Hexagram 8: Bǐ (Holding Together)
水地比 · 第 8 卦 · Water over Earth · 中文版
The Judgment
Bi indicates that (under the conditions which it supposes) there is good fortune. But let (the principal party intended in it) re-examine himself, (as if) by divination, whether his virtue be great, unintermitting, and firm. If it be so, there will be no error. Those who have not rest will then come to him; and with those who are (too) late in coming it will be ill.
比：吉。原筮元永贞，无咎。不宁方来，后夫凶。
Commentary on the Judgment (Tuan)
'Bi indicates that there is good fortune:' - (the name) Bi denotes help; (and we see in the figure) inferiors docilely following (their superior). 'Let (the principal party intended in it) reexamine himself, (as if) by divination, whether his virtue be great, unintermitting, and firm; - if it be so, there will be no error: - all this follows from the position of the strong line in the centre (of the upper trigram). 'Those who have not rest will come to him:' - high and low will respond to its subject. 'With those who are (too) late in coming it will be ill:' - (for them) the way (of good fortune here indicated) has been exhausted.
彖曰：比，吉也；比，辅也，下顺从也。原筮元永贞，无咎，以刚中也。不宁方来，上下应也。后夫凶，其道穷也。
The Great Image
(The trigram representing) the earth, and over it (that representing) water, form Bi. The ancient kings, in accordance with this, established the various states and maintained an affectionate relation to their princes.
象曰：地上有水，比；先王以建万国，亲诸侯。
The six lines
Line 1 (first): The first SIX, divided, shows its subject seeking by his sincerity to win the attachment of his object. There will be no error. Let (the breast) be full of sincerity as an earthenware vessel is of its contents, and it will in the end bring other advantages.
From 'the seeking union with its object' shown in the first SIX, (divided),there will be other advantages.
In plain words: Holding fast to sincerity in drawing close: no fault. Sincerity fills one like wine filling a plain clay jar, and in the end unexpected good fortune comes. The first line is at the bottom with no correspondence to the fifth, but as long as it is sincere it will be accepted. The Small Image says the first line of this hexagram brings unexpected good fortune.
初六：有孚比之，无咎。有孚盈缶，终来有它，吉。 象曰：比之初六，有它吉也。
Line 2 (second): In the second SIX, divided, we see the movement towards union and attachment proceeding from the inward (mind). With firm correctness there will be good fortune.
'The movement towards union and attachment proceeds from the inward (mind):' - (the party concerned) does not fail in what is proper to himself
In plain words: Drawing close from within; steadiness brings good fortune. The second line sits at the centre of the lower trigram and corresponds to the fifth; its closeness comes from the heart, not from chasing power. The Small Image says in this way one does not lose oneself.
六二：比之自内，贞吉。 象曰：比之自内，不自失也。
Line 3 (third): In the third SIX, divided, we see its subject seeking for union with such as ought not to be associated with.
'Union is sought with such as ought not to be associated with:' - but will not injury be the result?
In plain words: Drawing close to the wrong people. The third line is neither central nor correct, and the lines on either side are yin: none of those it draws close to can be relied on. The Small Image exclaims: is that not painful!
六三：比之匪人。 象曰：比之匪人，不亦伤乎！
Line 4 (fourth): In the fourth SIX, divided, we see its subject seeking for union with the one beyond himself. With firm correctness there will be good fortune.
'Union is sought (by the party intended here) with one beyond himself, and (in this case) with a worthy object:' - he is following (the ruler) above him.
In plain words: Drawing close outwardly; steadiness brings good fortune. The fourth line and the first are both yin and do not correspond, so it turns outward and draws close to the fifth line right beside it, serving a worthy ruler. The Small Image says drawing close to the worthy outside means following the one above.
六四：外比之，贞吉。 象曰：外比于贤，以从上也。
Line 5 (fifth): The fifth NINE, undivided, affords the most illustrious instance of seeking union and attachment. (We seem to see in it) the king urging his pursuit of the game (only) in three directions, and allowing the escape of all the animals before him, while the people of his towns do not warn one another (to prevent it). There will be good fortune.
'The good fortune belonging to the most illustrious instance of seeking union and attachment' appears in the correct and central position (of the fifth line, undivided). (The king's) neglecting (the animals) confronting him (and then fleeing), and (only) taking those who present themselves as it were obediently, is seen in his allowing the escape of those in front of him.' 'That the people of his towns do not warn one another (to prevent such escape),' shows how he, in his high eminence, has made them pursue the due course.
In plain words: Drawing close openly. The king hunts with beaters on three sides only, leaving one side open and letting the game ahead escape; the townspeople need not be on guard: good fortune. The fifth line is strong, central and correct, the ruler of the hexagram: it turns no one away and pursues no one who leaves. The Small Image says the good fortune of open closeness lies in its central, correct position; letting the game ahead go means releasing those who turn away and accepting those who come; and the townspeople need not be on guard because the one above acts from the middle.
九五：显比，王用三驱，失前禽。邑人不诫，吉。 象曰：显比之吉，位正中也。舍逆取顺，失前禽也。邑人不诫，上使中也。
Line 6 (sixth (top)): In the topmost SIX, divided, we see one seeking union and attachment without having taken the first step (to such an end). There will be evil.
'He seeks union and attachment without taking the first (step to such an end):' - there is no possibility of a (good) issue.
In plain words: Drawing close without a beginning: misfortune. "Without a beginning" means not drawing close early and of one's own accord; another reading is having no leader to follow. The top line comes last, after everyone else has already joined the fifth line, and it has missed its moment. The Small Image says there is no good end this way.
上六：比之无首，凶。 象曰：比之无首，无所终也。
Line positions
4 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, and both are also in their proper places.
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 (weak) | yes | — | 3rd line: no |
| 5th (strong) | yes | yes | 2nd line: yes |
| 4th (weak) | yes | — | 1st line: no |
| 3rd (weak) | — | — | top line: no |
| 2nd (weak) | yes | yes | 5th line: yes |
| 1st (weak) | — | — | 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 Kun palace runs: Kūn (head), Fù (1st change), Lín (2nd change), Tài (3rd change), Dà Zhuàng (4th change), Guài (5th change), Xū (wandering soul), Bǐ (returning soul).
A recorded case from Takashima
Bi to Jian: choosing a business partner: A friend planned a large venture with a partner and received the third line of Bi, "joining with the wrong people". Takashima did not know the partner, and on the line alone said that going into business with him would be as bad as it gets.
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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.