Takashima Ekidan · Hexagram 32 Thunder over Wind, Duration: Success. No blame. Constancy is beneficial. It is beneficial to have somewhere to go.

32　Thunder over Wind, Duration

The Upper Canon begins with Heaven and continues with Earth; Earth is Heaven’s counterpart. The Lower Canon begins with Influence and continues with Duration; Duration is the permanence of Influence. Influence is an enterprise capable of becoming great; Duration is a virtue capable of lasting. What can last corresponds to Heaven, and what can become great corresponds to Earth; therefore Heaven also signifies lastingness, and Earth also signifies greatness. Thunder as the man and Wind as the woman originally arise from Heaven and Earth; Thunder and Wind are the exhaled qi of Heaven and Earth. When Heaven and Earth do not change, Thunder and Wind likewise do not change. Therefore the hexagram of Thunder and Wind is called Duration.

Duration［2］: Success. No blame. Constancy is beneficial. It is beneficial to have somewhere to go.



▲ Oracle-bone script for “Duration”

The character “Duration” is composed of the components for heart and continuity, and means constancy. The Changes says, “Duration means lasting.” Whatever is temporarily blocked will, if it lasts, become accessible; once accessible, there is “no blame.” “Constancy” means correctness. Influence is the beginning of a husband and wife joining in marriage: the man places himself below the woman, hence “taking a wife brings good fortune.” Duration is the normal permanence of husband and wife in their household: the woman places herself below the man, hence the benefit of constancy. Wind is yielding and compliant, and because it is compliant it can be constant. Thunder is firm and active, and because it moves it has somewhere to go. “Constancy” is the virtue of a woman; “going” is the undertaking of a man. The Meaning says: “When one attains the constant Way, what destination could be unfavorable?” Hence: “It is beneficial to have somewhere to go.”

The Tuan Commentary says: Constancy means duration. The firm is above and the yielding below; thunder and wind interact; the yielding proceeds and the firm moves; firm and yielding all respond—this is Constancy. Constancy brings success and no blame; it is favorable to be steadfast. This means abiding for long in one’s way. The way of Heaven and Earth endures ceaselessly. It is favorable to have somewhere to go, for when one ending is reached, a new beginning follows. The sun and moon, receiving the heavens’ support, can shine for a long time; the four seasons, through their transformations, can bring things to completion for a long time; the sages, abiding in their way for a long time, bring the world to transformation and completion. Observe what endures, and the dispositions of Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things may be seen.



▲ Seal-script form of Heng

This hexagram has Zhen above and Xun below. Xun is wind: the firm is above and the yielding below. Zhen is thunder; thunder and wind interacting form Constancy. Thunder and wind are energies born from mountains and marshes, which is why this hexagram follows Influence. As energies, they penetrate above and below, move everywhere, nurture and transform the myriad things, generating life without end; yet their transformations follow regular patterns. Their virtue spans ancient and modern times without change. This is precisely “the way of Heaven and Earth endures ceaselessly,” and therefore this hexagram is named Constancy. Constancy means regularity and duration. The way of Constancy is successful and free of blame; through success and freedom from blame, steadfastness becomes favorable. Constancy has two aspects: the constancy that does not change and the constancy that never ceases. “Steadfastness is favorable” refers to the former; “favorable to have somewhere to go” refers to the latter. Taken together, they form the constant way. “Success” is the function of Constancy; “steadfastness” is its substance; “firm and yielding all respond” is the virtue Constancy achieves; “favorable to have somewhere to go” is Constancy put into practice. Xun ends in steadfastness, while Zhen begins in action. Great Zhen enters Xun, hence “when one ending is reached, a new beginning follows.” Observe the sun and moon receiving Heaven’s support and shining for a long time; test this in the four seasons, which transform and complete things for a long time; verify it in the sages, whose enduring way transforms and completes the world. Whatever in the heavenly way and the sages’ way lasts without decay is none other than this way of constancy.

