Hexagram 38
K'ueiOpposition
Fire (Li) · Lake (Dui)
The image
Above, fire; below, the lake: The image of OPPOSITION. Thus amid all fellowship The superior man retains his individuality.
This hexagram in one line
This hexagram is composed of the trigram Li above, i.e., flame, which burns upward, and Tui below, i.e., the lake, which seeps downward. These two movements are in direct contrast. Furthermore, Li is the second daughter and Tui the youngest daughter, and although they live in the same house they belong to different men; hence their wills are not the same but are divergently directed.
Core Meaning
The core judgment of this hexagram.
Fire above lake
Hexagram Judgment
OPPOSITION. In small matters, good fortune.
When people live in opposition and estrangement they cannot carry out a great undertaking in common; their points of view diverge too widely. In such circumstances one should above all not proceed brusquely, for that would only increase the existing opposition; instead, one should limit oneself to producing gradual effects in small matters. Here success can still be expected, because the situation is such that the opposition does not preclude all agreement. In general, opposition appears as an obstruction, but when it represents polarity within a comprehensive whole, it has also its useful and important functions. The oppositions of heaven and earth, spirit and nature, man and woman, when reconciled, bring about the creation and reproduction of life. In the world of visible things, the principle of opposites makes possible the differentiation by categories through which order is brought into the world
Upper and Lower Trigrams
- Fire (Li)
- Fire · Clinging
- Lake (Dui)
- Lake · Joy
Lines
What each of the six positions expresses.
Classics
Tuan CommentaryThe reasoning behind the judgment.
Opposition: fire moves upward, the lake moves downward. Two daughters dwell together, but their aims are not the same. Joy and clarity: the yielding advances and moves upward, attains the middle and responds to the hard. Hence in small matters there is good fortune. Heaven and earth are opposites, but their work is the same. Man and woman are opposites, but their aims are in accord. All beings are opposites, but their kinds are the same. The time of Opposition is truly great.
Opposition: fire moves upward while the lake moves downward. Two daughters dwell together but their aims differ. Joy and clarity allow the yielding to advance upward, attaining the middle and responding to the hard. Though opposites, heaven and earth work together; man and woman have accordant aims.
Great ImageThe image itself, read as a picture of the situation.
Above, fire; below, the lake: The image of OPPOSITION. Thus amid all fellowship The superior man retains his individuality.
The two elements, fire and water, never mingle but even when in contact retain their own natures. So the cultured man is never led into baseness or vulgarity through intercourse or community of interests with persons of another sort; regardless of all commingling, he will always preserve his individuality.
Further
Related hexagrams
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Frequently asked questions
What does K'uei / Opposition mean in the I Ching?
When people live in opposition and estrangement they cannot carry out a great undertaking in common; their points of view diverge too widely. In such circumstan...
How should I study Hexagram 38 on this page?
Start with the judgment and image, then read the line statements in sequence. Even in times when oppositions prevail, mistakes can be avoided, so that remorse disappears. When opposition begins to manifest itself, a man must not try to bring about unity by f...
How can this hexagram be applied in a modern reading?
Opposition: fire moves upward while the lake moves downward. Two daughters dwell together but their aims differ. Joy and clarity allow the yielding to advance upward, attaining the middle and responding to the hard. Thou...
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Original text from the I Ching; translation based on Richard Wilhelm's German version.