriously intent, no blame.
Six in the second place means:
Yellow light. Supreme good fortune.
Nine in the third place means:
In the light of the setting sun,
Men either beat the pot and sing
Or loudly bewail the approach of old age.
Misfortune.
Nine in the fourth place means:
Its coming is sudden;
It flames up, dies down, is thrown away.
Six in the fifth place means:
Tears in floods, sighing and lamenting.
Good fortune.
Nine at the top means:
The king uses him to march forth and chastise.
Then it is best to kill the leaders
And take captive the followers. No blame.
31. Hsien / Influence (Wooing)
THE JUDGMENT
Influence. Success.
Perseverance furthers.
To take a maiden to wife brings good fortune.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
The influence shows itself in the big toe.
Six in the second place means:
The influence shows itself in the calves of the legs.
Misfortune.
Tarrying brings good fortune.
Nine in the third place means:
The influence shows itself in the thighs.
Holds to that which follows it.
To continue is humiliating.
Nine in the fourth place means:
Perseverance brings good fortune.
Remorse disappears.
If a man is agitated in mind,
And his thoughts go hither and thither,
Only those friends
On whom he fixes his conscious thoughts
Will follow.
Nine in the fifth place means:
The influence shows itself in the back of the neck.
No remorse.
Six at the top means:
The influence shows itself in the jaws, cheeks, and tongue.
32. Hêng / Duration
THE JUDGMENT
DURATION. Success. No blame.
Perseverance furthers.
It furthers one to have somewhere to go.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
Seeking duration too hastily brings misfortune persistently.
Nothing that would further.
Nine in the second place means:
Remorse disappears.
Nine in the third place means:
He who does not give duration to his character
Meets with disgrace.
Persistent humiliation.
Nine in the fourth place means:
No game in the field.
Six in the fifth place means:
Giving duration to one’s character through perseverance.
This is good fortune for a woman, misfortune for a man.
Six at the top means:
Restlessness as an enduring condition brings misfortune.
33. Tun / Retreat
THE JUDGMENT
RETREAT. Success.
In what is small, perseverance furthers.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
At the tail in retreat. This is dangerous.
One must not wish to undertake anything.
Six in the second place means:
He holds him fast with yellow oxhide.
No one can tear him loose.
Nine in the third place means:
A halted retreat
Is nerve-wracking and dangerous.
To retain people as men—and maidservants
Brings good fortune.
Nine in the fourth place means:
Voluntary retreat brings good fortune to the superior man
And downfall to the inferior man.
Nine in the fifth place means:
Friendly retreat. Perseverance brings good fortune.
Nine at the top means:
Cheerful retreat. Everything serves to further.
34. Ta Chuang / The Power of the Great
THE JUDGMENT
THE POWER OF THE GREAT. Perseverance furthers.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
Power in the toes.
Continuing brings misfortune.
This is certainly true.
Nine in the second place means:
Perseverance brings good fortune.
Nine in the third place means:
The inferior man works through power.
The superior man does not act thus.
To continue is dangerous.
A goat butts against a hedge
And gets its horns entangled.
Nine in the fourth place means:
Perseverance brings good fortune.
Remorse disappears.
The hedge opens; there is no entanglement.
Power depends upon the axle of a big cart.
Six in the fifth place means:
Loses the goat with ease.
No remorse.
Six at the top means:
A goat butts against a hedge.
It cannot go backward, it cannot go forward.
Nothing serves to further.
If one notes the difficulty, this brings good fortune.
35. Chin / Progress
THE JUDGMENT
PROGRESS. The powerful prince
Is honored with horses in large numbers.
In a single day he is granted audience three times.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
Progressing, but turned back.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
If one meets with no confidence, one should remain calm.
No mistake.
Six in the second place means:
Progressing, but in sorrow.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
Then one obtains great happiness from one’s ancestress.
Six in the third place means:
All are in accord. Remorse disappears.
Nine in the fourth place means:
Progress like a hamster.
Perseverance brings danger.
Six in the fifth place means:
Remorse disappears.
Take not gain and loss to heart.
Undertakings bring good fortune.
Everything serves to further.