Applied to human affairs, this hexagram has Zhen as the eldest son and Xun as the eldest daughter. The two younger ones of Influence become the two elders of Constancy; the constancy of husband and wife is the proper way of marriage. “Thunder and wind interact” represents the movement of Heaven and Earth; “firm and yielding all respond” represents the workings of yin and yang. The exemplary person follows this and preserves constancy. By cultivating oneself through constancy, personal example brings success; by ordering the family through constancy, the family way brings success; by governing the state through constancy, the state’s fortunes also prosper. This is what is meant by being beneficial wherever one goes. Read the poem “Guan Ju”: the transformation of King Wen reached far, while the virtue of the queen was cultivated within. Surely this grasped the essential meaning of Constancy! Extend the comparison to the sun and moon shining long, the four seasons achieving completion long, and the sages’ enduring way transforming the world. Look up and observe below, and the nature of Constancy can be seen. The rise and decline, prosperity and obstruction of human affairs are no more than this.

Applied to the state, the upper trigram represents the government, possessing thunder’s fierce energy to revitalize public administration; the lower trigram represents the people, with the image of wind moving as they follow the government’s commands. The Constancy hexagram has Zhen above and Xun below. Zhen is the husband and Xun the wife; the structure of the hexagram is fundamentally husband and wife. Influence uses youth to represent feeling; Constancy uses maturity to represent ritual. Constancy means making lasting the very feeling called Influence. Yet cultivation within the family becomes service to the court; royal transformation begins in the women’s quarters. Ordering the family and governing the state have one continuous principle: the kingly way is benevolent throughout the age, and the sage’s achievement remains effective for ten thousand years. This is the sages’ enduring way transforming the world. Thunder moves and wind disperses, showing the joint application of favor and authority; the firm above and yielding below show the mutual balancing of leniency and severity. Harmony and compliance are taken from Xun; vigor and initiative from Zhen. Act and preserve, without negligence or waste; hold within the resolve for purity and order, and adapt outwardly to changing circumstances. Then the way is successful and free of blame, transformation endures and grows ever more wondrous, beginning and end remain as one, and those above and below have no doubts. This is abiding long in one’s way, and supreme governance has constancy. The sun and moon’s enduring light and the four seasons’ enduring completion are all visible here.

Viewing the hexagram as a whole, the Sequence says: “The way of husband and wife cannot be without duration; therefore Constancy follows.” Influence is the beginning of husband and wife; Constancy is their enduring norm. Thus the Lower Canon begins with Influence and Constancy, pairing the way of husband and wife with Qian and Kun. Yet in Constancy, only the fifth line speaks of husband and wife; the other lines all discuss how Constancy may be inappropriate, offering warnings for posterity. Moreover, none of the six lines contains an auspicious phrase; even the Judgment says only “no blame.” Constancy is the constant way of Heaven and Earth: the sun and moon shine long, the four seasons achieve completion long; without constancy there is change, while with Constancy one attains correctness. Hence the sages said, “A person without constancy cannot become a shaman or physician,” using contrary words to warn people, and never actually praising Constancy. The Image says, “The exemplary person stands firm and does not change direction,” meaning only that by not changing, one preserves Constancy. The six lines of the hexagram correspond with one another; the two energies, firm and yielding, mutually serve as functions. Firmness has its way and yielding has its way. Constancy is successful and free of blame only through abiding long in one’s way. The reversed hexagram of Constancy is Influence, so the line images of the two hexagrams are all related through inversion. The deep penetration of Constancy’s first line is the clever compliance of Influence’s top line; Constancy’s second line “regret disappears” is Influence’s fifth line “no regret”; Constancy’s third line bearing shame is Influence’s fourth line “friends follow”; Constancy’s fourth line being out of place is Influence’s third line “following others”; Constancy’s fifth line, wife auspicious and husband inauspicious, is Influence’s third line “inauspicious; remaining in place is auspicious”; Constancy’s top line “greatly without achievement” is Influence’s first line “the will lies outward.” Thus the two hexagrams share the same structure, while their line images repeatedly reverse and correspond. Influence says, “The sages move people’s hearts, and the world becomes harmonious”; Constancy says, “The sages abide long in their way, and the world is transformed and completed.” The dispositions of Heaven, Earth, and the myriad things can all be seen here.

The Image Commentary says: Thunder and wind form Constancy. The exemplary person stands firm and does not change direction.

