Yijing CompassI Ching reading
All hexagrams

Hexagram 5 · King Wen sequence

Purposeful Waiting

需 · xū

Modern reflection

Wait actively: prepare while timing matures.

Lower trigram: 乾 Heaven
Upper trigram: 坎 Water

Historical source

Hsü intimates that, with the sincerity which is declared in it, there will be brilliant success. With firmness there will be good fortune; and it will be advantageous to cross the great stream.

(The trigram for) clouds ascending over that for the sky forms Hsü. The superior man, in accordance with this, eats and drinks, feasts and enjoys himself (as if there were nothing else to employ him).

James Legge, 1882, public domain. Historical wording is shown for source transparency, not as a guaranteed prediction.

Changing-line passages

  1. Line 1The first NINE, undivided, shows its subject waiting in the distant border. It will be well for him constantly to maintain (the purpose thus shown), in which case there will be no error.
  2. Line 2The second NINE, undivided, shows its subject waiting on the sand (of the mountain stream). He will (suffer) the small (injury of) being spoken (against), but in the end there will be good fortune.
  3. Line 3The third NINE, undivided, shows its subject in the mud (close by the stream). He thereby invites the approach of injury.
  4. Line 4The fourth SIX, divided, shows its subject waiting in (the place of) blood. But he will get out of the cavern.
  5. Line 5The fifth NINE, undivided, shows its subject waiting amidst the appliances of a feast. Through his firmness and correctness there will be good fortune.
  6. Line 6The topmost SIX, divided, shows its subject entered into the cavern. (But) there are three guests coming, without being urged, (to his help). If he receive them respectfully, there will be good fortune in the end.

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