The fourth line of the Obstruction Hexagram states: "往蹇，来连" (Going forward meets hardship, return to form alliances). When you feel sidelined or isolated, don’t grit your teeth and push through alone, nor rush to escape. First steady your footing, then seek like-minded allies. When you stand together, tough hurdles will feel far less daunting.
Ever felt like you just can’t get along with anyone—everything you say gets pushback, everything you do gets misunderstood? You might blame yourself, thinking you’re too weird, too withdrawn, too hard to be around. But the *Opposition* (Kuí) hexagram of the I Ching tells us: estrangement is the norm, unity is rare. It’s normal for people to be different, and differences don’t stop us from walking the same path. What matters is how you view those gaps.
The Nine in the Second Place of *Opposition* (Kui Hexagram) states: "遇主于巷，无咎" (Meeting one’s lord in a lane, no blame). Disagreements between people are perfectly normal. When you run into someone who doesn’t see eye to eye with you, there’s no need to fight to prove you’re right or come out on top. If you cross paths on a narrow road, just nod, make way, and go your separate ways. Winning an argument costs you connections; losing one ruins your mood — either way, it’s never worth it.
The Line Text of the Fourth Line (Six in the Fourth Place) of *The Taming Power of the Great* (Dashan Daxu) states: "童牛之牿，元吉" — putting a crossbar on a young bull’s head to prevent it from hurting people, which means Supreme Good Fortune. Accumulation is not only about building skills, but also nurturing virtue and goodwill. Treating others well when they are still vulnerable is true "taming/accumulation". This article analyzes the Fourth Line of Daxu from the perspective of building connections and moral character.
The First Line (初九) of *The Family* (家人卦) states: "闲有家，悔亡" — "Maintaining order and boundaries in the home from the start dispels remorse". Many families bicker constantly not out of lack of affection, but because no ground rules were set early on: trivial grievances snowball until they spiral out of control. This line teaches that the best solution to family conflict is proactive prevention; the earlier you establish clear household rules, the less trouble you will face later.
The Family (風火家人 / Feng Huo Jia Ren) hexagram, formed by wind rising from fire, embodies well-ordered internal structures. It is not about trivial household gossip, but a complete internal governance logic applicable to families, teams and companies alike. "Words have substance, actions have perseverance" is the foundation of managing both home and affairs. This article breaks down its six layers of wisdom from a decision support perspective to help straighten out internal matters.
The Six in the Fourth Place of *Darkening of the Light* (Mingyi) marks a stage of penetrating deep into darkness to grasp the truth. Its line text "入于左腹获明夷之心，于出门庭" means one reaches the core of a toxic environment, sees through its true nature, then leaves calmly. Many linger in rotten settings out of reluctance or attachment. This line advises leaving once you see the truth—no nostalgia, no trying to fix the unfixable. Departing after seeing through things is true clarity.
Life is full of low ebbs: career setbacks, heartbreaks, unfair accusations, unrecognized talent… How do you get through dark days? The *Mingyi* (Darkening of the Light) hexagram of the I Ching (Book of Changes) reveals: when your light is dimmed, don’t fight recklessly or show off unnecessarily. Learn to hide your glow — hiding doesn’t mean extinguishing it, but saving it to shine again someday. The hardest test isn’t when you shine bright, but when you hold back from shining.
The Line Text of Nine in the Second Place of *The Taming Power of the Great* (Dashan Daxu) states "舆说輹" — the axle of the chariot comes loose, halting the vehicle. It may sound like misfortune, but during the phase of accumulation, pausing when the time calls for it is actually a wise move. This article unpacks the wisdom of this line from the perspective that "knowing when to stop enables you to move forward."
The Nine in the Fourth Place of *Jin (Progress)* is a high-risk line on the ascent path. Its line text says "晋如鼫鼠，贞厉" — advancing like a large rat, perseverance brings danger. A shrew rat has five skills but all fall short: it can fly but not reach rooftops, climb but not scale tree tops, swim but not cross valleys, dig but not cover itself, run but not outpace others. It masters nothing despite seeming versatile. Many promoted people fall into this exact state when their skills fail to match their new rank.
The Jin (Progress) Hexagram of the *I Ching* is the most luminous among the 64 Hexagrams. Depicting the sun rising higher and higher from the earth, it symbolizes promotion, upward mobility and coming into prominence. Yet its core wisdom is not about how to climb up, but how to avoid falling after rising. As the saying goes, "自昭明德 (display one’s own bright virtue)": you must illuminate yourself with noble character. Promotion is not begged for — others will naturally notice when you shine bright.
Everyone craves strength — wealth, power, capability, resources — as if being strong fixes everything. But the *I Ching*’s Hexagram 34 *The Power of the Great* (雷天大壮) warns: your strongest moments are the most perilous. When people grow powerful, they easily get arrogant, overbearing, and disregard rules. At such times, the priority is not gaining more strength, but upholding integrity, propriety, and proper boundaries.