I Ching hexagram · 36 of 64
Hexagram 36: Darkening of the Light 明夷 Míng Yí · Hidden light, resilience, discretion
In hard times keep your inner light, and show little outwardly. In adversity it helps to persevere.
- Upper: ☷ Earth
- Lower: ☲ Fire
- Nuclear: 40
- Opposite: 6
Number
36 of 64
Chinese name
明夷 Míng Yí
Upper trigram
☷ Earth
Lower trigram
☲ Fire
Nuclear hexagram
䷧ 40. Deliverance
Opposite hexagram
䷅ 6. Conflict
What hexagram 36 means
Hexagram 36 shows the sun sinking beneath the earth. It describes a dark time, when a capable person is surrounded by hostility or bad leadership and their light is in danger.
In such times, hide your brilliance, stay true inwardly and cautious outwardly. Perseverance in adversity keeps your light alive until the darkness passes.
The Judgement · 卦辞
明夷：利艰贞。
In adversity it helps to persevere.
The Image · 象曰
明入地中，明夷；君子以莅众，用晦而明。
The light has sunk into the earth: the image of the darkening of the light. The noble person lives among the crowd, veils their light, and still shines.
The lines and trigrams
Darkening of the Light places ☷ Earth (坤 Kūn), the trigram of receptivity and devotion, above ☲ Fire (离 Lí), the trigram of clarity and brightness. 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 36 in your life
Love and relationships
A difficult or hurtful period. Protect yourself, keep your inner warmth and don't expose your feelings carelessly.
Personal growth
Resilience means keeping your inner light even when you cannot show it.
The six changing lines
If you cast hexagram 36 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
The light darkens in flight and the wings droop. Withdraw even at a cost, though people may talk.
Line 2 六二 · Six in the second place
Wounded in the left thigh, you help others with the strength of a horse. Good fortune.
Line 3 九三 · Nine in the third place
Hunting in the south, you catch the great leader of the darkness. Don't expect everything to change at once.
Line 4 六四 · Six in the fourth place
You come to see into the heart of the darkness, and you leave in time.
Line 5 六五 · Six in the fifth place
The darkening of the light, as with Prince Ji. Hide your light but keep your integrity: perseverance brings benefit.
Line 6 上六 · Six at the top
Not light but darkness. First it rose to heaven, then it sank into the earth: darkness destroys itself.
Hexagram 36 questions, answered
What does I Ching hexagram 36 mean?
Hexagram 36, Darkening of the Light (明夷 Míng Yí), is about hidden light, resilience, discretion. In hard times keep your inner light, and show little outwardly. Hexagram 36 shows the sun sinking beneath the earth. It describes a dark time, when a capable person is surrounded by hostility or bad leadership and their light is in danger.
What does hexagram 36 mean in love?
A difficult or hurtful period. Protect yourself, keep your inner warmth and don't expose your feelings carelessly.
What does hexagram 36 mean for work and money?
An unfair boss, a hostile environment or hidden opposition. Keep a low profile, do good work quietly and protect your integrity.
Which trigrams make up hexagram 36?
Hexagram 36 has Earth (Kūn) as its upper trigram and Fire (Lí) as its lower trigram.
What are the related hexagrams of hexagram 36?
Its nuclear hexagram is 40, Deliverance. Its opposite, with every line changed, is 6, Conflict. Turned upside down it becomes 35, Progress.
All 64 hexagrams
Find your birth hexagram
Enter your date, time and place of birth to see your birth hexagram, your two life hexagrams and what each period of your life brings.