Heaven above pulls away upward, earth below sinks downward, and the two do not meet. Pi is the reverse of Peace: communication breaks down, the wrong people gain influence and effort seems to go nowhere. It is a time to stay true to your principles, keep a low profile and wait for the turn, rather than compromise your integrity to get ahead.
Judgment
否之匪人，不利君子貞，大往小來。
Obstruction comes from the wrong people. Not favorable for the noble one's steadfastness. What is great goes, what is small arrives.
Image
天地不交，否；君子以儉德辟難，不可榮以祿。
Heaven and earth do not meet: obstruction. Taking this as a model, the noble one keeps their virtue low-key to avoid trouble and does not accept honors or salary.
- Breakdown of communication
- Stagnation
- Integrity in bad times
- Withdrawal and restraint
- Waiting for the turn
- stagnation
- blockage
- integrity
- withdrawal
- patience
- disconnection
- When channels are blocked, don't force them; keep your integrity.
- Avoid being bought by those in power during bad times.
- Standstill does not last; prepare for its end.
The six lines
Lines are numbered from the bottom. In a reading, only the lines that are changing apply to your cast.
Line 1Six at the beginning 初六
Line text
拔茅茹，以其彙，貞吉亨。
Pulling up reeds, roots come with them in clumps. Steadfastness: good fortune, success.
In bad times, like-minded people withdraw together rather than collaborate with what is wrong. Staying true as a group brings eventual success.
- Principled withdrawal
- Solidarity
- Joining in with what you know is wrong
- Keeping integrity alongside others
Line 2Six in the second place 六二
Line text
包承，小人吉，大人否亨。
Enduring and complying: for small-minded people, good fortune. For the great person, obstruction, and success.
Petty people thrive by flattering those in charge. The person of character accepts standstill rather than buy success that way, and so keeps the path to real success open.
- Refusing to flatter
- Patience over compromise
- Buying advancement with flattery
- Success later that is truly your own
Line 3Six in the third place 六三
Line text
包羞。
Enduring disgrace.
Those who rose by improper means begin to feel ashamed of it. This awareness is the first step toward change.
- Dawning shame
- Turning point of conscience
- Covering up instead of changing
- Using discomfort as a reason to change course
Line 4Nine in the fourth place 九四
Line text
有命无咎，疇離祉。
Acting on a mandate: no blame. Companions share in the blessing.
The tide begins to turn. Someone who acts from genuine calling, not personal ambition, can begin to restore order, and others benefit alongside.
- Beginning of the turn
- Acting from calling
- Acting from mere ambition
- Leading the way out of stagnation
Line 5Nine in the fifth place 九五
Line text
休否，大人吉。其亡其亡，繫于苞桑。
The obstruction comes to rest: good fortune for the great person. "It could be lost, it could be lost!" Tie it to a clump of mulberry.
The stagnation is ending, but the transition is fragile. Stay alert to the risk of failure and anchor the new order to something firmly rooted.
- Fragile recovery
- Vigilance
- Overconfidence as things improve
- Securing the change on firm foundations
Line 6Nine at the top 上九
Line text
傾否，先否後喜。
The obstruction is toppled. First obstruction, then joy.
Stagnation does not last forever. With the right effort it can be overcome. What was blocked flows again.
- Breakthrough
- Joy after stagnation
- Waiting passively when effort is now needed
- Ending the stalemate decisively
Related hexagrams
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Cast a readingChinese text: Zhouyi 周易 (received classical text). English rendering and notes: Site rendering. About our sources
Commentary
Pi mirrors Tai. Here heaven and earth turn away from each other: those above do not listen to those below, and genuine exchange stops. The judgment speaks of the wrong people prevailing. The reading may suggest a period in which your efforts meet indifference, in which the system rewards the wrong qualities, or in which a relationship has gone quiet.
The advice is restraint and inner firmness. Don't seek recognition or rewards from a corrupt or stagnant situation; don't lower your standards to fit in. The later lines show that standstill eventually gives way to movement. In relation to a question, Pi may emphasize patience, independence and avoiding commitments made under bad conditions.