Hexagram 14: Dà Yǒu (Great Possession)
火天大有 · 第 14 卦 · Fire over Heaven · 中文版
The Judgment
Da You indicates that, (under the circumstances which it implies), there will be great progress and success.
大有：元亨。
Commentary on the Judgment (Tuan)
In Da You the weak (line) has the place of honour, is grandly central, and (the strong lines) above and below respond to it. Hence comes its name of Da You (Having what is Great). The attributes (of its component trigrams) are strength and vigour with elegance and brightness. (The ruling line in it) responds to (the ruling line in the symbol of) heaven, and (consequently) its action is (all) at the proper times. In this way (it is said to) indicate great progress and success.
彖曰：大有，柔得尊位，大中而上下应之，曰大有。其德刚健而文明，应乎天而时行，是以元亨。
The Great Image
(The trigram for) heaven and (that of) fire above it form Da You. The superior man, in accordance with this, represses what is evil and gives distinction to what is good, in sympathy with the excellent Heaven-conferred (nature).
象曰：火在天上，大有；君子以遏恶扬善，顺天休命。
The six lines
Line 1 (first): In the first NINE, undivided, there is no approach to what is injurious, and there is no error. Let there be a realisation of the difficulty (and danger of the position), and there will be no error (to the end).
This first NINE, (undivided), of Da You shows no approach to what is injurious.
In plain words: Having no dealings with what is harmful, there is no fault; keeping hardship in mind, there is no fault. The first line is at the bottom of the hexagram of great possession, not yet caught up in the troubles that wealth brings; as long as it remembers hardship, it will not go wrong. The Small Image says it has no dealings with what is harmful.
初九：无交害，匪咎，艰则无咎。 象曰：大有初九，无交害也。
Line 2 (second): In the second NINE, undivided, we have a large waggon with its load. In whatever direction advance is made, there will be no error.
'A large waggon with its load' refers to the (virtue) accumulated (in the subject of the line), so that he will suffer no loss (in the conduct of affairs).
In plain words: A great wagon for loading; there is somewhere to go, and no fault. The second line is strong and central and corresponds to the fifth; it is able to bear heavy responsibility, like a great wagon carrying a heavy load. The Small Image says that even piled high within, nothing is damaged.
九二：大车以载，有攸往，无咎。 象曰：大车以载，积中不败也。
Line 3 (third): The third NINE, undivided, shows us a feudal prince presenting his offerings to the Son of Heaven. A small man would be unequal (to such a duty).
'A feudal prince presents his offerings to the son of Heaven:' - a small man (in such a position) does (himself) harm.
In plain words: A duke presents offerings to the Son of Heaven; a petty person cannot. The third line, at the top of the lower trigram, is like a duke with his own lands, who offers everything to the ruler; a petty person would keep the wealth for himself. The Small Image says such wealth harms the petty person.
九三：公用亨于天子，小人弗克。 象曰：公用亨于天子，小人害也。
Line 4 (fourth): The fourth NINE, undivided, shows its subject keeping his great resources under restraint. There will be no error.
'He keeps his great resources under restraint:' - his wisdom discriminates clearly (what he ought to do).
In plain words: Not relying on one's abundance: no fault. The fourth line is close to the ruler in the fifth place and is strong and rich itself, which can make it overbearing; because it restrains itself, there is no fault. The Small Image says this is clear discernment.
九四：匪其彭，无咎。 象曰：匪其彭，无咎，明辨晰也。
Line 5 (fifth): The fifth SIX, divided, shows the sincerity of its subject reciprocated by that of all the others (represented in the hexagram). Let him display a proper majesty, and there will be good fortune.
'His sincerity is reciprocated by all the others:' - his sincerity serves to stir and call out what is in their minds. 'The good fortune springing from a display of proper majesty' shows how they might (otherwise) feel too easy, and make no preparation (to serve him).
In plain words: Its good faith meets those above and below, and it has dignity: good fortune. The fifth line is yielding in the place of honour and wins over all the yang lines with sincerity. The Small Image says good faith stirs others' resolve, and dignity is needed because if one is only easygoing, people grow casual and are not on their guard.
六五：厥孚交如，威如，吉。 象曰：厥孚交如，信以发志也。威如之吉，易而无备也。
Line 6 (sixth (top)): The topmost NINE, undivided, shows its subject with help accorded to him from Heaven. There will be good fortune, advantage in every respect.
'The good fortune attached to the topmost line of Da You' arises from the help of Heaven.
In plain words: Helped from heaven: good fortune, and nothing that is not favourable. The top line stands at the height of great possession, yet it is humble and follows the fifth line. The Great Commentary quotes this line: heaven helps those who follow the way, and people help those who keep faith. The Small Image says the good fortune at the top is heaven's help.
上九：自天祐之，吉无不利。 象曰：大有上吉，自天佑也。
Line positions
2 of the six lines stand in their proper place (strong lines in odd places, weak lines in even places).
The second and fifth lines hold the central places of the lower and upper trigrams; being one strong and one weak, they correspond.
Of the three pairs of corresponding places (first and fourth, second and fifth, third and top), 1 pair is made of one strong and one weak line.
| Line | Proper place | Central | Corresponds with |
|---|---|---|---|
| top (strong) | — | — | 3rd line: no |
| 5th (weak) | — | yes | 2nd line: yes |
| 4th (strong) | — | — | 1st line: no |
| 3rd (strong) | yes | — | top line: no |
| 2nd (strong) | — | yes | 5th line: yes |
| 1st (strong) | yes | — | 4th line: no |
Strong lines belong in odd places and weak lines in even places; the second and fifth are the central places; first and fourth, second and fifth, third and top correspond, and they "respond" when one is strong and the other weak.
These are structural conventions, not scores of good or bad fortune. Commentators differ: Wang Bi treats the first and top places as beginning and end without fixed yin or yang positions. Read each line with its Small Image and the whole hexagram.
Place in Jing Fang's eight palaces
Jing Fang grouped the 64 hexagrams into eight "palaces" of eight, each headed by a doubled trigram. Changing the lines of the head hexagram one by one from the bottom gives the next five; the last two are the "wandering soul" and "returning soul" hexagrams. The Qian palace runs: Qián (head), Gòu (1st change), Dùn (2nd change), Pǐ (3rd change), Guān (4th change), Bō (5th change), Jìn (wandering soul), Dà Yǒu (returning soul).
A recorded case from Takashima
Da You to Ding: a samurai-turned-merchant asks about his future: Fukae, from a samurai family of Saga, had come to Yokohama to trade in paper and lime and been ruined by a swindler. The first line of Da You, "no harmful dealings; no fault; mindful of hardship, no fault", led Takashima to say he would enter government service and rise, but must not forget today's hardship when fortune turned.
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English text: James Legge, The Yi King (Sacred Books of the East, vol. 16, 1882), public domain, as transcribed by the Chinese Text Project. Chinese: the received text. Offered for study and reflection, not as prediction.