Nine at the top means:
Making progress with the horns is permissible
Only for the purpose of punishing one’s own city.
To be conscious of danger brings good fortune.
No blame.
Perseverance brings humiliation.
36. Ming I / Darkening of the Light
THE JUDGMENT
DARKENING OF THE LIGHT. In adversity
It furthers one to be persevering.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
Darkening of the light during flight.
He lowers his wings.
The superior man does not eat for three days
On his wanderings.
But he has somewhere to go.
The host has occasion to gossip about him.
Six in the second place means:
Darkening of the light injures him in the left thigh.
He gives aid with the strength of a horse.
Good fortune.
Nine in the third place means:
Darkening of the light during the hunt in the south.
Their great leader is captured.
One must not expect perseverance too soon.
Six in the fourth place means:
He penetrates the left side of the belly.
One gets at the very heart of the darkening of the light
And leaves gate and courtyard.
Six in the fifth place means:
Darkening of the light as with Prince Chi.
Perseverance furthers.
Six at the top means:
Not light but darkness.
First he climbed up to heaven,
Then he plunged into the depths of the earth.
37. Chia Jên / The Family [The Clan]
THE JUDGMENT
THE FAMILY. The perseverance of the woman furthers.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
Firm seclusion within the family.
Remorse disappears.
Six in the second place means:
She should not follow her whims.
She must attend within to the food.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
Nine in the third place means:
When tempers flare up in the family,
Too great severity brings remorse.
Good fortune nonetheless.
When woman and child dally and laugh
It leads in the end to humiliation.
Six in the fourth place means:
She is the treasure of the house.
Great good fortune.
Nine in the fifth place means:
As a king he approaches his family.
Fear not.
Good fortune.
Nine at the top means:
His work commands respect.
In the end good fortune comes.
38. K’uei / Opposition
THE JUDGMENT
OPPOSITION. In small matters, good fortune.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
Remorse disappears.
If you lose your horse, do not run after it;
It will come back of its own accord.
When you see evil people,
Guard yourself against mistakes.
Nine in the second place means:
One meets his lord in a narrow street.
No blame.
Six in the third place means:
One sees the wagon dragged back,
The oxen halted,
A man’s hair and nose cut off.
Not a good beginning, but a good end.
Nine in the fourth place means:
Isolated through opposition,
One meets a like-minded man
With whom one can associate in good faith.
Despite the danger, no blame.
Six in the fifth place means:
Remorse disappears.
The companion bites his way through the wrappings.
If one goes to him,
How could it be a mistake?
Nine at the top means:
Isolated through opposition,
One sees one’s companion as a pig covered with dirt,
As a wagon full of devils.
First one draws a bow against him,
Then one lays the bow aside.
He is not a robber; he will woo at the right time.
As one goes, rain falls; then good fortune comes.
39. Chien / Obstruction
THE JUDGMENT
OBSTRUCTION. The southwest furthers.
The northeast does not further.
It furthers one to see the great man.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
Going leads to obstructions,
Coming meets with praise.
Six in the second place means:
The king’s servant is beset by obstruction upon obstruction,
But it is not his own fault.
Nine in the third place means:
Going leads to obstructions;
Hence he comes back.
Six in the fourth place means:
Going leads to obstructions,
Coming leads to union.
Nine in the fifth place means:
In the midst of the greatest obstructions,
Friends come.
Six at the top means:
Going leads to obstructions,
Coming leads to great good fortune.
It furthers one to see the great man.
40. Hsieh / Deliverance
THE JUDGMENT
DELIVERANCE. The southwest furthers.
If there is no longer anything where one has to go,
Return brings good fortune.
If there is still something where one has to go,
Hastening brings good fortune.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
Without blame.
Nine in the second place means:
One kills three foxes in the field
And receives a yellow arrow.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
Six in the third place means:
If a man carries a burden on his back
And nonetheless rides in a carriage,
He thereby encourages robbers to draw near.
Perseverance leads to humiliation.
Nine in the fourth place means:
Deliver yourself from your great toe.
Then the companion comes,
And him you can trust.
Six in the fifth place means:
If only the superior man can deliver himself,
It brings good fortune.
Thus he proves to inferior men that he is in earnest.
