55. Abundance

Judgment

丰：亨，王假之，勿忧，宜日中。

Abundance has success. The king attains abundance. Be not sad. Be like the sun at midday. Shine fully at the peak, knowing the midday sun begins to set.

Image

雷电皆至，丰；君子以折狱致刑。

Both thunder and lightning come: the image of abundance. The noble person decides lawsuits and carries out punishments. Times of plenty demand clarity and fairness.

Lines

1. Line 1, yang (nine)

   初九：遇其配主，虽旬无咎，往有尚。

   When a man meets his destined ruler, they can be together ten days, and it is not a mistake. Going meets with recognition. Find an equal partner in good times.

2. Line 2, yin (six)

   六二：丰其蔀，日中见斗，往得疑疾，有孚发若，吉。

   The curtain is of such fullness that the polestars can be seen at noon. Through going one meets with mistrust and hate. If one rouses him through truth, good fortune comes. In abundance information is veiled—break through with sincerity.

3. Line 3, yang (nine)

   九三：丰其沛，日中见沫，折其右肱，无咎。

   The underbrush is of such abundance that the small stars can be seen at noon. He breaks his right arm. No blame. Injury at the peak, not through fault.

4. Line 4, yang (nine)

   九四：丰其蔀，日中见斗，遇其夷主，吉。

   The curtain is of such fullness that the polestars can be seen at noon. He meets his ruler, who is of like kind. Good fortune. Find like minds in the fog.

5. Line 5, yin (six)

   六五：来章，有庆誉，吉。

   Lines are coming; blessing and fame draw near. Good fortune. Attract talent at the peak.

6. Line 6, yin (six)

   上六：丰其屋，蔀其家，窥其户，阒其无人，三岁不觌，凶。

   His house is in a state of abundance. He screens off his family. He peers through the gate and no longer perceives anyone. For three years he sees nothing. Misfortune. Over-expansion with an empty core, isolation and decline.

In the enterprise

The hexagram of peaks, prosperity and the decline that follows fullness: market tops, valuation highs, record years, brands at their zenith. Wisdom: 'be like the midday sun'—at the peak, build the next curve. The top line warns against 'big and hollow': scale inflates while the organisation empties.

Psychological lens

Resonates with complacency after success ('success breeds failure') and echo chambers—'stars at noon': at the height of abundance, vision is veiled.

Related hexagrams

Situations in the library that use this hexagram

• When to start the second growth curve Enterprise, Judgment
• A leader slipping into hubris Enterprise, Line 6, yin (six)
• A valuation bubble Enterprise, Line 2, yin (six)
• Staying calm in a bubble Individuals, Judgment
• Moving to a bigger home Individuals, Line 6, yin (six)
• The isolation that wealth can bring Individuals, Line 6, yin (six)

Situation readings are a reflective framework for discussion—not predictions and not a substitute for professional advice.