Line 1 Yin
Grass roots come up together: keep integrity with companions in a closed time.
← The 64 hexagrams
HEXAGRAM 12 · Pǐ
Blocked Exchange
When exchange closes, preserve integrity and reduce dependence on rewards.
☰ Above: Qian · Heaven☷ Below: Kun · Earth
Meaning
Heaven and earth do not meet, picturing disconnection between levels. Right action finds little room; modest needs and trustworthy relationships help preserve independence.
FOR REFLECTION
What are you accepting merely to retain a reward or position?
The six lines
Read from line 1 at the bottom to line 6 at the top. These are paraphrases, not verbatim translations.
Line 2 Yin
Accommodation pleases the petty; a principled person may have to endure obstruction.
Line 3 Yin
Shame is being carried within; face the fault before covering it further.
Line 4 Yang
Act with a legitimate charge; those working alongside can share its benefit.
Line 5 Yang
Obstruction is checked; remember possible loss and secure things like rooted mulberry trees.
Line 6 Yang
The blockage is overturned; relief follows the period of separation.
References
Classical Zhouyi · 否James Legge, The Yî King (1882), Sacred Books of the East XVI, hexagram 12
Editorial policy & bibliography →For reference and reflection. This commentary makes no certain claim about the future.