I Ching · Hexagram 7 of 64
Hexagram 7: Shi （师） — The Army
Earth above water: water hidden in the earth as soldiers are hidden among farmers. It is the gathering of a multitude and the march of an army, which must serve a righteous cause, follow a worthy leader and keep strict discipline. It also pictures the art of leading people and carrying on the work of the Way.
At a glance
| Hexagram | 7 of 64 |
|---|---|
| Name | Shi 师 · The Army |
| Upper trigram | Kun （坤）· Earth |
| Lower trigram | Kan （坎）· Water |
| Structure | Earth over Water |
| Lines | 6 lines |
The Judgment （卦辞）
Shi. Steadfastness. The great man brings good fortune. No blame.
ExplainedShi is the multitude, and the first requirement is steadfastness: an army for a just cause, for spreading the right way and saving beings, and not for gain and slaughter. The leader must be a great man worthy of the name, able to restrain his people as a herdsman uses his staff, and his authority must come from heaven. With such a leader even a mighty host brings no harm, and good fortune follows.
Tuan Zhuan — Commentary on the Judgment （彖传）
Shi means the multitude; zhen means what is upright. Whoever can make the multitude upright may be king. Firm and central, he responds; he moves through danger yet in accord. With this he cures the world, and the people follow him. Good fortune: how then could there be blame?
ExplainedTo lead the multitude toward the good is to make them upright, and whoever does that may rule the world, not by arms but by making all people upright. One firm line sits at the center of the second place: the leader is firm and centered, answering heaven above and the people below. Inner danger and outer yielding mean he takes risks yet follows the heart of heaven, so the people follow him and there is good fortune without blame.
Xiang Zhuan — Image Commentary （大象）
Water within the earth: Shi. Thus the gentleman shelters the people and nourishes the multitude.
ExplainedWater hidden in the earth is the people, scattered among the trades but ready to gather when called. The gentleman shelters and nourishes the multitude: a leader's capacity must be wide enough to hold every kind of person and to transform them through teaching.
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 · YinLine 1
An army must march with discipline; if it fails, misfortune.
Small ImageThe army marches with discipline; losing discipline is misfortune.
ExplainedAn army above all needs discipline before it sets out: without order even a great host is a mob that collapses at the first blow. Precepts are not bondage but protection, and in any body of people rule comes before strength.
Line 2 · YangLine 2
In the midst of the army: good fortune, no blame. The king gives a threefold command.
Small ImageIn the midst of the army, good fortune: he receives Heaven's favor. The king's threefold charge: he cherishes the many states.
ExplainedThe leader of the hexagram shares hardship with his soldiers and never looks down on them from above, and above all he holds the center among them, taking no side in their quarrels. For this heaven loves him and gives him a threefold charge to win over all peoples.
Line 3 · YinLine 3
The army may carry corpses: misfortune.
Small ImageThe army carrying corpses: great failure in merit.
ExplainedA wagon carrying corpses home is the image of defeat, and its cause is boasting and self-satisfaction. Power breeds arrogance, and arrogance undertakes burdens beyond its strength; a leader pleased with himself is already a walking corpse.
Line 4 · YinLine 4
The army retreats and encamps: no blame.
Small ImageRetreating and encamping without blame: he has not lost his normal course.
ExplainedTo retreat and encamp is not shame but judgment: when a battle cannot be won, preserve your strength and hold your ground. Great tides of shared karma cannot be avoided, but one need not perish with them.
Line 5 · YinLine 5
In the field there is game; it is favorable to give the order. No blame. The eldest son leads the army; the younger brother carries corpses. Steadfastness brings misfortune.
Small ImageThe eldest son leading the army: he moves through the center. The younger brother carrying corpses: the appointment was wrong.
ExplainedThe ruler here is weak though in the high place. When the field is already won he must give one clear order to one commander; if he sets a second and third to meddle, even a certain victory collapses into corpses.
Line 6 · YinLine 6
The great prince issues commands: he founds states and establishes clans. The small man must not be employed.
Small ImageThe great prince issues commands: he rewards merit rightly. The small man must not be employed: he would surely throw the state into disorder.
ExplainedThe great ruler who receives heaven's mandate founds a house that lasts for generations, and his merit is counted not in followers or wealth but in upright people. Flatterers crowd in once things prosper; keep them far off, or the state will be thrown into disorder.
Key takeaway
To gather people is to lead them toward the good: the cause must be just, the leader worthy, and the discipline firm.
Frequently asked questions
What does Hexagram 7 (Shi) mean in the I Ching?
Earth above water: water hidden in the earth as soldiers are hidden among farmers. It is the gathering of a multitude and the march of an army, which must serve a righteous cause, follow a worthy leader and keep strict discipline. It also pictures the art of leading people and carrying on the work of the Way.
What is the judgment of Hexagram 7?
Shi. Steadfastness. The great man brings good fortune. No blame. Shi is the multitude, and the first requirement is steadfastness: an army for a just cause, for spreading the right way and saving beings, and not for gain and slaughter. The leader must be a great man worthy of the name, able to restrain his people as a herdsman uses his staff, and his authority must come from…
What do the six lines of Hexagram 7 say?
Line 1: An army must march with discipline; if it fails, misfortune. Line 2: In the midst of the army: good fortune, no blame. The king gives a threefold command. Line 3: The army may carry corpses: misfortune. Line 4: The army retreats and encamps: no blame. Line 5: In the field there is game; it is favorable to give the order. No blame. The eldest son leads the army; the younger brother carries corpses. Steadfastness brings misfortune. Line 6: The great prince issues commands: he founds states and establishes clans. The small man must not be employed.
What is the main lesson of Hexagram 7 (The Army)?
To gather people is to lead them toward the good: the cause must be just, the leader worthy, and the discipline firm.
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