Hexagram #5

Waiting

水天需

Patience and trust in the right moment. Crossing the great water is favorable.

Waiting (水天需, Hexagram 5) is the 5th of the 64 hexagrams in the I-Ching. It consists of the upper trigram Kǎn (Water) (坎, Thủy) over the lower trigram Qián (Heaven) (乾, Kim). Patience and trust in the right moment. Crossing the great water is favorable.

Upper trigram:
Kǎn (Water)
Water / The Abysmal
Lower trigram:
Qián (Heaven)
Heaven / The Creative

Judgment (Thoán từ)

Waiting: with sincerity, brilliant success. Perseverance brings good fortune. It furthers one to cross the great water.

Image (Tượng từ)

Clouds rise up to heaven: Waiting. The superior man eats and drinks, is joyous and of good cheer.

The Six Lines

  1. 1

    Line 1 yang: Waiting in the meadow. Stay where you are; no blame.

  2. 2

    Line 2 yang: Waiting on the sand. Some gossip. The end brings good fortune.

  3. 3

    Line 3 yang: Waiting in the mud. The enemy approaches.

  4. 4

    Line 4 yin: Waiting in blood. Get out of the pit.

  5. 5

    Line 5 yang: Waiting at meat and drink. Perseverance brings good fortune.

  6. 6

    Line 6 yin: One falls into the pit. Three uninvited guests arrive. Honor them; in the end, good fortune.

Nuclear Hexagram (互卦)

Opposition
火澤睽

Frequently asked questions

What does the Waiting hexagram (水天需) mean?
Waiting is hexagram #5 of the 64 I-Ching hexagrams. Patience and trust in the right moment. Crossing the great water is favorable.
What is the judgment text of Waiting?
Waiting: with sincerity, brilliant success. Perseverance brings good fortune. It furthers one to cross the great water.
What is the image text of Waiting?
Clouds rise up to heaven: Waiting. The superior man eats and drinks, is joyous and of good cheer.
What are the upper and lower trigrams of Waiting?
The upper trigram of Waiting is Kǎn (Water) (坎) — representing Water / The Abysmal, element Thủy. The lower trigram is Qián (Heaven) (乾) — representing Heaven / The Creative, element Kim.
What is the mutual hexagram (互卦) of Waiting?
The mutual hexagram of Waiting is Opposition (火澤睽). The mutual hexagram reveals the hidden inner dynamic and intermediate development of the situation.
What are the six line texts of Waiting?
Line 1: Line 1 yang: Waiting in the meadow. Stay where you are; no blame. | Line 2: Line 2 yang: Waiting on the sand. Some gossip. The end brings good fortune. | Line 3: Line 3 yang: Waiting in the mud. The enemy approaches. | Line 4: Line 4 yin: Waiting in blood. Get out of the pit. | Line 5: Line 5 yang: Waiting at meat and drink. Perseverance brings good fortune. | Line 6: Line 6 yin: One falls into the pit. Three uninvited guests arrive. Honor them; in the end, good fortune.

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