Two lakes are joined, each refreshing the other. Dui is joy, openness and exchange, the pleasure of good conversation, friendship and learning together. True joy rests on inner firmness and sincerity, not flattery or indulgence. Shared with others, it multiplies; chased for its own sake, it turns hollow.
Judgment
兌：亨，利貞。
Joy: success. Steadfastness is favorable.
Image
麗澤，兌；君子以朋友講習。
Two lakes joined: joy. Taking this as a model, the noble one meets with friends to discuss and practice.
- Joy and openness
- Friendship and exchange
- Learning together
- Sincere pleasure
- Avoiding empty indulgence
- joy
- openness
- friendship
- conversation
- learning
- pleasure
- Joy grows when it is shared.
- Real cheerfulness rests on inner firmness.
- Beware of pleasures that flatter or seduce.
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
和兌，吉。
Harmonious joy: good fortune.
Quiet, self-contained contentment that doesn't depend on others is the purest joy.
- Inner contentment
- Harmony
- Needing others to make you happy
- Calm, self-sufficient joy
Line 2Nine in the second place 九二
Line text
孚兌，吉，悔亡。
Sincere joy: good fortune. Regret passes.
Tempted by shallow amusements, you hold to sincerity. Joy that comes from truthfulness leaves nothing to regret.
- Sincere joy
- Resisting cheap pleasures
- Company that leads you astray
- Joy you can stand behind
Line 3Six in the third place 六三
Line text
來兌，凶。
Joy that comes seeking: misfortune.
Looking for pleasure from outside, giving in to every diversion, leaves you empty and leads to trouble.
- Seeking pleasure outside
- Emptiness
- Chasing every pleasure
- Turning inward for real contentment
Line 4Nine in the fourth place 九四
Line text
商兌未寧，介疾有喜。
Weighing joys, not yet at peace. Keeping clear of the affliction brings gladness.
You are torn between higher and lower pleasures. Deciding firmly for what is worthy, and away from what harms, brings real happiness.
- Choosing between pleasures
- Decisive choice
- Staying torn indefinitely
- Happiness through a clear choice
Line 5Nine in the fifth place 九五
Line text
孚于剝，有厲。
Trusting what strips away: danger.
Trusting influences that slowly erode you, such as flattery, bad company and corrupting pleasures, is dangerous. Stay alert.
- Corrosive influences
- Misplaced trust
- Trusting what undermines you
- Recognizing the danger in time
Line 6Six at the top 上六
Line text
引兌。
Joy that draws one along.
Being led by pleasure, letting enjoyment pull you wherever it goes. The outcome depends on what you're drawn toward.
- Being led by pleasure
- Loss of direction
- Drifting after enjoyment
- Choosing what you let draw you in
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
Dui doubles the trigram of the lake, the youngest daughter, the mouth. Its strong lines are inside and the soft lines outside: firm within, gentle without. That is the formula for true joy, which persuades and attracts without manipulation. The reading may suggest a time for openness, conversation and enjoying the company of others.
The image of two connected lakes, keeping each other fresh, is applied to friends who learn and practice together. The lines distinguish between joy that comes from harmony and sincerity, and joy that is sought from outside: seduction, flattery and distraction. In relation to a question, Dui may emphasize communication, cooperation and finding pleasure in what is genuinely good.