大有

Hexagram 14: Great Possession → Hexagram 59: Dispersion

大有
Great Possession
Fire / Heaven
Dispersion
Wind / Water
Changing LinesStable Lines

Changing Lines

This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 1, 3, 4, 5).

Line 1

初九 无交害。匪咎。艱則无咎。

having
jiāointeraction
hàiwith trouble
fěito never to be
jiùin errors
jiānthis is difficulty
but otherwise
no
jiùblame

Nine at the beginning means: No relationship with what is harmful; There is no blame in this. If one remains conscious of difficulty, One remains without blame.

Line 3

九三 公用亨于天子。小人弗克 。

gōnghigh noble
yòngpresents
hēngfulfillment
to
tiānof heaven's
the son
xiǎothe common
rénfolk
are not
able to

Nine in the third place means: A prince offers it to the Son of Heaven. A petty man cannot do this.

Line 4

九四 匪其彭。无咎。

fěiit
in one's own
péngplace of dominion
no
jiùblame

Nine in the fourth place means: He makes a difference Between himself and his neighbor. No blame.

Line 5

六五 厥孚交如。威如。吉。

juétheir
trust
jiāocommerce
resemble
wēidignity
assuming
is promising

Six in the fifth place means: He whose truth is accessible, yet dignified, Has good fortune.

Trigram Changes

Upper TrigramFire WindThe Clinging → The Gentle
Lower TrigramHeaven WaterThe Creative → The Deep

Yilin Verse

砥德礪材,果當成周;拜受大命,封為齊侯。

Honing virtue, sharpening talent; the fruit fulfills the Zhou destiny. Bowing to receive heaven's great mandate; enfeoffed as Marquis of Qi.

— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE

Commentary

Honing virtue and sharpening talent, one proves worthy at the founding of the Zhou dynasty. Bowing to receive the great mandate, one is enfeoffed as Marquis of Qi. The verse describes Taigong Wang (Jiang Ziya), the legendary strategist who assisted Kings Wen and Wu in overthrowing the Shang and was rewarded with the fief of Qi. The phrase 'polishing virtue, whetting talent' captures his years of obscure preparation before being discovered fishing at the Wei River. From Great Possession to Dispersion, fire above heaven becomes wind over water — scattering what was concentrated. The paradox is precise: the founding of Qi required dispersing Zhou's concentrated power outward through the feudal system. Taigong's enfeoffment is an act of deliberate dispersion, sending proven talent to distant frontiers to extend the dynasty's reach.

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