Six at the top means:
The prince shoots at a hawk on a high wall.
He kills it. Everything serves to further.
41. Sun / Decrease
THE JUDGMENT
DECREASE combined with sincerity
Brings about supreme good fortune
Without blame.
One may be persevering in this.
It furthers one to undertake something.
How is this to be carried out?
One may use two small bowls for the sacrifice.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
Going quickly when one’s tasks are finished
Is without blame.
But one must reflect on how much one may decrease others.
Nine in the second place means:
Perseverance furthers.
To undertake something brings misfortune.
Without decreasing oneself,
One is able to bring increase to others.
Six in the third place means:
When three people journey together,
Their number decreases by one.
When one man journeys alone,
He finds a companion.
Six in the fourth place means:
If a man decreases his faults,
It makes the other hasten to come and rejoice.
No blame.
Six in the fifth place means:
Someone does indeed increase him.
Ten pairs of tortoises cannot oppose it.
Supreme good fortune.
Nine at the top means:
If one is increased without depriving others,
There is no blame.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
It furthers one to undertake something.
One obtains servants
But no longer has a separate home.
42. I / Increase
THE JUDGMENT
INCREASE. It furthers one
To undertake something.
It furthers one to cross the great water.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
It furthers one to accomplish great deeds.
Supreme good fortune. No blame.
Six in the second place means:
Someone does indeed increase him;
Ten pairs of tortoises cannot oppose it.
Constant perseverance brings good fortune.
The king presents him before God.
Good fortune.
Six in the third place means:
One is enriched through unfortunate events.
No blame, if you are sincere
And walk in the middle,
And report with a seal to the prince.
Six in the fourth place means:
If you walk in the middle
And report to the prince,
He will follow.
It furthers one to be used
In the removal of the capital.
Nine in the fifth place means:
If in truth you have a kind heart, ask not.
Supreme good fortune.
Truly, kindness will be recognized as your virtue.
Nine at the top means:
He brings increase to no one.
Indeed, someone even strikes him.
He does not keep his heart constantly steady.
Misfortune.
43. Kuai / Break-through (Resoluteness)
THE JUDGMENT
BREAK-THROUGH. One must resolutely make the matter known
At the court of the king.
It must be announced truthfully. Danger.
It is necessary to notify one’s own city.
It does not further to resort to arms.
It furthers one to undertake something.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
Mighty in the forward-striding toes.
When one goes and is not equal to the task,
One makes a mistake.
Nine in the second place means:
A cry of alarm. Arms at evening and at night.
Fear nothing.
Nine in the third place means:
To be powerful in the cheekbones
Brings misfortune.
The superior man is firmly resolved.
He walks alone and is caught in the rain.
He is bespattered,
And people murmur against him.
No blame.
Nine in the fourth place means:
There is no skin on his thighs,
And walking comes hard.
If a man were to let himself be led like a sheep,
Remorse would disappear.
But if these words are heard
They will not be believed.
Nine in the fifth place means:
In dealing with weeds,
Firm resolution is necessary.
Walking in the middle
Remains free of blame.
Six at the top means:
No cry.
In the end misfortune comes.
44. Kou / Coming to Meet
THE JUDGMENT
COMING TO MEET. The maiden is powerful.
One should not marry such a maiden.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
It must be checked with a brake of bronze.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
If one lets it take its course, one experiences misfortune.
Even a lean pig has it in him to rage around.
Nine in the second place means:
There is a fish in the tank. No blame.
Does not further guests.
Nine in the third place means:
There is no skin on his thighs,
And walking comes hard.
If one is mindful of the danger,
No great mistake is made.
Nine in the fourth place means:
No fish in the tank.
This leads to misfortune.
Nine in the fifth place means:
A melon covered with willow leaves.
Hidden lines.
Then it drops down to one from heaven.
Nine at the top means:
He comes to meet with his horns.
Humiliation. No blame.
45. Ts’ui / Gathering Together [Massing]
THE JUDGMENT
GATHERING TOGETHER. Success.
The king approaches his temple.
It furthers one to see the great man.
This brings success. Perseverance furthers.
To bring great offerings creates good fortune.
