Canon

I Ching: The 64 Hexagrams

The Classic of Changes (I Ching): sixty-four hexagrams mapping the cyclic dynamics of heaven, earth, and human affairs. Select any hexagram to explore its judgment, symbolism, and lines.

I Ching 64 Hexagrams Classical Illustration
The Book of Changes: Sixty-Four Hexagrams and Classical Commentary
#1

The Creative

乾为天 (Qian)
Heaven / Heaven

The Creative brings about sublime success through correctness and tireless persistence.

#2

The Receptive

坤为地 (Kun)
Earth / Earth

The Receptive brings about sublime success, furthering through the perseverance of a mare.

#3

Difficulty at the Beginning

水雷屯 (Zhun)
Water / Thunder

Difficulty at the beginning works supreme success, furthering through perseverance. Do not act recklessly.

#4

Youthful Folly

山水蒙 (Meng)
Mountain / Water

Youthful folly has success. It is not I who seek the young fool; the young fool seeks me.

#5

Waiting

水天需 (Xu)
Water / Heaven

Waiting. If you are sincere, you have light and success. Perseverance brings good fortune.

#6

Conflict

天水讼 (Song)
Heaven / Water

Conflict. You are sincere and are being obstructed. Caution brings good fortune; going to the end brings misfortune.

#7

The Army

地水师 (Shi)
Earth / Water

The Army. The army needs perseverance and a strong person. Good fortune without blame.

#8

Holding Together

水地比 (Bi)
Water / Earth

Holding Together brings good fortune. Inquire of the oracle once again whether you possess sublimity, constancy, and perseverance.

#9

Small Taming

风天小畜 (Xiao Xu)
Wind / Heaven

Small Taming has success. Dense clouds, no rain from our western outskirts.

#10

Treading

天泽履 (Lu)
Heaven / Lake

Treading upon the tail of the tiger. It does not bite the man. Success.

#11

Peace

地天泰 (Tai)
Earth / Heaven

Peace. The small departs, the great approaches. Good fortune and success.

#12

Standstill

天地否 (Pi)
Heaven / Earth

Standstill. Evil people do not further the perseverance of the superior person. The great departs, the small approaches.

#13

Fellowship

天火同人 (Tong Ren)
Heaven / Fire

Fellowship with Men in the open. Success. It furthers one to cross the great water.

#14

Great Possession

火天大有 (Da You)
Fire / Heaven

Possession in Great Measure. Supreme success.

#15

Modesty

地山谦 (Qian)
Earth / Mountain

Modesty creates success. The superior person carries things through to completion.

#16

Enthusiasm

雷地豫 (Yu)
Thunder / Earth

Enthusiasm. It furthers one to install helpers and to set armies in motion.

#17

Following

泽雷随 (Sui)
Lake / Thunder

Following has supreme success. Perseverance furthers. No blame.

#18

Work on the Decayed

山风蛊 (Gu)
Mountain / Wind

Work on What Has Been Spoiled has supreme success. It furthers one to cross the great water.

#19

Approach

地泽临 (Lin)
Earth / Lake

Approach has supreme success. Perseverance furthers. When the eighth month comes, there will be misfortune.

#20

Contemplation

风地观 (Guan)
Wind / Earth

Contemplation. The ablution has been made, but not yet the offering. Full of trust they look up to him.

#21

Biting Through

火雷噬嗑 (Shi He)
Fire / Thunder

Biting Through has success. It is favorable to let justice be administered.

#22

Grace

山火贲 (Bi)
Mountain / Fire

Grace has success. In small matters it is favorable to undertake something.

#23

Splitting Apart

山地剥 (Bo)
Mountain / Earth

Splitting Apart. It does not further one to go anywhere.

#24

Return

地雷复 (Fu)
Earth / Thunder

Return. Success. Going out and coming in without error. Friends come without blame.

#25

Innocence

天雷无妄 (Wu Wang)
Heaven / Thunder

Innocence. Supreme success. Perseverance furthers. If someone is not as he should be, he has misfortune.

#26

Great Taming

山天大畜 (Da Xu)
Mountain / Heaven

Great Taming. Perseverance furthers. Not eating at home brings good fortune. It furthers one to cross the great water.

#27

Nourishment

山雷颐 (Yi)
Mountain / Thunder

Nourishment. Perseverance brings good fortune. Pay heed to the providing of nourishment and to what you seek to fill your own mouth.

#28

Great Exceeding

泽风大过 (Da Guo)
Lake / Wind

Great Exceeding. The ridgepole sags to the breaking point. It furthers one to have somewhere to go. Success.

#29

The Abysmal

坎为水 (Kan)
Water / Water

The Abysmal repeated. If you are sincere, you have success in your heart, and whatever you do succeeds.

#30

The Clinging

离为火 (Li)
Fire / Fire

The Clinging. Perseverance furthers. It brings success. Care of the cow brings good fortune.

#31

Influence

泽山咸 (Xian)
Lake / Mountain

Influence. Success. Perseverance furthers. To take a maiden to wife brings good fortune.

