Possession in Great Measure
大有Ta Yu (Wade-Giles) · dà yǒu(pinyin)
離 · Li, Fire, over 乾 · Ch'ien,Heaven.
abundance · wealth · responsibility · generosity · success
In the constellation
Much is in your hands. This hexagram describes abundance — resources, position, capability, regard — and the situation inside it is subtler than good luck. The image is the sun at its height, with everything on the ground standing visible in its light. Fullness of that kind conceals nothing; it shows what is worthy and what is shabby with the same clarity, in the holdings and in the holder.
The structure of the hexagram springs a surprise: its one yielding line sits in the place of honor and holds the five strong ones, the way an unassuming person in a high position keeps the loyalty of the capable people around them. Great possession is kept by mildness — graciousness where arrogance would be cheap — and starts to slip the moment it begins announcing itself.
Possession is also a task. What the light shows asks to be acted on: the harmful cut back, the good given room, the goods themselves kept moving rather than piled. The chapter saves its highest fortune for the one who has everything and still looks up to someone.
A note in this site’s voice; the translation follows.
The two trigrams
above LI THE CLINGING, FLAME · below CH'IEN THE CREATIVE, HEAVEN
The chapter
The Judgment
POSSESSION IN GREAT MEASURE.
Supreme success.
The two trigrams indicate that strength and clarity unite. Possessions great measure is determined by fate and accords with the time. How is it possible that the weak line has power to hold the strong lines fast and to possess them? It is done by virtue of unselfish modesty. The time is favorable--a time of strength within, clarity and culture without. Power is expressing itself in graceful and controlled way. This brings supreme success and wealth.
The Image
Fire in heaven above:
The image of POSSESSION IN GREAT MEASURE.
Thus the superior man curbs evil and furthers good,
And thereby obeys the benevolent will of heaven.
The sun in heaven above, shedding light over everything one earth, is the image of possession on a grand scale. But a possession of this sort must be administered properly. The sun brings both evil and good into the light of day. Man must combat and curb the evil, and must favor and promote the good. Only in this way does he fulfill the benevolent will of God, who desires only good and not evil.
The Lines
Nine at the beginning means:
No relationship with what is harmful;
There is no blame in this.
If one remains conscious of difficulty,
One remains without blame.Great possession that is still in its beginnings and that has not yet been challenged brings no blame, since there has been no opportunity to make mistakes. Yet there are many difficulties to be overcome. It is only by remaining conscious of theses difficulties that one can keep inwardly free of possible arrogance and wastefulness, and thus in principle overcome all cause for blame.
This line moving leads to 50 The Caldron
Nine in the second place means:
A big wagon for loading.
One may undertake something.
No blame.Great possession consists not only in the quantity of goods at one's disposal, but first and foremost, in their mobility and utility, for then they can be used in undertakings, and we remain free of embarrassment and mistakes. The big wagon, which will carry a heavy load and in which one can journey farm means that there are at hand able helpers who give their support t and are equal to their task. One can load great responsibility upon such persons, and this is necessary in important undertakings.
This line moving leads to 30 The Clinging, Fire
Nine in the third place means:
A prince offers it to the Son of Heaven.
A petty man cannot do this.A magnanimous, liberal-minded man should not regard what he possesses as his exclusive personal property , but should place it at the disposal of the ruler or of the people at large. In so doing, he takes the right attitude toward his possession, which as private property can never endure. A petty man is incapable of this. He is harmed by great possessions, because instead of sacrificing them, he would keep them for himself.
This line moving leads to 38 Opposition
Nine in the fourth place means:
He makes a difference
Between himself and his neighbor.
No blame.This characterizes the position of a man placed among rich and powerful neighbors. It is a dangerous position. He must look neither to the right nor to the left, and must shun envy and the temptation to vie with others. In this way he remains free of mistakes.
This line moving leads to 26 The Taming Power of the Great
Six in the fifth place means:
He whose truth is accessible, yet dignified,
Has good fortune.The situation is very favorable. People are being won not by coercion but by unaffected sincerity, so that they are attached to us in sincerity and truth. However, benevolence alone is not sufficient at the time of POSSESSION IN GREAT MEASURE. For insolence might begin to spread. Insolence must be kept in bounds by dignity; then good fortune is assured.
This line moving leads to 01 The Creative
Nine at the top means:
He is blessed by heaven.
Good fortune.
Nothing that does not further.In the fullness of possession and at the height of power, one remains modest and gives honor to the sage who stands outside the affairs of the world. By this means one puts oneself under the beneficent influence descending form heaven, and all goes well. Confucius says of this line:
To bless means to help. Heaven helps the man who is devoted; men help the man who is true. He who walks in truth and is devoted in his thinking, and furthermore reveres the worthy, is blessed by heaven. He has good fortune, and there is nothing that would not further.
This line moving leads to 34 The Power of the Great
Structural relatives
- King Wen pair13 Fellowship with MenThe other half of its couplet in the received sequence.
- Inverse · zong gua 綜卦13 Fellowship with MenThe same figure turned upside down — the situation seen from the other side.
- Opposite · cuo gua 錯卦08 Holding TogetherEvery line exchanged for its contrary.
- Nuclear · hu gua 互卦43 Break-throughThe figure hidden in the four inner lines — the situation inside the situation.
The fire in heaven above shines far, and all things stand out in the light and become manifest. The weak fifth line occupies the place of honor and all the strong lines are in accord with it.All things come to the man who is modest and kind in a high position.