坤

Hexagram 2 · 坤

Upper trigram: 坤 · Lower trigram: 坤

Kun (The Receptive): the hexagram of grounded support. Listen carefully, sustain what matters, and let steadiness guide your response.

The image

Kun places earth above earth, a broad landscape able to carry many forms of life. All six lines are yin, expressing receptive strength. The name suggests yielding and nourishment rather than passivity. Earth supports growth by giving it room, substance, and continuity.

Judgment

元亨。利牝馬之貞。君子有攸往，先迷後得主。利西南得朋，東北喪朋。安貞，吉。

Great beginning and flourishing. The constancy of a mare is beneficial. The exemplary person has somewhere to go: taking the lead brings confusion, following brings a guiding master. It is beneficial to gain companions in the southwest and lose companions in the northeast. Peaceful constancy brings good fortune.

The commentary presents receptive action as cooperation with a larger direction. Like a new team member first learning how the workshop functions, one often contributes better by understanding before directing.

Great Image

地勢坤，君子以厚德載物。

Earth's disposition is receptive. The exemplary person accordingly carries things through generous virtue.

Support needs breadth and patience rather than constant intervention. A parent making room for different children's abilities gives this carrying quality a familiar shape.

Line texts

  1. Line 1 · 初六

    履霜，堅冰至。

    Treading on frost: solid ice approaches.

    Six in the first place marks yin beginning to consolidate, as the Small Image explains. Treat this seasonal image as attention to gradual habits, like addressing small household tensions before they accumulate.

  2. Line 2 · 六二

    直方大，不習无不利。

    Straight, square, and great. Without rehearsal, nothing is unfavorable.

    Six in the second place is central yin in its fitting position. The Small Image connects movement with uprightness, like a trusted assistant whose sound habits make ordinary decisions straightforward.

  3. Line 3 · 六三

    含章，可貞。或從王事，无成有終。

    Keeping excellence within, one can remain constant. Perhaps serving the king's affairs, one claims no achievement but brings matters to completion.

    Six in the third place holds yin qualities until their proper time, the Small Image's emphasis. Someone quietly completing a shared project can value the result without demanding personal credit.

  4. Line 4 · 六四

    括囊，无咎无譽。

    Tie up the sack. No blame, no praise.

    Six in the fourth place is yin near authority, where caution prevents harm. During a sensitive workplace discussion, keeping confidential information contained may matter more than receiving recognition.

  5. Line 5 · 六五

    黃裳，元吉。

    A yellow lower garment. Great good fortune.

    Six in the fifth place brings central yin to a prominent station. The Small Image locates refinement within, like a leader whose understated conduct lets competence speak for itself.

  6. Line 6 · 上六

    龍戰于野，其血玄黃。

    Dragons fight in the open country. Their blood is dark and yellow.

    Six at the top shows yin reaching its limit, where the Small Image says its course is exhausted. The conflict image invites reflection on a family struggle in which yielding has hardened into rivalry.

  7. All lines · 用六

    利永貞。

    Lasting constancy is beneficial.

    Use of sixes concerns the complete set of yin lines. The Small Image links enduring constancy with a great conclusion, like reliable support sustained through every stage of a long project.

When asking about

Career

Supportive work often has particular value. Clarify the shared direction before volunteering to lead.

Love

Receptiveness tends to deepen understanding. Listen generously while keeping your own needs expressible.

Money

Patient maintenance often suits this image. Keep accounts orderly and commitments within familiar limits.

Home

Stable routines can make room for different needs. Share the quiet work that keeps daily life comfortable.

Study

A receptive attitude often helps new material settle. Follow a sound method before trying to redesign it.

Health

Gentle routines and adequate rest can support a calmer mood. See a doctor for any health concern.

Advice

Listen for the direction the situation already offers. Give dependable support without surrendering clear judgment or personal boundaries.

Related hexagrams

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Reference content based on the I Ching classic, not a prediction.