Hexagram of the Day Tuesday, December 29, 2026: #17 Following (随)

Following means to comply.

Speaking in terms of hexagram transformation, it originally came from the Oppression (Exhaustion) hexagram with nine coming to reside at the beginning, and also from Biting Through with nine coming to reside at the fifth; coming from Before Completion, it combines both transformations, all carrying the meaning of firmness coming down to follow yielding.

Speaking in terms of the two component trigrams, the lower moves while the upper rejoices, which is also the meaning of following; hence it is Following.

If oneself can follow things, things will come to follow oneself; when mutual compliance prevails between self and other, free passage is effortless. Therefore its prognosis is Supreme and Penetrating, yet it must be Advantageous and Correct to attain freedom from blame.

If what is followed is not correct, then though there be great penetration, one cannot avoid blame. In the Zuo Zhuan, Mu Jiang said: 'Possessing these four virtues, one follows and is without blame; I have none of them, so how could this be Following?'

We now note: although interpreting the four virtues as moral attributes is not the original meaning of the text, her subsequent words deeply grasp the spirit of divination.

下 (xià): fanqie spelling xiá-jià; 說 (yuè): pronounced yuè. Explaining the name and meaning of the hexagram via hexagram transformation and hexagram virtues. Wang Su's edition reads '之' instead of '時'; this reading should now be followed.

Explaining the hexagram judgment, it means that by acting thus, all under Heaven will follow. In Wang Su's edition, the character '時' appears below '之'; this reading should now be followed.

Thunder rests concealed within the marsh, resting and taking ease according to the season.

The Sequence of Hexagrams for Following says: 'Enthusiasm is sure to have followers; hence Following follows.' Now, the way of joyful enthusiasm is that which all things follow; hence Following comes after Enthusiasm.

In the hexagram figure, Duì is above and Zhèn is below; Duì is joyousness and Zhèn is movement. Joyous movement and moving joyfully both convey the meaning of following. A woman follows a man; the youngest daughter following the eldest son also conveys following.

Furthermore, Zhèn is thunder and Duì is a marsh; when thunder stirs within the marsh, the marsh moves in response to it, which is the image of following.

Moreover, speaking in terms of hexagram transformation: the top line of Qián comes to dwell below Kūn, and the initial line of Kūn goes to dwell above Qián; yang comes down to place itself below yin.

When yang places itself below yin, yin is sure to follow joyfully, which forms the meaning of following.

In general, the formation of hexagrams takes the meaning of the two component trigrams, and sometimes the meaning of the individual lines, while at other times it further adopts the meaning of hexagram transformation; in Following, the derivation of meaning is exceptionally comprehensive.

The way of Following can achieve supreme penetration. The way of the gentleman being followed by the multitude, following others oneself, or choosing what to follow when facing affairs—all these are Following.

If following attains its proper way, it can achieve supreme penetration. In general, a ruler following good advice, a minister obeying orders, a scholar turning toward righteousness, or facing affairs and following the superior—all are forms of Following.

The way of Following finds its advantage in correctness. When following attains correctness, it can achieve supreme penetration and be without blame; if it loses correctness, there will be blame. How could it then achieve penetration?

The reason the hexagram is Following is that firmness comes and places itself below yielding, moving and bringing joyousness.

This means the top nine of Qián comes to dwell below Kūn, and the initial six of Kūn goes to dwell above Qián; yang firmness comes down to place itself below yin yielding, thereby using the high to humble itself before the low, and using the noble to condescend to the humble.

Able to act thus, all things follow joyfully. Furthermore, the lower stirs while the upper rejoices; moving and being pleasing, it is therefore Following.

Acting in this manner, it can achieve supreme penetration and attain correctness; able to achieve supreme penetration and attain correctness, it will be without blame.

If it cannot achieve penetration and fails to attain correctness, it is not a way that ought to be followed, and how could it cause all under Heaven to follow it? What all under Heaven follows is the time; hence it is said, 'all under Heaven follows the time.' Exclamation.

The gentleman's way moves according to the time, following what is appropriate and adapting to change, never fixed in rigid rules. None but those whose attainment in the Way is deep, who perceive subtle beginnings, and who can weigh circumstances can partake in this.

Therefore he praises it, saying: 'Great indeed is the meaning of following the times!' Whenever it is praised, it is to make people recognize the greatness of its meaning, so that they may ponder and understand it.

This praise of the greatness of following the times differs from hexagrams such as Enthusiasm: in the other hexagrams, time and meaning are two separate matters.

Thunder stirs within the marsh, and the marsh moves in response to the thunder; this is the image of following. The gentleman observes this image to move in accordance with the time.

Adapting to the suitability of the time applies to all myriad affairs; taking the clearest and closest example to speak of it: 'The gentleman turns inward for rest and repose as darkness falls.'

In the daytime, the gentleman strengthens himself without ceasing; when twilight approaches darkness, he enters within to rest and repose, giving ease to his body. Rising and resting according to the time, he conforms to what is fitting.

The Rites state: 'The gentleman does not abide in the inner chambers by day, nor outside at night.' This is the way of following the time.

Zhèn is firm and Duì is yielding; using firmness to place oneself below yielding, moving and turning toward joyousness, following is thereby achieved. To practice following without great penetration runs counter to the time.

