Water spreads over the earth and they fit together without any gap. Bi is about belonging: forming alliances, joining a community, finding the center people can gather around. It asks you to check whether you can be that center, or whom you should join. The timing matters. Those who hesitate too long may find the circle already closed.
Judgment
比：吉。原筮元永貞，无咎。不寧方來，後夫凶。
Union: good fortune. Consult again: supreme, lasting steadfastness, no blame. The restless come from all sides. Latecomers: misfortune.
Image
地上有水，比；先王以建萬國，親諸侯。
Water over the earth: union. Taking this as a model, the former kings set up the many states and kept close to their lords.
- Belonging and alliance
- A unifying center
- Mutual support
- Timely commitment
- Choosing whom to join
- union
- alliance
- community
- loyalty
- commitment
- trust
- Join with others sincerely and in good time.
- A group needs a trustworthy center.
- Examine whether your bonds are with the right people.
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
有孚比之，无咎。有孚盈缶，終來有它，吉。
Joining with sincerity: no blame. Sincerity like an earthen jar filled to the brim. In the end something else arrives: good fortune.
Genuine, unpretentious sincerity is the basis of any bond. Simple honesty, overflowing like a full bowl, attracts good fortune from unexpected directions.
- Sincerity as foundation
- Unexpected blessings
- Joining for show rather than conviction
- Honest bonds that draw in further support
Line 2Six in the second place 六二
Line text
比之自內，貞吉。
Joining from within. Steadfastness: good fortune.
Connection grounded in your own inner conviction, not in flattery or the wish for advantage, keeps your dignity and lasts.
- Authentic connection
- Self-respect
- Seeking favor at the cost of self-respect
- Relationships that respect who you are
Line 3Six in the third place 六三
Line text
比之匪人。
Joining with the wrong people.
The people around you may not be the ones you belong with. Be friendly but do not commit deeply. Keep your freedom for the right connections.
- Wrong company
- Guarded friendliness
- Becoming entangled with people who do not share your values
- Keeping room for better alliances
Line 4Six in the fourth place 六四
Line text
外比之，貞吉。
Joining outwardly. Steadfastness: good fortune.
It is right to show your support openly to a worthy leader or cause. Commit visibly, but stay true to yourself.
- Open allegiance
- Supporting a worthy center
- Hiding support for fear of commitment
- Strengthening something worthwhile by backing it
Line 5Nine in the fifth place 九五
Line text
顯比，王用三驅，失前禽，邑人不誡，吉。
Union made manifest. The king drives game from three sides and lets those in front escape. The townspeople are not alarmed. Good fortune.
A true center attracts people without forcing them. Those who come do so freely; those who leave are not pursued. This generous openness brings good fortune.
- Leading by attraction
- Freedom to join or leave
- Coercing loyalty
- A community held together by free consent
Line 6Six at the top 上六
Line text
比之无首，凶。
Union with no head: misfortune.
Having missed the right moment to commit, or lacking a real basis, the union falls apart. Hesitation can mean ending up alone.
- Missed moment
- Union without foundation
- Waiting too long to commit
- Recognizing what went wrong and seeking a fresh basis
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
Water and earth lie close together and mingle naturally. Bi is the hexagram of union, but it is a union that needs a center, represented by the single strong line in the fifth place. The reading may suggest that the question of who you stand with, and why, is central to your situation.
The judgment advises a second look: consult yourself again to be sure your intention is steady enough to hold people together, or to deserve their trust. It also notes that union has its moment. Those who wait too long may be left out. In relation to a question, Bi may emphasize relationships, commitment to a group, and the sincerity on which lasting alliances depend.