I Ching Hexagram 58: Dui (兌), The Joyous — Meaning and Lines
I Ching hexagram 58, Dui (兌): The Joyous. Lake over Lake, the judgment, six lines, and a careful reading.
Key points
| Number | 58 of 64 (King Wen sequence) |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | Dui (兌) |
| Name in French | Dui, le Joyeux |
| Lower trigram | ☱ Dui, the Lake |
| Upper trigram | ☱ Dui, the Lake |
| Image | Two lakes side by side: shared joy, words exchanged |
| Reversed hexagram | No. 57, Xun, The Gentle |
| Nature of the text | A book of wisdom and oracle, a tool for reflection, not a prediction |
Dui: what is it about?
Hexagram 58, Dui (兌, pronounced roughly "dway"), is the hexagram of the joyous, of joy that is communicated. The character is linked to the mouth, to speech and to exchange. According to the commentary on the sequence of the hexagrams, it follows The Gentle: one penetrates, and then one rejoices.
The two trigrams
The first three lines (at the bottom) form the lower trigram, the last three the upper one. Here, the Lake (Dui) sits beneath the Lake (Dui).
| Position | Trigram | Image |
|---|---|---|
| Upper (top) | ☱ Dui, the Lake | The lake |
| Lower (bottom) | ☱ Dui, the Lake | The lake |
Two lakes set back to back: each is nourished by the other. The Image turns this into a scene of friendship: friends who talk and practise together.
The judgment in brief
The judgment is brief: success, perseverance is favourable. My summary: joy succeeds when it is upright. Dui is not a joy that flatters or sweeps one along, but one shared among equals, in exchange and in study.
General meaning
Dui speaks of joy, of the gentleness of speech, of the pleasure of studying together. The text distinguishes several joys: the harmonious (line 1), the sincere (line 2), the pursued (line 3), the weighed (line 4), the corrupting (line 5) and the seductive (line 6).
The hexagram is therefore not simple praise: it invites us to discern where joy comes from.
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 (yang). A harmonious joy: good. A simple happiness, without ulterior motive.
- Line 2 (yang). A sincere joy: good, regrets disappear.
- Line 3 (yin). A joy one goes looking for outside: misfortune. A pleasure pursued outside does not bring peace.
- Line 4 (yang). One weighs one's joy without being at peace; a slight discomfort eventually fades and joy returns. Choosing between pleasures.
- Line 5 (yang). One trusts what erodes: danger. Beware of flattery.
- Line 6, at the top (yin). A joy that carries one away, that attracts. The text does not decide: it is for you to judge.
The 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; the schools diverge when several lines are changing.
| Changing line | Change | Resulting hexagram |
|---|---|---|
| Line 1 | yang becomes yin | No. 47, Kun, Oppression |
| Line 2 | yang becomes yin | No. 17, Sui, Following |
| Line 3 | yin becomes yang | No. 43, Guai, Break-through |
| Line 4 | yang becomes yin | No. 60, Jie, Limitation |
| Line 5 | yang becomes yin | No. 54, Gui Mei, The Marrying Maiden |
| Line 6 | yin becomes yang | No. 10, Lü, Treading |
Changing all six lines together would give No. 52 (Gen, Keeping Still). Lines 3 and 6, which are yin lines, represent the joy that comes from outside; lines 1, 2, 4 and 5 are yang and speak of inner quality.
A careful modern reading
Dui is read in connection with exchanges, friendships, speech, celebrations and studying together. The current reading adds a question: where does my joy come from, from myself or from the gaze of others? If a pleasure (alcohol, gambling, screens, shopping) takes up all the room, it is a health matter that a professional can help to examine, not a message from the hexagram.
Questions for reflection
- What is the simplest joy in my week?
- Which pleasure am I going looking for outside, out of lack?
- With whom do I really speak, study or play, on an equal footing?
- Which flattery am I inclined to believe?
Mistakes to avoid
- Reading Dui as a green light for every pleasure: the text distinguishes between them.
- Confusing joy with euphoria: lines 1 and 2 describe a calm joy.
- Taking hexagram 58 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 "Dui, The Joyous" follows one translation tradition among others; in Chinese, it is Dui (兌). Other translations speak of joy, the lake, contentment or serenity; in English, "the joyous" or "open". Dui is also the name of the Lake trigram.
In King Wen's sequence, it forms a pair with No. 57 (Xun, The Gentle), whose figure is this one turned upside down. Full list: the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching.
Frequently asked questions
What does hexagram 58 of the I Ching mean?
Dui, the joyous: joy that is shared, words exchanged between friends, with the image of two lakes side by side.
Which trigrams make up hexagram 58?
Dui, the Lake, below, and Dui, the Lake, above: a hexagram with a doubled trigram.
Are all joys equal in Dui?
No. The lines distinguish harmonious and sincere joy from pursued, flattering or sweeping joy.
Why does the Image speak of friends?
Because two lakes set back to back feed each other. The commentary makes them an image of exchange and of studying together.
What happens when a line of hexagram 58 is changing?
It turns into its opposite and gives rise 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 58 be relied on to make a decision?
It can feed 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 (in France) or 112 (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.