大畜
Hexagram 26 · 大畜
Upper trigram: 艮 · Lower trigram: 乾
Da Xu (Great Restraint): the hexagram of cultivated strength. Store knowledge, train your capacity, and release energy with sound direction.
The image
Mountain stands above heaven, containing great movement within stillness. The picture joins vigorous capacity with a firm boundary. Da Xu means great restraint or great accumulation. It concerns strength developed through learning, preparation, and the ability to wait before acting.
Judgment
利貞，不家食吉，利涉大川。
Constancy is beneficial. Not eating at home brings good fortune. It is beneficial to cross the great river.
The commentary emphasizes renewing virtue and nourishing worthy people. A skilled worker moving into public responsibility can use accumulated knowledge beyond a familiar private circle, provided preparation supports the larger task.
Great Image
天在山中，大畜；君子以多識前言往行，以畜其德。
Heaven within the mountain: Great Restraint. The exemplary person accordingly learns widely from earlier words and past deeds to store up virtue.
Restraint becomes fertile when it includes study. A manager reading past project reviews can turn previous successes and mistakes into better judgment for the next assignment.
Line texts
Line 1 · 初九
有厲利已。
There is danger. It is beneficial to stop.
Nine in the first place is yang meeting restraint before it can advance soundly. The Small Image favors avoiding trouble, like postponing a presentation until essential figures have been checked.
Line 2 · 九二
輿說輹。
The carriage's axle fastening is removed.
Nine in the second place is central yang capable of accepting a deliberate halt. The Small Image finds no fault in its center, like taking equipment out of use while arranging proper maintenance.
Line 3 · 九三
良馬逐，利艱貞。日閑輿衛，利有攸往。
Fine horses pursue one another. Constancy through difficulty is beneficial. Practice chariot handling and defense daily. It is beneficial to have somewhere to go.
Nine in the third place is yang preparing for movement in accord with the top line. The Small Image emphasizes shared purpose, like a trained team rehearsing procedures before taking on demanding work.
Line 4 · 六四
童牛之牿，元吉。
A young bull's horn guard. Great good fortune.
Six in the fourth place is fitting yin restraining force while it is still young. The Small Image finds cause for joy, like establishing good spending habits before a larger income encourages excess.
Line 5 · 六五
豶豕之牙，吉。
The tusks of a gelded boar. Good fortune.
Six in the fifth place is central yin addressing the source of aggression rather than its outward weapon. The Small Image sees a beneficial result, like changing incentives that repeatedly provoke rivalry between departments.
Line 6 · 上九
何天之衢，亨。
How broad the highway of heaven! Flourishing.
Nine at the top is yang whose cultivated strength can now move openly. The Small Image describes the way being widely enacted, like completing a long apprenticeship and using its discipline in independent work.
When asking about
Career
Preparation often determines how much responsibility can be carried. Invest attention in training and experienced guidance.
Love
Steady character can matter more than immediate expression. Let patience deepen understanding without becoming emotional withholding.
Money
Accumulation benefits from clear limits. Learn from previous decisions before accepting a larger commitment.
Home
Early agreements can prevent recurring friction. Build routines that guide energy rather than suppressing everyone.
Study
A broad foundation often supports later originality. Compare past examples and practice until knowledge becomes usable.
Health
Balanced effort includes deliberate pauses and consistent sleep. See a doctor for any health concern.
Advice
Cultivate enough strength to act without haste. Study what has gone before, address problems at their source, and release capacity when preparation supports it.
Related hexagrams
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Cast a hexagramReference content based on the I Ching classic, not a prediction.