26. Great Taming 大畜
Da Xu · Heaven over Mountain
The Judgment
Real power is built by holding energy in reserve and refining it before release. By containing your drive and feeding it with steady learning, you accumulate capacity that becomes formidable when finally applied. This is a time to stay firm, draw on what's tested and proven, and prepare for a significant undertaking rather than spending yourself prematurely.
The Image
Like a mountain holding the vast sky within its reach, the wise person studies the wisdom of the past and gathers strength quietly, building character before action.
What it means
Great Taming is about disciplined accumulation—growing your strength, knowledge, and resources while deliberately not discharging them too soon. The restraint is not weakness; it is what makes the eventual move powerful.
Now is the season to invest in yourself: study, train, save, build relationships, sharpen skills. Let pressure build behind a firm wall rather than leaking out in small, impulsive actions.
When the moment is right, this stored-up capacity lets you take on something large. Draw on proven experience and don't keep everything to yourself—what you've gathered is meant, eventually, to serve a real purpose in the wider world.
Love and relationships
Invest patiently in the relationship and in your own growth; a bond strengthened by restraint and shared values can carry real weight.
Career and decisions
Build your expertise and resources now and resist premature moves—accumulated competence positions you for a major opportunity ahead.
The six lines
- 1. Six at the beginning
There is danger in pressing forward right now. The wise response is to hold back and wait rather than force the issue.
When changing: A changing line strongly advises stopping before you advance into difficulty.
- 2. Six in the second place
Like taking the wheels off a wagon, voluntarily pausing your own momentum prevents a worse problem. Self-imposed restraint here is wisdom.
When changing: Changing here means deliberately disengaging from forward motion to stay safe.
- 3. Nine in the third place
The way begins to open and you can move with allies, but stay alert and keep practicing your skills. Readiness, not recklessness, carries you.
When changing: A changing line says progress is possible now if you remain prepared and vigilant.
- 4. Nine in the fourth place
Channeling raw force early—like guarding a young animal before its horns grow—prevents harm and brings good fortune. Manage the energy before it's dangerous.
When changing: Changing here favors early, gentle redirection of strong forces.
- 5. Nine in the fifth place
Taming great power at its source, the way you'd safely guide a strong animal, turns potential danger into benefit. Skillful handling brings reward.
When changing: A changing line points to wisely transforming a powerful force into an asset.
- 6. Nine at the top
The accumulated strength is finally released and the path is wide open. What was stored now flows freely toward success.
When changing: Changing here marks the breakthrough—the held energy is ready to be used.
大畜 Great Taming
Cast this for your questionOn-page guidance is original modern synthesis for reflection, informed by the public-domain Legge text. It is not a reproduction of any copyrighted translation, and not a prediction.