I Ching Hexagram 32 · Heng Hexagram

Hexagram Position Information

• Hexagram Number: Hexagram 32
• Hexagram Name: Duration
• Hexagram Image: Zhen ☳ above · Xun ☴ below (Thunder above, Wind below)
• Hexagram Quality: Upper-middle hexagram, governing endurance, perseverance, and the constant way

• Primary Hexagram: Duration (Hexagram 32)
• Nuclear Hexagram: Breakthrough (Hexagram 43)
• Inverse Hexagram: Increase (Hexagram 42)
• Paired Hexagram: Influence (Hexagram 31)

Duration follows from Influence: from mutual attraction it enters lasting continuity, from passion it returns to the constant way. It is one of the core hexagrams in the Zhouyi concerning “the Way of lasting endurance.”

What This Hexagram Is Saying

Duration. Success. No blame. Constancy is beneficial. It is beneficial to have somewhere to go.

The Hexagram Duration symbolizes smooth progress and freedom from fault; good fortune comes from steadfastly holding to the right way. If there is a direction to pursue and one continues advancing with persistence, it is favorable.

The Great Image and Core Spirit

The Image says: Thunder and Wind: Duration. The noble person thereby stands firm and does not change direction lightly.

Thunder moves and wind follows; wind travels and thunder responds. In the natural world, this is ceaseless repetition and constant operation. Observing this image, the noble person should establish himself in the right way, set firm principles, and not alter them lightly.

What Duration reveals is not rigid unchangeability, but rather holding fast to what is fundamental amid change, and maintaining principle amid movement. Heaven and Earth are constant, yet the four seasons still revolve; the sage has a guiding way, yet adapts according to circumstances.

The Progression of the Six Lines

1. Initial Six: Seeking duration too deeply; constancy brings misfortune; nothing is favorable

   At the very beginning, one rashly seeks something too far-reaching and instead meets danger. Insight: the way of endurance must not be pursued with impatient haste.

2. Nine in the Second Place: Regret vanishes

   By holding to the center without deviation and maintaining endurance in proper measure, regret naturally disappears.

3. Nine in the Third Place: One does not make one's virtue endure; perhaps one will receive shame; constancy brings distress

   Fickle and inconsistent, one loses trust and in the end falls into humiliation. Insight: a person without constancy has no place to stand.

4. Nine in the Fourth Place: No game in the field

   The position is improper; effort is spent, yet nothing is gained. Insight: if endurance is out of place, it is still hard to achieve success.

5. Six in the Fifth Place: Making virtue endure brings constancy; for a woman, good fortune; for a man, misfortune

   For a woman, steadfast constancy brings good fortune; for a man, if he clings rigidly and does not adapt, it turns into a sign of misfortune. Insight: endurance must accord with one’s role and responsibilities.

6. Top Six: Restless duration; misfortune

   Constant agitation without rest, changing orders from morning to night, leads in the end to no accomplishment. Insight: to occupy a high position without constancy is certain to invite failure.

Guidance for Everyday Life

Key themes and overall guidance:

All things can be accomplished through persistence; gradual, step-by-step progress brings good fortune, while impatience and repeated reversals easily invite trouble and misfortune.

Career and finances:

Success depends on perseverance. Motives must be upright, and actions must be steady. Do not rush forward, but do not cling to rigid fixity either; within the constant way, one should adapt with flexibility.

Favorable for long-term enterprise and steady trade. Strategies may be adjusted, but fundamental principles must not be violated, nor should one blindly follow trends.

Relationships and human connections:

Feelings need time to deepen and settle; avoid being tempted by every new attraction. Harmony, trustworthiness, and long-term devotion are what lead to growing old together.

Physical and mental state:

Longstanding conditions are best treated with familiar methods; the emphasis is on recovery, care, and consistency, not on frequently changing treatments.

The above content is provided მხოლოდ as a reference for everyday self-care; if physical or emotional discomfort persists or worsens, please consult a qualified medical or mental health professional first.

One-Sentence Reminder

The way of Duration lies in upholding what is right without rigidity, and in lasting perseverance without restlessness. Only those who can make their virtue endure can achieve lasting success.