Hexagram 5
需 Xū · Waiting
Legge: Hsu
☵ Water (Kǎn) above ☰ Heaven (Qián)
Scryway summary
Modern commentary written for Scryway. Not part of the classic text.
Waiting with confidence before a crossing. Keep nourished and calm until the moment is right.
The judgment
Hsu intimates that, with the sincerity which is declared in it, there will be brilliant success. With firmness there will be good fortune; and it will be advantageous to cross the great stream.
The image
(The trigram for) clouds ascending over that for the sky forms Hsu. The superior man, in accordance with this, eats and drinks, feasts and enjoys himself (as if there were nothing else to employ him).
The lines, bottom to top
- Bottom line, solid
The first line, undivided, shows its subject waiting in the distant border. It will be well for him constantly to maintain (the purpose thus shown), in which case there will be no error.
- Second line, solid
The second line, undivided, shows its subject waiting on the sand (of the mountain stream). He will (suffer) the small (injury of) being spoken (against), but in the end there will be good fortune.
- Third line, solid
The third line, undivided, shows its subject in the mud (close by the stream). He thereby invites the approach of injury.
- Fourth line, broken
The fourth line, divided, shows its subject waiting in (the place of) blood. But he will get out of the cavern.
- Fifth line, solid
The fifth line, undivided, shows its subject waiting amidst the appliances of a feast. Through his firmness and correctness there will be good fortune.
- Top line, broken
The topmost line, divided, shows its subject entered into the cavern. (But) there are three guests coming, without being urged, (to his help). If he receive them respectfully, there will be good fortune in the end.
Quoted from James Legge (trans.), The Yi King, Sacred Books of the East vol. XVI, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1882. Public domain. The image is from Legge’s Appendix II. Words in parentheses are Legge’s additions.