Hexagram 2
坤

The Yielding Earth

kūn · Earth over Earth

Follow what is already moving, and carry it far.

The judgment

元亨。利牝馬之貞。君子有攸往,先迷後得主,利。西南得朋,東北喪朋。安貞吉。

Great receptive power opens the way, with a mare's tireless steadiness. Walk in front and you get lost; walk behind and you find a master. Southwest brings friends, northeast parts you from them. Settled steadiness is good.

The six lines

Line 1 · Yin

初六:履霜,堅冰至。

Frost crunches under your foot, and hard ice lies further down the season. Small signs point to what is building. Notice them early.

Line 2 · Yin

六二:直方大,不習无不利。

Be upright, even and broad, as the ground is. When you act from your plain nature, you need no rehearsal, and little goes wrong.

Line 3 · Yin

六三:含章,可貞。或從王事,无成有終。

Keep your brilliance folded away and stay steady. If you serve a larger cause, take no credit for it. Finishing the work matters more.

Line 4 · Yin

六四:括囊,无咎无譽。

Cinch the bag closed. This is a time for keeping quiet. You earn neither blame nor praise, and that is fine for now.

Line 5 · Yin

六五:黃裳,元吉。

Yellow, the color of the center, worn on the lower body. Inner worth that does not display itself is deeply favored here.

Line 6 · Yin

上六:龍戰于野,其血玄黃。

Dragon powers clash out in the wild, bleeding dark and yellow. When yielding turns into a struggle for dominance, both sides get hurt.

All six lines · 用六

用六:利永貞。

Long, unbroken steadiness is what serves you here. Stay constant over the full length of things.

The I Ching is a tool for reflection. Do not use it as the basis for medical, legal or money decisions.