I Ching Hexagram 50: Ding (鼎), The Cauldron — Meaning and Lines
I Ching Hexagram 50, Ding (鼎): The Cauldron. Xun below Li, judgement, six lines, a careful reading.
Key points
| Number | 50 of 64 (King Wen sequence) |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | Ding (鼎) |
| Name in French | Ding, le Chaudron (The Cauldron) |
| Lower trigram | ☴ Xun, Wind |
| Upper trigram | ☲ Li, Fire |
| Image | Fire over wood: the cauldron in which sacred food is cooked |
| Twin hexagram | No. 49, Ge, Revolution |
| Nature of the text | A book of wisdom and oracle, a tool for reflection, not a prediction |
Ding: what is it about?
Hexagram 50, Ding (鼎, pronounced roughly "ding"), is the hexagram of the cauldron: the two-handled bronze tripod in which offerings for the ancestors were cooked. These ritual vessels, attested from the Shang period onward, were also symbols of power. According to the commentary on the order of the hexagrams, it follows Revolution: after change, nothing is better than a cauldron for making it last.
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 Fire (Li).
| Position | Trigram | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Upper (top) | ☲ Li, the Fire | The fire |
| Lower (bottom) | ☴ Xun, the Wind | The wind |
Fire above Wood (or Wind): the wood feeds the flame, the flame cooks. Many commentators also see in the figure the shape of the vessel: legs at the bottom, a full belly, handles, and a carrying bar at the top.
The judgement in brief
The judgement is brief and very favourable: great good fortune and success. My summary: cooking, transforming the raw into shared food, is the act of civilisation par excellence. The Image adds that the noble person puts their place in order and strengthens their mission: a cauldron is stable because it rests on three legs.
General meaning
Ding brings together three ideas: nourishing, transforming, legitimising. The cauldron feeds the family and the ancestors; the fire transforms the raw into the cooked; the vessel also marks authority.
The hexagram speaks of stability, but of a stability that rests on what one is capable of carrying.
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 tips the cauldron over to empty it: good for getting rid of the old. An image from ancient usage (the secondary wife who bears an heir) says that a modest gesture can prepare the future.
- Line 2 (yang). The cauldron is full; envious rivals cannot approach me. Good.
- Line 3 (yang). The handles are broken: it can no longer be moved, and the food is not eaten. Then comes the rain: regrets diminish, and the end is good.
- Line 4 (yang). A leg breaks, the lord's stew is spilled, and one is covered in shame: misfortune. One has loaded more than one's strength can bear.
- Line 5 (yin). Yellow handles and golden rings: perseverance is favourable. Everything holds, everything is carried.
- Line 6, at the top (yang). Rings of jade: great good fortune, everything is favourable. Gentleness at the summit.
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. 14, Da You, Possession in Great Measure |
| Line 2 | yang becomes yin | No. 56, Lü, The Wanderer |
| Line 3 | yang becomes yin | No. 64, Wei Ji, Before Completion |
| Line 4 | yang becomes yin | No. 18, Gu, Work on What Has Been Spoiled |
| Line 5 | yin becomes yang | No. 44, Gou, Coming to Meet |
| Line 6 | yang becomes yin | No. 32, Heng, Duration |
If all six lines changed together, the result would be No. 3 (Zhun, Difficulty at the Beginning). Line 4, the only clearly negative one, speaks of an excessive load; lines 5 and 6 (handles, golden rings then jade rings) describe the manner of carrying well.
A careful modern reading
Today Ding is associated with the family table, a stable framework, an institution, or a piece of work that turns raw material into something that can be shared. The most often repeated lesson is that of line 4: the container must be equal to what it holds. It is worth reflecting on when a project grows too large, rather than as a way of predicting anything.
Questions for reflection
- What am I "cooking" at the moment: an idea, a relationship, a project?
- Are my three legs (supports, means, time) solid?
- Where have I overloaded the cauldron?
- Whom do I nourish, and am I nourished in return?
Mistakes to avoid
- Taking the cauldron as a symbol of wealth: it is first and foremost a vessel for offering and sharing.
- Holding on only to the good fortune of the judgement while forgetting the warning of line 4.
- Taking hexagram 50 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 "Ding, The Cauldron" follows one translation tradition among others; in Chinese, Ding (鼎). "The Cauldron" is the most widespread translation; one also reads the tripod or the ritual vessel, and in English "the cauldron" or "the vessel". A ding is a ritual object, not a cooking pot.
In the King Wen sequence, it forms a pair with No. 49 (Ge, Revolution), whose figure is its own read upside down. Full list: the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching.
Frequently asked questions
What does hexagram 50 of the I Ching mean?
Ding, the cauldron: the ritual tripod in which offerings are cooked, an image of shared food, transformation and stability.
Which trigrams make up hexagram 50?
Xun, the Wind (or Wood), below, and Li, the Fire, above.
Why does the figure evoke a cauldron?
Because the broken line at the bottom recalls the legs, the three solid lines the belly, the next broken line the handles, and the solid line at the top the carrying bar. This is a classical reading, not a proof.
What is the link between Ding and Ge (49)?
The two hexagrams are twins in the King Wen sequence: one changes, the other makes the change last by nourishing and consolidating.
What happens when a line of hexagram 50 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 50 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.