Zhen is thunder that moves above; Xun is wind that enters below. Though thunder and wind are extremely active and changeable, seemingly without constancy, when one examines them to the utmost, thunder’s sound never misses its season, and wind breathes upon things according to their proper time. It has been so since antiquity and has never failed; therefore it is called thunder and wind Constancy. The exemplary person embodies this image in responding to the myriad changes, while the way itself remains unchanged—this is Constancy. “Standing” means firm and unshakable; “direction” means holding to one principle without shifting. The will has a fixed orientation and its resolve grows firmer. One is not corrupted by wealth and honor, not moved by poverty and lowliness, and not bent by force or arms. Standing alone without fear—this is why the exemplary person is exemplary: they have attained the way of Constancy.

　　[Divination]
○　Asked about military campaigns: Thunder rises from the earth and wind is born in the valleys; beware of enemy troops lying in ambush and the danger of artillery attacks. It is advisable to hold the fortifications firmly and not retreat; later, defeat may be turned into success.


○　Asked about business: Zhen belongs to the due east and Xun to the southeast. “Stand firm and do not change direction” means that a trading location should not be changed.

○　Asked about achievement and reputation: Zhen and Xun both belong to wood. A tree stands firmly, reaches straight toward the sky, and naturally signifies direct advancement. Yet success should be achieved over time; one should not rush forward.

○　Asked about the home: This residence faces southeast with its back to the northwest. It is an old ancestral home and a permanent holding; its orientation absolutely must not be changed.

○　Asked about marriage: The man is the eldest son of his family and the woman the eldest daughter of hers. The two firstborns are well matched; the marriage is highly favorable, and one may expect them to grow old together.

○　Asked about illness: It must be liver fire rising upward, with phlegm-fire, qi congestion, and asthma. Continue taking the previous prescription; it need not be changed.

○　Asked about pregnancy: A boy will be born; it must be the first pregnancy.

Six at the beginning: Deepening Constancy; steadfastness is inauspicious. Nothing is favorable.

The Image Commentary says: The misfortune of deepening Constancy lies in seeking depth at the beginning.

“Deep” means profound. The first line is at the beginning of Constancy. To seek the end from the beginning, one should proceed step by step and gradually; only then can one approach the goal. As the saying goes, to climb high one must begin from below, and to travel far one must begin nearby. Proceeding this way, nothing is unfavorable. But if one skips the stages and seeks results—like gathering a handful of earth while expecting to make a mountain, or using a ladle of water while wishing to form the sea—then the foundation has barely been established while the expected later result is extravagant. Although the matter may not depart from correctness, it will inevitably be difficult to avoid misfortune. Hence, “deepening Constancy; steadfastness is inauspicious.” The Image Commentary says, “seeking depth at the beginning.” “Beginning” refers to the first line: before even passing through the shallows, it abruptly seeks the depths. This is haste that fails to reach its goal. Not only is it useless; it instead reveals misfortune. It is like using intelligence but falling into excessive cleverness, or seeking the Way by searching for what is hidden: these are all the errors of one who “deepens Constancy.”

　　[Divination]
○　Asked about military campaigns: Advance camp by camp, step by step; above all, avoid sending an isolated force deep into enemy territory. Going too deep will be disastrous.


○　Asked about business: Sell as soon as profit is available. Do not corner the market and hoard goods in pursuit of a high price.

○　Asked about achievement and reputation: Be content with your station and guard your post. Do not climb the ladder of favor, seek honors, or gamble on luck to claim merit, lest you instead invite disgrace.

○　Asked about marriage: In marriage, the two families should be well matched in status. Never admire wealth and court nobility out of greed to form an alliance, or regret may follow. It often happens.

○　Asked about the home: The house is newly built, but regrettably too much was spent pursuing splendor, making it difficult to maintain for long.

○　Asked about litigation: Once litigation begins, it may drag on for a long time without resolution.

○　Asked about pregnancy: The first pregnancy will produce a girl, but there is concern that raising her may be difficult.

