I Ching hexagram · 26 of 64
Hexagram 26: Great Taming 大畜 Dà Chù · Accumulated strength, knowledge, reserves
Store up strength and knowledge, then act boldly. Perseverance brings benefit. Not eating at home brings good fortune. It helps to cross the great water.
- Upper: ☶ Mountain
- Lower: ☰ Heaven
- Nuclear: 54
- Opposite: 45
Number
26 of 64
Chinese name
大畜 Dà Chù
Upper trigram
☶ Mountain
Lower trigram
☰ Heaven
Nuclear hexagram
䷵ 54. The Marrying Maiden
Opposite hexagram
䷬ 45. Gathering Together
What hexagram 26 means
Hexagram 26 shows heaven contained within a mountain: great creative power that is held back, stored and built up. It describes accumulated strength, knowledge and reserves.
Restraint here is not frustration but preparation. Daily renewal, learning from the past and keeping energy in reserve make you ready for great undertakings and public service.
The Judgement · 卦辞
大畜：利贞，不家食吉，利涉大川。
Perseverance brings benefit. Not eating at home brings good fortune. It helps to cross the great water.
The Image · 象曰
天在山中，大畜；君子以多识前言往行，以畜其德。
Heaven within the mountain: the image of the taming power of the great. The noble person learns many sayings and deeds of the past to strengthen their character.
The lines and trigrams
Great Taming places ☶ Mountain (艮 Gèn), the trigram of stillness and restraint, above ☰ Heaven (乾 Qián), the trigram of strength and creative power. The lower trigram describes the inner situation and the upper trigram the outer world.
A hexagram is read from the bottom line up. Lines 1 to 3 form the lower trigram and lines 4 to 6 the upper trigram. Solid lines are yang and broken lines are yin; in the traditional names a yang line is called Nine (九) and a yin line Six (六).
Hexagram 26 in your life
Love and relationships
Commitment and patience build something solid. Hold back impulsive reactions and invest in the long term.
Personal growth
Study the wisdom of those who came before you. Stored-up knowledge and character become real power.
The six changing lines
If you cast hexagram 26 and some lines come out as changing lines, read the text for those lines, then turn each one into its opposite to find the hexagram your situation is moving towards. See how to consult the I Ching.
Line 1 初九 · Nine at the beginning
Danger is near. It helps to stop.
Line 2 九二 · Nine in the second place
The axle is taken out of the wagon. Accept the restraint and wait.
Line 3 九三 · Nine in the third place
A good horse follows others. Stay aware of danger and practise daily; then it helps to go forward.
Line 4 六四 · Six in the fourth place
A board fixed to the horns of a young bull. Preventing trouble early brings supreme good fortune.
Line 5 六五 · Six in the fifth place
The tusk of a gelded boar. Redirecting energy at its source, rather than fighting it head-on, brings good fortune.
Line 6 上九 · Nine at the top
The highway of heaven is open. Success: stored strength can now be used freely.
Hexagram 26 questions, answered
What does I Ching hexagram 26 mean?
Hexagram 26, Great Taming (大畜 Dà Chù), is about accumulated strength, knowledge, reserves. Store up strength and knowledge, then act boldly. Hexagram 26 shows heaven contained within a mountain: great creative power that is held back, stored and built up. It describes accumulated strength, knowledge and reserves.
What does hexagram 26 mean in love?
Commitment and patience build something solid. Hold back impulsive reactions and invest in the long term.
What does hexagram 26 mean for work and money?
Build skills, savings and resources. A good time for study and planning, then for bold ventures backed by solid reserves.
Which trigrams make up hexagram 26?
Hexagram 26 has Mountain (Gèn) as its upper trigram and Heaven (Qián) as its lower trigram.
What are the related hexagrams of hexagram 26?
Its nuclear hexagram is 54, The Marrying Maiden. Its opposite, with every line changed, is 45, Gathering Together. Turned upside down it becomes 25, Innocence.
All 64 hexagrams
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