It furthers one to undertake something.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
If you are sincere, but not to the end,
There will sometimes be confusion, sometimes gathering together.
If you call out,
Then after one grasp of the hand you can laugh again.
Regret not. Going is without blame.
Six in the second place means:
Letting oneself be drawn
Brings good fortune and remains blameless.
If one is sincere,
It furthers one to bring even a small offering.
Six in the third place means:
Gathering together amid sighs.
Nothing that would further.
Going is without blame.
Slight humiliation.
Nine in the fourth place means:
Great good fortune. No blame.
Nine in the fifth place means:
If in gathering together one has position,
This brings no blame.
If there are some who are not yet sincerely in the work,
Sublime and enduring perseverance is needed.
Then remorse disappears.
Six at the top means:
Lamenting and sighing, floods of tears.
No blame.
46. Shêng / Pushing Upward
THE JUDGMENT
PUSHING UPWARD has supreme success.
One must see the great man.
Fear not.
Departure toward the south
Brings good fortune.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
Pushing upward that meets with confidence
Brings great good fortune.
Nine in the second place means:
If one is sincere,
It furthers one to bring even a small offering.
No blame.
Nine in the third place means:
One pushes upward into an empty city.
Six in the fourth place means:
The king offers him Mount Ch’i.
Good fortune. No blame.
Six in the fifth place means:
Perseverance brings good fortune.
One pushes upward by steps.
Six at the top means:
Pushing upward in darkness.
It furthers one
To be unremittingly persevering.
47. K’un / Oppression (Exhaustion)
THE JUDGMENT
OPPRESSION. Success. Perseverance.
The great man brings about good fortune.
No blame.
When one has something to say,
It is not believed.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
One sits oppressed under a bare tree
And strays into a gloomy valley.
For three years one sees nothing.
Nine in the second place means:
One is oppressed while at meat and drink.
The man with the scarlet knee bands is just coming.
It furthers one to offer sacrifice.
To set forth brings misfortune.
No blame.
Six in the third place means:
A man permits himself to be oppressed by stone,
And leans on thorns and thistles.
He enters his house and does not see his wife.
Misfortune.
Nine in the fourth place means:
He comes very quietly, oppressed in a golden carriage.
Humiliation, but the end is reached.
Nine in the fifth place means:
His nose and feet are cut off.
Oppression at the hands of the man with the purple knee bands.
Joy comes softly.
It furthers one to make offerings and libations.
Six at the top means:
He is oppressed by creeping vines.
He moves uncertainly and says, “Movement brings remorse.”
If one feels remorse over this and makes a start,
Good fortune comes.
48. Ching / The Well
THE JUDGMENT
THE WELL. The town may be changed,
But the well cannot be changed.
It neither decreases nor increases.
They come and go and draw from the well.
If one gets down almost to the water
And the rope does not go all the way,
Or the jug breaks, it brings misfortune.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
One does not drink the mud of the well.
No animals come to an old well.
Nine in the second place means:
At the wellhole one shoots fishes.
The jug is broken and leaks.
Nine in the third place means:
The well is cleaned, but no one drinks from it.
This is my heart’s sorrow,
For one might draw from it.
If the king were clear-minded,
Good fortune might be enjoyed in common.
Six in the fourth place means:
The well is being lined. No blame.
Nine in the fifth place means:
In the well there is a clear, cold spring
From which one can drink.
Six at the top means:
One draws from the well
Without hindrance.
It is dependable.
Supreme good fortune.
49. Ko / Revolution (Molting)
THE JUDGMENT
REVOLUTION. On your own day
You are believed.
Supreme success,
Furthering through perseverance.
Remorse disappears.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
Wrapped in the hide of a yellow cow.
Six in the second place means:
When one’s own day comes, one may create revolution.
Starting brings good fortune. No blame.
Nine in the third place means:
Starting brings misfortune.
Perseverance brings danger.
When talk of revolution has gone the rounds three times,
One may commit himself,
And men will believe him.
Nine in the fourth place means:
Remorse disappears. Men believe him.
Changing the form of government brings good fortune.
Nine in the fifth place means:
The great man changes like a tiger.