【Example】 In the seventh month of Meiji 15, an uprising broke out in Korea. Minister Hanabusa and those below him escaped back to Nagasaki. In the eighth month of the same year, the court dispatched the army and navy and ordered Minister Hanabusa to return to Korea to demand an explanation. I cast for it and obtained Constancy changing to Great Strength.

The judgment was: From the text of the first line of the Image, one can know that Korea was gradually advancing toward enlightenment. Although Korea had now shown disrespect toward us, if the government took advantage of a moment’s anger, forgot the enduring way, and demanded too much of it, this would be exactly what the line text warns: “Deepening Constancy; steadfastness is inauspicious. Nothing is favorable.” The government should therefore be concerned. If the government’s present demand for an explanation is not aimed at probing too deeply but at reconciliation, the matter can be harmonized. Even if it is not harmonized immediately, the first line of Constancy changes into Great Strength, meaning that military preparations of Great Strength will merely be used to exert pressure. The strategy should divide our army into six parts, leave four at Shimonoseki, and use two to support Korea’s Enlightenment Party. If that still proves insufficient, one army can strike its rear from Wonsan Harbor, enabling the Enlightenment Party to maintain Korea. This accords with the logic of Heaven’s allotted numbers.

After the divination, I presented it to a distinguished person. The person then had someone ask again: “Although Korea’s affairs are not enough to cause concern, its relationship with Qing China is truly significant. Please divine the relationship between our country and Qing China.” I cast again and obtained Gen, unchanging.

The judgment was: Gen is the hexagram of two mountains facing each other. Two mountains facing each other can be seen but cannot be approached; nor can they respond to each other. From a hexagram of being neither near nor responsive, it can be clearly concluded that there will be no war. Later, Korea’s affairs indeed turned out as this divination indicated.

Nine in the second place: Regret disappears.

The Image Commentary says: For the nine in the second place, regret disappears because it can remain long in the center.

The second line is yang occupying a yin place, so it is out of position and therefore has regret. Yet the second line is in the center of Xun and is Xun’s ruler; it corresponds to the yin sixth-five, and with the virtue of firm centrality it supports the yielding central ruler. Its way has attained the center and can also endure for a long time, hence “regret disappears.” The Image Commentary says “can remain long in the center,” meaning that the way capable of enduring lies nowhere outside the center. One who can “abide long in one’s way” must be able to abide long in the center. The second line can do this, so regret naturally disappears.

　　[Divination]
○　Asked about military campaigns: The camp’s position is poorly chosen, and later regret is likely. It is advisable to remain in the center without moving, holding out and defending firmly; this can avert disaster.


○　Asked about business: The goods cannot find a market, causing losses. Wait patiently for a better price over time; the original capital can then be recovered.

○　Asked about achievement and reputation: Missing the opportunity may instead bring disaster. Wait for the right time to proceed; even if fame is not attained, there will be no blame.

○　Asked about the home: This house is in an unsuitable location, and its occupants are disadvantaged. After ten years, the home’s fortunes may turn, and only then will there be no blame.

○　Asked about marriage: Average.

○　Asked about pregnancy: A girl will be born.

【Example】 The president of a certain company came to request a divination about the company’s fortunes. The casting produced Constancy changing to Small Exceeding.

The judgment was: “Thunder and wind interact,” and “firm and yielding all respond”—this is the image of a company. The hexagram is named Constancy, so the enterprise must be completed through duration. You have now obtained the second line. The second line is yang in a yin place, so its position is not entirely appropriate and affairs face obstruction. As president, you personally bear responsibility for the company; you should handle it with centrality and correctness and preserve its continuity. Maintain Xun’s steadfastness and follow Zhen’s forward movement. If you work tirelessly over time and carry everything forward to its full advantage, the way will be successful. What regret could there be?

After hearing this, the president said: “Since this company began operations, many things have not gone as hoped. Having received this divination, I shall naturally persevere without end in order to pursue a grand enterprise.” The company later indeed became prosperous and large.

【Example】 In the second month of Meiji 26, Uemura Tosaburo, manager of the Hokkaido Coal Mine Railway Company, came and said: “I have been engaged in company affairs for many years. There are numerous matters, and I deeply fear that my strength is weak and my abilities limited, making me unable to fulfill the position. I am considering leaving for an official post, but remain undecided. Please cast a divination for me.” The casting produced Constancy changing to Small Exceeding.

