I Ching Oracle / Hexagrams / 38
The Judgement
In small matters, good fortune.
Divergence within a shared aim; seek agreement without forcing sameness.
The Image
Above, fire; below, the lake. The noble one amid all fellowship retains his individuality.
This hexagram on ten matters
- WorkCAREER
- Divergence within a shared aim; seek agreement without sameness. Amid all fellowship he retains his individuality — you can cooperate without being alike; forcing uniformity splits it faster.
- LoveRELATIONSHIP
- Misunderstanding and estrangement. A pig covered with dirt, a wagon full of devils — the person you are seeing may be one you have constructed.
- MoneyFINANCE
- Divided accounts or positions. In small matters, good fortune: handle only the small and concrete; leave the structure alone.
- HealthBODY
- A hexagram of things out of alignment; mind and body are out of step. What you intend and what you can bear are not the same thing.
- StudyLEARNING
- The method does not suit you. If you lose your horse, do not chase it; it returns of its own accord.
- An examEXAM
- The questions differ from what you expected. Divergence within a shared aim: the examiner thinks differently from how you prepared. Work papers from different years and setters to close the gap.
- PeopleSOCIAL
- The category needing most attention. One meets his lord in a narrow street: an informal setting resolves this better than a formal meeting.
- A choiceDECISION
- Small matters can be decided; large ones should wait. Big decisions made amid divergence get reversed.
- TravelJOURNEY
- Feasible but volatile. As one goes, rain falls, then good fortune — the obstacle midway turns out to be the turn.
- A lost itemLOST ITEM
- Your memory does not match reality. You think it is in one place; it is in another. Do not insist on your impression.
The Six Lines
Remorse disappears. If you lose your horse, do not run after it; it will come back of its own accord. When you see evil people, guard yourself against mistakes.
If you lose your horse, do not chase it; it returns of itself. When you see evil people, guard against mistakes — even the disliked must be met; avoidance breeds trouble.
One meets his lord in a narrow street. No blame.
One meets his lord in a narrow street; no blame. The wisdom here: when the formal channel is blocked, the informal setting is where it gets said.
One sees the wagon dragged back, the oxen halted, a man's hair and nose cut off. Not a good beginning, but a good end.
The wagon dragged back, the oxen halted, a man's hair and nose cut off. Not a good beginning, but a good end.
Isolated through opposition, one meets a like-minded man with whom one can associate in good faith. Despite the danger, no blame.
Isolated through opposition, one meets a like-minded man; despite danger, no blame. Real trust built inside the danger.
Remorse disappears. The companion bites his way through the wrappings. If one goes to him, how could it be a mistake?
Remorse disappears; the companion bites through the wrappings. If one goes to him, how could it be a mistake? Go to them, and the problem ends.
Isolated through opposition, one sees one's companion as a pig covered with dirt, as a wagon full of devils. First one draws a bow against him, then one lays the bow aside. He is not a robber; he will woo at the right time. As one goes, rain falls; then good fortune comes.
Isolated, one sees a pig covered with dirt, a wagon full of devils. First he draws the bow, then lays it aside. The suspicion was self-made; as one goes, rain falls, and good fortune comes.
The governing line
Nuclear · Opposite · Reverse
The nuclear hexagram shows the middle stretch of the matter; the opposite is the same situation seen from the reverse position; the reverse is the view from the other party's side.