Hexagram 11 Line 6: 上六
Position: Line 6 (Upper Trigram)上六 —Yin ⚋ (Broken)Register: distressFamous Line
Classical Chinese Text
上六 城復于隍。勿用師。自邑告命。貞吝。
城復于隍
城chéngthe city walls
復fùfalls back
于yúinto
隍huángthe moat (a dry ditch at the base of a wall)
勿wùdo not
用yòngengage
師shīthe military
自zìin
邑yìhome town
告gàoannounce
命mìngthe decree
貞zhēnto persist
吝lìnembarrassing
Line Commentary
The city wall falls into the moat. Don't use the army. Give orders from your own city. Perseverance brings humiliation. Peace ends. The structure collapses. Defense, not expansion.
Commentary
The city wall falls into the moat. Don't use armies now—give orders from your own city. Peace has ended; the structure collapses. Defense, not expansion.
When This Line Changes
If Line 6 changes, Hexagram 11 Tai (Peace) transforms into Hexagram 26 Da Chu (The Taming Power of the Great).
Parent Hexagram
Peace
Tai泰 (11)
Earth (坤) over Heaven (乾)
Upper Trigram: ☷ Earth | Lower Trigram: ☰ Heaven