top of page

8

BI

Bǐ

比

䷇

Original Hexagram

Kan over Kun

䷇

BI

Hidden Hexagram

Li over Qian

DA YOU

䷍

Theme:

Nits Combing

Opening Statement

Combing for nits. Auspicious. Whether for granting a pardon or for the leader’s wellbeing, the divination carries no fault. A nit under the crown goes unfelt today, yet tomorrow’s heads will feel the itch.

6 AT THE BEGINNING

A bestowal is granted. Combing through it carries no fault. The bestowal is a clay pot brimming with grain, and it is only wise to comb through aged grain for possible vermin. Auspicious.

6 IN THE SECOND PLACE

Inner combing. Auspicious for the diviner.

6 IN THE THIRD PLACE

A misplaced comb in the wrong hair.

6 IN THE FOURTH PLACE

Outer combing. Auspicious for the diviner.

9 IN THE FIFTH PLACE

A noble man uses his comb as an ornament. The king leaves a way out for the trapped prey. His folks make no protest. Auspicious.

6 AT THE TOP

The top of the comb breaks off. Disaster.

Application Cases

The Trouble Left for Later Heads

Two consultations—Guan line 6 changing to Bi and Gu line 3 changing to Meng—clarify how a completed inspection can leave hidden trouble for those who follow.

The Mother Bird Must Not Force the Shell

Bi line 6 changing to Guan helps explain why the mother bird must sustain incubation rather than force the chick out by breaking the shell.

The Wise Woman and the Whale

A dream recounted in Robert Moss’s Conscious Dreaming is read through Bi; the dreamer connects a trapped whale with a nearby construction site and initiates a safety inquiry.

Proposing Reconciliation

A student receives Bi line 2 when asking whether to approach an estranged friend; she reports that they restored their friendship after she initiated reconciliation.

A Child’s Illness

A student receives Bi line 4 concerning her sick child. The imagery is read in relation to the child’s body and health; she reports recovery after another day or two.

bottom of page