Hexagram 38, Kuí (Opposition): Line 1

睽卦初九 · 火泽睽 · 中文版

初九:悔亡,丧马勿逐,自复;见恶人无咎。

The line (Legge)

The first NINE, undivided, shows that (to its subject) occasion for repentance will disappear. He has lost his horses, but let him not seek for them - they will return of themselves. Should he meet with bad men, he will not err (in communicating with them).

Small Image commentary

'He meets with bad men (and communicates with them):' - (he does so), to avoid the evil of their condemnation.

象曰:见恶人,以辟咎也。

In plain words

Regret vanishes. If you lose your horse, do not chase it: it will come back by itself. Meeting a bad person, there is no fault. The first line is at the start of opposition; it and the fourth are both yang and do not correspond, which should bring regret, but it lets things take their course. Not avoiding an unpleasant person on purpose keeps grudges from forming. The Small Image says meeting the bad person is to avoid fault.

Applying it to your situation

If a rift has opened between you and someone, this line suggests neither forcing things nor cutting off contact entirely. Which relationship could you let take its course for now?

Position

A solid (yang) line in the first place, which is a yang (odd) place, so it is in its proper place. Its partner is line 4; both are yang, so they do not respond.

If this line moves

With this line moving alone, Kuí changes into Hexagram 64 Wèi Jì (Before Completion). The Jiaoshi Yilin verse for this change (Chinese): 焦氏易林·睽之未济.

A recorded case from Takashima

Kui to Wei Ji: a proud man who keeps to himself: A friend asked about his fortunes and received the first line of Kui, "regret vanishes; if you lose your horse, do not chase it, it will return; see the bad man, no fault". Takashima said he had always been proud and kept to himself, but should not keep score; even someone he disliked should not be turned away if they came asking. Next year would bring a chance of promotion.

The hexagram

Hexagram 38 Kuí (Opposition). The Judgment: Kui indicates that, (notwithstanding the condition of things which it denotes), in small matters there will (still) be good success.

Next: Line 2

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.

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