Hexagram 14 of 64
Great Possession
大有 Dà Yǒu
Upper trigram: 離 Lí, fire
Lower trigram: 乾 Qián, heaven
The judgment
元亨。
Supreme success.
The Great Image
火在天上，大有；君子以遏惡揚善，順天休命。
Fire is in the sky above: Great Possession. In the same way, the noble person checks wrongdoing, lifts up what is good and complies with heaven's gracious mandate.
The six lines
Lines are counted from the bottom. Read a line closely when it changes in your cast.
Line 1 初九
无交害，匪咎，艱則无咎。
No dealings with harm. This is no fault. Through hardship, no blame.
No contact with harm has been made yet, and the line keeps difficulty in view anyway. