Hexagram 26
The Great Taming
大畜 · 대축
Mountain over Heaven
The Judgment
Great strength becomes fruitful when it is gathered, disciplined, and held for a worthy use. The power of heaven meets the stillness of the mountain: restraint is therefore not mere obstruction, but the means of enlarging capacity. Upright perseverance is beneficial. One may leave private dependence and accept nourishment through public service. When knowledge and character have been sufficiently stored, even a formidable crossing can be undertaken, for power now answers to judgment rather than appetite.
The Image
Heaven is contained within the mountain, an image of immense vigor held in reserve. The noble one studies the words and deeds of earlier generations, not to accumulate ornaments of learning, but to nourish character. What is remembered deeply becomes an inward strength capable of governing present action.
In the light of the Dao
Power need not spend itself to prove that it exists. The mountain teaches heaven's vigor to dwell quietly, becoming abundant through containment. Store without hoarding, restrain without mutilating, and wait until action can issue as naturally as water released through an opened channel.
The two trigrams
Upper · outer
☶Mountain
Keeping still · Youngest son
Lower · inner
☰Heaven
Creative, strong · Father
The six lines
Read from the bottom up. A line speaks only when it moves — when the cast gives it as 6 or 9.
First line · the beginning · yang, nine
At the outset, vigorous advance encounters a real danger. To recognize the barrier and stop is beneficial, not shameful. Strength is first trained by accepting limits; a timely halt preserves the capacity that premature exertion would place at risk.
Second line · the inner centre · yang, nine
The carriage cannot travel because an essential support has been removed. This enforced stillness need not become a struggle against circumstances. Accept the interruption without resentment, keep your strength intact, and let the interval serve the work of inward preparation.
Third line · the threshold · yang, nine
Strong horses find a clear course, yet their speed must be joined to disciplined practice. Remain aware of difficulty and rehearse the skills of movement and defense. With such daily preparation, going forward has purpose and brings genuine advantage.
Fourth line · the minister · yin, six
A young ox is checked before its horns can become dangerous. Good fortune lies in shaping force while it is still pliant. Establish sound habits early, using gentle foresight rather than waiting until violence must be answered with violence.
Fifth line · the ruler · yin, six
The boar's tusks remain, but the source of their dangerous urgency has been quieted. Restraint succeeds by addressing the root rather than wrestling endlessly with outward symptoms. Transform the driving appetite, and formidable strength can remain without becoming destructive.
Top line · the end · yang, nine
The long discipline has fulfilled its purpose, and the way opens broadly. What once had to be restrained may now move freely in service of the whole. Success comes because stored strength and clear judgment have become one movement.