#32

Duration

雷风恒 (Heng)
Thunder / Wind

Duration. Success. No blame. Perseverance furthers. It furthers one to have somewhere to go.

#33

Retreat

天山遁 (Dun)
Heaven / Mountain

Retreat. Success. In small matters, perseverance furthers.

#34

Great Power

雷天大壮 (Da Zhuang)
Thunder / Heaven

Great Power. Perseverance furthers.

#35

Progress

火地晋 (Jin)
Fire / Earth

Progress. The powerful prince is honored with horses in large numbers. In a single day he is granted audience three times.

#36

Darkening of the Light

地火明夷 (Ming Yi)
Earth / Fire

Darkening of the Light. In adversity it furthers one to be persevering.

#37

The Family

风火家人 (Jia Ren)
Wind / Fire

The Family. The perseverance of the woman furthers.

#38

Opposition

火泽睽 (Kui)
Fire / Lake

Opposition. In small matters, good fortune.

#39

Obstruction

水山蹇 (Jian)
Water / Mountain

Obstruction. The southwest furthers. The northeast does not further. It furthers one to see the great person.

#40

Deliverance

雷水解 (Xie)
Thunder / Water

Deliverance. The southwest furthers. If there is no longer anything to do, return brings good fortune.

#41

Decrease

山泽损 (Sun)
Mountain / Lake

Decrease combined with sincerity brings about supreme good fortune without blame. One may be persevering.

#42

Increase

风雷益 (Yi)
Wind / Thunder

Increase. It furthers one to undertake something. It furthers one to cross the great water.

#43

Breakthrough

泽天夬 (Guai)
Lake / Heaven

Breakthrough. One must resolutely make the matter known at the court of the king.

#44

Coming to Meet

天风姤 (Gou)
Heaven / Wind

Coming to Meet. The maiden is powerful. One should not marry such a maiden.

#45

Gathering Together

泽地萃 (Cui)
Lake / Earth

Gathering Together. Success. The king approaches his temple. It furthers one to see the great person.

#46

Pushing Upward

地风升 (Sheng)
Earth / Wind

Pushing Upward has supreme success. One must see the great person. Fear not. Departure toward the south brings good fortune.

#47

Oppression

泽水困 (Kun)
Lake / Water

Oppression. Success. Perseverance. The great person brings about good fortune. No blame.

#48

The Well

水风井 (Jing)
Water / Wind

The Well. The town may be changed, but the well cannot be changed. It neither decreases nor increases.

#49

Revolution

泽火革 (Ge)
Lake / Fire

Revolution. On your own day you are believed. Supreme success, furthering through perseverance.

#50

The Cauldron

火风鼎 (Ding)
Fire / Wind

The Cauldron. Supreme good fortune. Success.

#51

Arousing

震为雷 (Zhen)
Thunder / Thunder

The Arousing. Success. Shock comes—oh, oh! Laughing words—ha, ha! The shock terrifies for a hundred miles.

#52

Keeping Still

艮为山 (Gen)
Mountain / Mountain

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.

#53

Development

风山渐 (Jian)
Wind / Mountain

Development. The maiden is given in marriage. Good fortune. Perseverance furthers.

#54

The Marrying Maiden

雷泽归妹 (Gui Mei)
Thunder / Lake

The Marrying Maiden. Undertakings bring misfortune. Nothing that would further.

#55

Abundance

雷火丰 (Feng)
Thunder / Fire

Abundance has success. The king attains abundance. Be not sad. Be like the sun at midday.

#56

The Wanderer

火山旅 (Lu)
Fire / Mountain

The Wanderer. Success through smallness. Perseverance brings good fortune to the wanderer.

#57

The Gentle

巽为风 (Xun)
Wind / Wind

The Gentle. Success through what is small. It furthers one to have somewhere to go. It furthers one to see the great person.

#58

The Joyous

兑为泽 (Dui)
Lake / Lake

The Joyous. Success. Perseverance furthers.

#59

Dispersion

风水涣 (Huan)
Wind / Water

Dispersion. Success. The king approaches his temple. It furthers one to cross the great water. Perseverance furthers.

#60

Limitation

水泽节 (Jie)
Water / Lake

Limitation. Success. Galling limitation must not be persevered in.

#61

Inner Truth

风泽中孚 (Zhong Fu)
Wind / Lake

Inner Truth. Pigs and fishes. Good fortune. It furthers one to cross the great water. Perseverance furthers.

#62

Small Exceeding

雷山小过 (Xiao Guo)
Thunder / Mountain

Small Exceeding. Success. Perseverance furthers. Small things may be done; great things should not be done.

#63

After Completion

水火既济 (Ji Ji)
Water / Fire

After Completion. Success in small matters. Perseverance furthers. At the beginning good fortune, at the end disorder.

#64

Before Completion

火水未济 (Wei Ji)
Fire / Water

Before Completion. Success. But if the little fox, after nearly completing the crossing, gets its tail in the water, there is nothing that would further.