Even before he questions the oracle
He is believed.
Six at the top means:
The superior man changes like a panther.
The inferior man molts in the face.
Starting brings misfortune.
To remain persevering brings good fortune.
50. Ting / The Caldron
THE JUDGMENT
THE CALDRON. Supreme good fortune.
Success.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
A ting with legs upturned.
Furthers removal of stagnating stuff.
One takes a concubine for the sake of her son.
No blame.
Nine in the second place means:
There is food in the ting.
My comrades are envious,
But they cannot harm me.
Good fortune.
Nine in the third place means:
The handle of the ting is altered.
One is impeded in his way of life.
The fat of the pheasant is not eaten.
Once rain falls, remorse is spent.
Good fortune comes in the end.
Nine in the fourth place means:
The legs of the ting are broken.
The prince’s meal is spilled
And his person is soiled.
Misfortune.
Six in the fifth place means:
The ting has yellow handles, golden carrying rings.
Perseverance furthers.
Nine at the top means:
The ting has rings of jade.
Great good fortune.
Nothing that would not act to further.
51. Chên / The Arousing (Shock, Thunder)
THE JUDGMENT
SHOCK brings success.
Shock comes—oh, oh!
Laughing words—ha, ha!
The shock terrifies for a hundred miles,
And he does not let fall the sacrificial spoon and chalice.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
Shock comes—oh, oh!
Then follow laughing words—ha, ha!
Good fortune.
Six in the second place means:
Shock comes bringing danger.
A hundred thousand times
You lose your treasures
And must climb the nine hills.
Do not go in pursuit of them.
After seven days you will get them back again.
Six in the third place means:
Shock comes and makes one distraught.
If shock spurs to action
One remains free of misfortune.
Nine in the fourth place means:
Shock is mired.
Six in the fifth place means:
Shock goes hither and thither.
Danger.
However, nothing at all is lost.
Yet there are things to be done.
Six at the top means:
Shock brings ruin and terrified gazing around.
Going ahead brings misfortune.
If it has not yet touched one’s own body
But has reached one’s neighbor first,
There is no blame.
One’s comrades have something to talk about.
52. Kên / Keeping Still, Mountain
THE JUDGMENT
KEEPING STILL. Keeping his back still
So that he no longer feels his body.
He goes into his courtyard
And does not see his people.
No blame.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
Keeping his toes still.
No blame.
Continued perseverance furthers.
Six in the second place means:
Keeping his calves still.
He cannot rescue him whom he follows.
His heart is not glad.
Nine in the third place means:
Keeping his hips still.
Making his sacrum stiff.
Dangerous. The heart suffocates.
Six in the fourth place means:
Keeping his trunk still.
No blame.
Six in the fifth place means:
Keeping his jaws still.
The words have order.
Remorse disappears.
Nine at the top means:
Noblehearted keeping still.
Good fortune.
53. Chien / Development (Gradual Progress)
THE JUDGMENT
DEVELOPMENT. The maiden
Is given in marriage.
Good fortune.
Perseverance furthers.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
The wild goose gradually draws near the shore.
The young son is in danger.
There is talk. No blame.
Six in the second place means:
The wild goose gradually draws near the cliff.
Eating and drinking in peace and concord.
Good fortune.
Nine in the third place means:
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.
Six in the fourth place means:
The wild goose gradually draws near the tree.
Perhaps it will find a flat branch. No blame.
Nine in the fifth place means:
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.
Nine at the top means:
The wild goose gradually draws near the cloud heights.
Its feathers can be used for the sacred dance.
Good fortune.
54. Kuei Mei / The Marrying Maiden
THE JUDGMENT
THE MARRYING MAIDEN.
Undertakings bring misfortune.
Nothing that would further.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
The marrying maiden as a concubine.
A lame man who is able to tread.
Undertakings bring good fortune.
Nine in the second place means:
A one-eyed man who is able to see.
The perseverance of a solitary man furthers.
Six in the third place means:
The marrying maiden as a slave.
She marries as a concubine.
Nine in the fourth place means:
The marrying maiden draws out the allotted time.
A late marriage comes in due course.
Six in the fifth place means:
The sovereign I gave his daughter in marriage.
