← The I Ching
Hexagram 6 · ☰ over ☵
Conflict
Song
The judgment
Two strong forces meet in opposition — neither yields. This hexagram warns that pressing forward will only deepen the conflict, and that winning outright is unlikely from where things currently stand. The situation calls for disengagement, or at least a willingness to accept partial resolution.
The image. Heaven moves away from water — two natures unable to reconcile their direction.
Guidance
Don't insist on being entirely right. Seek a fair witness or mediator, settle for what's reasonable, and pull back before positions harden into something permanent.
How it’s built
Every hexagram is two trigrams — the lower one beneath the upper. This one is Kǎn below Qián.
☰Upper · Heaventhe Creative — strength, the sky, the active force, the father
☵Lower · Waterthe Abysmal — danger, the deep, flow through hardship, the middle son