I Ching hexagram 6
I Ching hexagram 6: Conflict
讼 sòng · heaven above water
Heaven pulling up and water flowing down, two forces moving apart: a quarrel best settled halfway and never fought to the end.
- The judgment
- You are sincere but blocked. Stay wary: stopping halfway brings good fortune, pressing to the end brings misfortune. It pays to see the great person, and not to cross the great river.
"Sung intimates how, though there is sincerity in one's contention, he will yet meet with opposition and obstruction; but if he cherish an apprehensive caution, there will be good fortune, while, if he must prosecute the contention to the (bitter) end, there will be evil. It will be advantageous to see the great man; it will not be advantageous to cross the great stream."
- What it says to you
- Heaven rises, water sinks, and the two pull in opposite directions. That's the shape of a dispute. The judgment grants that you may be sincere and even right, and still tells you to stop halfway. Pressing a quarrel to the bitter end turns out badly, even when you win. The top line makes the point with wry precision: you might be awarded a fine leather belt, and have it stripped from you three times before noon. What helps is a fair third party, the great person the text recommends. What doesn't help is a big gamble while the fight is live. Several lines show someone who cannot win, goes home, and is safe. If you're in a conflict, decide on the least you can accept, find a neutral person to help, and let the rest go.
Matter by matter
- Love
- Arguments are costing more than they're worth. Drop the point, or bring in a calm go-between.
- Work
- Disputes and rivalries: settle early, seek a fair arbiter, and avoid escalation.
- Money
- Avoid drawn-out disputes and risky ventures; a modest settlement beats a long fight.
- A yes or no question
- No. The text warns against pressing on; settle midway and skip big risks for now.
The six lines of Conflict
A hexagram is built from the bottom up, so the first line is the lowest. You read a line's text only when your cast made it a moving line.
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Bottom line, broken
Don't drag out the affair. A little talk; good fortune in the end.
The disagreement is just starting. Let it drop now. You'll hear some grumbling, but walking away early leaves you better off than any victory would.
-
Second line, solid
Unable to win the case, you go home and slip away. Your town of three hundred households comes to no harm.
You can't win this one, and that's all right. Retreat to your own small ground. By backing off you protect the people who depend on you.
-
Third line, broken
Living on old merit. Steady, with danger; good fortune in the end. If you serve the king, claim no achievement.
Rely on what you've already earned instead of fighting for more. It feels precarious, yet it holds. If you work for someone above you, let the credit stay theirs.
-
Fourth line, solid
Unable to win the case, you turn back, accept the decree, change course. Calm steadiness brings good fortune.
You want to fight, but you can't win. Accept what's been decided, change your stance, and settle into a calm position. That turn is the fortunate one.
-
Fifth line, solid
Contending: great good fortune.
Here the dispute goes before a fair and capable judge, or you are the fair one. Bringing the matter to just judgment produces a very good result.
-
Top line, solid
Perhaps you are given a leather belt of honor; three times before the morning ends it is stripped away.
You might win this fight, but the prize won't stay. Victory gained by relentless contention gets taken back. Ask whether the trophy is worth holding on to.
About hexagram 6
What does I Ching hexagram 6 mean?
Hexagram 6, Conflict, puts heaven above water. Heaven pulling up and water flowing down, two forces moving apart: a quarrel best settled halfway and never fought to the end. Its judgment reads: You are sincere but blocked. Stay wary: stopping halfway brings good fortune, pressing to the end brings misfortune. It pays to see the great person, and not to cross the great river.
Is hexagram 6 a yes or a no?
No. The text warns against pressing on; settle midway and skip big risks for now.
What does hexagram 6 mean for love?
Arguments are costing more than they're worth. Drop the point, or bring in a calm go-between.
What does hexagram 6 mean for work?
Disputes and rivalries: settle early, seek a fair arbiter, and avoid escalation.
Cast the coins for a new question , or for a straight yes or no, throw the moon blocks
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The judgment and lines are rendered from the Chinese text; the quoted judgment is Legge's 1882 translation, and every other English line is Jade Almanac's own. A cast is a prompt for reflection, not advice about health, money or the law.