Hexagram 11 泰 - TÀI / PEACE

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Trigrams

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• Above Kūn, the Receptive, Earth
• Below Qián, the Creative, Heaven

The Receptive, whose movement is downward, is above; the Creative, whose movement is upward, is below. Their influences therefore meet and are in deep harmony, so that all living things bloom and prosper. This sign is associated with the first month (February-March), in which the forces of nature prepare for the arrival of a new spring.

The Judgment

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Peace. The small departs, the great approaches. Good fortune! Success!

In nature, this hexagram indicates a time when heaven is on earth, so to speak. Heaven has placed itself beneath the earth. Thus, their forces unite in deep harmony, giving rise to peace and blessings for all living beings.

In the human world, it signifies a period of social concord. Those in high positions humble themselves before the lowly, and the humble are well-disposed toward the great, bringing an end to all feuds.

Within, at the center, in the decisive position, is the light principle; the dark principle is outside. Thus, the light has a powerful effect, and the dark is yielding. In this way, both sides receive their due. When the good elements of society occupy central positions and hold the reins of power, the bad elements also come under their influence and improve. When the spirit derived from heaven rules within man, his physical nature also comes under its influence and finds its appropriate place.

The individual lines enter the hexagram from below and leave it at the top. Therefore, the small, the weak, and the negative are on the way out, while the great, the strong, and the good are on the rise. This brings good fortune and success.

The Image

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Heaven and earth unite: the image of Peace. Thus the ruler divides and completes the course of heaven and earth, furthers and regulates the gifts of heaven and earth, and so aids the people.

Heaven and earth are in communion and combine their effects. This brings a general time of blossoming and prosperity. This stream of energy must be regulated by the ruler of men, which is accomplished through division. Thus, the undifferentiated flow of time is divided by man into seasons according to the succession of its phenomena, and all-encompassing space is distinguished into cardinal directions through human definitions. In this manner, nature, with its overwhelming abundance of phenomena, is restricted and harnessed. On the other hand, nature must be furthered in its products. This happens when its yields are adapted to the right time and the right place, increasing the natural harvest. This restricting and frustrating activity toward nature is the work done upon nature that benefits mankind. [¹]

The Moving Lines

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Nine at the beginning means:

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When ribbon-grass is pulled up, the sod comes with it. Each according to its kind. Undertakings bring good fortune.

In times of prosperity, every able man who is called to an office immediately draws other like-minded people after him, just as when pulling up ribbon-grass, one always pulls up several stalks connected by their roots. In such times, when widespread effectiveness is possible, the mind of the capable man is set on going forth into life to accomplish something meaningful.

Nine at the second place means:

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Bearing the uncultured with gentleness, crossing the river with resolution, not neglecting what is distant, not regarding one’s companions: thus one may manage to walk in the middle.

In times of prosperity, it is crucial above all to possess the inner greatness to tolerate even the imperfect. A great master knows no sterile material; he can make something out of anything. This broad-mindedness, however, is by no means negligence or weakness. Precisely in times of blossom, one must always be ready to venture even dangerous undertakings, such as crossing a river, if they are necessary. Likewise, one must not neglect what is distant, but attend to everything with punctuality. One must be particularly on guard against factions and clique-building. For even though like-minded individuals come forward together, they must not form a party through mutual collusion; instead, everyone must do his duty. These four things are the means by which one can overcome the hidden danger of gradual slackening that lurks in every time of peace, and in this way, one finds the right middle course of action.

Nine at the third place means:

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No plain without a slope, no departure without a return. He who remains persevering in danger is without blame. Do not complain about this truth; enjoy the happiness you still possess.

Everything earthly is subject to change. Decline follows prosperity. This is the eternal law on earth. Evil can indeed be held back, but it cannot be permanently eliminated; it returns. This conviction could make one melancholy, but it should not. It should only prevent one from falling into delusion during times of good fortune. If one remains mindful of danger, one stays persevering and makes no mistake. As long as a person’s inner being remains stronger and richer than their external fortune, as long as we remain inwardly superior to fate, good fortune will remain true to us.

Six at the fourth place means:

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He flutters down, not boasting of his wealth, together with his neighbor, guileless and sincere.

In times of mutual trust, those of high rank come to the lowly quite simply and without boasting of their wealth. This is not due to the compulsion of circumstances, but corresponds to their innermost disposition. Then the approach occurs quite naturally, because it rests on inner conviction.

Six at the fifth place means:

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The Sovereign Yi gives his daughter in marriage. This brings blessing and supreme good fortune.

The Sovereign Yi is Tang, the Completer. He decreed that the imperial princesses, although higher in rank than the husbands to whom they were wed, should obey their husbands just like other wives. Here too, a truly humble union of high and low is pointed out, which brings happiness and blessing.

Six at the top means:

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The rampart falls back into the moat. Use no armies now. In your own city, proclaim your commands. Perseverance brings humiliation.

The change already indicated in the middle of the hexagram has come to pass. The city wall sinks back into the moat from which it was dug. Doom breaks in. In this case, it is necessary to submit to fate and not try to halt it through violent resistance. The only thing left to do is to maintain oneself within the narrowest circle. If one wished to stubbornly resist evil in the usual way, the collapse would only worsen, and humiliation would be the consequence.

Reference links

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• Hexagram look-up table
• Advanced hexagram correspondence table