The judgment was: Xun is below and Zhen above. Xun is firewood, showing the image of coal; Xun also represents commerce and profit, showing the image of a company. Zhen represents movement and rushing, showing the image of a railway. You have now obtained the second line. The nine in the second place belongs to the Water trigram; its earthly branch is zi, positioned above the Void star. Void is among the stellar mansions of the north, hence the company is in Hokkaido. The second line is yang in a yin place, so it is out of position and therefore has regret. Yet since you are already engaged in company affairs, you must have a deep understanding of their benefits. By abiding long in this way, you will naturally become skilled and experienced and be able to revive the enterprise. After Mr. Uemura received this divination, he worked even harder; within a few months he rose to take on an important responsibility.

Nine in the third place: He does not maintain his virtue; someone may bring him shame. Steadfastness brings embarrassment.

The Image Commentary says: He does not maintain his virtue; there is nowhere that can accommodate him.

Nine in the third place is at the extreme of Sun. Sun signifies advancing and retreating, and indecision; this is the image of not maintaining one’s virtue. “Shame” means disgrace. Nine in the third place is yang in a yang place: although its position is correct, its mind is unsettled, its virtue lacks constancy, and mistakes follow. “Perhaps” refers to what is about to happen: although the shame is not yet clearly apparent, it may soon befall him. Even if he remains steadfast, there will be cause for regret. “Regret” means something contemptible. The Commentary on the Image says, “There is nowhere to contain it”: once a great moral principle has been damaged, there is nowhere in heaven and earth to escape it. This is a deeply severe condemnation.

　　[Divination]
○ Inquiry about military campaigns: Military affairs value bold and decisive advance, which brings victory. Sun signifies indecision; there will surely be much fear and retreat, with no constancy in advancing or withdrawing. The situation will bring disgrace to the nation and harm to the troops—how could one escape blame?


○ Inquiry about business: The line statement says, “He does not maintain his virtue.” This surely means the merchant has no lasting occupation; how could he make a profit?

○ Inquiry about reputation and office: With virtue wavering between two or three courses, one’s work surely will not succeed; how could one’s name be established?

○ Inquiry about the household: The third line is at the end of Sun. Sun ultimately changes into Zhen, and Zhen signifies a great road. This residence must be beside a main road, and it is not favorable for long-term dwelling.

○ Inquiry about marriage: The marriage will not reach completion and may bring shame and humiliation.

○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born.

[Case] One day, a prominent nobleman came to visit and said to me: “I have a colleague, so burdened by debt that he asked me for assistance. A certain superior also interceded on his behalf. I promised to help, but when the due date arrived, he unexpectedly had no ability to repay. I dare ask you to divine whether this will be gain or loss.” The cast resulted in Heng changing to Jie.

The judgment said: This hexagram means “lasting and never ending,” so it is clear that the loan will never be returned. The text says, “He does not maintain his virtue,” meaning that, being so desperately poor, he will inevitably waver in his principles and be unable to maintain this promise and agreement. “Perhaps shame will befall him” means that if you angrily demand payment, he will certainly speak insolently and you will instead suffer humiliation. The outcome was exactly as divined.

[Case] In the twenty-eighth year of Meiji, I divined the national fortune of Qing China. The cast resulted in Heng changing to Jie.

The judgment said: Heng means duration. Looking back at relations between our country and foreign nations, Qing China is the oldest among them; this is the image of Heng. The two countries stand side by side in Asia, mutually dependent like cheek and jaw, and as nations sharing written culture, they are especially close. In recent years, the European and American countries have become civilized and enlightened, renewing themselves day by day. Our country saw this and therefore took their strengths to make up for our weaknesses: we sent young people to study in Europe and America and invited Western teachers to educate our children. Qing China, however, clung stubbornly to old customs, displaying its own arrogance and greatness, and could not view the broad trends of the world objectively. Korea lies between our two countries. Japan consulted with Qing China, intending that the two countries protect each other, but Qing China became suspicious of Japan, and eventually the two armies met in battle. Now the third line has been obtained. Its text says, “He does not maintain his virtue; perhaps shame will befall him; even steadfastness brings regret.” Sun signifies advancing and retreating, meaning that Qing China’s advances and withdrawals lack constancy, and it is bound to suffer humiliation.

