Pǐ Hexagram First Yin Line: What to Do When You Hit Roadblocks Right Before Departing

Have you ever had this feeling?

You’re about to head out, and everything goes wrong one after another.

Your set alarm doesn’t go off, and you almost miss your ride;

You forget your keys when you leave and have to run back for them;

There’s a traffic jam on the way, and you barely catch your flight;

When you finally get to the airport, your flight is delayed.

You can’t help muttering to yourself—why am I so unlucky today? Is this trip going to be a total mess?

It’s not just about traveling. You want to start something, and you hit all kinds of obstacles right at the beginning; you want to switch jobs, but all the resumes you send out get no response; you want to negotiate a project, but the other side makes things difficult for you every step of the way.

You can call it bad luck, but it’s not like anything terrible has happened—things just aren’t running smoothly. You want to keep going, but something feels off; you want to give up, but it doesn’t seem bad enough to quit.

What should you do at a time like this? The first line of the Pi (Standstill) Hexagram in the I Ching (Book of Changes) has the answer. It says: "拔茅茹，以其汇，贞吉，亨。" (Pulling up茅草 [cogon grass] with its roots, drawing together with its kind; perseverance brings good fortune, and success follows.)

Wait a minute—this sounds a lot like the line text of the Nine at the Beginning of the Tai (Peace) Hexagram? The Nine at the Beginning of Tai goes "拔茅茹，以其汇，征吉" (Pulling up cogon grass with its roots, drawing together with its kind; advance is auspicious), while the Six at the Beginning of Pi goes "拔茅茹，以其汇，贞吉，亨".

That’s right—the characters look similar, but their meanings are completely different. Tai is about moving upward from the bottom, getting better and better, hence "征吉"—advance is auspicious, moving forward is the right call. What about Pi? Pi is when heaven and earth do not communicate, things are blocked and stagnant, and conditions keep worsening. So "pulling up cogon grass with its roots" in Pi doesn’t mean charging upward—it means sticking together, not acting recklessly, and holding to the correct path.

This one difference between advancing and retreating is the distinction between Tai and Pi.

Pulling Up Cogon Grass With Its Roots: When Things Go Wrong, Sticking Together Is Safer

First, let’s talk about what "pulling up cogon grass with its roots" means. Mao (茅) is cogon grass. Ru (茹) describes how the grass roots are tangled together. When you pull up cogon grass, the roots are all connected—one tug pulls up a whole clump, roots and all.

In the Tai Hexagram, "pulling up cogon grass with its roots" means everyone moving upward together, working as one, which is why it’s auspicious.

What does it mean in the Pi Hexagram?

It means this: when Pi first begins, don’t go running off on your own. Stay with people who are like you, tangled tight together like cogon grass roots, supporting each other.

Why? Because Pi is an era of blockage and stagnation, when the overall environment is bad. When the big picture is unfavorable, going it alone is very dangerous. If you strike out on your own, no one will help you, no one will look out for you, no one will have your back—and you can easily end up in trouble.

The safest approach at this time is to stay with people who share your goals and values. You come from the same root, head in the same direction, carry hardships together, and share risks together. Even if the environment is bad, there’s strength in numbers—you’re always better off than being alone.

Wen Laoshi often says: "In good times, you can go fast alone; in hard times, you can only go far with a group. When the overall environment is tough, don’t try to be a hero. Finding the right partners matters more than anything."

The same logic applies to travel.

If you’re taking a long trip and the overall environment isn’t great—say the economy is sluggish, the situation at your destination is unstable, or you’re going somewhere you know absolutely nothing about—don’t act rashly on your own. Your best bet is to find a travel companion, join a tour group, or get in touch with local friends ahead of time so you can look out for each other.

I have a friend who traveled solo around Southeast Asia a few years ago. He thought his English was good and he had plenty of travel experience, so he’d be fine. But once he got there, his wallet was stolen, his passport was gone, and he could barely communicate with the locals—he felt completely helpless in a foreign country. In the end, he had to go to the embassy to sort everything out.