Following one another without making it advantageous and correct is the path to calamity. Therefore, only with supreme penetration and advantageous correctness can one achieve freedom from blame.

Practicing following and bringing about supreme penetration and advantageous correctness accords with the time. When the time is attained, all under Heaven follows. The application of following lies solely in the time.

When the time changes and one does not follow, that is the way of Standstill (Stagnation); hence 'great indeed is the meaning of following the times!'

Thunder within the marsh presents the image of stirring and joyousness. When all things joyfully follow, one may practice non-action without toiling over clear scrutiny. Therefore the gentleman 'turns inward for rest and repose as darkness falls.'

'Following: Supreme and Penetrating, Advantageous and Correct, without blame.' The Zhengyi commentary states: 'Supreme and Penetrating' means that in an age of mutual following, one must achieve great penetration.

If it is not greatly penetrating, there is no way to follow one another, running counter to the time. 'Advantageous and Correct' means that the substance of following must find advantage in attaining correctness.

If following is not correct, it becomes a perverse and depraved path; hence it must be advantageous and correct. 'Without blame' means that only with these four virtues can there be no blame.

Because following carelessly verges on factionalism, these four virtues are essential to be without blame.

In general, when a hexagram possesses the four virtues, it is either that the meaning of the hexagram at its given time fully possesses the four virtues—as in Qián, Kūn, Difficulty at the Beginning, Approach, and Innocence (The Unexpected), in which the four virtues are fully present—or, as in Following, where following in evil is impermissible: only with these four virtues is there no blame, and lacking them brings blame.

Its meaning differs slightly from the previous five hexagrams.

In Revolution (Molting), 'on one's own day one is believed, with four virtues'; if one is not believed on one's own day, the four virtues are absent, which differs again from Qián, Kūn, Difficulty at the Beginning, Approach, Innocence, and Following.

If at the time of the hexagram, its condition is fine yet it does not inherently possess the four virtues, but by practicing this excellence it can only later bring about the four virtues, the hexagram does not mention the virtues directly.

Hexagrams such as Modesty, Peace, and Return have fine virtues and meanings, and if practiced unceasingly they will eventually bring about these four virtues; but at their initial stage the virtues are not yet complete, so the hexagram does not display the four virtues.

For those hexagrams with three virtues or fewer, the general meaning is also like this.

From 'The Tuan says' to 'great indeed.' The Zhengyi commentary states: 'Following: firmness comes and places itself below yielding, moving and bringing joyousness—Following' explains the meaning of the hexagram Following.

What brings about this following is firmness coming to place itself below yielding. 'Firmness' refers to Zhèn; 'yielding' refers to Duì. Zhèn residing below Duì is firmness coming down below yielding.

Zhèn is movement and Duì is joyousness; being able to humble oneself before others and stirring with joy, all things therefore follow.

'Supreme penetration, correctness, without blame, and all under Heaven follows the time' means that because there is supreme penetration, correctness, and freedom from blame and harm, all under Heaven follows it; following with the correct way, those who follow are vast in number.

If one does not follow with supreme penetration, correctness, and freedom from blame, but follows in perversity, all under Heaven will not comply. 'Great indeed is the meaning of following the times!'

means that if one uses the four virtues, all under Heaven will follow, showing how broad and great the meaning of following is; it means that at the inception of following its way is not yet vast, but over time its meaning becomes glorious and great.

It specifically says 'following the times' to denote the meaning of adapting to the seasons and times, indicating that this time is suitable for practicing the four virtues; hence it says 'following the times.'

Regarding the note 'Zhèn is firm and Duì' to 'great indeed!': The Zhengyi commentary states: To practice following without great penetration runs counter to the time.

When things follow one another, if the ruler does not open wide the paths of penetration but allows things to be obstructed, he opposes the time of following.

'Following one another without making it advantageous and correct is the path to calamity' means that when things follow one another, they often form corrupt factions and fail to benefit others while maintaining uprightness; this causes the way of the petty person to grow and calamities to reach them, hence 'the path to calamity.'

'The application of following lies solely in the time' explains the meaning of 'following the times,' saying that establishing measures according to the time depends entirely on attaining the time.

If one can achieve supreme penetration and advantageous correctness, one has attained the time. If one cannot achieve supreme penetration and advantageous correctness, one has lost the time.

'When the time changes and one does not follow, that is the way of Standstill (Stagnation)' means that the times one encounters have no constant form: sometimes one encounters a time of stillness, sometimes a time of mutual following; what was once constant must now be followed.

When the time is vastly different from before, if one does not cause things to follow, that is the path of obstruction.

One must follow when following is called for, acting in accordance with the time, and the benefit will be great; hence it says 'great indeed is the meaning of following the times!'

From 'The Xiang says' to 'rest and repose.' The Zhengyi commentary states: The Shuogua says: 'Of the things that stir the myriad beings, none is swifter than thunder... of the things that bring joy to the myriad beings, none is more pleasing than the marsh.'

Therefore the commentary says: 'Thunder within the marsh presents the image of stirring and joyousness.'

'The gentleman turns inward for rest and repose as darkness falls' explains that when all things follow in joy and ease, there is no need to exhaust oneself with clear scrutiny; hence the gentleman models himself on this. Zheng Xuan says: '晦 (huì) means evening repose.

It is like a sovereign who, after dusk has fallen, enters the private chambers to rest and repose.'