| Name | 随 Suí, “Following” |
|---|---|
| Upper trigram | ☱ 兑 Lake: openness and exchange |
| Lower trigram | ☳ 震 Thunder: sudden movement |
The Judgment
元亨利贞，无咎。
Supreme success. Stay true — no blame.
Sometimes following is the move. As long as it's the right thing you're following, you stay clean.
The Image
泽中有雷，随；君子以向晦入宴息。
Thunder in the lake — Following. The wise rest at sunset and retreat indoors.
Know when to stop. The body keeps the season — work when it's day, rest when it's night.
The six lines
If a line changes in your cast, read its text below. Lines are numbered from the bottom.
Line 1 · first (bottom) · Yang
官有渝，贞吉。出门交有功。
Standards change. Stay true — fortune. Go beyond the gate and meet with success.
Things are shifting around you. Stay grounded, but step outside your usual circle. Meet new people.
Line 2 · second · Yin
系小子，失丈夫。
If one clings to the small, one loses the strong man.
Chasing the easy connection means missing the substantial one. Choose carefully who you give your time to.
Line 3 · third · Yin
系丈夫，失小子。随有求得，利居贞。
If one clings to the strong man, one loses the small. Through following, one finds what is sought. Wise to stay true.
When you commit to the deeper bond, the surface-level ones fall away. That's the trade — make it consciously.
Line 4 · fourth · Yang
随有获，贞凶。有孚在道，以明，何咎？
Following brings catch. Staying true — misfortune. With sincerity on the path, with clarity — what blame?
Winning followers can be a trap if you start performing for them. Stay clear about your why, and you stay clean.
Line 5 · fifth · Yang
孚于嘉，吉。
Sincere in the excellent. Fortune.
When you commit to what's actually good — not just popular — fortune follows. Quality is its own protection.
Line 6 · top · Yin
拘系之，乃从维之。王用亨于西山。
He gets a hold and remains bound. The king offers sacrifice on the western mountain.
Deep loyalty, honored properly. Old commitments still matter — ritualize them, don't forget them.
Related hexagrams
- Inverted (turned upside down): Hexagram 18, Work on What Has Been Spoiled
- Complement (every line reversed): Hexagram 18, Work on What Has Been Spoiled