He told me later: "I used to think solo travel was so cool. After that, whenever I go somewhere that’s not very safe, I always bring a companion. It’s not that I’m less brave—it’s that I now know: in an unfamiliar place, having someone to lend a hand is better than anything."

See? That’s the lesson of "pulling up cogon grass with its roots"—when traveling in hard times, going with a companion is more reliable than going it alone.

Drawing Together With Its Kind: Follow the Right People, Choose the Right Circle

Right after "pulling up cogon grass with its roots" comes "drawing together with its kind". Hui (汇) means people of the same kind, the same group, the same circle.

Put together, it means: you need to follow the right people, choose the right circle, and stay with your own kind to be safe.

Why do cogon grass roots grow tangled together? Because they’re the same type, they’re on the same team, and they share the same growing environment and direction. Pull one, and the rest come with it—because they were always together to begin with.

At the Six at the Beginning of Pi, when the environment is bad, what do you need most? Not rushing out to chase opportunities, but first finding your "kind"—people who are on your wavelength, people who share your direction, people who can get through hard times with you.

Why is "drawing together with its kind" so important? Because Pi is stagnant—information doesn’t flow freely, resources are scarce, opportunities are rare. Figuring things out on your own at a time like this is way too hard. But if you have a circle where everyone shares information, exchanges resources, and helps each other out, a lot of things become much easier.

Wen Laoshi once said: "The people around you are your feng shui. In good times, the people around you determine how high you can fly; in bad times, the people around you determine whether you can make it through."

This logic is even more obvious when it comes to choices about travel and career development.

For example, if you’re moving to a new city for work, would you just show up blind, or would you get in touch with friends there first, find a place to stay, and get the lay of the land before you go? Of course the latter. Those friends are your "kind"—they’re your roots in an unfamiliar place.

Another example: if you want to switch industries, would you just stumble around on your own, or would you first meet a few people in the field, pick their brains, and get a clear picture of the industry before making a move? Again, the latter. Those industry insiders are your "kind"—they can help you avoid a lot of unnecessary detours.

The phrase "drawing together with its kind" isn’t telling you to form exclusive cliques. It’s telling you—before you’ve figured out the situation, find your group first, follow the right people, and don’t charge ahead blindly on your own.

Perseverance Brings Good Fortune: Sticking to the Correct Path Is Auspicious—Don’t Act Recklessly

The biggest difference between the Six at the Beginning of Pi and the Nine at the Beginning of Tai comes down to these two words: 贞吉 (Perseverance brings good fortune).

Tai says "征吉"—advance is auspicious, moving forward is the right call.

Pi says "贞吉"—holding to the correct path is auspicious, stand firm and don’t act recklessly.

One tells you to move, the other tells you to hold still. Why such a big gap? Because the hexagrams are different, and the times are different.

In the time of Tai, the overall environment is good, heaven and earth communicate, opportunities are plentiful—the more you act, the more opportunities you get;

In the time of Pi, the overall environment is bad, heaven and earth are blocked, pitfalls are everywhere—the more you act, the more traps you’ll step into.

So at the Six at the Beginning of Pi, when you’ve just entered a state of stagnation, your first step isn’t to charge outward—it’s to stand firm first, hold to the correct path first, and get a clear picture of the situation first.

What does "zhen" (贞, perseverance/correctness) mean? It means sticking to the correct path, staying in your lane, and holding to your bottom line. Don’t do things you shouldn’t do, don’t take things you shouldn’t take, don’t take shortcuts you shouldn’t take.

Why is "zhen" especially emphasized in the Pi Hexagram? Because when the environment is bad, people are especially prone to going astray. When you can’t make money, you might be tempted to try underhanded schemes; when you can’t find opportunities, you might want to cut corners; when you’re wronged, you might want to fight evil with evil.

But the Six at the Beginning of Pi tells you—the worse the environment is, the more you need to stick to the correct path. Sticking to the path might not show immediate benefits, but it will keep you from making big mistakes or suffering major setbacks. Only those who can hold fast in times of stagnation will be able to wait for the day when Pi turns to Tai and things improve.

Wen Laoshi often says: "In good times, your ability shows; in bad times, your character shows. When things are going well, you can mess around however you want; when things are going badly, the real skill is being able to hold to your bottom line."

