Hexagram 8, line 4
六四Line 4 of Alliance
Six in the fourth place · 比 bǐ
爻辭 The line text
外比之，貞吉。In the fourth line, divided, we see its subject seeking for union with the one beyond himself. With firm correctness there will be good fortune.
外比於賢，以從上也。'Union is sought (by the party intended here) with one beyond himself, and (in this case) with a worthy object:'—he is following (the ruler) above him.
In plain words
'Holding together from without: steadfastness brings good fortune.' Line four is yin in a yin place, correct, the first line of the upper trigram Kan, and directly beneath the strong ruler at five. It has no correspondent below, so it does not look down; it looks to its neighbour above. 'From without' answers the second line's 'from within': this is an alliance made by going toward the worthy rather than one held by birth. The small Image says 'allying outwardly with the worthy, in order to follow the one above' (外比於賢，以從上也). Wang Bi notes that the line is correct in place and close to the ruler, so attaching upward is not opportunism but the right response to its position.
If this line is changing
Go toward the person who is genuinely worth following, even though they are outside your own circle; attaching yourself upward to someone worthy is right, provided you stay steady once you have.
Where the line stands
- A broken line, yin — written 六 (six), the number of an old yin line that moves when cast.
- It is in its correct place (當位): a yang line in an odd position or a yin line in an even one, which the tradition reads as a line at ease where it stands.
- It belongs to the upper trigram 坎 Kan (the Abysmal) (water).
- It has no correspondence (無應) with line 1: both lines are yin, so this line must find its support in its neighbours or in itself.
之卦 When this line moves
比 Alliance becomes ䷬ 45 萃 Assembly
The lake over the earth: waters gathering. Success; the king approaches the temple; see the great man — people gather around sincerity, and a great offering brings good fortune.
What it becomes45 · 萃 AssemblycuìThe six lines of 比 Alliance
- 初六Six at the beginningsincerity · a full jar · unexpected good
- 六二Six in the second placefrom within · steadfast · not losing oneself
- 六三Six in the third placethe wrong people · misplaced loyalty · harm
- 六四Six in the fourth placefrom without · following the worthy · upward
- 九五Nine in the fifth placeopen alliance · three-sided hunt · letting the game go
- 上六Six at the topno head · too late · nowhere to end
Read 比 Alliance for a question about
Questions about this line
- What does Six in the fourth place of hexagram 8, Alliance, mean?
- 'Holding together from without: steadfastness brings good fortune.' Line four is yin in a yin place, correct, the first line of the upper trigram Kan, and directly beneath the strong ruler at five. It has no correspondent below, so it does not look down; it looks to its neighbour above. 'From without' answers the second line's 'from within': this is an alliance made by going toward the worthy rather than one held by birth. The small Image says 'allying outwardly with the worthy, in order to follow the one above' (外比於賢，以從上也). Wang Bi notes that the line is correct in place and close to the ruler, so attaching upward is not opportunism but the right response to its position.
- What does hexagram 8 become when line 4 changes?
- Alliance becomes hexagram 45, 萃 Assembly: The lake over the earth: waters gathering. Success; the king approaches the temple; see the great man — people gather around sincerity, and a great offering brings good fortune.
- Is line 4 of Alliance in its correct place?
- It is in its correct place (當位): a yang line in an odd position or a yin line in an even one, which the tradition reads as a line at ease where it stands.
Chinese text: the received Zhouyi (Wuyingdian lineage). English: James Legge, The Yî King, Sacred Books of the East XVI, 1882 (public domain).