08 · Holding Together (BǏ)
Holding Together asks how people form trustworthy bonds: join sincerely, gather around a sound center, and do not wait until the moment has passed.
The judgment
Holding Together: good fortune. Seek the original oracle; lasting steadfastness brings no blame. The unsettled come; those who arrive late meet misfortune.
A bond needs a shared sound direction. Those without stability may seek belonging, but delay can miss the moment for connection.
Original Chinese text
比：吉。原筮元永貞，無咎。不寧方來，後夫凶。
The six lines
- 初六 · Line 1 — Join with sincerity; no blame. Sincerity fills the jar; in the end another good arrives.
Original Chinese
有孚比之，無咎。有孚盈缶，終來有它吉。
- 六二 · Line 2 — Holding together from within. Steadfastness brings good fortune.
Original Chinese
比之自內，貞吉。
- 六三 · Line 3 — Holding together with unsuitable people.
Original Chinese
比之匪人。
- 六四 · Line 4 — Holding together outwardly. Steadfastness brings good fortune.
Original Chinese
外比之，貞吉。
- 九五 · Line 5 — Manifest holding together. The king uses three drives and lets game escape ahead; townspeople need no warning. Good fortune.
Original Chinese
顯比，王用三驅，失前禽，邑人不誡，吉。
- 上六 · Line 6 — Holding together without a beginning. Ominous.
Original Chinese
比之無首，凶。