Hexagram 17

隨 Suí

Following

☱ Lake above ☳ Thunder

Judgment 卦辭

元亨利貞。无咎。

隨suífollowing; succeed, comply, going along
元yuánmost; first-rate, supreme, excellent
亨hēngfulfilling; fulfillment, satisfaction, success
利lìworthwhile, rewarding, beneficial
貞zhēnto be persistent, loyal, dedicated, steadfast
無wúno; not; nothing; without, with no; avoid
咎jiùblame; wrong; mistake, error

Commentary

Supreme success. Perseverance furthers. No blame. To gain followers, first learn to follow. To lead, first serve. Only by adapting to others do you earn their joyful support.

Classical Text

隨震下兌上 隨，元亨利貞，无咎。

Sui (Following). Zhen below, Dui above. Following. Sublime Beginning, Success, Benefit, Correctness. No blame.

Image 象

澤中有雷，隨。君子以嚮晦入宴息。

Thunder in the middle of the lake—energy resting within stillness. At nightfall, go indoors for rest. The wise person knows when to stop pushing and allow recovery. Following the natural rhythm.

Lines 爻辭

1

官有渝貞吉出門交有功

官guānthe standards, objectives; authority, rulers
有yǒuwill; is, are
渝yúchange; changing; being revised, amended
貞zhēnpersistence, resolve, loyalty, commitment
吉jípromising, auspicious, opportune, timely
出chūleaving, departing; going out of, beyond
門ména outer gate, doorway
交jiāoto communicate, interact, interrelate, share
有yǒuhas, holds; will have, hold
功gōngmerit, worth, effect, benefit, tangible value

Standards change. Perseverance brings good fortune. Going out and engaging with others yields results. Something shifts in the rules; stay true to principle while adapting to the change.

Classical commentary

初九，官有渝，貞吉。出門交有功。

Initial Nine. The office undergoes change. Correctness brings good fortune. Going out the gate to form associations brings achievement.

2

係小子失丈夫

係xìattached, bound, tied, belonging to
小xiǎoa little, small, young
子zǐchild, young one
失shīlosing, neglecting, giving up, dismissing
丈zhàngthe senior, elder, older, grown; maturity
夫fūgentleman; the one, those of, who is

If you cling to the small child, you lose the strong man. Attachment to the lesser means forfeiting the greater. Choose carefully what you follow.

Classical commentary

《象》曰：係小子，弗兼與也。

The Image says: 'Attached to the young boy' -- one cannot serve both at once.

3

係丈夫失小子隨有求得利居貞

係xìattached, bound, tied, belonging to
丈zhàngthe senior elder, older, grown; maturity
夫fūgentleman; the one, those of, who is
失shīlosing, neglecting, giving up, dismissing
小xiǎoa little, small, young
子zǐchild, young one
隨suífollow, succeed, complying; going along
有yǒuassumes, becomes, will become; comes to be
求qiúa quest, search, desire for; seeking of
得dégain, attainment, possessions, security
利lìworthwhile, gainful; warranting
居jūto abide in, maintain, practice; abiding
貞zhēnpersistence, resolve, firmness, the truth

If you cling to the strong man, you lose the small child. Following has gains—but always costs. What you seek, you find. Settle into what you've chosen.

Classical commentary

六三，係丈夫，失小子。隨有求得，利居貞。

Six in the Third. Attached to the mature man, loses the young boy. In following, what is sought is obtained. It is beneficial to abide in correctness.

4

隨有獲貞凶有孚在道以明何咎

隨suífollow, succeed, complying; going along
有yǒuhas; to have; achieve, attain, gain, finds
獲huòsuccess, gain, prizes seized in a hunt
貞zhēnpersistence, resolve, focus, constancy
凶xiōngunfortunate, inauspicious, has pitfalls
有yǒube, staying; have, find; remember
孚fútrue, sincerely; confidence; to trust
在zàion, in; to
道dàoa way, course, path, principle, process
以yǐin order to be; using, with, through
明míngclear, lucid, aware; clarity, light, intelligence
何héwhere is, what is; how is there
咎jiùthe blame, error, wrong, harm?

Following brings gain. Perseverance brings misfortune. But if you remain sincere and clear about your path—what blame? Success through following can corrupt if you lose your own direction.

Classical commentary

《象》曰：隨有獲，其義凶也。有孚在道，明功也。

The Image says: 'In following there is a catch' -- in its meaning this is ominous. 'Having sincerity on the Way' -- this makes achievement clear.

5

孚于嘉吉

孚fútrust, relying; confidence, faith, belief
于yúin; on; with respect to
嘉jiāexcellence, quality; the excellent, credible
吉jípromising, auspicious, opportune, timely

Sincere in the excellent. Good fortune. When your allegiance aligns with what's genuinely good, fortune follows naturally.

Classical commentary

九五，孚于嘉，吉。

Nine in the Fifth. Sincerity in what is excellent. Good fortune.

6

拘係之乃從維之王用亨于西山

拘jūseize, capture, catch, lay hold of, arrest them
係xìand bind, restrain, tie; tie up
之zhīthem, these, this, it
乃nǎiand then, now, after this
從cóngfollow, attend, comply by, with
維wéiholding fast, restrained; tight, securely
之zhīthem, these, this, it
王wángthe Sovereign, king, ruler
用yòngwill make, present, offer, performs
亨hēngfulfillment, offering, sacrifice, tributes
于yúto, by, on, at, beside
西xīthe Western (the site of the Zhou
山shānMountain ancestral shrine)

Bound and tied, then truly committed. The king makes offerings at Western Mountain. The deepest following requires being held fast first—then the connection becomes sacred.

Classical commentary

上六，拘係之乃從，維之，王用亨于西山。

Top Six. Bound and held fast, then it submits. Tethered to it. The king makes offerings at the Western Mountain.