The sun shines high in the sky and lights up everything below. Da You is a time of abundance: resources, talent, influence or recognition. The single yielding line in the ruling position holds all the strong lines together through modesty and openness. Great possession brings great responsibility: share it, use it for good, and don't let it inflate you.
Judgment
大有：元亨。
Great possession: supreme success.
Image
火在天上，大有；君子以遏惡揚善，順天休命。
Fire high in the sky: great possession. Taking this as a model, the noble one checks evil and promotes good, following heaven's gracious mandate.
- Abundance and success
- Responsibility of wealth
- Modesty amid plenty
- Using resources for good
- Clarity and generosity
- abundance
- success
- generosity
- responsibility
- clarity
- influence
- Abundance is held together by modesty, not force.
- What you have is best used to further what is good.
- Success shines brightest when it is shared.
The six lines
Lines are numbered from the bottom. In a reading, only the lines that are changing apply to your cast.
Line 1Nine at the beginning 初九
Line text
无交害，匪咎，艱則无咎。
No dealings with what harms: no fault. Mindful of hardship: no blame.
At the start of good fortune, you are untouched by its temptations. Remembering that things can be hard keeps you clear-headed and free of mistakes.
- Avoiding early pitfalls
- Remembering difficulty
- Complacency at the first taste of success
- Staying grounded as good things begin
Line 2Nine in the second place 九二
Line text
大車以載，有攸往，无咎。
A large cart for carrying. There is somewhere to go: no blame.
You have the capacity, and the helpers, to carry a great deal. Resources can be put to work for a worthwhile undertaking.
- Capacity to carry
- Putting resources to work
- Letting resources lie idle
- Moving something substantial forward
Line 3Nine in the third place 九三
Line text
公用亨于天子，小人弗克。
A duke makes an offering to the Son of Heaven. Small-minded people cannot do this.
A person of character offers their wealth or talent for the common good. A small-minded person would keep it for themselves.
- Offering for the common good
- Generosity
- Hoarding for private benefit
- Using what you have for something larger
Line 4Nine in the fourth place 九四
Line text
匪其彭，无咎。
He keeps himself distinct from his neighbors: no blame.
Close to the center of power and among wealthy neighbors, you don't measure yourself against them or compete. Keeping your own measure keeps you safe from envy and blame.
- Modesty
- Avoiding display
- Showing off or competing for attention
- Safety through understatement
Line 5Six in the fifth place 六五
Line text
厥孚交如，威如，吉。
Their sincerity meets others, with dignity: good fortune.
The leader's sincerity draws others to them; a natural dignity keeps that openness from being taken advantage of. Warmth with dignity brings good fortune.
- Sincere leadership
- Warmth with dignity
- Openness without boundaries
- Respect that comes from genuine warmth
Line 6Nine at the top 上九
Line text
自天祐之，吉无不利。
Help from heaven itself. Good fortune; nothing is unfavorable.
Abundance held with modesty and respect for what is higher brings blessing from every side. This is the fullest expression of good fortune.
- Blessing
- Humility at the height
- Taking blessings for granted
- Success that is supported from all sides
Related hexagrams
Have a question on your mind?
Cast a readingChinese text: Zhouyi 周易 (received classical text). English rendering and notes: Site rendering. About our sources
Commentary
Fire above heaven is the sun at noon, illuminating everything. Da You describes a situation rich in resources, possibilities and goodwill. Interestingly, the ruler of the hexagram is the one yielding line in the fifth place: possession on this scale is held not by grasping but by a gentle, generous center that the strong lines willingly serve.
The reading may suggest a favorable time when you have more to work with than you might think. The image gives this success a moral direction: use it to curb harm and to strengthen what is good. In relation to a question, Da You may emphasize generosity, stewardship and the humility that keeps success from turning into arrogance.