Hexagram 14. Great Possession (大有 Dà Yǒu)
Trigrams
- Above
- ☲ Lí (Fire) — 火 · Radiance
- Below
- ☰ Qián (Heaven) — 天 · Creative
Symbolic Meaning
大有 (Dà Yǒu) describes a condition in which what is central holds and illuminates what is strong. Clarity governs power, and what is gathered is directed rather than scattered.
Judgment
Original Chinese:
大有，元亨。
(Dà yǒu, yuán hēng.)
"Great possession. Origin and smooth progress."
This describes a state in which much is held together under a unifying clarity. It is not accumulation alone, but the ability to direct what has been gathered.
Because the center is clear and properly positioned, movement proceeds without obstruction. What is held does not disperse.
Image
Original Chinese:
火在天上，大有。君子以遏恶扬善，顺天休命。
(Huǒ zài tiān shàng, dà yǒu. Jūn zǐ yǐ è è yáng shàn, shùn tiān xiū mìng.)
"Fire shines in heaven: great possession. The superior person restrains what disrupts and brings forward what accords, following the larger pattern of what is established."
Fire above heaven illuminates what is below, making everything visible. Possession here comes through clarity, not force.
The superior person does not impose control arbitrarily, but regulates what is present—checking what disturbs alignment and advancing what sustains it.
Line 1
Original Chinese:
无交害，匪咎，艰则无咎。
(Wú jiāo hài, fěi jiù, jiān zé wú jiù.)
"No entanglement with harm. No error. In difficulty, there is still no error."
At the beginning, what is held remains uncorrupted. There is no involvement with what would damage the whole.
Even if conditions are difficult, remaining unentangled preserves integrity and avoids error.
Line 2
Original Chinese:
大车以载，有攸往，无咎。
(Dà chē yǐ zài, yǒu yōu wǎng, wú jiù.)
"A great vehicle carries the load. There is a direction to go. No error."
Capacity is sufficient to support movement. What has been gathered can now be carried forward.
Because the structure can bear the weight, advancing is appropriate and free from error.
Line 3
Original Chinese:
公用亨于天子，小人弗克。
(Gōng yòng hēng yú tiān zǐ, xiǎo rén fú kè.)
"One in a central position brings it forward to the highest level; a person of limited capacity cannot do this."
What is held must be offered or directed upward into proper order. This requires alignment with the greater structure.
Those without that alignment cannot make use of what is held in this way, and so cannot sustain it.
Line 4
Original Chinese:
匪其彭，无咎。
(Fěi qí péng, wú jiù.)
"Not expanding it outward. No error."
Restraint is required. What is possessed should not be pushed beyond its proper scope.
By not overextending or displaying it excessively, balance is maintained and error avoided.
Line 5
Original Chinese:
厥孚交如威如，吉。
(Jué fú jiāo rú wēi rú, jí.)
"Its trust is shared, its presence carries weight. Favorable outcome."
Here, what is held is both trusted and respected. It connects outward while maintaining authority.
Because trust and strength are balanced, the condition is stable and favorable.
Line 6
Original Chinese:
自天祐之，吉无不利。
(Zì tiān yòu zhī, jí wú bù lì.)
"From above, it is supported. Favorable outcome. Nothing is unfavorable."
The condition is fully aligned. What is held is supported by the larger pattern.
Because of this alignment, there is no resistance. Everything proceeds in accord.