[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":28},["ShallowReactive",2],{"metaeast_zhouyigaodaoyd_en-gaodaoyiduan-34":3},{"slug":4,"archived":5,"date_created":6,"date_updated":7,"title":8,"seotitle":9,"seodescription":10,"htmlcode":11,"number":12,"content":13,"title1":14,"content1":15,"title2":16,"content2":17,"title3":18,"content3":19,"title4":20,"content4":21,"title5":22,"content5":23,"title6":24,"content6":25,"title7":26,"content7":26,"seo_keywords":27,"og_title":8,"og_description":10},"gaodaoyiduan-34",false,"2026-08-11T01:18:25.065Z","2026-07-04T14:35:15.000Z","Thunder over Heaven, Great Power: constancy is favorable.","Takashima Ekidan Hexagram 34: Thunder over Heaven, Great Strength — Original Hexagram Text, Interpretation, and Hexagram Analysis — Eastern Esoteric Studies Library","Takashima Ekidan Hexagram 34, Thunder over Heaven, Great Strength, Interpretation: Hexagram text “Great Strength: Benefit through constancy,” with an attached judgment and detailed explanations of actual divination cases.","䷡",34,"34　Thunder over Heaven—Great Power \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The Sequence Commentary says: “Things cannot remain forever in complete success, therefore Great Power follows.” Withdrawal means yang retreating; Great Power means yang advancing. Nothing that goes forth fails to return, and therefore Great Power follows Withdrawal. The hexagram has Qian below and Zhen above. Qian’s firmness is below, with Zhen’s yang above it; riding on strength and moving, it becomes ever firmer through movement. Its momentum is powerful and unstoppable, advancing without pause. It is both strong and great; this is the excess of four yang lines, hence the hexagram is called Great Power. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n Great Power: constancy is favorable. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n Yang is great; when yang grows to the fourth line, it becomes firm, substantial, and strong, hence Great Power. Three yang lines make Peace; when yang reaches the fourth, it is called strong. Calling the strong “great” indicates excess. Qian says “originating success, favorable constancy,” and Zhen says “success,” but Great Power does not say “originating success”; it alone says “constancy is favorable.” The six lines also contain many warnings, fearing that one will move after losing correctness, and movement will surely bring blame. Thus Great Power is not what the I Ching esteems. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The Tuan Commentary says: “Great Power means that what is great is strong. It is strong because it moves with firmness. Great Power is favorable through constancy: what is great is correct. When what is great is both correct and upright, the feelings of Heaven and Earth can be seen.” \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n This hexagram has Qian below and Zhen above. Zhen is thunder, and Qian is Heaven. Qian below represents firmness; Zhen above represents movement. Firmness that moves, moving through its firmness, becomes increasingly active and firm. Its powerful, flourishing momentum cannot be stopped; this is why its strength is called great. Nothing is greater than Heaven and Earth. When Heaven and Earth move correctly, the four seasons proceed and all things arise. Their greatness is precisely their correctness. Thus Great Power must say “constancy is favorable.” Constancy means correctness: “Great Power is favorable through constancy; what is great is correct.” When greatness is correct, its strength accords with righteousness and the Way and can fill the space between Heaven and Earth; through this, the feelings of Heaven and Earth can be seen. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n Taking this hexagram as a representation of human affairs: a person is naturally hard and unyielding, and then further indulges the force of his impulses. Moving by riding on hardness, he advances boldly and directly; this is certainly not a lack of ability to accomplish things. Yet excessive hardness breaks, and excessive courage stumbles. The fault that ruins affairs lies precisely in this Great Strength. The Miscellaneous Commentary says, “Great Strength means stopping,” and this is why. The Great Strength begins by saying, “It is beneficial to be steadfast.” To be beneficially steadfast means that steadfastness is beneficial; steadfastness here means correctness—what is called “the great is correctness.” The body of the hexagram has Zhen above and Qian below. Qian naturally moves with vigor, but when the upper ninth reaches the extreme of yang, it becomes arrogant, and therefore there is regret. Zhen governs movement, yet the images of all the lines speak of fear and caution, showing that the way of the I Ching dislikes excessive hardness. To overstep ritual and violate humility will never bring benefit, so the noble person is warned with “do not tread,” and cautioned with “use the net.” Thus, by tempering hardness with gentleness and settling movement through stillness, one may move as though there were no movement and be firm as though not firm; then strength is seen together with correctness. Is this what Mencius called the energy that is supremely great and supremely firm? \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n Applied to a state, this hexagram represents a time when the nation’s fortune is flourishing. In the upper hexagram, Withdrawal, four yang lines are above while two yin lines gradually grow; this hexagram reverses it, with four yang lines below and two yin lines gradually declining. Yang grows and yin declines, moving through firmness; hence “Great Power: what is great is strong.” The noble person advances daily and the petty person retreats daily; the nation’s fortune is at its height. Yet when national fortune becomes overly prosperous, extravagance results; when the hexagram’s strength becomes excessive, violence results. Both extravagance and violence lose correctness, hence Great Power must say “constancy is favorable.” Constancy means correctness; without correctness, greatness cannot be achieved. When greatness is correct, firmness does not become excessive and movement does not go too far. Thus strength is employed correctly: “what is great is strong” also means “what is great is correct.” The Image says, “The noble person does not tread what is contrary to ritual.” Ritual means correctness; what is contrary to ritual is what is not correct. The noble person simply applies correctness. The Master said, “Government means correctness: when it is correct, people act; when it is not correct, they do not follow.” The warning is profound. Therefore all six lines contain warnings about “using strength”: the first is punished with “misfortune,” the third warned with “danger,” the fifth taught “ease,” and the top cautioned with “difficulty.” Only the second and fourth lines attain “constancy and good fortune.” The Way of the I Ching dislikes excess and regards finding the middle as fortunate; governing is the same. This is why a ruler values preserving fullness and maintaining peace. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n Viewing this hexagram as a whole, its structure is Qian below and Zhen above. Its image is firm within and active without, riding the proper strength of yang to press upon yin, which is about to wane. It may seem easy enough, yet yin has just attained its position and must not be pressed too hastily. Firmness cannot be relied upon, and advance must not be rash; therefore, the exemplary person must take propriety as the path underfoot. The opposite hexagram of Great Strength is Retreat; retreat means withdrawing. With two yin lines advancing, their withdrawal must be decisive. Great Strength means advancing; while the two yin lines have not withdrawn, its advance must not be too fierce. The Miscellaneous Commentaries say, “Great Strength stops; Retreat withdraws.” Their meanings are thus contrary, and the images of the lines likewise reverse one another in sequence. When yin advances, yang withdraws; when yin withdraws, yang advances. This is why Great Strength follows Retreat. The six lines belong to two hexagrams: the inner three form Qian, the outer three Zhen, with the second and fifth lines occupying the central positions. The first line is Qian’s beginning: it presses straight forward, knowing advance but not retreat, hence “inauspicious.” The second is the ruler of Qian; it is pleased to attain the center while still not losing its correctness, hence “auspicious.” The third is at the end of Qian. “The inferior person” refers to the first line, “the exemplary person” to the second; “the net” means the net of law, conveying the idea that the exemplary person keeps punishment in mind. The first and second lines are combined here and explained separately to make the meaning clear. The fourth leaves Qian and enters Zhen, becoming the ruler of Great Strength. Yang occupies a yin position, yet its movement does not violate humility, so it is auspicious and “regret disappears.” The fifth is in the center of Zhen; in ordinary, easy circumstances, it is yielding and centered, and does not employ its strength, hence “no regret.” The top line is at the extreme of Zhen, caught between advancing and retreating; what benefit can there be? Only by taking hardship seriously can it be auspicious. In sum, by maintaining fullness and preserving stability, strength becomes auspicious; by exceeding propriety and violating humility, strength inevitably brings regret. One must therefore be like the third line, “use the net,” and not “use strength.” This is the essential way of handling strength. Those who study the I Ching should examine this carefully! \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n When I read the hexagram Great Strength, I cannot help reflecting on the righteous men who led the Restoration, before and after it. When the shogunate’s government first began to decline, some recklessly voiced opinions without knowing what was taboo; this was precisely the first line’s “strength in the toes, advancing is inauspicious.” Those who wrote books and established doctrines, upholding the cause of honoring the emperor and expelling the barbarians, thereby arousing the great righteousness of the realm, were like the second line attaining the center: “correctness is auspicious.” When the great domains responded to the righteous cause and talented men rose together, some rash and some deliberate, with good and evil mixed and disaster and fortune divided, this was like the third line’s contrast between “using strength” and “using the net.” Some carefully observed propriety and guarded humility, without losing their strength, and gained good fortune by advancing appropriately, like the fourth line’s “the fence opens and is not broken.” Some lived in easy circumstances and took precautions, avoiding danger, using retreat as advance, and having “no regret,” like the fifth line’s “losing the sheep in the open country.” As for the powerful ministers now in office, all emerged from the domain samurai who in former years initiated the righteous cause; after enduring every hardship and danger, they happened to encounter its flourishing, like the top line’s “hardship brings good fortune.” In short, all those samurai who abolished the domains were loyal and courageous, forgetting themselves for the country, and all deserve praise. Yet the successes and failures, disasters and blessings among them were also each brought about by their own actions. “Using the net” truly provides a warning from past events! \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The Commentary on the Image says: Thunder above heaven signifies Great Strength. Thus the exemplary person does not set foot on what is contrary to propriety. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The great image is thunder of Zhen, arising in the heaven of Qian. Its power is strong and vigorous, hence it is named Great Strength. The four hexagrams Following, Return, Delight, and Great Strength all possess the body of Zhen, so all take thunder as their image. In Following, thunder enters the marsh and yang gradually gathers in; this is autumn thunder. In Return, thunder enters the earth and yang is already faint; this is winter thunder. In Delight, “thunder emerges from the earth and surges forth”; yang is becoming abundant; this is spring thunder. Great Strength says, “thunder is above heaven”; yang is vigorous and flourishing; this is the summer thunder of its season. The exemplary person follows this pattern: thunder’s voice must issue at the proper time, otherwise it becomes a disaster. Likewise, the exemplary person’s conduct must proceed from propriety; if contrary to propriety, regret follows. Qian signifies movement and Zhen signifies the feet, forming the image of Treading. The Image of Qian says, “The exemplary person strengthens himself without ceasing.” The Image of Zhen says, “The exemplary person cultivates self-reflection through awe and fear.” Taken together, these mean that although the exemplary person seeks to strengthen himself, what must be feared is setting foot on what is contrary to propriety. This is precisely the Master’s teaching: “Do not look at what is contrary to propriety, do not listen to what is contrary to propriety, do not speak what is contrary to propriety, and do not do what is contrary to propriety.” \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n 　　[Divination] \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about warfare: The army’s strength is at its height, with the force of thunder so swift that the ears cannot cover themselves in time. Yet arrogant troops are bound to be defeated; this must be deeply guarded against. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about business: Thunder above heaven signifies high market prices. Sell when the price is obtained; do not go beyond that. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about recognition: Thunder’s sound travels far; fame will certainly be attained. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about the home: Guard against fire; prayers are advisable. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about illness: Zhen signifies thunder and also the feet. Guard against an ailment of the feet that may prevent walking. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about marriage: Zhen is the eldest son of Qian, and Xun is the eldest daughter of Kun; this is a union made by heaven, and is auspicious. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about a lost object: Thunder passes once and leaves no form; I fear this object cannot be recovered. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Pregnancy: A boy will be born.","Nine in the first place: Strength in the toes. Advancing is inauspicious. There is trust.","Nine in the first place: Strength in the toes. Advancing is inauspicious. There is trust. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The Commentary on the Image says: Strength in the toes—the trust is exhausted. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The first line is at the beginning of Great Strength, below the lower trigram. It is below yet moves, hence “strength in the toes.” Zhen signifies going forth, hence “advancing.” It sets out with the force of rushing up and pursuing directly, without the thought of “examining one’s steps and considering the auspicious signs”; therefore it is inauspicious, hence “advancing is inauspicious.” As for “there is trust,” the Commentary on the Image says, “the trust is exhausted.” Although the first line corresponds with the fourth, the first has already exhausted the direction in which it can go, while the fourth is too far separated to do anything; hence “the trust is exhausted.” \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n 　　[Divination] \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about warfare: “Strength in the toes, advancing is inauspicious” warns against an isolated army penetrating too deeply. Courage without strategy leads to defeat. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about business: Goods and wealth may circulate with the marvel of spreading without legs or flying without wings. Yet if one does not gauge the sales outlet and rushes forward blindly, how can profit be gained? Therefore it is inauspicious. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about recognition: The first line is originally below and is called “the toes”; movement is therefore also at a low level, so recognition will necessarily be low. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about the home: “Toes” also suggests stopping. This residence should remain settled; it should not be moved. Movement brings misfortune. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about marriage: Guard against the woman having an ailment of the feet. “Advancing is inauspicious; there is trust” means that although there is an engagement agreement, “the trust is exhausted.” \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about a lost object: This object has already been trampled and damaged by feet. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Pregnancy: A boy will be born. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n [Example] A friend came and asked me to divine whether his career would succeed. The resulting hexagram was Great Strength changing to Constancy. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n My judgment was: The first line is at the beginning of Qian, below the inner hexagram. This necessarily indicates beginning to plan a matter, with the opportunity not yet arrived while the feet already wish to move; hence the image of strength in the toes. You asked about your career and obtained the first line of Great Strength. I know that you aim for quick success: before the planning is thorough and experience is established, you rush ahead. Not only will there be no profit; there will also be misfortune. Hence: “Strength in the toes, advancing is inauspicious; there is trust.” “Strength in the toes, advancing is inauspicious” means taking action lightly and suffering failure; “there is trust” means merely possessing this agreement of trust. This matter must await the right time before action. Planning it slowly will be auspicious. You now seek success in haste, and so it is inauspicious. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n My friend disregarded this divination, hastily started the business, and consequently made a bad decision that ruined his family. Later, someone invested one-third of the capital and took over the business, ultimately gaining a great profit.","Nine in the second place: Correctness is auspicious.","Nine in the second place: Correctness is auspicious. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The Commentary on the Image says: Nine in the second place is auspicious through correctness because it is centered. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n All the lines of the hexagram suffer from being excessively yang and firm; only the second line attains the center. “Center” means not leaning to either side. The second and fifth lines correspond, without the fault of opposition, so there is neither excess nor deficiency, and advancing or withdrawing is appropriate. Therefore it does not say “strong,” nor does it say “correct”; it simply says, “Perseverance brings good fortune.” This takes the “perseverance is beneficial” of the Tuan Commentary as its basis and explicitly records its good fortune. Although the way of the I Ching values supporting yang and restraining yin, when yang and firmness become excessively prevalent, the center is also lost. Thus excessive firmness must be restrained so as to attain the center: when centered, one is correct; when correct, there is good fortune. The Commentary on the Image says, “because it is centered,” meaning that the second yang line occupies the center of the lower trigram, being firm yet able to be yielding, and thus occupies the proper middle position. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n 　　[Divination] \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about warfare: With the central camp effective, victory can be achieved. Auspicious. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about business: Prices are appropriate and one has seized the balanced moment; profit can be gained. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about recognition: You pass the examination just as hoped. Auspicious. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about marriage: Chosen from among the candidates, like a bird selected for the screen; auspicious. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about the home: This residence faces east with its back to the west, and its location is well centered. Greatly auspicious. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about illness: The illness is in the middle burner. A prescription that subdues yang and nourishes yin should be used; recovery will follow. Auspicious. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about litigation: Once a mediator is found, the matter will cease. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Pregnancy: A boy will be born. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about a traveler: The person is already halfway through the journey and can soon return. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n [Example] The president of a company came to ask for a divination about the company’s fortunes. The resulting hexagram was Great Strength changing to Abundance. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n My judgment was: This hexagram has four yang lines below and two yin lines above; yang is great and yin small, while firmness gradually penetrates and grows, hence Great Strength. You asked about your company and obtained the second line, showing that the company has abundant capital and enough strength to accomplish things. As president, you should use gentleness to supplement firmness, stillness to control movement, conduct affairs calmly, avoid seeking quick results, and advance and retreat with humility, harmony, and propriety. If you do so, you will gradually gain profit; nothing will be unfavorable. Two years later, when the fourth line is reached—the ruler of Great Strength—great profit can be obtained. The outcome was exactly as divined.","Nine in the third place: The inferior person uses strength; the exemplary person uses the net. Correctness is dangerous. The billy goat butts the fence and entangles its horns.","Nine in the third place: The inferior person uses strength; the exemplary person uses the net. Correctness is dangerous. The billy goat butts the fence and entangles its horns. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The Commentary on the Image says: The inferior person uses strength; the exemplary person does not. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n “The billy goat” means a male sheep. Lines three through five form the body of Dui, which signifies a sheep, so the image is taken from a sheep. Since the hexagram’s body is purely firm, it says “billy goat,” using it as a metaphor for the exuberance of firm yang. The third line is at the end of the inner hexagram and close to the outer hexagram. Qian is firm and Zhen moves; the image of strength is about to be completed. When an inferior person is in this situation, he will certainly rely on his strength and display it; this is “using strength.” The exemplary person possesses strength but dares not regard himself as strong, as though he had never possessed strength; hence “using the net.” “Net” means nothing. Jing Fang [8] says, “Strength is one thing, and the inferior person uses it”; the exemplary person possesses it but does not use it. The third is yang in a yang position, doubly firm and not centered; even correctness is dangerous, hence “correctness is dangerous.” Because of this danger, the exemplary person becomes even more vigilant, diligent by day and alert by night, constantly guarding himself against what is contrary to propriety, never daring to flaunt his strength. This is what is meant by possessing something as though possessing nothing. The fourth line’s body is Zhen, which signifies bamboo and reeds, hence “fence.” A fence keeps sheep in; the fourth is before the third, and the third butts against it, hence “the billy goat butts the fence,” an image of the inferior person using strength. “Entangle,” Zheng and Yu read it as “bind,” meaning restrained and wrapped around. “Its horns become entangled” means that when the sheep butts the fence, its horns are caught and bound by the fence and it cannot get out, illustrating the danger of using strength. When “the inferior person uses strength,” he should know to turn back; when “the exemplary person uses the net,” he can avoid danger. The Image says “the inferior person uses strength”: the inferior person knows only that strength exists. “The exemplary person uses the net”: by removing the word “uses,” it shows even more clearly that the exemplary person does not use it; what is valued is to gather it into nothingness. One interpretation says: “The net” is the net of law. The exemplary person knows that strength is dangerous and solemnly takes the penal net as a warning—this is the meaning that the exemplary person keeps punishment in mind. This interpretation also works. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n 　　[Divination] \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about warfare: A good commander examines opportunities and observes the enemy, not daring to act rashly. One who relies on courage flaunts his strength in battle, sends an isolated army straight in, and becomes trapped in dangerous ground, unable to escape; thus it is inauspicious. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about business: Relying on abundant wealth to monopolize at will, one may find the goods damaged and no place to sell them, inevitably suffering great loss. A good merchant should have no such concern. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about recognition: The reckless will certainly fail; the humble and retiring will gain fame. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about the home: Since the site is already high, the house should be built low; if the house is too high, there may be disaster from shaking and collapse. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about illness: The illness arises from blood and qi being excessively rigid; the medicine should regulate the blood and bring down the qi. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about litigation: It is best to endure the anger and accept the grievance, bringing the lawsuit to an end. If one insists on litigation without rest, the lawsuit will end in misfortune. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about marriage: The two families may differ, or one may be poor and the other rich. If the rich party relies on wealth to bully the poor, the spouses will turn against each other; inauspicious. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Pregnancy: A boy will be born. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n [Example] A friend came and asked for a divination concerning the rise and decline of his business. The resulting hexagram was Great Strength changing to the Marrying Maiden. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n My judgment was: In this hexagram, the inner trigram Qian is the father and the outer trigram Zhen is the son. The father plans within and the son handles affairs outside; father and son cooperate to establish and develop the family business, with abundant and vigorous financial strength, hence Great Strength. You asked about your business and obtained the third line. With yang in a yang position, every line position is firm; if you proceed directly according to your feelings, your powerful momentum may almost overwhelm your competitors. Yet excessive firmness inevitably breaks, and I fear you will instead be squeezed by your competitors, suffering embarrassment, like a sheep butting a fence and being unable to get out. A good merchant should remain steadfast, not become arrogant because of wealth, and not become extravagant because of talent. Though possessing strength, do not use that strength; this is the proper way to handle strength and the way to generate wealth. Examine this carefully! Later, my friend acted while relying on his strength, and indeed was squeezed by his competitors, losing tens of thousands of gold pieces. