What It Feels Like to Meet a Fellow Traveler in the Dark — Feng Hexagram Nine in the Fourth Place

The fourth line of the Hexagram of Abundance is the Nine in the Fourth Place. Its line text is identical to the first half of the Six in the Second Place:

「丰其蔀，日中见斗。」 (Abundance is screened; at midday the Dipper is seen.)

The sun is still hidden in broad daylight, and the sky is still full of stars. The obstruction is just as thick, and the darkness just as deep.

But right after that, the Nine in the Fourth Place has an extra line that the Six in the Second Place does not——

「遇其夷主，吉。」 (Meeting one’s equal lord; good fortune.)

"Yi zhu" (equal lord) refers to someone on the same level as you, in a similar situation. This line means: In the darkest hour, you meet someone just like you — and that is auspicious.

1. Someone in the same boat works better than a powerful benefactor

The First Line talks about "meeting one’s matching lord" — someone who fits with you and can lead you forward. The Nine in the Fourth Place talks about "meeting one’s equal lord". "Yi" means equal, so an equal lord is a companion who is in a similar position to you.

Why is it that at the Nine in the Fourth Place, you meet an "equal lord" instead of a "matching lord"?

Because the situation of the Nine in the Fourth Place is harder than that of the First Line. It is already in the upper trigram, where the obstruction is deeper, and its position is not proper (a Yang Line in a Yin position). What it needs is not a guide — even a guide cannot see clearly here — what it needs is someone who can understand it and bear the burden together.

Wen Laoshi once said: The hardest time in life is not when no one helps you, but when no one understands you.

Meeting an "equal lord" means meeting someone who is also walking through the darkness but has not given up. Such an encounter is itself a kind of light.

2. Why, in the same darkness, does the Nine in the Fourth Place have an extra "good fortune"?

The Six in the Second Place, in darkness, can only rely on its own sincerity to gradually influence things. The Nine in the Fourth Place, in the same darkness, meets a companion.

What is the difference?

The Six in the Second Place is a Yin Line, with soft strength, and can only hold firm within. The Nine in the Fourth Place is a Yang Line, with firm strength. Although its position is not proper (Yang in Yin position), it can take the initiative to seek others out. It looks toward the First Line — two Yang Lines, though not in proper resonance, can still illuminate each other because they share the same situation.

This is just like real life: You are in a very oppressive environment, struggling to bear it all on your own. Then suddenly one day, you realize there is someone next to you, bearing it just like you. You may not be able to change the environment right away, but knowing each other is there calms your heart.

3. Who is the "equal lord" in real life?

An equal lord is not necessarily a benefactor.

It could be a business partner who is also losing money, staying up late, and bearing pressure. You look at each other — neither is better off than the other — but you can prop each other up.

It could be a colleague who switched to the new company with you, also struggling to adapt, also feeling out of place, but you can vent to each other and cheer each other on.

It could be a friend going through a low point with you, no grand words, just keeping you company.

This kind of person will not solve all your problems, but they let you know: You are not carrying this alone.

4. What situations correspond to the Nine in the Fourth Place of the Hexagram of Abundance?

You are being sidelined at work, wanting to get things done but no one cooperates. Then you suddenly find someone in another department just like you, also looking for opportunities.

Your business hits a bottleneck. You talk with peers and find everyone is having a hard time, but one person brings up an idea, and you talk for hours.

You just moved to a new city, knowing no one, and at some event you meet someone in a similar situation to yours.

These are the moments of "meeting one’s equal lord". It is not that your luck suddenly turns around — it is that someone hands you a match in the dark.

5. One thing the Nine in the Fourth Place tells you

The Nine in the Fourth Place of the Hexagram of Abundance says: In the darkest hour, do not walk alone.

It is not that you cannot walk alone — it is that walking alone makes it too easy to give up.

The Nine in the Fourth Place, like the First Line, is a Yang Line with strength. The difference is that the First Line has enough strength to charge forward on its own, while the Nine in the Fourth Place does not — it needs someone to go with it.

Wen Laoshi says: People at the top do not need companions, because smiles are everywhere. People in the valley need companions, because at that time, you do not want to go where the smiles are, and you cannot find the people who will tell you the truth.

Meeting one’s equal lord; good fortune.

Not because you have found the solution to all problems, but because you are no longer alone.

With one more person walking beside you in the dark, the road is still the same road — but it feels different to walk.