I Ching Hexagram 46: Sheng (升), Pushing Upward — Meaning and Lines
I Ching Hexagram 46, Sheng (升): Pushing Upward. Xun below Kun, judgement, six lines, a careful reading.
Key points
| Number | 46 of 64 (King Wen sequence) |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | Sheng (升) |
| Name in French | Sheng, la Poussée vers le haut (Pushing Upward) |
| Lower trigram | ☴ Xun, Wind |
| Upper trigram | ☷ Kun, Earth |
| Image | A tree growing within the earth |
| Twin hexagram | No. 45, Cui, The Gathering |
| Nature of the text | A book of wisdom and oracle, a tool for reflection, not a prediction |
Sheng: what is it about?
Hexagram 46, Sheng (升, pronounced roughly "shung"), evokes an ascent: climbing a step, a shoot that grows, a promotion. The character means rising, climbing up. In the King Wen sequence, it follows The Gathering: what has been amassed can now rise.
The two trigrams
The first three lines (at the bottom) form the lower trigram, the last three the upper one. Here, the Wind (Xun) lies beneath the Earth (Kun).
| Position | Trigram | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Upper (top) | ☷ Kun, the Earth | The earth |
| Lower (bottom) | ☴ Xun, the Wind | The wind |
Wind or Wood beneath the Earth: a seed that the earth covers and that pushes up through it. Xun is also, in the tradition, the image of wood and of the growing plant.
The judgement in brief
The judgement promises great success and advises seeing the important person without worry; it adds that heading south is favourable. My summary: the ascent succeeds if it is supported by something greater than oneself and without excessive fear. In the tradition, south is the direction of light: one advances towards what illuminates.
General meaning
Sheng speaks of a slow and natural progression, like a tree piercing the soil. It is not a leap: the commentary's image is of accumulating small things in order to become high and great, following one's virtue, that is, one's right way of acting.
The hexagram does not, however, promise an easy promotion: the ascent depends on the quality of its roots and on the trust one receives from others.
The six lines, from bottom to top
Each line is summarised in my own words; the ancient text is very elliptical and commentators complete it in different ways.
- Line 1, at the bottom (yin). One rises with the agreement of those above: great success. The impetus is welcomed, and it carries one upward.
- Line 2 (yang). A simple but sincere offering is enough. Frankness replaces display.
- Line 3 (yang). One rises into an empty city: nothing stands in the way, but nothing awaits either. Caution before too much ease.
- Line 4 (yin). The king makes an offering on Mount Qi, the historical cradle of the Zhou: one honours one's origins by climbing, and this is favourable.
- Line 5 (yin). Perseverance succeeds: one climbs step by step, without skipping stages.
- Line 6, at the top (yin). Climbing in darkness, without seeing: the effort must not stop, but it must change in nature, towards an unrelenting uprightness.
Changing lines
A "changing" line is about to turn into its opposite. One reads its text, then the hexagram that arises from the change, taken as the direction the situation is taking; schools differ when several lines are changing.
| Changing line | Change | Resulting hexagram |
|---|---|---|
| Line 1 | yin becomes yang | No. 11, Tai, Peace |
| Line 2 | yang becomes yin | No. 15, Qian, Modesty |
| Line 3 | yang becomes yin | No. 7, Shi, The Army |
| Line 4 | yin becomes yang | No. 32, Heng, Duration |
| Line 5 | yin becomes yang | No. 48, Jing, The Well |
| Line 6 | yin becomes yang | No. 18, Gu, Work on What Has Been Spoiled |
If all six lines changed together, the result would be No. 25 (Wu Wang, Innocence). Line 3, the line of the "empty city", recalls that an ascent without obstacles is also an ascent without support; line 6, for its part, warns against blind ambition.
A careful modern reading
Sheng is readily applied to a professional advance, an apprenticeship, or a project that grows in stages. Modern readings stress patience: the upward push is lasting when it respects the rhythm of living things. Nothing indicates that this ascent will happen; the hexagram describes an attitude, not a result.
Questions for reflection
- What small steps can I accumulate rather than making one big leap?
- What does my momentum rest on: roots, or only the wish to rise?
- Whom should I trust, and who trusts me?
- Where am I tempted to climb without seeing where I am going?
Mistakes to avoid
- Reading "walk south" as a geographical instruction: it is an image of light and openness.
- Confusing ascent with ambition at any cost: the text speaks of virtue and small accumulations.
- Taking hexagram 46 as a prediction or as medical, financial, legal or safety advice: the I Ching is a tool for reflection, and such decisions belong to a professional.
Other names and other translations
The name "Sheng, Pushing Upward" follows one translation tradition among others; in Chinese, Sheng (升). Other translations speak of pushing upward, ascending, rising or promotion; in English one finds "pushing upward" or "ascending".
In the King Wen sequence, it forms a pair with No. 45 (Cui, The Gathering), whose figure is its own read upside down. Full list: the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching.
Frequently asked questions
What does hexagram 46 of the I Ching mean?
Sheng, pushing upward: a gradual rise, compared to a shoot growing up through the earth.
Which trigrams make up hexagram 46?
Xun, the Wind (or Wood), below, and Kun, the Earth, above.
Does Sheng announce a promotion?
No. The image speaks of a slow rise and of qualities to be cultivated, never of a guaranteed event.
Why is south mentioned in the judgement?
In the tradition, south is the direction of light and fire: it carries the idea of advancing towards what illuminates. The text remains elliptical and commentators differ.
What happens when a line of hexagram 46 is changing?
It turns into its opposite and gives birth to a second hexagram, read as the direction the situation is taking. The table on this page gives the resulting hexagram for each of the six lines.
Can hexagram 46 be relied on to make a decision?
It can nourish reflection, but it can never replace the advice of a professional. For health, money, law or safety, consult the competent person; in case of distress, call 3114 or 112 in France (112 is the emergency number across the European Union).
Also read
The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to The 64 hexagrams of the Yi King.