I Ching · Hexagram 8 of 64
Hexagram 8: Bi （比） — Holding Together
Water upon the earth, seeping into every crevice: the image of intimacy and close attachment. The hexagram speaks of closeness between high and low and of the whole world turning toward one center. The leader must hold the center within and spread sincerity without so that people come of themselves, the counterpart of the Army's conquest and the way of governing and perfecting.
At a glance
| Hexagram | 8 of 64 |
|---|---|
| Name | Bi 比 · Holding Together |
| Upper trigram | Kan （坎）· Water |
| Lower trigram | Kun （坤）· Earth |
| Structure | Water over Earth |
| Lines | 6 lines |
The Judgment （卦辞）
Bi. Good fortune. Consult the oracle: the source, the enduring, the steadfast. No blame. Those who are restless come; the one who comes late meets misfortune.
ExplainedBi means close attachment and harmony between above and below, and so it is simply good. But the one who presides must first be consulted: he needs the primal origin, endurance and steadfastness, holding the one, persisting, inwardly sincere and outwardly upright. Without that virtue, charm alone, as in a tyrant, breeds ruin. When the restless multitudes come it is to a settled power that they come, and whoever hesitates and arrives too late finds his way exhausted.
Tuan Zhuan — Commentary on the Judgment （彖传）
Bi means good fortune. Bi means aiding; the lower follows in accord. Consulting the oracle, the source, the enduring, the steadfast, no blame, because the firm is centered. The restless come because above and below respond to each other. The latecomer meets misfortune: his way is exhausted.
ExplainedBi is good because the one above aids and guides the one below, who feels helped and corrected, so that following comes naturally. Lasting freedom from blame rests on standing in the middle way, which reaches the heart of every person and settles the people of the four seas. When above and below respond heart to heart the anxious come home, and whoever refuses once the great way appears finds every other road returning to suffering.
Xiang Zhuan — Image Commentary （大象）
Water upon the earth: Bi. Thus the ancient kings established the many states and made the princes kin.
ExplainedWater on the earth is the sweet rain that makes every seed planted in the heart sprout. The ancient kings used it to establish many states and bind the princes as kin, not by force but by the middle way; today the same image means building halls of practice and close ties, drawing the near by comfort and the distant by light.
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
Holding truth to join with him: no blame. Truthfulness fills the jar; in the end there comes an unexpected good fortune.
Small ImageThe first six of Bi: there is an unexpected good fortune.
ExplainedThe beginning of all closeness is sincerity: people are won not by technique or pressure but by a heart that truly wants their good. Let that sincerity fill you like water brimming a jar, and even the stranger becomes your own.
Line 2 · YinLine 2
To join from within: steadfast good fortune.
Small ImageJoining from within: he does not lose himself.
ExplainedHaving been sincere outward, turn inward and keep company with the conscience and the true nature within. Most people live among the demons of habit; returning the light and guarding the center dissolves them and lets the buddha-nature appear.
Line 3 · YinLine 3
He joins with those who are not his kind.
Small ImageJoining with those who are not his kind: is it not a wound?
ExplainedHuman nature longs for closeness, but without sincerity and conscience it joins with those who are not one's kind. Bonds built only on appetite and gain end in mutual attack and mutual harm.
Line 4 · YinLine 4
To join outwardly: steadfast good fortune.
Small ImageJoining outwardly with the worthy, thereby to follow the one above.
ExplainedWithin, be an upright person; without, draw near to the worthy, and good fortune follows. A true friend points out your faults, tolerates your lacks and lifts you upward, the opposite of joining with the wrong kind.
Line 5 · YangLine 5
Manifest joining. The king hunts with three sides, letting the game in front escape. The townsfolk are not warned: good fortune.
Small ImageThe good fortune of manifest joining: his place is central and right. He lets the defiant go and takes the compliant, thus losing the game in front. The townsfolk are not warned: the ruler keeps to the center.
ExplainedThe light of this line makes people come of themselves. Like the old king who set his net on three sides only, he keeps those who stay and lets those in front go free, and does not force his own townsmen. Because he is central and right, his band is loyal and compact.
Line 6 · YinLine 6
Joining without a head: misfortune.
Small ImageJoining without a head: there is no ending.
ExplainedTo lead without a head is misfortune: when followers gather, the one above must truly be their origin, holding the one and enduring in steadfastness. Many a hero won the people for a season and then lost them through pride and small companions.
Key takeaway
Close attachment comes from within: hold the center and spread sincerity, and people will come of themselves.
Frequently asked questions
What does Hexagram 8 (Bi) mean in the I Ching?
Water upon the earth, seeping into every crevice: the image of intimacy and close attachment. The hexagram speaks of closeness between high and low and of the whole world turning toward one center. The leader must hold the center within and spread sincerity without so that people come of themselves, the counterpart of the Army's conquest and the way of governing and perfecting.
What is the judgment of Hexagram 8?
Bi. Good fortune. Consult the oracle: the source, the enduring, the steadfast. No blame. Those who are restless come; the one who comes late meets misfortune. Bi means close attachment and harmony between above and below, and so it is simply good. But the one who presides must first be consulted: he needs the primal origin, endurance and steadfastness, holding the one, persisting, inwardly sincere and outwardly upright. Without that virtue, charm alone, as in a tyrant…
What do the six lines of Hexagram 8 say?
Line 1: Holding truth to join with him: no blame. Truthfulness fills the jar; in the end there comes an unexpected good fortune. Line 2: To join from within: steadfast good fortune. Line 3: He joins with those who are not his kind. Line 4: To join outwardly: steadfast good fortune. Line 5: Manifest joining. The king hunts with three sides, letting the game in front escape. The townsfolk are not warned: good fortune. Line 6: Joining without a head: misfortune.
What is the main lesson of Hexagram 8 (Holding Together)?
Close attachment comes from within: hold the center and spread sincerity, and people will come of themselves.
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