The 64 Hexagrams, One by One

Each hexagram gets its own deep reading: the judgment, the image, all six lines, the classical commentaries, one story and a practical checklist.

64 hexagrams · Upper Canon 30 · Lower Canon 3433 hexagrams published
I

Upper Canon: Qian to Kan and Li

From Heaven and Earth to Water and Fire: thirty foundational hexagrams of cosmic creation and growth (Hexagrams 1–30).

  1. 10
    Hexagram 10: How to Tread on a Tiger's Tail and Survive

    Hexagram 10 (Lu / Treading) reveals how to navigate peril and power through impeccable etiquette, humility, and acute self-awareness.

  2. 14
    Hexagram 14 (Da You): Sustaining Wealth at the Peak

    Hexagram 14 reveals how to sustain wealth and influence at your peak by curbing ego, sharing abundance, and aligning power with higher moral purpose.

  3. 17
    Hexagram 17 (Sui): Why True Masters Never Follow Blindly

    Hexagram 17 (Sui) reveals how yielding strength to gentle timing inspires joyful allegiance and turns patient adaptability into supreme leadership.

  4. 18
    Gu (Hexagram 18): Turning Broken Legacies into Renewal

    Hexagram 18 (Gu) reveals how to systematically repair institutional decay, resolve inherited messes, and turn historical liabilities into lasting renewal.

  5. 19
    Hexagram 19 (Lin): Clarity at the Peak of Fortune

    Explore Hexagram 19 (Lin) to master rising momentum, executive delegation, and why peak success demands preparing for the inevitable turn of the tide.

  6. 20
    Hexagram 20 Guan: Why True Masters Never Rush

    Hexagram 20 Guan reveals a six-stage cognitive ascent, showing how quiet observation, sincere leadership, and self-reflection outlast hasty ambition.

  7. 21
    Shi He (Biting Through): Crushing the Hardest Obstacle

    Hexagram 21 (Shi He) reveals how combining clarity with decisive action breaks deep-seated blockages to restore order and long-term momentum.

  8. 22
    Bi (Grace): Why True Elegance Returns to Simplicity

    Explore Hexagram 22 (Bi / Grace) in the I Ching: why Confucius feared superficial polish, how form yields to substance, and the power of White Grace.

  9. 25
    Hexagram 25: Wu Wang, True Integrity, and Sudden Calamity

    With Qian above and Zhen below, Hexagram 25 reveals how pure integrity shields against disaster while false calculation invites ruin.

  10. 27
    Hexagram 27 (Yi): The Price of Unchecked Appetite

    Hexagram Yi reveals how mastering speech and appetite cultivates inner dignity, warning against the catastrophic ruin of uncontrolled desire and dependence.

  11. 28
    Great Exceeding: Breaking Through as the House Falls

    Hexagram 28 reveals how to recognize structural limits, break with convention, and act with courage when pressure reaches the point of collapse.

II

Lower Canon: Xian and Heng to After and Before Completion

From human relations to societal cycles: thirty-four hexagrams of social dynamics and perpetual change (Hexagrams 31–64).

  1. 34
    Da Zhuang: The Trap at the Height of Your Power

    Da Zhuang shows why strength must be governed by principle: at the height of momentum, restraint turns force into lasting power.

  2. 35
    Jin: The Quiet Law of Rising into the Light

    Jin, the Rising Sun, reveals how lasting advancement grows from visible character, patient work, and freedom from fear of gain and loss.

  3. 36
    Ming Yi: Hide the Light When Darkness Closes In

    Ming Yi reveals how to preserve clarity and purpose when power turns hostile: soften your exterior, protect your inner light, and wait for the right hour.

  4. 37
    Hexagram 37: Why the Best Leaders Govern the Home First

    Hexagram 37, The Family, shows how order grows from the inside out: clear rules, faithful roles, humane discipline, and leadership by example.

  5. 38
    Kui: When Rivals Become Allies by Lowering Our Guard

    Kui shows how to move from suspicion and opposition to practical cooperation by starting small, staying flexible, and making room for difference.

  6. 39
    Jian: Why the Wise Step Back When the Way Is Blocked

    When danger blocks the road, Jian teaches us to stop, turn inward, choose the easier way, and gather allies before moving again.

  7. 40
    Xie (Deliverance): The Rule of Crisis Release

    A deep reading of Xie, Hexagram 40: act through danger, restore trust after the storm, and remove the root of trouble without delay.

  8. 44
    Gou (Coming to Meet): Why Small Temptations Topple Titans

    Gou reveals how tiny encounters can turn abundance into upheaval, and how clear boundaries keep temptation from becoming catastrophe.

  9. 45
    Cui (Gathering): How to Gather People and Fortune

    Cui reveals how shared purpose, trusted leadership, and vigilance turn a crowd into a durable force rather than a passing frenzy.

  10. 46
    Sheng: How a Ruin Became an Eight-Century Foundation

    Hexagram 46 reveals how honest preparation, timely action, and steady roots turn an uncertain beginning into lasting growth.

  11. 48
    Jing: The Well—Where Deep Roots Yield Clear Water

    Hexagram 48 shows why durable value comes from tending the source within, especially when circumstances shift and success is nearly within reach.

  12. 51
    Zhen: Staying Steady When the Black Swan Strikes

    When sudden upheaval arrives, Zhen teaches us to meet fear with vigilance, protect what matters, and turn crisis into a path forward.

  13. 53
    Jian (Gradual Progress): Going Far by Going Steady

    Hexagram 53, Jian, shows how lasting achievement grows from patient beginnings, ordered steps, and the strength to resist seductive shortcuts.

  14. 54
    Gui Mei: The Peril of a Hasty, Misaligned Start

    Gui Mei warns how desire can disrupt right order, from ancient marriage alliances to modern work and business, and shows how to see trouble early.

  15. 55
    Feng: The Hidden Peril at the Summit of Abundance

    Feng reveals why every dazzling peak contains the risk of obscurity—and how clarity, humility, and timely action preserve prosperity.

  16. 56
    Lu (The Wanderer): Why Strangers Call for Restraint

    Lu, Fire over Mountain, reveals how to survive unfamiliar ground: stay modest, prepared, clear-sighted, and ready to move on.

  17. 57
    Xun: The Gentle Wind That Breaks Through Walls

    Xun reveals how patient, quiet influence can overcome resistance through clear commands, steady follow-through, and principled flexibility.

  18. 58
    Dui (The Joyous Lake): Why Integrity Wins Hearts

    Dui reveals why lasting delight and influence come from inner integrity expressed through warmth, not from flattery or people-pleasing.

  19. 59
    Hexagram 59: Breaking Apart to Begin Again When Trust Fails

    When people and institutions come apart, Hexagram 59 shows how to dissolve blockages, restore shared purpose, and cross the dangerous waters together.

  20. 60
    Jie · Why Those Who Know When to Stop Go Furthest

    Jie shows how limits turn desire into lasting strength: not harsh denial, but timely restraint, institutions, and the freedom of knowing when to stop.

  21. 61
    Zhong Fu: Why Trust Is Never Bound by Contracts

    Hexagram 61, Zhong Fu, reveals how radical sincerity dissolves suspicion and builds trust strong enough to carry people and organizations through danger.

  22. 62
    Hexagram 62 Xiao Guo: Why Flying Low Brings Good Fortune

    Hexagram 62 (Xiao Guo) teaches survival when yin prevails: manage small affairs, stay humble and frugal, and fly low to navigate crisis safely.

YISHU INSIGHT — AI I Ching reading

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