I Ching · Hexagram 14 of 64
Hexagram 14: Da You （大有） — Great Possession
Fire above heaven, the sun in the sky, generating and nurturing all things; every material energy in the world comes from that sun. A person is a small universe, and when the heavenly nature, the invisible sun, lights up, one meets the great origin and success. After fellowship comes the great harmony, and by holding the one a person has merit without measure and lacks nothing.
At a glance
| Hexagram | 14 of 64 |
|---|---|
| Name | Da You 大有 · Great Possession |
| Upper trigram | Li （离）· Fire |
| Lower trigram | Qian （乾）· Heaven |
| Structure | Fire over Heaven |
| Lines | 6 lines |
The Judgment （卦辞）
Da You: the great origin, success.
ExplainedDa You means the great person has merit without measure and possesses everything. To enter it one must first be able to share with others, as in the fellowship of the preceding hexagram: from the great harmony come great blessing and great merit. The oracle says only the origin and success, holding the one bringing passage in all four directions. The sun of a person is the gate at the heart, and when that nature shines, clearing away greed, anger and desire, merit flows from the root.
Tuan Zhuan — Commentary on the Judgment （彖传）
Da You: the yielding gains the honorable place, the great center, and above and below respond to it. This is called Great Possession. Its virtue is firm and strong and yet civilized; it answers to heaven and moves with the time, therefore the great origin and success.
ExplainedOne yielding line sits in the honored fifth place, the great center: even an ordinary person, if he takes the most honored seat at the gate, can turn softness into firmness and refine the yin into yang. That center holds heaven and earth within a grain, and returning to the throne within brings answer from above and below. Firm and strong yet civilized, with no selfish desire and unceasing movement, he lights the world and turns animal nature into civilized life, moving with heaven and the times.
Xiang Zhuan — Image Commentary （大象）
Fire above heaven: Da You. Thus the gentleman checks evil and exalts good, in accord with heaven and its gracious mandate.
ExplainedFire above heaven is the sun, and what the gentleman possesses is everything. Like the sun he checks evil and exalts good: extinguish the evil word, deed and thought and the good nature rises of itself; obey the law of heaven and heaven grants a gracious mandate. When no evil thought arises, the holy ones stand beside him.
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
No harmful dealings: no blame. In hardship comes freedom from blame.
Small ImageThe first nine of Great Possession: no harmful dealings.
ExplainedThe first premise of all relations is to injure no one: no harmful intent, no harsh word, no evil deed and no ugly face. All things grow together without harming one another, and to harm another is to harm oneself. Prefer to be injured rather than to injure, endure and clear the debt.
Line 2 · YangLine 2
A large wagon for carrying: whatever he goes toward, no blame.
Small ImageThe large wagon carries: the accumulation at the center does not spoil.
ExplainedWhoever holds no harmful intent is carried by heaven in a great wagon, honored wherever he goes, and stands unconquered without hacking a path. The secret is accumulating at the center: keeping the heart in its honored seat builds an energy against which nothing in any direction prevails.
Line 3 · YangLine 3
A feudal lord presents offerings to the Son of Heaven: the small man cannot do it.
Small ImageThe feudal lord presents to the Son of Heaven: the small man cannot do it.
ExplainedWhat the person of high rank receives he offers up to heaven and gives out below, claiming nothing as his own. The small man, given success, forgets himself, takes the master's seat and sets up his own house, and loses his good name at the end; only the great person can give his merit away.
Line 4 · YangLine 4
Not swelling with his greatness: no blame.
Small ImageNot swelling with greatness, without blame: he discriminates clearly.
ExplainedEven when rank and merit have grown great and everyone supports him, one may swell with self-importance and fall. Whoever sees the truth clearly knows he has no power of his own and remains humble; the greater his greatness, the lower his heart, and so he is free of blame.
Line 5 · YinLine 5
His truthfulness draws them close; his dignity commands respect. Good fortune.
Small ImageTruthfulness drawing close: by trust the will is awakened. The good fortune of dignity: he is at ease without preparations.
ExplainedPast the test of pride his truthfulness becomes so great that all trust and look up to him, not because of a large hall or a glib tongue but because sincerity makes a magnetic field. With it he must keep dignity and order, so that a growing crowd does not fall into chaos.
Line 6 · YangLine 6
Blessed by heaven: good fortune. Nothing unfavorable.
Small ImageThe supreme good fortune of Great Possession: it comes from heaven's blessing.
ExplainedWalk the whole path, injuring no one, accumulating at the center, giving merit away, staying humble and awakening others by trust, and heaven blesses him with good fortune and nothing contrary. Heaven helps the compliant and people help the trustworthy; to carry trust, think of accord and honor the worthy is the most complete fruit of practice.
Key takeaway
Hold the one and the inner sun shines: then merit is without measure and nothing is lacking.
Frequently asked questions
What does Hexagram 14 (Da You) mean in the I Ching?
Fire above heaven, the sun in the sky, generating and nurturing all things; every material energy in the world comes from that sun. A person is a small universe, and when the heavenly nature, the invisible sun, lights up, one meets the great origin and success. After fellowship comes the great harmony, and by holding the one a person has merit without measure and lacks nothing.
What is the judgment of Hexagram 14?
Da You: the great origin, success. Da You means the great person has merit without measure and possesses everything. To enter it one must first be able to share with others, as in the fellowship of the preceding hexagram: from the great harmony come great blessing and great merit. The oracle says only the origin and success, holding the one bringing…
What do the six lines of Hexagram 14 say?
Line 1: No harmful dealings: no blame. In hardship comes freedom from blame. Line 2: A large wagon for carrying: whatever he goes toward, no blame. Line 3: A feudal lord presents offerings to the Son of Heaven: the small man cannot do it. Line 4: Not swelling with his greatness: no blame. Line 5: His truthfulness draws them close; his dignity commands respect. Good fortune. Line 6: Blessed by heaven: good fortune. Nothing unfavorable.
What is the main lesson of Hexagram 14 (Great Possession)?
Hold the one and the inner sun shines: then merit is without measure and nothing is lacking.
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