I Ching hexagram · 34 of 64
Hexagram 34: Great Power 大壮 Dà Zhuàng · Power, vigour, momentum
Great strength. Use it correctly, never recklessly. Perseverance brings benefit.
- Upper: ☳ Thunder
- Lower: ☰ Heaven
- Nuclear: 43
- Opposite: 20
Number
34 of 64
Chinese name
大壮 Dà Zhuàng
Upper trigram
☳ Thunder
Lower trigram
☰ Heaven
Nuclear hexagram
䷪ 43. Breakthrough
Opposite hexagram
䷓ 20. Contemplation
What hexagram 34 means
Hexagram 34 shows thunder high in the sky, with four strong lines rising from below. It describes great power, vigour and momentum, at the point where strength may tempt you to overreach.
Real greatness is power joined with what is right. Use your strength with restraint and integrity; charging ahead like a ram only gets your horns stuck in the fence.
The Judgement · 卦辞
大壮：利贞。
Perseverance brings benefit.
The Image · 象曰
雷在天上，大壮；君子以非礼弗履。
Thunder in the heavens above: the image of the power of the great. The noble person does not walk paths that are not in accord with what is proper.
The lines and trigrams
Great Power places ☳ Thunder (震 Zhèn), the trigram of movement and arousal, 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 34 in your life
Love and relationships
Strong feelings and confidence. Express them, but don't overpower your partner; gentleness makes strength attractive.
Personal growth
Strength shows itself in self-control. Do what is right, not just what you can.
The six changing lines
If you cast hexagram 34 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
Power in the toes. Pushing forward now brings misfortune, believe it.
Line 2 九二 · Nine in the second place
Perseverance brings good fortune.
Line 3 九三 · Nine in the third place
The petty person uses power; the noble person does not. A ram butts a fence and gets its horns entangled.
Line 4 九四 · Nine in the fourth place
Perseverance brings good fortune and remorse disappears. The fence opens, and strength lies in the axle of a big cart.
Line 5 六五 · Six in the fifth place
Losing the goat with ease. No remorse: let go of stubbornness.
Line 6 上六 · Six at the top
A ram butts the fence and can go neither forward nor back. Nothing furthers, but if you recognise the difficulty, there is good fortune.
Hexagram 34 questions, answered
What does I Ching hexagram 34 mean?
Hexagram 34, Great Power (大壮 Dà Zhuàng), is about power, vigour, momentum. Great strength. Use it correctly, never recklessly. Hexagram 34 shows thunder high in the sky, with four strong lines rising from below. It describes great power, vigour and momentum, at the point where strength may tempt you to overreach.
What does hexagram 34 mean in love?
Strong feelings and confidence. Express them, but don't overpower your partner; gentleness makes strength attractive.
What does hexagram 34 mean for work and money?
Momentum and influence are on your side. Use them wisely and ethically, and avoid forcing outcomes.
Which trigrams make up hexagram 34?
Hexagram 34 has Thunder (Zhèn) as its upper trigram and Heaven (Qián) as its lower trigram.
What are the related hexagrams of hexagram 34?
Its nuclear hexagram is 43, Breakthrough. Its opposite, with every line changed, is 20, Contemplation. Turned upside down it becomes 33, Retreat.
All 64 hexagrams
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