Hexagram 8 of 64

Holding Together比

Water over the earth. The early kings founded many states and kept close ties with their lords.

Upper
Water
Lower
Earth
Order
8 / 64
Pick a line to read it

吉。原筮元永貞，无咎。不寧方來，後夫凶。

Judgment: Good fortune. Consult the oracle again: with great, lasting steadiness there is no fault. The uneasy come at last. The latecomer meets misfortune.

地上有水，比；先王以建萬國，親諸侯。

Image: Water over the earth. The early kings founded many states and kept close ties with their lords.

In plain words

The situation: The theme is closeness and alliance.

What you can do: Reach out to people worth joining, and do not delay.

For culture and reflection only. Our own plain summary, not a translation.

The six lines

  1. 上六比之无首，凶。Holding together with no head. Misfortune.In shortJoining with no leader, or too late, goes badly; be careful.
  2. 九五顯比。王用三驅，失前禽，邑人不誡，吉。Open, shining union. The king hunts on three sides and lets the game ahead escape. The townspeople need no warning. Good fortune.In shortBe open and fair; welcome those who come, let go those who leave. This goes well.
  3. 六四外比之，貞吉。Holding together with those outside. Steadiness brings good fortune.In shortReach out to capable people beyond your circle; staying steady goes well.
  4. 六三比之匪人。Holding together with the wrong people.In shortYou are getting close to the wrong people; look carefully before going further.
  5. 六二比之自內，貞吉。Holding together from within. Steadiness brings good fortune.In shortDraw close from the heart and stay true to yourself; that goes well.
  6. 初六有孚，比之，无咎。有孚盈缶，終來有它，吉。Hold to them with trust: no fault. Trust fills the plain clay jar, and in the end other good fortune arrives.In shortReach out sincerely and there is no fault; enough sincerity brings good surprises.

Sources Zhou Yi. English by TaoDial.