The embroidered garments of the princess
Were not as gorgeous
As those of the servingmaid.
The moon that is nearly full
Brings good fortune.
Six at the top means:
The woman holds the basket, but there are no fruits in it.
The man stabs the sheep, but no blood flows.
Nothing that acts to further.
55. Fêng / Abundance [Fullness]
THE JUDGMENT
ABUNDANCE has success.
The king attains abundance.
Be not sad.
Be like the sun at midday.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
When a man meets his destined ruler,
They can be together ten days,
And it is not a mistake.
Going meets with recognition.
Six in the second place means:
The curtain is of such fullness
That the polestars can be seen at noon.
Through going one meets with mistrust and hate.
If one rouses him through truth,
Good fortune comes.
Nine in the third place means:
The underbrush is of such abundance
That the small stars can be seen at noon.
He breaks his right arm. No blame.
Nine in the fourth place means:
The curtain is of such fullness
That the polestars can be seen at noon.
He meets his ruler, who is of like kind.
Good fortune.
Six in the fifth place means:
Lines are coming,
Blessing and fame draw near.
Good fortune.
Six at the top means:
His house is in a state of abundance.
He screens off his family.
He peers through the gate
And no longer perceives anyone.
For three years he sees nothing.
Misfortune.
56. Lü / The Wanderer
THE JUDGMENT
THE WANDERER. Success through smallness.
Perseverance brings good fortune
To the wanderer.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
If the wanderer busies himself with trivial things,
He draws down misfortune upon himself.
Six in the second place means:
The wanderer comes to an inn.
He has his property with him.
He wins the steadfastness of a young servant.
Nine in the third place means:
The wanderer’s inn burns down.
He loses the steadfastness of his young servant.
Danger.
Nine in the fourth place means:
The wanderer rests in a shelter.
He obtains his property and an ax.
My heart is not glad.
Six in the fifth place means:
He shoots a pheasant.
It drops with the first arrow.
In the end this brings both praise and office.
Nine at the top means:
The bird’s nest burns up.
The wanderer laughs at first,
Then must needs lament and weep.
Through carelessness he loses his cow.
Misfortune.
57. Sun / The Gentle (The Penetrating, Wind)
THE JUDGMENT
THE GENTLE. Success through what is small.
It furthers one to have somewhere to go.
It furthers one to see the great man.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
In advancing and in retreating,
The perseverance of a warrior furthers.
Nine in the second place means:
Penetration under the bed.
Priests and magicians are used in great number.
Good fortune. No blame.
Nine in the third place means:
Repeated penetration. Humiliation.
Six in the fourth place means:
Remorse vanishes.
During the hunt
Three kinds of game are caught.
Nine in the fifth place means:
Perseverance brings good fortune.
Remorse vanishes.
Nothing that does not further.
No beginning, but an end.
Before the change, three days.
After the change, three days.
Good fortune.
Nine at the top means:
Penetration under the bed.
He loses his property and his ax.
Perseverance brings misfortune.
58. Tui / The Joyous, Lake
THE JUDGMENT
THE JOYOUS. Success.
Perseverance is favorable.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
Contented joyousness. Good fortune.
Nine in the second place means:
Sincere joyousness. Good fortune.
Remorse disappears.
Six in the third place means:
Coming joyousness. Misfortune.
Nine in the fourth place means:
Joyousness that is weighed is not at peace.
After ridding himself of mistakes a man has joy.
Nine in the fifth place means:
Sincerity toward disintegrating influences is dangerous.
Six at the top means:
Seductive joyousness.
59. Huan / Dispersion [Dissolution]
THE JUDGMENT
DISPERSION. Success.
The king approaches his temple.
It furthers one to cross the great water.
Perseverance furthers.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
He brings help with the strength of a horse.
Good fortune.
Nine in the second place means:
At the dissolution
He hurries to that which supports him.
Remorse disappears.
Six in the third place means:
He dissolves his self. No remorse.
Six in the fourth place means:
He dissolves his bond with his group.
Supreme good fortune.
Dispersion leads in turn to accumulation.
This is something that ordinary men do not think of.
