Hexagram 6 · Conflict

Judgment

Conflict: When sincerity is blocked and one feels wary, the middle course brings good fortune, but pushing to the end brings misfortune. It is favorable to see the great person, but unfavorable to cross the great river.

Lines

• First line (1): The first six: Do not prolong the matter; though there is a little gossip, in the end good fortune.
• Second line (2): The second nine: Unable to win the conflict, return and retreat; even if one's town of three hundred households is affected, there is no blame.
• Third line (3): The third six: Nourish from the old virtue; perseverance brings danger, yet in the end good fortune. If one follows the king's affairs, there is no accomplishment.
• Fourth line (4): The fourth nine: Unable to win the conflict, turn back and follow the mandate, changing course; remaining steadfast brings good fortune.
• Fifth line (5): The fifth nine: Conflict itself, yet the primal good fortune.
• Top line (6): The top nine: Perhaps one is granted a leather belt, but within a single morning it is snatched away three times.