Hexagram 26. Great Accumulation (大畜 Dà Chù)

Trigrams

Above

☶ Gèn (Mountain) — 山 · Stillness

Below

☰ Qián (Heaven) — 天 · Creative

Symbolic Meaning

大畜 (Dà Chù) describes the containment of great force. Strength is not expressed outwardly but held, stored, and disciplined until the proper moment.

Judgment

Original Chinese:
大畜，利貞。不家食，吉。利涉大川。
(Dà chù, lì zhēn. Bù jiā shí, jí. Lì shè dà chuān.)

"Great accumulation. It is favorable to remain correctly aligned. Not eating at home brings favorable outcome. It is favorable to undertake a major transition."

Power is being gathered and restrained. Alignment ensures that what is accumulated remains usable and not destructive.

Not eating at home indicates reliance on a larger order rather than personal reserves. When strength is properly contained, it becomes possible to undertake significant movement.

Image

Original Chinese:
天在山中，大畜。君子以多識前言往行，以畜其德。
(Tiān zài shān zhōng, dà chù. Jūn zǐ yǐ duō shí qián yán wǎng xíng, yǐ chù qí dé.)

"Heaven is held within the mountain: great accumulation. The superior person learns from many past words and deeds and stores up virtue."

Heaven represents immense force; the mountain contains it. This is not suppression, but structured holding.

Through study and reflection, strength is accumulated internally and made stable.

Line 1

Original Chinese:
有厲，利已。
(Yǒu lì, lì yǐ.)

"Risk present. It is favorable to stop."

Force is present but not yet stable. Acting prematurely introduces risk.

Halting preserves what is being accumulated.

Line 2

Original Chinese:
輿說輹。
(Yú shuō fù.)

"The carriage is released from its axle-cap."

The coupling that enables movement is removed. Forward progress cannot occur.

This reflects intentional disengagement—movement is halted so that structure can be preserved.

Line 3

Original Chinese:
良馬逐，利艱貞。曰閑輿衛，利有攸往。
(Liáng mǎ zhú, lì jiān zhēn. Yuē xián yú wèi, lì yǒu yōu wǎng.)

"Strong horses move forward. It is favorable to remain correctly aligned through difficulty. Secure the carriage and establish guard; it is favorable to move with direction."

Power is now active but must be controlled. Movement is possible, but only with discipline.

Structure and protection must be established before proceeding.

Line 4

Original Chinese:
童牛之牿，元吉。
(Tóng niú zhī gù, yuán jí.)

"A young bull is restrained. Primary favorable outcome."

Raw strength is controlled early, before it becomes unmanageable.

This is the ideal form of restraint—applied at the right stage.

Line 5

Original Chinese:
豶豕之牙，吉。
(Fén shǐ zhī yá, jí.)

"The tusks of a restrained boar. Favorable outcome."

Power remains present but no longer causes harm. It has been shaped rather than eliminated.

This is controlled strength—danger contained but still available.

Line 6

Original Chinese:
何天之衢，亨。
(Hé tiān zhī qú, hēng.)

"At the crossroads of heaven, there is smooth progress."

Accumulation and restraint are complete. The stored force can now move without obstruction.

Because it has been properly contained, release leads to clear and effective progress.