Nine in the fifth place means:
His loud cries are as dissolving as sweat.
Dissolution! A king abides without blame.
Nine at the top means:
He dissolves his blood.
Departing, keeping at a distance, going out,
Is without blame.
60. Chieh / Limitation
THE JUDGMENT
LIMITATION. Success.
Galling limitation must not be persevered in.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
Not going out of the door and the courtyard
Is without blame.
Nine in the second place means:
Not going out of the gate and the courtyard
Brings misfortune.
Six in the third place means:
He who knows no limitation
Will have cause to lament.
No blame.
Six in the fourth place means:
Contented limitation. Success.
Nine in the fifth place means:
Sweet limitation brings good fortune.
Going brings esteem.
Six at the top means:
Galling limitation.
Perseverance brings misfortune.
Remorse disappears.
61. Chung Fu / Inner Truth
THE JUDGMENT
INNER TRUTH. Pigs and fishes.
Good fortune.
It furthers one to cross the great water.
Perseverance furthers.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
Being prepared brings good fortune.
If there are secret designs, it is disquieting.
Nine in the second place means:
A crane calling in the shade.
Its young answers it.
I have a good goblet.
I will share it with you.
Six in the third place means:
He finds a comrade.
Now he beats the drum, now he stops.
Now he sobs, now he sings.
Six in the fourth place means:
The moon nearly at the full.
The team horse goes astray.
No blame.
Nine in the fifth place means:
He possesses truth, which links together.
No blame.
Nine at the top means:
Cockcrow penetrating to heaven.
Perseverance brings misfortune.
62. Hsiao Kuo / Preponderance of the Small
THE JUDGMENT
PREPONDERANCE OF THE SMALL. Success.
Perseverance furthers.
Small things may be done; great things should not be done.
The flying bird brings the message:
It is not well to strive upward,
It is well to remain below.
Great good fortune.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
The bird meets with misfortune through flying.
Six in the second place means:
She passes by her ancestor
And meets her ancestress.
He does not reach his prince
And meets the official.
No blame.
Nine in the third place means:
If one is not extremely careful,
Somebody may come up from behind and strike him.
Misfortune.
Nine in the fourth place means:
No blame. He meets him without passing by.
Going brings danger. One must be on guard.
Do not act. Be constantly persevering.
Six in the fifth place means:
Dense clouds,
No rain from our western territory.
The prince shoots and hits him who is in the cave.
Six at the top means:
He passes him by, not meeting him.
The flying bird leaves him.
Misfortune.
This means bad luck and injury.
63. Chi Chi / After Completion
THE JUDGMENT
AFTER COMPLETION. Success in small matters.
Perseverance furthers.
At the beginning good fortune,
At the end disorder.
THE LINES
Nine at the beginning means:
He brakes his wheels.
He gets his tail in the water.
No blame.
Six in the second place means:
The woman loses the curtain of her carriage.
Do not run after it;
On the seventh day you will get it.
Nine in the third place means:
The Illustrious Ancestor
Disciplines the Devil’s Country.
After three years he conquers it.
Inferior people must not be employed.
Six in the fourth place means:
The finest clothes turn to rags.
Be careful all day long.
Nine in the fifth place means:
The neighbor in the east who slaughters an ox
Does not attain as much real happiness
As the neighbor in the west
With his small offering.
Six at the top means:
He gets his head in the water. Danger.
64. Wei Chi / Before Completion
THE JUDGMENT
BEFORE COMPLETION. Success.
But if the little fox, after nearly completing the crossing,
Gets his tail in the water,
There is nothing that would further.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
He gets his tail in the water.
Humiliating.
Nine in the second place means:
He brakes his wheels.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
Six in the third place means:
Before completion, attack brings misfortune.
It furthers one to cross the great water.
Nine in the fourth place means:
Perseverance brings good fortune.
Remorse disappears.
Shock, thus to discipline the Devil’s Country.
For three years, great realms are awarded.
Six in the fifth place means:
Perseverance brings good fortune.
No remorse.
The light of the superior man is true.
Good fortune.
Nine at the top means:
There is drinking of wine
In genuine confidence. No blame.
But if one wets his head,
He loses it, in truth.