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n [Example] In mid-May of the twenty-seventh year of the Meiji era, a certain Japanese minister to Britain fell ill. A friend, worried about him, asked me to cast one divination. The resulting hexagram was Great Strength changing to the Marrying Maiden. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n My judgment was: This is a hexagram of yang growth. The third line is also yang in a yang position. Zhen signifies wood, and wood belongs to the liver; this must be an illness in which liver yang is excessively abundant and spleen yin is being overcome. The minister was naturally robust. Because of his robustness, the physician mistakenly diagnosed excess pathogenic fire and simply drained the liver and subdued yang. As a result, the original qi became weaker, liver yang became drier and more agitated, and the illness progressed beyond the reach of medicine. This is the error of using strength. A good physician should treat it by nourishing yin and subduing yang—what is meant by “using the net.” As for the line image, when the third line changes, it becomes the Marrying Maiden. Returning means return; when it reaches the fourth line and changes to Peace, the illness can be treated. It is now mid-May; after this month has passed, recovery may be hoped for, though I fear it may not be in time. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n Later, that person’s illness indeed resulted in death on the fourth day of the following month.","Nine in the fourth place: Correctness is auspicious; regret disappears. The fence opens and is not broken. Strength in the axle of a great wagon.","Nine in the fourth place: Correctness is auspicious; regret disappears. The fence opens and is not broken. Strength in the axle of a great wagon. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The Commentary on the Image says: “The fence has been breached; advance is still possible.” \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The nine in the fourth place emerges from Qian and enters Zhen; it marks the beginning of Zhen. A yang line occupying a yin position does not carry its firmness to the extreme, so it obtains good fortune and regret disappears. The fence mentioned in the third line is located at the fourth. Since two yin lines lie ahead of the fourth, the fence is breached. “Fu” means the binding of a carriage axle. Kun signifies a great carriage; the upper two yin lines of Zhen receive Kun’s influence, and therefore this too is called a “great carriage.” When the axle binding is strong, the carriage is strong: one may travel far without obstruction. If one proceeds in this manner, being strong without displaying one’s strength, what regret could there be? The Commentary on the Image says, “The fence has been breached; advance is still possible,” meaning that strength has attained its proper constancy, and only then may one be permitted to go forward. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n 　　[Divination] \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about warfare: The walls and fortifications ahead have already fallen. With chariots racing and horses pursuing, a long campaign can proceed without obstruction. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about official reputation: The mutual Qian is associated with the Xu hour, and above it lie Kui and Bi. Bi governs literary brilliance, hence the exaltation of civil virtue; official success will surely be prominent. The five stars of Wang Liang lie north of Bi and govern carriages and horses, corresponding to the image of a great carriage. The six stars of Thunder and Lightning are also nearby and govern the rising of thunder, corresponding to the thunder of Zhen. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about business: You may expect to return with a full load. Auspicious. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about the home: This residence lies where carriages and horses pass. The fence before the house is dilapidated and should promptly be repaired. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about illness: Hair and skin serve as the body’s protective fence, while the mind and spirit are its carriage and horses. If the hair and skin are ruptured and the mind is unsettled, the illness will not last long. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about marriage: “When the carriage loses its axle binding, husband and wife turn against each other.” This is not a good match. Inauspicious. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about pregnancy: The nine in the fourth place marks the beginning of Zhen. Zhen, upon the first search, obtains a son; this indicates the eldest son. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n [Case] In the ninth month of the twenty-seventh year of the Meiji era, as Imperial General Headquarters advanced into Hiroshima, His Majesty the Emperor, Supreme Commander, was about to set out on a personal campaign. I respectfully cast a divination and obtained Great Strength changing to Peace. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The judgment said: In this hexagram, four yang lines advance in succession while the two upper yin lines are breached; its momentum is great and flourishing, hence it is called Great Strength. Now we are raising an army to conquer Qing. Even if the enemy strengthens its troops and fortifies its walls, it cannot withstand us; how much less can it defend itself now that its protective fence has been breached? It is as though a great carriage were racing along a level road—this can be determined in advance. Since the line image is so, its auspiciousness is clear. I therefore presented this interpretation to a certain eminent person.","Six in the fifth place: The ram is lost in the open country; no regret.","Six in the fifth place: The ram is lost in the open country; no regret. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The Commentary on the Image says: “The ram is lost in the open country”: the position is inappropriate. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The upper trigram is the mutual Dui; Dui signifies a sheep, and the fifth line is precisely the sheep. “Loss” means disappearance. “Yi,” pronounced like “also,” is written by Lu as “field,” meaning a battlefield; the ancient characters for yi and field were interchangeable. Qian signifies the outskirts; beyond the outskirts is pasture. The fifth line occupies the borderland outside Qian, a place for grazing. Pastures have fences to prevent animals from escaping. The hexagram uses Zhen’s lower line as the fence: the third line strikes it, the fourth breaches it, and at the fifth the sheep escapes. The sheep escapes into the open country, like the saying, “The great road has many forks, and the sheep is lost”; hence “the sheep is lost in the open country.” The fifth line lies within Zhen, and its divided line is yin. Yi is an open, desolate, yin place; a yin line entering a yin place does not display strength, so the image is “the sheep is lost.” Moreover, the sheep is naturally stubborn and likes to butt. Without the sheep there is no butting; without butting there is no occasion for the regret of using strength, hence “no regret.” The top nine of Travel says, “The ox is lost in the open country”; “yi” there too is written as “field.” Travel should be yielding; losing its yielding nature is why it says “there is misfortune.” Great Strength dislikes hardness; losing its hardness is why it says “no regret.” The Commentary on the Image says, “The position is inappropriate,” meaning that “no regret” depends on being centered, not on occupying the proper position, just as the second nine says “constancy is auspicious,” and its Image Commentary says “because of centering”—again, not because of the position. In short, the statement “constancy is beneficial” in the Tuan Commentary of Great Strength concerns the principles of the matter, not the positions of the lines; this is clear. As for the character yi, Zheng says it means exchange; the Basic Meaning reads it with the pronunciation yi, meaning easy. Each interpretation has something to recommend it. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n 　　[Divination] \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about warfare: The third line says, “The ram butts the fence,” an image of attack. If the ram is lost, there is no butting, and the fighting may be pacified. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about business: “Yi,” according to Zheng, means exchange and thus relates to commerce. “Loss” means disappearance; there may be a small loss, but no major regret. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about official reputation: Gain is auspicious and loss is ominous. Once the sheep is lost, mending the pen is not too late; prospects may still arise in later years. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about the home: This residence is in an open, spacious place outside the city, unfavorable for raising livestock. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about illness: “Loss” is an ominous sign. Inauspicious. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about marriage: Leading a sheep and carrying wine is a wedding rite; without a sheep, the wedding rite cannot be completed. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n [Case] One day a friend came and said: Recently there is a certain commodity that can be hoarded for a rare-profit opportunity. Please cast a divination to determine profit or loss. The result was Great Strength changing to Breakthrough. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The judgment said: In this hexagram, four yang lines are below, and their momentum is extremely strong; hence the name Great Strength. You obtained the fifth line. The fifth lies at the center of the outer trigram, where the second line is yin; the force of strength has already been lost. The line statement says, “The sheep is lost,” so there will certainly be loss and no gain. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n My friend said: Regarding Taiwan, I purchased food and supplies required by the army. If war later broke out with Qing, it would have been a major business deal. Later, when news of peace arrived, I was utterly stunned and suffered a huge loss. Three years later, I still had not been reimbursed in full, I was told. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n [Case] On the twentieth day of the eleventh month of the twenty-seventh year of the Meiji era, an eminent person visited and said: What is the current situation at Port Arthur? Try a divination. The result was Great Strength changing to Breakthrough. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The judgment said: In divining about Port Arthur for our country, Port Arthur belongs to Qing and is therefore foreign. Since the fifth line was obtained, and the fifth is in the center of the outer trigram, our country should be taken as the inner trigram and Port Arthur as the outer trigram. “The one lost” is Qing; “the one who gains” is our country. The line statement says, “The sheep is lost in the open country.” “Yi” means easy. In other words, it will be obtained without having to fight hard. Within a few days, a victory report should certainly arrive. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n A few days later, Port Arthur fell, exactly as this divination indicated.","Six at the top: The ram butts the fence; it can neither retreat nor advance; nothing is favorable. In hardship there is good fortune.","Six at the top: The ram butts the fence; it can neither retreat nor advance［10］; nothing is favorable. In hardship there is good fortune. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The Commentary on the Image says: “Unable to retreat, unable to advance”: this is inauspicious. “In hardship there is good fortune”: the blame will not last. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The top line is at the end of the outer trigram and corresponds to the third line. The sheep of the top is still the sheep of the third; the butting of the top is still the butting of the third. Although the third has worn down its horns, it rides on strength and moves, with enough force to breach the fence; it can still advance, or, if unable to advance, it can at least retreat. But at the top, momentum has declined and position has reached its limit; the line is in doubled yin, the road behind is cut off and the road ahead is exhausted—where can it return? It does not say “unable to advance,” but “unable to proceed,” meaning it ultimately cannot fulfill its wish to advance in strength. Compared with the third’s worn horns, its distress is even greater; what benefit could there be? Because it cannot retreat or proceed, it is warned with “hardship.” By guarding against future errors and correcting past ones, and by “not treading what is contrary to ritual,” how difficult would it be to turn blame into good fortune? What the Commentary on the Image calls “inauspicious” means that it cannot “observe its steps and examine the auspicious signs”; thus it reaches the twofold exhaustion of being unable to retreat or proceed. “The blame will not last” means that if one recognizes what is difficult, proceeds cautiously, and guards oneself, strength ends here and the blame ends here as well. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n 　　[Divination] \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about warfare: The sixth line is at the exhaustion of the line sequence, like pursuing a defeated enemy into a dead end. Relying on victory and advancing too deeply, only to be trapped by a beaten army, leaves no route either forward or back; this is the path of misfortune. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about business: This is someone intent on cornering the market, accumulating goods without selling them, until the season passes and prices fall. Even if merely trying to preserve the principal, that too cannot be achieved; the predicament is extreme. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about official reputation: The top line shows high position accompanied by danger. If one clings on and refuses to withdraw, disaster will arrive; when one wishes to retreat but cannot, regret will already be too late. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about the home: The top line is at the extreme of Zhen. Zhen signifies sound, so there must be noises in the house. Zhen also signifies wood; moving wood overcomes earth, so an earth spirit may appear, and an earth spirit is represented by a sheep. The residence is unfavorable; one should endure hardship and guard oneself. The resulting hexagram is Advance, whose text says, “Horses are bestowed in abundance,” so blame can turn into good fortune. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Asked about marriage: Before the matter could be examined in detail, it was settled at once. If one now wishes to change one’s mind, it will certainly be impossible. For now, one must recognize the hardship and endure; after a long time, things will surely improve. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n ○ Question about pregnancy: A girl will be born. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n [Case] One day I visited Mr. Sugi. After chatting for some time, Mr. Sugi said to me: Last night a thief entered my storehouse and stole several items. Among them were a decoration and a formal uniform, valuable things. Is there any chance of recovering them? Please cast a divination. The result was Great Strength changing to Advance. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n The judgment said: The top is the extreme of the line. The thief stole the decoration and formal uniform, valuable articles, but cannot resell them or use them himself. The thief has no benefit to gain and is at the end of his plans. The line says, “The ram butts the fence.” The ram’s stubborn nature is a metaphor for the thief’s rashness. “Butts the fence”: might the thief have placed these valuable objects in the fence near the neighboring property? Please search there. \u003Cbr> \n  \u003Cbr> \n Later, the items were indeed found on the wall of a neighboring residence. Mr. Sugi praised the interpretation highly.",null,"Zhouyi, I Ching, Takashima Ekidan, Hexagram 34, Thunder over Heaven, Great Strength, sixty-four hexagrams, hexagram texts, line texts, divination judgments",1787044935846]