Hexagram 38
Opposition
睽
Upper
Fire · 離
the clinging, clarity
Lower
Lake · 兌
the joyous, open
Contemporary judgment
Opposition. Two things that should complement each other are at odds. Differences that could be productive are hardening into estrangement. Forced agreement will not heal this; only small, patient acts of honest understanding bridge what argument cannot. Begin with yourself.
Image
Fire above, the lake below. The superior person, while keeping in the general current, preserves their individuality.
Counsel
Do not try to win the argument. Look for what is true in the other's position, even if the form of it is irritating. Small gestures of genuine openness (a question honestly asked, a concession sincerely made) do more here than grand attempts at resolution. Patience.
The six lines
Numbered from the bottom upward; displayed here from first to sixth.
Line 1
A nine at the beginning means: Remorse vanishes. If you lose your horse, do not run after it. It will come back of itself. If you see evil people, guard against mistakes.
Line 2
A nine in the second place means: One meets one's lord in a narrow alley. No blame.
Line 3
A six in the third place means: One sees the wagon dragged back, the oxen held fast, a person's hair and nose cut off. No good beginning, but a good end.
Line 4
A nine in the fourth place means: Made solitary through opposition, one meets a like-minded person with whom one can associate in faithfulness. Despite the danger, no blame.
Line 5
A six in the fifth place means: Remorse vanishes. The companion bites through the wrapping. If one goes to them, how could it be a mistake?
Line 6
A nine at the top means: Made solitary through opposition, one sees one's companion as a mud-covered pig, as a wagon full of devils. First one draws the bow at them, then one puts the bow aside. He is no robber; he would woo in due time. In going, rain falls, then good fortune comes.
Contemporary sections are original app interpretations. Line text comes from the CC0 translation in jesshewitt/i-ching.