Hexagram 8 Bǐ (比): Holding Together, meaning and six lines

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Hexagram 8: Bǐ (比), name and composition

Hexagram 8 speaks of union. In its ancient form the character shows two people side by side, one following the other. It describes how people gather around a centre, and what makes an alliance last.

Hexagram No. 8 is written 比 and transcribed Bǐ in pinyin; it is pronounced roughly “bee”. It is made of two trigrams stacked on top of each other: below, on the inside, Kun (Earth); above, on the outside, Kan (Water). The overall image is therefore Water above Earth.

The six lines, from bottom to top, are: yin (broken), yin (broken), yin (broken), yin (broken), yang (solid), yin (broken). In the King Wen sequence it forms a pair with hexagram 7 (Shi, The Army), which is the same figure turned upside down.

The judgment in brief

The judgment is favorable, with one condition: examine yourself. The text invites us to consult the oracle again to make sure of the solidity of your intentions, that is to say of your generosity of spirit, your constancy and your staying power. Those who are uneasy come of their own accord; the one who arrives too late finds the door less open.

General meaning

Water is set upon Earth: it spreads over the ground and binds to it, as people attach themselves to a community. In the figure, a single yang, in the fifth place, the place of the leader, is surrounded by yin lines: everyone turns toward him. The hexagram is the counterpart of the previous one: hexagram 7 shows the strength of a group under a leader, hexagram 8 the cohesion born of trust.

The text reminds us that uniting requires choosing well with whom, and doing so wholeheartedly. Attachment to people who are not suited, or a late and half-hearted adherence, come at a high price. The king who hunts lets go the game that flees before him: one does not force those who do not want to come.

The six lines, one by one

The lines are counted from bottom to top. Here, summarised in our own words, is the image the ancient text attaches to each one; the last column gives the hexagram obtained if that line alone changes.

Line	Nature	Image in brief	If it changes
1	yin (broken)	Bond with sincerity: like a jar filled to the brim, this loyalty in the end attracts blessings from elsewhere.	No. 3 (Zhun)
2	yin (broken)	Unite from within, starting with yourself: fidelity to yourself brings you safely to your goal.	No. 29 (Kan)
3	yin (broken)	Binding yourself to people who are not suitable: an ill-placed attachment.	No. 39 (Jian (obstacle))
4	yin (broken)	Uniting outside, with a person of worth: a good direction.	No. 45 (Cui)
5	yang (solid)	Union in the open: the leader compels no one, and people need not be warned; a good sign.	No. 2 (Kun)
6	yin (broken)	Arriving without a head, that is to say without drive or a clear initiative: the union goes wrong.	No. 20 (Guan)

Changing lines

A changing line is a line that the casting marks as unstable: one reads its own text, then it turns into its opposite, which gives a second hexagram, read as the direction the situation is taking. A changing yang line is called “nine”, a changing yin line “six”. Without any changing line, one keeps to the general judgment.

For Bi, a changing line describes the quality of your bond: sincere loyalty, fidelity to yourself, an ill-placed attachment, union with a person of worth, free adherence, or a late and half-hearted approach.

A modern reading, with caution

Today, Bi is often read in relation to friendships, associations, teams or couples. A cautious reading sees mainly an invitation to examine the way one commits: why, with whom, and at what pace. Allying oneself out of fear of being alone is not what the text describes. The hexagram does not say whether a relationship will last.

Questions to reflect on

• Why am I joining this group or this relationship?
• Does this person or this collective really deserve my loyalty?
• Do I respect the freedom of those I attract?
• Is there a bond I have been too slow to build, or to leave?

Mistakes to avoid

• Uniting out of pressure or fear of loneliness.
• Forcing someone to join a project, which the fifth line advises against.
• Clinging to unreliable people out of habit.
• Waiting too long to commit, or to break off.

Names, translations and a reminder

The name “Bi, Holding Together” follows one translation tradition among others. Other translations speak of Union, Cohesion or Association; the character 比 means “to compare” in other uses. Compare two translations if you can.

A reminder: the I Ching is a book of wisdom and divination, consulted as a tool for reflection, never as a prediction; it replaces no medical, legal, financial or safety advice. This page summarises the text in our own words.

Frequently asked questions

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.