Nine in the fourth place: The field has no game.

The Commentary on the Image says: Staying long in a place that is not one’s position, how could one obtain game?

“Game” is a general term for birds and beasts. Zhen is the hunter, and Sun is game. Nine in the fourth place is at the beginning of Zhen and has already emerged from Sun: the hunter of Zhen advances while the game of Sun retreats. Hunting under such conditions must yield nothing, hence “the field has no game,” symbolizing loss of the people’s support. What is valued in the way of Heng is that one’s virtue matches one’s position and one’s ability exceeds one’s responsibility: in serving superiors, one makes useful proposals; in governing subordinates, one brings peace and relief. As days and years accumulate, one’s beneficial contributions must become many. Nine in the fourth place is yang in a yang place and corresponds with Six at the beginning. Six at the beginning says “deepening Heng” and “nothing is beneficial”; what is unbeneficial is precisely what is meant by “no game.” The Commentary on the Image says, “Staying long in a place that is not one’s position, how could one obtain game?” In general, if one is in the wrong place, acts at the wrong time, proceeds by the wrong method, or associates with the wrong people, one will remain without achievement no matter how long. The relation between a field and game makes gain and loss especially evident, so it is used as the image.

　　[Divination]
○ Inquiry about military campaigns: If a camp is established in the wrong position, the troops will surely grow weary without achievement.


○ Inquiry about business: Every commodity has its proper market. Seeking wood from a fisherman or asking a woodcutter about fish will yield nothing, however long one remains in that occupation.

○ Inquiry about reputation and office: If one does not enter the examination halls but hopes for the highest degree, or does not enter the imperial court but seeks a prominent office, one is in the wrong position and will gain nothing however long one waits.

○ Inquiry about the household: The orientation of this residence is unfavorable. It should not be occupied for long; move away promptly.

○ Inquiry about marriage: The two families are not a suitable match.

○ Inquiry about pregnancy: A boy will be born, but he may be difficult to raise.

[Case] In the twenty-third year of Meiji, a certain gentleman of rank came and asked me to divine the fortune of a prominent nobleman. The cast resulted in Heng changing to Sheng.

The judgment said: I will speak frankly about the hexagram; please do not take offense. You have asked for a divination of this prominent nobleman’s fortune, and have obtained the fourth line of Heng. The fourth line is yang in a yin place, occupying an unsuitable position. Its text says, “The field has no game,” which is another way of saying that plans will produce no results. Although this prominent nobleman has long occupied a high position, his current fortune has already declined, and his abilities have also weakened. Most of what he undertakes will achieve little. He should properly retire and avoid inviting criticism for occupying a position he no longer deserves.

Six in the fifth place: Maintaining one’s virtue. Steadfastness. Auspicious for a woman; ominous for a man.

The Commentary on the Image says: Steadfastness is auspicious for a woman because she follows one man to the end. A man is ominous if he lets himself be governed by a woman.

Six in the fifth place occupies the honored position and is the ruler of Heng; below, it corresponds with Nine in the second place. Nine in the second is in Sun, which signifies a woman; Six in the fifth is in Zhen, which signifies a man. Six in the fifth exclusively maintains its correspondence with Nine in the second and makes its virtue single and constant. Steadfastness is indeed steadfastness, but as a woman it is auspicious and as a man it is ominous. One must understand that the fifth place is the ruler of Zhen, and Zhen signifies action. A husband’s aspiration should be to regulate affairs according to righteousness, carry them forward for the benefit of all, and establish lasting achievements. If he merely regards following one person as correctness, that is the way of a concubine or wife; it is what Mencius called a “despicable man.” The Commentary on the Image says, “Following one and reaching the end,” meaning that this is appropriate only to a woman’s virtue, hence “steadfastness is auspicious.” “It is beneficial to have somewhere to go” refers to the man. For a man’s conduct, what is appropriate is to examine righteousness. Righteousness does not harm steadfastness, but steadfastness may sometimes injure righteousness; hence “following the woman is ominous.” The “steadfastness is auspicious” mentioned in the Commentary on the Image refers to the woman; “it is beneficial to have somewhere to go” refers to the man. Understanding this reveals the way of Heng.

