Hexagram 6: Sòng (Conflict)
天水讼 · 第 6 卦 · Heaven over Water · 中文版
The Judgment
Song intimates how, though there is sincerity in one's contention, he will yet meet with opposition and obstruction; but if he cherish an apprehensive caution, there will be good fortune, while, if he must prosecute the contention to the (bitter) end, there will be evil. It will be advantageous to see the great man; it will not be advantageous to cross the great stream.
讼：有孚，窒。惕中吉。终凶。利见大人，不利涉大川。
Commentary on the Judgment (Tuan)
The upper portion of Song is (the trigram representing) strength, and the lower (that representing) peril. (The coming together of) strength and peril gives (the idea in) Song. 'Song intimates how, though there is sincerity in one's contention, he will yet meet with opposition and obstruction; but if he cherish an apprehensive caution, there will be good fortune:' - a strong (line) has come and got the central place (in the lower trigram).'If he must prosecute the contention to the (bitter) end, there will be evil:' - contention is not a thing to be carried on to extremity. 'It will be advantageous to meet with the great man:' - what he sets a value on is the due mean, and the correct place. 'It will not be advantageous to cross the great stream:' - one (attempting to do so) would find himself in an abyss.
彖曰：讼，上刚下险，险而健，讼。讼有孚窒，惕中吉，刚来而得中也。终凶，讼不可成也。利见大人，尚中正也。不利涉大川，入于渊也。
The Great Image
(The trigram representing) heaven and (that representing) water, moving away from each other, form Song. The superior man, in accordance with this, in the transaction of affairs takes good counsel about his first steps.
象曰：天与水违行，讼；君子以作事谋始。
The six lines
Line 1 (first): The first SIX, divided, shows its subject not perpetuating the matter about which (the contention is). He will suffer the small (injury) of being spoken against, but the end will be fortunate.
'He does not perpetuate the matter about which (the contention is):' - contention should not be prolonged. Although 'he may suffer the small (injury) of being spoken against,' his argument is clear.
In plain words: Not dragging out the dispute; there is a little talk, but in the end good fortune. The first line is weak and low, without the strength to contend, and it stops early. The Small Image says a dispute should not be drawn out, and although there is some arguing, the rights of the matter are made clear.
初六：不永所事，小有言，终吉。 象曰：不永所事，讼不可长也。虽小有言，其辩明也。
Line 2 (second): The second NINE, undivided, shows its subject unequal to the contention. If he retire and keep concealed (where) the inhabitants of his city are (only) three hundred families, he will fall into no mistake.
'He is unequal to the contention; he retires and keeps concealed, stealthily withdrawing from it:' - for him from his lower place to contend with (the stronger one) above, would be to (invite) calamity, as if he brought it with his hand to himself.
In plain words: Unable to win the dispute, one goes home and withdraws; the people of one's small town of three hundred households suffer no harm. The second line is strong but low and contends with the fifth line in the place of honour; disputing with a superior from below cannot win. Withdrawing and holding back keeps oneself and one's people safe. The Small Image says that disputing with one's superior from below brings trouble as easily as picking something up.
九二：不克讼，归而逋，其邑人三百户，无眚。 象曰：不克讼，归逋窜也。自下讼上，患至掇也。
Line 3 (third): The third SIX, divided, shows its subject keeping in the old place assigned for his support, and firmly correct. Perilous as the position is, there will be good fortune in the end. Should he perchance engage in the king's business, he will not (claim the merit of) achievement.
'He confines himself to the support assigned to him of old:' - (thus) following those above him, he will have good fortune.
In plain words: Living on one's old virtue and income; being steadfast is perilous but in the end there is good fortune; perhaps one serves the king, without claiming the success. Living on old virtue means keeping to one's existing station. The third line is weak and does not contend; it keeps to its place and follows those above, so it ends well. The Small Image says following one's superior brings good fortune.
六三：食旧德，贞厉，终吉，或从王事，无成。 象曰：食旧德，从上吉也。
Line 4 (fourth): The fourth NINE, undivided, shows its subject unequal to the contention. He returns to (the study of Heaven's) ordinances, changes (his wish to contend), and rests in being firm and correct. There will be good fortune.
'He returns to (the study of Heaven's) ordinances, changes (his wish to contend), and rests in being firm and correct:' - he does not fail (in doing what is right).
In plain words: Unable to win the dispute, one turns back to what is right, changes one's mind and settles into being correct: good fortune. The fourth line is strong but not central; it meant to contend but is able to change its mind. The Small Image says that turning back to what is right and settling into correctness loses nothing.
九四：不克讼，复即命，渝安贞，吉。 象曰：复即命，渝安贞，不失也。
Line 5 (fifth): S. The fifth NINE, undivided, shows its subject contending - and with great good fortune.
'He contends; - and 'with great fortune: - this is shown by his holding the due mean and being in the correct place.
In plain words: Disputing: supreme good fortune. The fifth line is central and correct in the place of honour: it is the one who hears and judges disputes. With a fair judge, a dispute can be settled in the best way. The Small Image says this is because it is central and correct.
九五：讼元吉。 象曰：讼元吉，以中正也。
Line 6 (sixth (top)): The topmost NINE, undivided, shows how its subject may have the leathern belt conferred on him (by the sovereign), and thrice it shall be taken from him in a morning.
'He receives the robe through his contention:' - but still be is not deserving of respect.
In plain words: Perhaps one is granted an official's robe with its great belt for winning the dispute, but within a single morning it is stripped away three times. The top line is strong and at the end of the hexagram of dispute: honour won by contending cannot be kept. The Small Image says a robe gained through dispute is not worthy of respect.
上九：或锡之鞶带，终朝三褫之。 象曰：以讼受服，亦不足敬也。
Line positions
1 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; both are strong, so they do not correspond.
Of the three pairs of corresponding places (first and fourth, second and fifth, third and top), 2 pairs are made of one strong and one weak line.
| Line | Proper place | Central | Corresponds with |
|---|---|---|---|
| top (strong) | — | — | 3rd line: yes |
| 5th (strong) | yes | yes | 2nd line: no |
| 4th (strong) | — | — | 1st line: yes |
| 3rd (weak) | — | — | top line: yes |
| 2nd (strong) | — | yes | 5th line: no |
| 1st (weak) | — | — | 4th line: yes |
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 Li palace runs: Lí (head), Lǚ (1st change), Dǐng (2nd change), Wèi Jì (3rd change), Méng (4th change), Huàn (5th change), Sòng (wandering soul), Tóng Rén (returning soul).
A recorded case from Takashima
Song to Huan: a head clerk thinks of confronting his employer: A head clerk who had worked for the shop since its founding saw his employer hire university graduates at higher pay, and thought of complaining, or else asking for a payout to set up on his own. The fourth line of Song, "unable to win the dispute", led Takashima to advise patience.
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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.