乾Heaven
qiánAlso known as “The Creative” (Wilhelm/Baynes) and “Khien” (Legge)
In plain words
Pure yang, six unbroken lines: heaven in ceaseless motion. Creative force and leadership, pictured as a dragon rising stage by stage — hidden, in the field, flying, and finally overreaching.
The attitude it asks for
Act with integrity and persistence, but know which stage you are at: a hidden dragon waits, a flying dragon leads, an arrogant one regrets.
Structure
Related hexagrams
Nuclear1 · 乾 HeavenqiánInverse: its own inverse
Opposite2 · 坤 EarthkūnPaired with2 · 坤 Earthkūn卦辭 The Judgment
乾：元亨，利貞。Khien (represents) what is great and originating, penetrating, advantageous, correct and firm.
大哉乾元，萬物資始，乃統天。雲行雨施，品物流形。大明終始，六位時成，時乘六龍以御天。乾道變化，各正性命，保合大和，乃利貞。首出庶物，萬國咸寧。Vast is the 'great and originating (power)' indicated by Khien! All things owe to it their beginning:—it contains all the meaning belonging to (the name) heaven. The clouds move and the rain is distributed; the various things appear in their developed forms. (The sages) grandly understand (the connexion between) the end and the beginning, and how (the indications of) the six lines (in the hexagram) are accomplished, (each) in its season. (Accordingly) they mount (the carriage) drawn by those six dragons at the proper times, and drive through the sky. The method of Khien is to change and transform, so that everything obtains its correct nature as appointed (by the mind of Heaven); and (thereafter the conditions of) great harmony are preserved in union. The result is 'what is advantageous, and correct and firm.' (The sage) appears aloft, high above all things, and the myriad states all enjoy repose.
天行健，君子以自強不息。Heaven, in its motion, (gives the idea of) strength. The superior man, in accordance with this, nerves himself to ceaseless activity.
爻辭 The six lines
When one line moves, the hexagram becomes another:
- 上九Nine at the top
亢龍有悔。
In the sixth (or topmost) line, undivided, (we see its subject as) the dragon exceeding the proper limits. There will be occasion for repentance.
Its symbolism 亢龍有悔，盈不可久也。
'The dragon exceeds the proper limits;—there will be occasion for repentance:'—a state of fulness, that is, should not be indulged in long.
- 九五Nine in the fifth place
飛龍在天，利見大人。
In the fifth line, undivided, (we see its subject as) the dragon on the wing in the sky. It will be advantageous to meet with the great man.
Its symbolism 飛龍在天，大人造也。
'The dragon is on the wing in the sky:'—the great man rouses himself to his work.
- 九四Nine in the fourth place
或躍在淵，无咎。
In the fourth line, undivided, (we see its subject as the dragon looking) as if he were leaping up, but still in the deep. There will be no mistake.
Its symbolism 或躍在淵，進无咎也。
'He seems to be leaping up, but is still in the deep:'—if he advance, there will be no error.
- 九三Nine in the third place
君子終日乾乾，夕惕若，厲，无咎。
In the third line, undivided, (we see its subject as) the superior man active and vigilant all the day, and in the evening still careful and apprehensive. (The position is) dangerous, but there will be no mistake.
Its symbolism 終日乾乾，反復道也。
'Active and vigilant all the day:'—(this refers to) the treading of the (proper) path over and over again.
- 九二Nine in the second place
見龍在田，利見大人。
In the second line, undivided, (we see its subject as) the dragon appearing in the field. It will be advantageous to meet with the great man.
Its symbolism 見龍在田，德施普也。
'The dragon appears in the field:'—the diffusion of virtuous influence has been wide.
- 初九Nine at the beginning
潛龍，勿用。
In the first (or lowest) line, undivided, (we see its subject as) the dragon lying hid (in the deep). It is not the time for active doing.
Its symbolism 潛龍勿用，陽在下也。
'The dragon lies hid in the deep;—it is not the time for active doing:'—(this appears from) the strong and undivided line's being in the lowest place.
- 用九When all the lines are nines
見群龍无首，吉。
(The lines of this hexagram are all strong and undivided, as appears from) the use of the number nine. If the host of dragons (thus) appearing were to divest themselves of their heads, there would be good fortune.
Its symbolism 用九，天德不可為首也。
'The same undivided line is used' (in all the places of this hexagram), but the attribute of heaven (thereby denoted) should not (always) take the foremost place.
Shown in the classical Chinese with James Legge's English (1882).
Read 乾 Heaven for a question about
古籍
From the classics
Two of the Ten Wings speak of every hexagram: the Sequence (Xù Guà) says why it follows the one before, the Miscellany (Zá Guà) sums it up in a phrase. Here is what they say of 乾 qián · Heaven.
有天地，然後萬物生焉。There are heaven and earth, and then the ten thousand things are born.
iching.tools translation (from the Chinese)
乾剛坤柔。Qián is firm, Kūn is yielding.
iching.tools translation (from the Chinese)
The classical Chinese is the authoritative text. Translations are iching.tools' own from the Chinese unless another translator is named; several attributions are traditional rather than historical (託名).
Questions about this hexagram
- What does Hexagram 1, Heaven, mean?
- Pure yang, six unbroken lines: heaven in ceaseless motion. Creative force and leadership, pictured as a dragon rising stage by stage — hidden, in the field, flying, and finally overreaching.
- Which trigrams form Heaven?
- 乾 above 乾 — heaven over heaven. Its nuclear hexagram (lines 2–5) is 乾 Heaven.
- What happens when a line of Heaven changes?
- A moving line turns the hexagram into another one; the list above shows all six. With several moving lines, the guide to changing lines explains which text to read.
- How do I get Heaven in a reading?
- Build six lines from the bottom up with three coins or yarrow stalks; the pattern — — — — — — is Heaven. You can also cast a reading here — the lines are decided by code, the text is this page's.
Chinese text: the received Zhouyi (Wuyingdian lineage). English: James Legge, The Yî King, Sacred Books of the East XVI, 1882 (public domain).