訟Dispute
sòngAlso known as “Conflict” (Wilhelm/Baynes) and “Sung” (Legge)
In plain words
Heaven above and water below, moving apart: contention. Sincerity is obstructed; a dispute may be won partway but ends badly if pushed to the finish.
The attitude it asks for
Stop halfway, seek a fair arbiter, and don't attempt big ventures while in conflict.
Structure
卦辭 The Judgment
訟：有孚，窒。惕中吉。終凶。利見大人，不利涉大川。Sung intimates how, though there is sincerity in one's contention, he will yet meet with opposition and obstruction; but if he cherish an apprehensive caution, there will be good fortune, while, if he must prosecute the contention to the (bitter) end, there will be evil. It will be advantageous to see the great man; it will not be advantageous to cross the great stream.
訟，上剛下險，險而健訟。訟有孚窒，惕中吉，剛來而得中也。終凶；訟不可成也。利見大人；尚中正也。不利涉大川；入于淵也。The upper portion of Sung is (the trigram representing) strength, and the lower (that representing) peril. (The coming together of) strength and peril gives (the idea in) Sung. 'Sung intimates how, though there is sincerity in one's contention, he will yet meet with opposition and obstruction; but if he cherish an apprehensive caution, there will be good fortune:'—a strong (line) has come and got the central place (in the lower trigram). 'If he must prosecute the contention to the (bitter) end, there will be evil:'—contention is not a thing to be carried on to extremity. 'It will be advantageous to meet with the great man:'—what he sets a value on is the due mean, and the correct place. 'It will not be advantageous to cross the great stream:'—one (attempting to do so) would find himself in an abyss.
天與水違行，訟；君子以作事謀始。(The trigram representing) heaven and (that representing) water, moving away from each other, form Sung. The superior man, in accordance with this, in the transaction of affairs takes good counsel about his first steps.
爻辭 The six lines
When one line moves, the hexagram becomes another:
- 上九Nine at the top
或錫之鞶帶，終朝三褫之。
The topmost line, undivided, shows how its subject may have the leathern belt conferred on him (by the sovereign), and thrice it shall be taken from him in a morning.
Its symbolism 以訟受服，亦不足敬也。
'He receives the robe through his contention:'—but still he is not deserving of respect.
- 九五Nine in the fifth place
訟元吉。
The fifth line, undivided, shows its subject contending;—and with great good fortune.
Its symbolism 訟元吉，以中正也。
'He contends;—and with great fortune:'—this is shown by his holding the due mean and being in the correct place.
- 九四Nine in the fourth place
不克訟，復即命渝，安貞吉。
The fourth line, undivided, shows its subject unequal to the contention. He returns to (the study of Heaven's) ordinances, changes (his wish to contend), and rests in being firm and correct. There will be good fortune.
Its symbolism 復即命，渝安貞；不失也。
'He returns to (the study of Heaven's) ordinances, changes (his wish to contend), and rests in being firm and correct:'—he does not fail (in doing what is right).
- 六三Six in the third place
食舊德，貞厲，終吉，或從王事，无成。
The third line, divided, shows its subject keeping in the old place assigned for his support, and firmly correct. Perilous as the position is, there will be good fortune in the end. Should he perchance engage in the king's business, he will not (claim the merit of) achievement.
Its symbolism 食舊德，從上吉也。
'He confines himself to the support assigned to him of old:'—(thus) following those above him, he will have good fortune.
- 九二Nine in the second place
不克訟，歸而逋，其邑人三百戶，无眚。
The second line, undivided, shows its subject unequal to the contention. If he retire and keep concealed (where) the inhabitants of his city are (only) three hundred families, he will fall into no mistake.
Its symbolism 不克訟，歸逋竄也。自下訟上，患至掇也。
'He is unequal to the contention; he retires and keeps concealed, stealthily withdrawing from it:'—for him from his lower place to contend with (the stronger one) above, would be to (invite) calamity, as if he brought it with his hand to himself.
- 初六Six at the beginning
不永所事，小有言，終吉。
The first line, divided, shows its subject not perpetuating the matter about which (the contention is). He will suffer the small (injury) of being spoken against, but the end will be fortunate.
Its symbolism 不永所事，訟不可長也。雖小有言，其辯明也。
'He does not perpetuate the matter about which (the contention is):'—contention should not be prolonged. Although 'he may suffer the small (injury) of being spoken against,' his argument is clear.
Shown in the classical Chinese with James Legge's English (1882).
Read 訟 Dispute 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 訟 sòng · Dispute.
飲食必有訟，故受之以訟。Food and drink are sure to bring contention; therefore Sòng follows.
iching.tools translation (from the Chinese)
需不進也，訟不親也。Xū is not advancing; Sòng is not being close.
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 6, Dispute, mean?
- Heaven above and water below, moving apart: contention. Sincerity is obstructed; a dispute may be won partway but ends badly if pushed to the finish.
- Which trigrams form Dispute?
- 乾 above 坎 — heaven over water. Its nuclear hexagram (lines 2–5) is 家人 Household.
- What happens when a line of Dispute 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 Dispute in a reading?
- Build six lines from the bottom up with three coins or yarrow stalks; the pattern - - — - - — — — is Dispute. 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).