比
Hexagram 8 · 比
Upper trigram: 坎 · Lower trigram: 坤
Bi (Holding Together): the hexagram of willing association. Examine what unites a group and join through sincerity rather than pressure.
The image
Water rests above earth, spreading across and joining the landscape. The yielding lines gather around a central yang line in the fifth place. Bi means drawing close, helping, and holding together. The image asks what makes association trustworthy and what allows people to belong freely.
Judgment
吉。原筮元永貞，无咎。不寧方來，後夫凶。
Good fortune. Examine the inquiry at its source: great, lasting constancy brings no blame. The unsettled come from every side. For the latecomer, misfortune.
The commentary grounds union in a firm center and mutual response. Before joining a cooperative, it is wise to examine its purpose and commitments rather than merely following the crowd.
Great Image
地上有水，比；先王以建萬國，親諸侯。
Water above the earth: Holding Together. The former kings accordingly established the many states and cultivated closeness with their lords.
A durable whole needs relationships between its parts. A manager connecting separate teams through regular conversation builds cooperation beyond a chart of reporting lines.
Line texts
Line 1 · 初六
有孚，比之，无咎。有孚盈缶，終來有它，吉。
Join with sincerity. No blame. Sincerity fills an earthen jar; in the end something further comes. Good fortune.
Six in the first place begins association with receptive yin sincerity. The Small Image anticipates further good in this beginning, like a simple honest welcome creating space for a new neighbor.
Line 2 · 六二
比之自內，貞吉。
Join from within. Constancy brings good fortune.
Six in the second place is central yin corresponding with the fifth yang. The Small Image stresses not losing oneself, like joining a professional group because its work fits one's considered values.
Line 3 · 六三
比之匪人。
Joining with the wrong people.
Six in the third place is yin without a fitting corresponding partner. The Small Image asks whether such association is not hurtful, like staying in a circle that normalizes dishonest behavior.
Line 4 · 六四
外比之，貞吉。
Joining outwardly with others. Constancy brings good fortune.
Six in the fourth place is fitting yin close to the fifth yang. The Small Image praises following worthy leadership, like seeking cooperation beyond one's familiar department when expertise is needed.
Line 5 · 九五
顯比。王用三驅，失前禽，邑人不誡，吉。
Openly holding together. The king hunts from three sides and lets the game ahead escape. The townspeople need no warning. Good fortune.
Nine in the fifth place is central and correct yang, attracting without enclosing. The Small Image values balanced rule, like a group leader welcoming participation while leaving people free to decline.
Line 6 · 上六
比之无首，凶。
Holding together without a head. Misfortune.
Six at the top is yin beyond the central gathering, lacking a sound beginning. The Small Image says there is no proper completion, like a partnership formed without ever agreeing on its purpose.
When asking about
Career
Cooperation often grows around a trustworthy purpose. Examine a team's conduct before committing your energy.
Love
Closeness tends to deepen through willing participation. Speak honestly while preserving each person's individuality.
Money
Shared commitments need clear terms and reliable partners. Avoid joining simply because everyone else has done so.
Home
Belonging often grows through small acts of welcome. Make household agreements inclusive rather than coercive.
Study
A suitable learning community can sustain effort. Choose companions who value honest questions and careful work.
Health
Supportive company can help maintain ordinary routines and mood. See a doctor for any health concern.
Advice
Choose your associations deliberately. Offer sincerity, look for responsible leadership, and keep participation free enough to remain meaningful.
Related hexagrams
Weighing a decision? Cast a hexagram for your own question.
Cast a hexagramReference content based on the I Ching classic, not a prediction.