Hexagram 32, Héng (Duration): Line 5
恒卦六五 · 雷风恒 · 中文版
六五：恒其德，贞，妇人吉，夫子凶。
The line (Legge)
The fifth SIX, divided, shows its subject continuously maintaining the virtue indicated by it. In a wife this will be fortunate; in a husband, evil.
Small Image commentary
'Such firm correctness in a wife will be fortunate:' - it is hers to the end of life to follow with an unchanged mind. The husband must decide what is right, and lay down the rule accordingly: - for him to follow (like) a wife is evil.
象曰：妇人贞吉，从一而终也。夫子制义，从妇凶也。
In plain words
Keeping one's virtue constant and steadfast: good fortune for a wife, misfortune for a husband. The fifth line is yielding in the place of honour, corresponds to the second and simply goes along. In the old code of conduct, a wife's virtue was compliance while a man was to decide matters by what was right, so simple compliance was wrong for him. The Small Image says a wife is fortunate in following one to the end, while a man must decide by what is right, and following a wife brings misfortune. This is an ancient ethic; read today, its point is that when a judgment is yours to make, simply going along is not enough.
Applying it to your situation
If you are used to going along with others' decisions, this line suggests that sometimes you need to decide for yourself. On what matter should you stop simply following?
Position
A broken (yin) line in the fifth place, which is a yang (odd) place, so it is not in its proper place. It holds the centre of the upper trigram. Its partner is line 2; one is yin and the other yang, so they respond to each other.
If this line moves
With this line moving alone, Héng changes into Hexagram 28 Dà Guò (Great Exceeding). The Jiaoshi Yilin verse for this change (Chinese): 焦氏易林·恒之大过.
The hexagram
Hexagram 32 Héng (Duration). The Judgment: Heng indicates successful progress and no error (in what it denotes). But the advantage will come from being firm and correct; and movement in any direction whatever will be advantageous.
Previous: Line 4 · Next: Line 6 (top)
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. Plain-English readings and position notes by this site.