比
8. Holding Together
bǐ; Union
Judgment
比：吉。原筮元永贞，无咎。不宁方来，后夫凶。
Holding together brings good fortune. Inquire of the oracle once again whether you possess sublimity, constancy and perseverance; then no blame. Those who are uncertain gradually join; whoever comes too late meets misfortune.
Image
地上有水，比；先王以建万国，亲诸侯。
On the earth is water: the image of holding together. The ancient kings bestowed states as fiefs and cultivated friendly relations with the feudal lords.
Lines
- Line 1, yin (six)
初六：有孚比之，无咎。有孚盈缶，终来有他，吉。
Hold to him in truth and loyalty—no blame. Truth like a full earthen bowl: in the end good fortune comes from elsewhere. Trust is the underlying asset of every alliance.
- Line 2, yin (six)
六二：比之自内，贞吉。
Hold to him inwardly; perseverance brings good fortune. Internal cohesion precedes external alliances.
- Line 3, yin (six)
六三：比之匪人。
You hold together with the wrong people. A wrong partner is worse than none.
- Line 4, yin (six)
六四：外比之，贞吉。
Hold to him outwardly as well; perseverance brings good fortune. Draw closer to excellence outside.
- Line 5, yang (nine)
九五：显比，王用三驱，失前禽，邑人不诫，吉。
Manifestation of holding together: the king hunts on three sides only and lets the game ahead escape; citizens need no warning—good fortune. Attract, don't coerce: partners stay free to come and go.
- Line 6, yin (six)
上六：比之无首，凶。
He finds no head for holding together: misfortune. An alliance without a core or a right beginning will fail.
In the enterprise
The hexagram of alliances, joint ventures, ecosystems and customer intimacy; also of winning hearts after a merger. 'Hunting on three sides' is ecosystem leadership: cohesion by attraction, not coercion.
Psychological lens
Resonates with the need to belong (Baumeister & Leary) and the self-fulfilling nature of trust; the open fourth side expresses autonomy (self-determination theory).
Related hexagrams
23. 剥 Splitting Apart
Lines 2–4 and 3–5: the hidden dynamics inside the situation.Opposite
14. 大有 Possession in Great Measure
Every line reversed: the shadow side and blind spots.Inverse
7. 师 The Army
The figure turned upside down: the counterpart's or stakeholder's view.King Wen pair
7. 师 The Army
Situations in the library that use this hexagram
- Joint venture, wholly owned or agent Enterprise, Line 4, yin (six)
- Choosing the wrong alliance partner Enterprise, Line 3, yin (six)
- Headquarters and subsidiaries Enterprise, Line 5, yang (nine)
- Direct sales or distributors? Enterprise, Line 2, yin (six)
- Third-party risk Enterprise, Line 3, yin (six)
- Bringing in outside investors Enterprise, Line 1, yin (six)
- Looking for a mentor in life Individuals, Line 4, yin (six)
- Finding allies at work Individuals, Line 2, yin (six)
- Making true friends Individuals, Line 1, yin (six)
- Team sport or individual sport? Individuals, Line 2, yin (six)
- Choosing a city to settle in Individuals, Judgment
- Choosing a field of study Individuals, Judgment
- Publisher or self-publishing? Individuals, Line 4, yin (six)
- Taking a leadership role in the community Individuals, Line 5, yang (nine)
Situation readings are a reflective framework for discussion—not predictions and not a substitute for professional advice.