Six broken lines: pure yin, the power that receives, supports and brings things to completion. Kun is the earth that carries everything and asks for nothing in return. It is not weakness but a different kind of strength: patience, responsiveness and the ability to give form to what others begin. Its advice is to follow well rather than lead.
Judgment
坤：元亨，利牝馬之貞。君子有攸往，先迷後得主，利西南得朋，東北喪朋。安貞吉。
Field: supreme success. Favorable: the steadfastness of a mare. The noble one has somewhere to go: going first, one loses the way; coming after, one finds a master. Favorable in the southwest to gain friends; in the northeast to lose them. Calm steadfastness: good fortune.
Image
地勢坤，君子以厚德載物。
The lie of the land is yielding and accepting: field. Taking this as a model, the noble one, generous in virtue, bears up all things.
- Receptivity
- Supporting rather than leading
- Patience and endurance
- Bringing things to completion
- Strength through yielding
- receptivity
- support
- devotion
- patience
- nurture
- steadiness
- Responding well can matter more than initiating.
- Quiet, steady service builds lasting results.
- Find the right guidance and allies before acting.
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
履霜，堅冰至。
Frost underfoot: hard ice is on its way.
Small signs announce a larger development. Notice the first frost and prepare for winter. A trend that begins quietly tends to strengthen.
- Early warning signs
- Foresight
- Ignoring small signals
- Preparing early while it is still easy
Line 2Six in the second place 六二
Line text
直方大，不習无不利。
Straight, square, vast. Without contrivance, nothing is unfavorable.
Acting from your natural integrity, things go well without contrivance. This line describes the ideal of the receptive: honest, grounded and spacious, with no need for strategy.
- Natural integrity
- Effortless rightness
- Overthinking what is simple
- Trusting your plain good sense
Line 3Six in the third place 六三
Line text
含章可貞，或從王事，无成有終。
Brilliance held within; one can be steadfast. Perhaps in the king's service: no achievement claimed, but a good conclusion.
You have real talent, but this is a time to hold it in and serve a larger purpose. Let the work be finished well without seeking credit. Recognition can come later.
- Modest service
- Talent held in reserve
- Seeking credit too soon
- Earning trust by finishing well
Line 4Six in the fourth place 六四
Line text
括囊，无咎无譽。
Tie the sack shut. No blame and no praise.
Keep your own counsel. In uncertain or risky surroundings, reserve and silence are protective. You will not be praised, but you will not be harmed.
- Reserve
- Caution in speech
- Saying too much in a delicate situation
- Staying safe by staying quiet
Line 5Six in the fifth place 六五
Line text
黃裳，元吉。
Yellow skirt: supreme good fortune.
Yellow is the color of the center and of the earth; the lower garment is modest. Real worth shown with modesty and from a balanced position brings the best outcome.
- Modest excellence
- Balance
- Display for its own sake
- Quiet distinction that others trust
Line 6Six at the top 上六
Line text
龍戰于野，其血玄黃。
Dragons battle in the wilds; their blood runs dark and yellow.
When the receptive tries to rule, it collides with the creative, and both are wounded. This line warns against a struggle for dominance that leaves everyone hurt.
- Power struggle
- Overstepping one's role
- Turning support into a contest for control
- Stepping back from a fight that has no winner
When all six lines change
Text
利永貞。
Favorable: steadfastness held for the long term.
When every receptive line is in motion, constancy is the key. Steady, enduring commitment turns yielding into lasting strength.
- Long-term constancy
- Endurance
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
Kun pairs with the first hexagram as earth pairs with heaven. Where Qian initiates, Kun receives, shapes and sustains. The mare is the image: strong, tireless and willing to be guided. The reading may suggest a time to take your cue from the situation rather than impose a plan on it, and to let your contribution be steady support rather than conspicuous leadership.
The judgment warns that pushing ahead alone leads to confusion, while following a sound lead brings clarity. This is not passivity. It takes discipline to listen, to adapt and to keep going without recognition. In relation to a question, Kun may emphasize patience, cooperation and the quiet work that makes other people's plans succeed.