Zhun · Difficulty at the Beginning

Judgment

元亨利贞，勿用有攸往，利建侯。

Sublime success, and reward for perseverance. Do not undertake anything yet; it is time to appoint helpers.

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)

云雷，屯，君子以经纶。

密云之下雷声隆隆，这是屯卦，密云不雨而万物初生艰难的卦象，君子应当懂得经营治理之道。

The Six Lines

• First line磐桓，利居贞，利建侯。初九 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Second line屯如邅如，乘马班如。匪寇婚媾，女子贞不字，十年乃字。六二 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Third line即鹿无虞，惟入于林中，君子几不如舍，往吝。六三 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Fourth line乘马班如，求婚媾，往吉，无不利。六四 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Fifth line屯其膏，小贞吉，大贞凶。九五 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Top line乘马班如，泣血涟如。上六 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.

Modern Interpretive Reference

Quality: Challenging

Tendency: Difficult beginnings; growth obstructed by early chaos.

Guidance: Stay put rather than push forward. Consolidate foundations and seek allies.

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.