Hexagram 38

Opposition

火泽睽 · 睽 · Kuí | Fire over Lake

Fire rises, lake sinks; difference need not mean estrangement.

OppositionDifferenceReconciliationUnderstanding

Upper trigram

离 · Fire

Lower trigram

兑 · Lake

The Judgment

“In small matters, good fortune.”

The Lines

Nine at the beginningRegret vanishes. If you lose your horse, do not chase it; it returns on its own. Even meeting bad people brings no blame.

Nine in the second placeHe meets his lord in a narrow lane. No blame.

Six in the third placeHe sees the wagon dragged back, its ox halted, its driver branded and his nose cut off. No good beginning, but a good end.

Nine in the fourth placeIsolated through opposition, he meets a like-minded man; they join in trust. Danger, but no blame.

Six in the fifth placeRegret vanishes. His kinsman bites through the obstacle. To go on — what blame?

Nine at the topIsolated through opposition, he sees a pig caked in mud, a wagon full of demons. First he draws his bow, then lays it down: they are no robbers but suitors. Going on, he meets the rain, and then good fortune.

Line texts are an original modern translation of the classical Zhou Yi (public domain).

Meaning

Fire moves up and the lake moves down—two natures diverging. Misunderstanding and opposition arise, yet difference can still be reconciled in small things.

Guidance

Seek common ground in details even amid disagreement; do not let opposition harden into hostility.

When This Hexagram Appears

Tension or estrangement where small acts of understanding can bridge real differences.

FAQ about Hexagram 38

What does Hexagram 38, Opposition, mean?

Opposition (火泽睽, hexagram 38 of the I Ching). Fire moves up and the lake moves down—two natures diverging. Misunderstanding and opposition arise, yet difference can still be reconciled in small things.

What is the Judgment of the Opposition hexagram?

The Judgment reads: “In small matters, good fortune.” Fire rises, lake sinks; difference need not mean estrangement.

What guidance does Hexagram 38 offer?

Seek common ground in details even amid disagreement; do not let opposition harden into hostility.

When does the Opposition hexagram apply?

Tension or estrangement where small acts of understanding can bridge real differences.

Related Hexagrams

Opposite Hexagram

No. 39 · Obstruction

Every line changed to its opposite — the mirror situation.

Reversed Hexagram

No. 37 · The Family

The same figure turned upside down — the view from the other side.