Hexagram 24, line 5
六五Line 5 of Returning
Six in the fifth place · 復 fù
爻辭 The line text
敦復，无悔。The fifth line, divided, shows the noble return of its subject. There will be no ground for repentance.
敦復无悔，中以自考也。'The noble return, giving no ground for repentance,' is due to (the subject of the line) striving to perfect himself in accordance with his central position.
In plain words
Line five makes 'an earnest return (敦復), no regret.' It occupies the ruler's place, yin and central in the upper trigram, Kun, whose nature is thick and sincere; it is far from the returning yang at the bottom and has no correspondent, so it must find the way back within itself. The small Image says exactly this: it examines itself by its central position (中以自考也). 程頤 contrasts it with line two, which returns by leaning on a neighbour; line five returns by inner honesty, and the verdict is 'no regret' rather than good fortune because the return is complete but unaided.
If this line is changing
With no one nearby to lean on, return by honest self-examination; measure yourself against your own centre and make the correction thoroughly, without fuss.
Where the line stands
- A broken line, yin — written 六 (six), the number of an old yin line that moves when cast.
- It is not in its correct place (不當位): a yang line in an even position or a yin line in an odd one, which the tradition reads as a line under some strain — often the reason a text sounds a warning.
- It is central (中): the middle line of its trigram, the position the commentaries read as balanced and most favourable.
- It belongs to the upper trigram 坤 Kun (the Receptive) (earth).
- It has no correspondence (無應) with line 2: both lines are yin, so this line must find its support in its neighbours or in itself.
之卦 When this line moves
復 Returning becomes ䷂ 3 屯 Sprouting
Thunder under water: a sprout pushing through hard ground. Beginnings are chaotic and effortful; the growth is real, but it needs order and helpers.
What it becomes3 · 屯 SproutingzhūnThe six lines of 復 Returning
- 初九Nine at the beginningreturn before going far · no regret · the ruler of Return
- 六二Six in the second placea fine return · yielding to the good · next to the yang
- 六三Six in the third placerepeated return · danger · no blame
- 六四Six in the fourth placereturning alone · midway among the many · following the way
- 六五Six in the fifth placeearnest return · self-examination · central
- 上六Six at the toplost return · calamity · against the ruler's way
Read 復 Returning for a question about
Questions about this line
- What does Six in the fifth place of hexagram 24, Returning, mean?
- Line five makes 'an earnest return (敦復), no regret.' It occupies the ruler's place, yin and central in the upper trigram, Kun, whose nature is thick and sincere; it is far from the returning yang at the bottom and has no correspondent, so it must find the way back within itself. The small Image says exactly this: it examines itself by its central position (中以自考也). 程頤 contrasts it with line two, which returns by leaning on a neighbour; line five returns by inner honesty, and the verdict is 'no regret' rather than good fortune because the return is complete but unaided.
- What does hexagram 24 become when line 5 changes?
- Returning becomes hexagram 3, 屯 Sprouting: Thunder under water: a sprout pushing through hard ground. Beginnings are chaotic and effortful; the growth is real, but it needs order and helpers.
- Is line 5 of Returning in its correct place?
- It is not in its correct place (不當位): a yang line in an even position or a yin line in an odd one, which the tradition reads as a line under some strain — often the reason a text sounds a warning. It is central (中): the middle line of its trigram, the position the commentaries read as balanced and most favourable.
Chinese text: the received Zhouyi (Wuyingdian lineage). English: James Legge, The Yî King, Sacred Books of the East XVI, 1882 (public domain).