Structural Analysis, Meaning, and Philosophical Inquiry of the Hexagram Huotian Dayou (Fire Over Heaven)
This article systematically investigates the fourteenth hexagram of the *I Ching*, *Huotian Dayou*, analyzing its structure (Li over Qian), delineating the rich connotations of 'Great Possession,' and interpreting its principle of 'One Softness in Supremacy Responded to by Five Yangs' through the lens of Pre-Qin texts, thereby revealing its profound significance in ancient political philosophy.
Section 3: The Principle of the Counter Hexagram—Da You and Bi
The Counter Hexagram (Cuo Gua) of Da You is Bi.
Da You: Initial Nine, Nine Two, Nine Three, Nine Four, Six Five, Upper Nine. Bi: Six Initial, Six Two, Six Three, Six Four, Nine Five, Upper Six.
The Yin/Yang nature of the two hexagrams is completely opposite. Da You has one Yin line among five Yangs; Bi has one Yang line among five Yins.
The ruler line of Da You is Six Five (Yin); the ruler line of Bi is Nine Five (Yang). Da You governs the firm with yieldingness; Bi governs the yielding with firmness. Both are structures of one Yin among five Yangs or one Yang among five Yins, but their positions are reversed, so their Dao is also different.
Yet, they share a commonality: both feature one ruling five, one controlling the many, and both acting according to the Middle Way. The Sixth Line Five of Da You achieves "sincerity mutually felt" (jue fu jiao ru), and the Nine Five of Bi achieves "manifest attachment" (xian bi); both rely on sincerity to govern the masses. This shows that although Yin and Yang are counterposed, the principles are interconnected.