否 → 益

Commentary

Heaven and earth refuse to communicate as one leaves the nest and departs from home, heading south past Baima. East and west one receives blessings, and mother and child find each other again. Baima (White Horse) was a Han-dynasty ford and county on the Yellow River, a major crossing point for travelers heading south. From Standstill to Increase, Pi's stagnation opens into wind and thunder working together — the generous dynamic where what is above enriches what is below. Yi's image is the ruler diminishing the self to benefit the people. The verse traces this arc of increase through separation: leaving home, crossing the river, and finding blessing in multiple directions until reunion with the mother. Increase here is the gift that travel and risk bestow — distance crossed becomes connection restored.