No. 6 Conflict
天水讼 · Sòng · Water under Heaven
“Half way is enough. Stop the fight before it hardens.”
Lower trigram ☵ Water 坎 — depth & steady flow
Upper trigram ☰ Heaven 乾 — inherent order of reality
Trigram: a three-line symbolic figure that forms one half of an I Ching hexagram.
- Dispute
- Half measure
- Cool talk
- Clear record
- Timely stop
Introduction
Conflict puts water under heaven: energy moving down while the sky moves up, the two pulling apart. It pictures a disagreement with real momentum behind it.
In practice this points to a stretch where a dispute is live. The useful move is a partial settlement, not a total win.
The judgement
“Conflict. You are sincere, and still obstructed. Stopping halfway works. Carrying it to the end does not.”
In plain words: the dispute is real, and the useful move is a partial settlement. Pressing for a full verdict tends to cost more than it wins.
Read it as a stretch to pause and bring in a fair third party. A total win tends to leave damage behind.
Core themes
- Winning outright tends to cost more than settling early.
- A calm third party tends to change the temperature fast.
- Keeping a record tends to protect you without raising the fight.
Line-by-line overview
Six lines, read bottom to top — matching the figure above.
Each line describes one stage in an evolving situation. Line 1 marks the earliest, foundational beginning; line 6 shows where the pattern has run its course. Open a line to read it.
Line 1 初六
Stop before the final confrontation. A small settlement tends to hold.
Talk briefly, then let it rest.
Line 2 九二
You cannot win from here. Step back to ground you control.
Retreating now tends to cost far less than continuing.
Line 3 六三
Do not reach for more while a dispute is open.
Staying with what is already yours tends to be safe, and old stability tends to carry you through this stretch.
Line 4 九四
Go back to what was settled before. Accepting it tends to bring peace.
Changing your stance now tends to restart the whole thing.
Line 5 九五
If pressing is needed, press in front of a fair, neutral party.
A proper setting tends to settle it cleanly.
Line 6 上九
Winning by pushing hard tends to bring a reward that slips away.
Ask whether the win is worth the repair work afterwards.
Summary
Read as a whole, this figure describes a live disagreement. Aim for a partial resolution, keep a record, and notice where your pride is asking for a full win.
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Hexagram 06 · Conflict 讼
A way to look at what is moving around you now, not a fixed answer. Notice your inner state, then decide how to act.
There is friction here that has not been said out loud. Naming it plainly tends to help.
This pattern favors settling the current point over winning the wider argument.
Many people aim to be right. Being understood tends to matter more for closeness.
Stop before the last word. The last word tends to cost more than it gains.
Ultimately, your real-world facts and personal choices will shape how things unfold.
This hexagram contains 1 changing line. You may read detailed line interpretations inside the full hexagram-knowledge page. If you want to deepen your understanding of changing lines and line positions, please visit our I-Ching six-line learning page.
Read the full guide →- Notice whether you want resolution or victory. Wanting resolution tends to open a talk. Wanting victory tends to close it.
- Ask what the other person is protecting. Seeing it tends to soften your own position. Ignoring it tends to harden both sides.
Related reading
Short reads from the blog. A changing line is a line that may shift as a situation moves.
Working with changing lines
Learn about changing lines and how to interpret them
Expectation & inner honesty
Set proper expectations before your reflection reading
Using the I Ching for self-reflection
Turn the reading into something you do.
Related hexagrams
Waiting · 需
Read it the other way up
No. 7The Army · 师
The hexagram after this one
No. 4Youthful Folly · 蒙
The hexagram before this one
If you would like to browse all 64 hexagrams, visit All 64 Hexagrams.
If you would like to learn about static hexagrams and the interpretation rules for changing lines within I-Ching, please visit our general guide: Understanding Changing & Static Lines.