訟
“lawsuit” — King Wen #6
Conflict. Even when you feel right, pressing a quarrel to the end brings no lasting win.
The Judgment 卦辞
有孚，窒惕，中吉；終凶。利見大人，不利涉大川。
Song intimates how, though there is sincerity in one's contention, he will yet meet with opposition and obstruction; but if he cherish an apprehensive caution, there will be good fortune, while, if he must prosecute the contention to the (bitter) end, there will be evil. It will be advantageous to see the great man; it will not be advantageous to cross the great stream.— The I Ching, trans. James Legge, 1899 (public domain)1
The Six Lines 爻辞
不永所事，小有言，終吉。
The first SIX, divided, shows its subject not perpetuating the matter about which (the contention is). He will suffer the small (injury) of being spoken against, but the end will be fortunate.
不克訟，歸而逋，其邑人三百戶，無眚。
The second NINE, undivided, shows its subject unequal to the contention. If he retire and keep concealed (where) the inhabitants of his city are (only) three hundred families, he will fall into no mistake.
食舊德，貞厲，終吉；或從王事，無成。
The third SIX, divided, shows its subject keeping in the old place assigned for his support, and firmly correct. Perilous as the position is, there will be good fortune in the end. Should he perchance engage in the king's business, he will not (claim the merit of) achievement.
不克訟；復即命，渝，安貞，吉。
The fourth NINE, undivided, shows its subject unequal to the contention. He returns to (the study of Heaven's) ordinances, changes (his wish to contend), and rests in being firm and correct. There will be good fortune.
訟，元吉。
S. The fifth NINE, undivided, shows its subject contending - and with great good fortune.
或錫之鞶帶，終朝三褫之。
The topmost NINE, undivided, shows how its subject may have the leathern belt conferred on him (by the sovereign), and thrice it shall be taken from him in a morning.
Reading the Picture
Hexagram 6 places water (坎) beneath heaven (乾) —water finding its way through hard gaps below, creative force pressing upward above. This is why the tradition reads it as “lawsuit”:conflict. Even when you feel right, pressing a quarrel to the end brings no lasting win Whenever you cast this figure, the classical reading points back to that turning of forces.
Questions About Hexagram 6
What does 訟 (sòng) mean?
Hexagram 6 of the I Ching is named 訟 (sòng), usually rendered "lawsuit" in English editions. Its figure pairs water (坎) below with heaven (乾) above.
Which trigrams form hexagram 6?
乾 (Heaven) sits above and 坎 (Water) sits below — the classical picture is water finding its way through hard gaps beneath creative force pressing upward.
How is hexagram 6 related to the other hexagrams?
Changing every line of hexagram 6 gives hexagram 36 — 明夷 (Darkening of the Light). Turned upside down it becomes hexagram 5 — 需 (Attending). Its nuclear hexagram — the inner pattern of lines 2 through 5 — is hexagram 37 — 家人 (Dwelling People).
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1 Legge, James. The Yi King, Sacred Books of the East vol. XVI (1899), public domain. Classical Chinese from the received Zhouyi text. · For reflection and entertainment — not financial, medical, or life advice.