Ta Kuo / Preponderance of the Great

above:Tui The Joyous, Lake
below:Sun The Gentle, Wind

Ta Kwo suggests to us a beam that is weak. There will be advantage in moving (under its conditions) in any direction whatever; there will be success.

Overall Meaning

Large excess, the symbol of major preponderance

Very extraordinary times require very extraordinary gifts in the conduct of affairs in them. This is the text on which King Wan and his son discourse after their fashion in this hexagram. What goes, in their view, to constitute anything extraordinary is its greatness and difficulty. There need not be about it what is not right.

Looking at the figure we see two weak lines at the top and bottom, and four strong lines between them, giving us the idea of a great beam unable to sustain its own weight. But the second and fifth lines are both strong and in the center; and from this and the attributes of the component trigrams a good auspice is obtained.