I Ching · Hexagram 11 of 64
Hexagram 11: Tai （泰） — Peace
Earth above heaven: heaven below and earth above, so that the holy descends into the human world to lift up the ordinary, and heaven and earth intermingle so that all things pass through. The three yangs opening mark the age in which the Way transforms the world. Its theme is that the small departs and the great arrives, little given and much gained.
At a glance
| Hexagram | 11 of 64 |
|---|---|
| Name | Tai 泰 · Peace |
| Upper trigram | Kun （坤）· Earth |
| Lower trigram | Qian （乾）· Heaven |
| Structure | Earth over Heaven |
| Lines | 6 lines |
The Judgment （卦辞）
Tai. The small departs, the great arrives. Good fortune and success.
ExplainedTai is openness and unimpeded passage, the turning of obstruction into peace. The key is that little goes and much comes: effort is light and the result great, as in a hall of practice where closeness to the Way dissolves old faults and brings the household to harmony. When the new make a vow and the old repent, karma clears and circumstances turn; the great Way has come, and the holy ones have descended.
Tuan Zhuan — Commentary on the Judgment （彖传）
Tai: the small departs, the great arrives, good fortune and success. It means that heaven and earth unite and all things pass through; above and below unite and their wills are one. Within, yang; without, yin; within, strength; without, yielding; within, the gentleman; without, the small man. The way of the gentleman grows, the way of the small man wanes.
ExplainedHeaven and earth unite so that all things thrive: earth above and heaven below, the one rising and the other descending, as thunder draws down the rain. In human affairs high and low meet and their wills become one, the small man's will becoming the same as the gentleman's, which is the salvation of all beings. Inner firmness and outer yielding mean a gentleman within and a small man without, inner strength with outer gentleness, and so the gentleman's way grows while the small man's wanes.
Xiang Zhuan — Image Commentary （大象）
Heaven and earth unite: Tai. Thus the ruler completes the way of heaven and earth, assists their harmony, and guides the people left and right.
ExplainedEarth and heaven meeting is the hexagram of great fortune. The yielding earth leads the way: by blessing one builds the road of heaven, drawing people near with gifts of rice and goods and then guiding them onto the right path, until the taste for good spreads through the whole society.
The Six Lines （六爻）
The lines are read from the bottom upward. Each carries its own text, a Small Image commentary, and a plain-English reading.
Line 1 · YangLine 1
Pulling up the couch grass with its roots joined: going brings good fortune.
Small ImagePulling up the grass, going brings good fortune: his will is turned outward.
ExplainedCouch grass grows with roots joined, so pulling one brings up the whole patch. To save beings one need not convert them one by one: raise up one person of good foundation, and a whole company of his kind rises with him.
Line 2 · YangLine 2
Bearing with the rude, wading the river, not neglecting the distant, disbanding factions: thus he is honored in walking the middle path.
Small ImageBearing with the rude and honored in the middle path: thereby he becomes great and shining.
ExplainedWith the base secure, open the work widely: embrace the coarse and the absurd and refuse no one. Guide the fiery beginner without promoting him too soon, neglect no one however distant, and form no factions, and the way of the gentleman shines.
Line 3 · YangLine 3
There is no level ground that does not turn to slope; there is no going that does not return. In hardship and steadfastness: no blame. Do not grieve over your truthfulness; in your fare there is blessing.
Small ImageNo going that does not return: this is the border of heaven and earth.
ExplainedNo level goes without a slope, and nothing advances that does not return. In such a time hold the way through hardship and do not grieve over lost sincerity; disaster spent is blessing approaching, and the wall between heaven and man opens.
Line 4 · YinLine 4
Fluttering, he does not enrich himself with his neighbors; he does not guard himself, but acts in truth.
Small ImageFluttering without wealth: they all have lost the solid. Not guarding, but in truth: it is the wish of the heart.
ExplainedLike birds settling in flocks, people come of themselves once the atmosphere of the Way is formed, drawn not by wealth but by truth. Do not fence the newcomers in with rules; let sincerity awaken sincerity in them, for they have come seeking the heart.
Line 5 · YinLine 5
The emperor Yi marries his daughter: thereby blessings, supreme good fortune.
Small ImageThereby blessings, supreme good fortune: in the center he carries out his wish.
ExplainedThis is the marriage of the emperor's daughter: hosts of worthy ones descend to serve, and blessing pours down. The key is to let them make their own vow; when the vow is made, the way spreads to every land.
Line 6 · YinLine 6
The wall falls back into the moat. Do not use the army. From his own town he issues commands; steadfastness brings humiliation.
Small ImageThe wall falls back into the moat: his commands are in disorder.
ExplainedWhen peace reaches its height the wall falls back into the moat and command falls into disorder. Do not fight the dark forces: what has declined is your own spirit, so rouse it, and remind your people not to forget the mission.
Key takeaway
When little goes and much comes, the great way has arrived: inner strength with outer gentleness draws the world into peace.
Frequently asked questions
What does Hexagram 11 (Tai) mean in the I Ching?
Earth above heaven: heaven below and earth above, so that the holy descends into the human world to lift up the ordinary, and heaven and earth intermingle so that all things pass through. The three yangs opening mark the age in which the Way transforms the world. Its theme is that the small departs and the great arrives, little given and much gained.
What is the judgment of Hexagram 11?
Tai. The small departs, the great arrives. Good fortune and success. Tai is openness and unimpeded passage, the turning of obstruction into peace. The key is that little goes and much comes: effort is light and the result great, as in a hall of practice where closeness to the Way dissolves old faults and brings the household to harmony. When the new make a vow and the old repent, karma…
What do the six lines of Hexagram 11 say?
Line 1: Pulling up the couch grass with its roots joined: going brings good fortune. Line 2: Bearing with the rude, wading the river, not neglecting the distant, disbanding factions: thus he is honored in walking the middle path. Line 3: There is no level ground that does not turn to slope; there is no going that does not return. In hardship and steadfastness: no blame. Do not grieve over your truthfulness; in your fare there is blessing. Line 4: Fluttering, he does not enrich himself with his neighbors; he does not guard himself, but acts in truth. Line 5: The emperor Yi marries his daughter: thereby blessings, supreme good fortune. Line 6: The wall falls back into the moat. Do not use the army. From his own town he issues commands; steadfastness brings humiliation.
What is the main lesson of Hexagram 11 (Peace)?
When little goes and much comes, the great way has arrived: inner strength with outer gentleness draws the world into peace.
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