When applied to travel, what does "perseverance brings good fortune" mean? It means—when you’re away from home, follow the rules, take the right path, don’t chase cheap deals, don’t take crooked shortcuts.

If someone says to you, "I know a fast track, no waiting, just pay a little fee"—don’t believe them, it’s most likely a scam;

If someone says, "I’ll take you to a great place where you can make big money"—don’t go, it’s most likely a trap;

If someone says, "Our project is guaranteed to make money, just invest a little to try"—don’t invest, it’s most likely a fraud.

In the environment of Pi, there are all kinds of messy temptations everywhere. If you hold to "zhen", you’ll have good fortune; if you don’t, it’s not just a matter of humiliation—it’s misfortune.

Success: Hold On Until the End, and Things Will Naturally Open Up

After "perseverance brings good fortune", there’s another character: "heng" (亨, success/penetrating).

What does it mean? It means if you stick to the correct path all the way through, things will eventually go smoothly.

The Six at the Beginning of Pi is just the start of the Pi state—things seem hopeless, and everything feels blocked. But the line text ends with a "heng" for you—don’t worry, as long as you stick to the correct path, follow the right people, and don’t act recklessly, the road will gradually open up.

This is different from Tai. The "heng" of Tai is there from the start—everything goes smoothly, and whatever you do works out. What about the "heng" of Pi? It’s a "heng" that comes from "zhen"—you hold on first, you endure first, you don’t act chaotic first, and after enough endurance, things will naturally open up.

A lot of people don’t get this. As soon as they see the environment is bad, they panic, they rush to find a way out, they try to turn things around immediately. The result is: the more anxious they are, the more chaotic things get; the more chaotic things get, the more mistakes they make; the more mistakes they make, the worse things get.

Wen Laoshi has a saying that hits the nail on the head: "The success of Pi isn’t earned by fighting—it’s earned by holding on. If you hold fast, time is your friend; if you don’t, time is your enemy."

I really admire people who make it through economic cycles. What makes them so impressive? It’s not how aggressive they are when things are going well—it’s how well they hold on when things aren’t. When everyone else panics, they stay calm; when everyone else is chaotic, they stay steady; when everyone else goes astray, they still stick to the correct path. They hold on and hold on, and before they know it, winter is over and spring has come.

That’s the "heng" of the Six at the Beginning of Pi—it’s not given to you at the start. It comes naturally when you hold on until the end.

Final Thoughts

The "拔茅茹，以其汇，贞吉，亨" of the Six at the Beginning of Pi looks similar to the line of the Nine at the Beginning of Tai, but its inner logic is completely different.

Tai is an upward "pulling up cogon grass with its roots"—everyone charges upward together, and the more they charge, the smoother things go;

Pi is a group-hugging "pulling up cogon grass with its roots"—everyone holds steady together, guarding their ground.

Tai says "advance is auspicious"—acting brings good fortune;

Pi says "perseverance brings good fortune"—holding still brings good fortune.

The success of Tai is there from the very beginning;

The success of Pi only comes after holding on until the end.

This is the wisdom of the I Ching—different times call for different approaches. You can’t live through a Pi period with a Tai mindset, and you can’t handle hard times with the methods you use in good times.

The same logic applies to travel.

If you’re planning a long trip, or about to start something new, and you feel like the start is rough and the overall environment isn’t great, don’t rush to set off. Ask yourself first—

Have I found a companion? Or am I still charging ahead blindly on my own?

Am I following the right people? Or am I just jumping into random circles?

Am I sticking to the correct path? Or am I thinking about taking shortcuts?

Do I have the patience to wait? Or am I expecting results right away?

Once you’ve thought these through, then you can decide how to set out.

Remember what Wen Laoshi said: If your direction is right, it’s okay to go a little slow; if your direction is wrong, the faster you go, the more dangerous it is. When you’re just starting out in a Pi period, choosing the right path, following the right people, and holding to the correct path matter more than anything.

Don’t rush. Stand firm first. Only when you’re standing firm will the road gradually open up.