易經 · I Ching · #8
䷇
Bi · Grouping · Holding Together
比
Holding Together — one of the sixty-four archetypal situations in the Book of Changes.
The Judgment
Sincere union brings good fortune. Check your own motives first and join early rather than late.
The Image
Water rests on the earth, so the wise person builds friendly relations with others.
How to use it
Build alliances around a worthy center. Be loyal and be honest.
Structure
Six lines: 坎 Water (Kan) above and 坤 Earth (Kun) below. Lines are read from the bottom up.
Related hexagrams
- ䷍ 14. Great Possessing · Great Abundance — Opposite: every line reversed
- ䷆ 7. Legions · The Army — Reversed: the same lines turned upside down
- ䷖ 23. Stripping · Splitting Apart — Inner (nuclear): the hidden structure formed by lines 2 to 5
Each BaZi pillar maps to a hexagram through its stem and branch. Coin casting uses a different method — both are valid paths into the Book of Changes. The I Ching is a traditional wisdom text. It describes the character of a moment, not a fixed outcome.