Move Forward When You Meet the Right One — Hexagram Abundance, Nine at the Beginning

The first line of the Hexagram of Abundance, the Nine at the Beginning, has this Line Text:

「遇其配主，虽旬无咎，往有尚。」 (Meeting one’s matching lord; even after ten days there is no blame. Going forward brings esteem.)

"Peizhu" (matching lord) refers to someone who aligns with you, a like-minded person. "Xun" (ten days) originally meant a ten-day period in ancient Chinese, and by extension refers to a short pause. The full meaning of the line is: when you meet someone who walks the same path as you, it’s fine to pause briefly; moving forward will lead to good results.

This line reveals the secret to a thriving, abundant start.

1. No matter how capable you are alone, you can’t achieve great things

The Hexagram of Abundance is a hexagram of grandeur, but grandeur cannot be propped up by a single person.

The Nine at the Beginning is the bottommost line of the Hexagram of Abundance: a Yang Line in a yang position, properly placed and full of strength — yet it does not fight alone. As it moves upward, it meets the Nine in the Fourth Place, another Yang Line with equal strength. When two Yang Lines meet, they do not clash; they bring out the best in each other.

The Line Text uses one key word: "match".

Matching is not settling, nor is it grabbing just anyone to team up with. Matching means alignment — both parties’ energy, direction, and values line up perfectly. You head east, they head east too; you want to scale up, they want to scale up too. Together, you don’t drain each other — you amplify each other.

You won’t meet many people like that in a lifetime. When you do, don’t hesitate.

2. Why does the Line Text say "even after ten days there is no blame"

Ten days is a very delicate length of time.

It’s not too long — not enough to cause a major delay. It’s not too short — long enough to see clearly whether the other person is truly a fellow traveler.

Wen Laoshi says that for many people going into business or partnerships, the biggest problem isn’t not finding people — it’s rushing too much. They sign a contract after one meeting, or launch a company together after two chats, only to find their directions are completely misaligned, and things end on bad terms.

The Nine at the Beginning tells you: don’t rush. You can take a little time to confirm things — "even after ten days there is no blame" — a short pause won’t go wrong. But you can’t pause for too long, either; pause too long and it’s no longer prudence — it’s hesitation.

The key is the word "going". "Going forward brings esteem" — ultimately, you have to move ahead. Once you’ve confirmed the other person is the right fit, hit the road together.

3. What situations correspond to the Nine at the Beginning of the Hexagram of Abundance

You’ve just started a business and need a co-founder. Don’t just pull in whoever has money — look for someone who’s on the same wavelength as you.

You’ve just joined a new company and need a guide. It’s not the person with the highest title — it’s someone who’s truly willing to show you the ropes and worth collaborating with.

You’ve just entered a new relationship and need to confirm if the other person is a fellow traveler. It’s not about whether your conditions match — it’s about whether your directions match.

These three scenarios all boil down to the same thing at their core: who is by your side when you’re about to take off.

4. What the Nine at the Beginning really wants to say

The first step toward abundance isn’t resources, capital, or luck — it’s people.

Find the right person, and even if you start a little slow, things will get smoother and smoother down the road. Fail to find the right person, and no matter how fast you start, you’ll fall apart halfway.

The last three characters of the Line Text are "going forward brings esteem" — there is something worthy of esteem in moving ahead. That worthy thing isn’t the grand prize at the finish line — it’s having someone to walk shoulder to shoulder with along the way.

So if you’re standing at the starting point of something right now, don’t rush to set off. First look around to see if that "matching lord" is beside you. If they are, pause for a moment, confirm things, then walk together.

If not, don’t settle. Keep going — you’ll meet them.

That’s exactly what the Nine at the Beginning of the Hexagram of Abundance means: don’t fear waiting, don’t fear slowness — what you should fear is following the wrong person.