Pi · Standstill

Judgment

否之匪人，不利君子贞。

Standstill is caused by the wrong people. It does not favour the steadfastness of the superior person.

The Chinese above is the received classical text. The English below it is a plain-language rendering written for this site — not a scholarly translation. The classical wording is terse and genuinely open to more than one reading, so where interpretations diverge we follow the mainstream one.

The Image (Da Xiang)

天地不交，否，君子以俭德辟难，不可荣以禄。

天地之气不能相交，这是否卦，闭塞不通的卦象，君子应当以节俭之德来避开患难，不宜贪求荣禄。

The Six Lines

• First line拔茅茹，以其汇，贞吉，亨。初六 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Second line包承，小人吉，大人否，亨。六二 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Third line包羞。六三 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Fourth line有命无咎，畴离祉。九四 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Fifth line休否，大人吉。其亡其亡，系于苞桑。九五 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Top line倾否，先否后喜。上九 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.

Modern Interpretive Reference

Quality: Very Inauspicious

Tendency: Stagnation; channels are blocked and communication fails.

Guidance: Withdraw rather than force. Preserve integrity and wait for conditions to shift.

This section is editorial reflection written for this site, not classical commentary. Hexagram qualities are not fixed outcomes — context and response matter more than the label. For cultural reflection only; not a basis for any decision.