　　[Divination]
○ Inquiry about military campaigns: It was traditionally said that when women are present in an army, the soldiers’ morale does not rise. Xiang Yu’s defeat was surely not unrelated to Yu Ji’s burdening him. This should be treated with grave caution when marching an army.


○ Inquiry about business: Commerce should adapt to changing circumstances. If one stubbornly clings to a single course, with the narrow-minded view of women and children seeking small gains, one will surely obtain no great profit.

○ Inquiry about reputation and office: A man’s aspirations lie in the four directions and his future is broad. If he merely clings to the inner chambers, he will damage his health and ruin his name; no misfortune is greater.

○ Inquiry about the household: The ancients said, “When a hen crows at dawn, the household will be ruined.” This should be taken as a profound warning.

○ Inquiry about marriage: If the woman’s family receives this result, it is auspicious; if the man’s family receives it, it is ominous.

○ Pregnancy: A boy will be born.

[Case] A wealthy merchant came and asked me to divine his fortune. The cast resulted in Heng changing to Da Guo.

The judgment said: I have long known you to be astute, capable, and energetic in business. You now ask about your fortune and have obtained the fifth line of Heng. The fifth is the ruling line of Zhen, and Zhen signifies following; therefore the Image says, “Following the woman is ominous.” Women and petty people both belong to the yin image. In carrying on business, one must exercise discretionary independence and cannot simply follow others’ words. Even in managing a household, one should not listen exclusively to women’s opinions. The line image and text offer a profound warning. You should take it seriously!

Six at the top: Agitated constancy. Ominous.

The Commentary on the Image says: Agitated constancy at the top—greatly without achievement.

Zhen means movement, so when Heng reaches the top, it has the image of shaking. Six at the top is at the end of Zhen, the extreme of movement. Movement should be guarded with stillness; an ending should return to a beginning. In this way virtue can remain whole at the final stage and one’s work will not fail just as it is nearing completion—the way of Heng will be fulfilled. Now Six at the top is at the extreme of Heng yet keeps shaking without end. It makes agitation its constancy: constancy comes to an end, but agitation has no end, hence the omen is ominous. Zhen signifies impulsive haste, and Sun is also a heedless hexagram. Agitation without pause is like thunder that breaks forth but never subsides, or wind that blows but never stops—how could it accomplish anything? Therefore the Commentary on the Image says, “Greatly without achievement.”

　　[Divination]
○ Inquiry about military campaigns: The top represents the commander-in-chief. The way of conducting an army depends entirely on calm stability. If he moves recklessly and delights in claiming achievements, he will surely accomplish nothing.


○ Inquiry about business: The top is the destination of a hexagram, the time when a business should be brought to a conclusion. If it is not concluded when it should be, with buying and selling conducted at no fixed time, there will ultimately be no outcome.

○ Inquiry about reputation and office: The top is at the end of the hexagram, so achievement and reputation have already reached their limit. If one foolishly continues to seek them, not only will one fail, one may instead bring disaster upon oneself.

○ Inquiry about the household: This residence is already old. There is no need to rebuild it; rebuilding will bring bad results.

○ Inquiry about marriage: This must be a remarriage late in life. There is no need to marry again; if one does, it will surely be ominous.

○ Inquiry about litigation: You should urgently end the lawsuit.

○ Asked about a lost object: It will not be recovered.

[Case] A merchant came and asked me to divine his fortune. The cast resulted in Heng changing to Ding.

The judgment said: Whenever a divination obtains the top line, the top signifies the final outcome of the hexagram. The person’s good fortune must have ended, and he should only remain quiet and hold his position. Now the top line of Heng says, “Agitated constancy”: making agitation one’s constancy means that the hexagram has ended but movement has not, hence the omen is ominous. Having obtained this line, you should maintain stillness to restrain movement; then you can avoid blame.