Conflict — the clash of opposing wills and the friction of dispute.
Conflict is real, but pressing a quarrel to the bitter end brings misfortune. Seek compromise and the counsel of a fair mediator. Step back before the dispute hardens.
conflictdisputecautioncompromise
Conflict places Heaven (strong, creative) above Water (abysmal, dangerous). The interplay of these two trigrams gives the hexagram its character.
The Classical Textoriginal Chinese
The Judgment · 卦辞
有孚，窒。惕中吉。终凶。利见大人，不利涉大川。
The Image · 大象
天与水违行，讼；君子以作事谋始。
The Six Lines · 爻辞
- 初六不永所事，小有言，终吉。象曰：不永所事，讼不可长也。虽小有言，其辩明也。
- 九二不克讼，归而逋，其邑人三百户，无眚。象曰：不克讼，归而逋也。自下讼上，患至掇也。
- 六三食旧德，贞厉，终吉，或从王事，无成。象曰：食旧德，从上吉也。
- 九四不克讼，复即命，渝安贞，吉。象曰：复即命，渝安贞；不失也。
- 九五讼元吉。象曰：讼元吉，以中正也。
- 上九或锡之鞶带，终朝三褫之。象曰：以讼受服，亦不足敬也。
The judgment, image and line texts above are quoted from the original Zhou Yi. A modern Chinese translation of the full classic is available on the original-text page.