Hexagram 6
Contention
訟 · 송
Heaven over Water
The Judgment
Contention begins when sincere conviction meets obstruction and trust gives way to apprehension. Even if your cause contains truth, pressing it to the bitter end can turn justice into injury. There is good fortune in stopping before the struggle consumes its purpose. Seek the judgment of a wise and impartial authority, rather than making yourself the sole measure of right. This is not a favorable time for hazardous undertakings or a great crossing.
The Image
Heaven moves above while water flows below, their courses drawing apart. From this divergence the noble one learns to consider the beginning of every undertaking carefully. Clear responsibilities, honest agreements, and measured intentions prevent the confusion in which contention takes root and grows into lasting estrangement.
In the light of the Dao
The urge to prevail easily conceals the loss of inward freedom. Water does not argue with the bank; it finds its course. Withdraw the self that demands vindication, without abandoning truth. What cannot be settled by force may loosen when grasping ceases.
The two trigrams
Upper · outer
☰Heaven
Creative, strong · Father
Lower · inner
☵Water
Abysmal, danger · Middle son
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 · yin, six
Do not prolong the affair at its beginning. There may be a little exchange of words, and others may misunderstand your withdrawal. Let the disturbance pass without feeding it; a brief discomfort is preferable to a quarrel that claims your whole attention.
Second line · the inner centre · yang, nine
Unable to sustain the contention, you return and take shelter among a small community. This retreat is not disgraceful when it prevents wider harm. By refusing an unequal struggle, you spare both yourself and those who would otherwise share its consequences.
Third line · the threshold · yin, six
Live upon the virtue and provision already entrusted to you. Firmness is needed, and danger remains, but modest fidelity brings a sound ending. If serving a ruler, perform the work without claiming its glory or turning achievement into a personal demand.
Fourth line · the minister · yang, nine
You cannot carry the contention through. Turn back toward the rightful order of things, reconsider your position, and settle into steadfast conduct. A changed heart is more valuable than a forced victory; peace becomes possible when insistence yields to what is just.
Fifth line · the ruler · yang, nine
Contention comes before one capable of judging with fairness and authority. Great good fortune lies in allowing justice to stand above private anger. Present what is true without ornament, and accept a sound decision rather than seeking the humiliation of an opponent.
Top line · the end · yang, nine
A disputed victory may win you a splendid mark of office, yet the honor is repeatedly stripped away before the morning ends. What contention obtains cannot be securely possessed. Do not mistake a momentary award for the settled dignity of genuine merit.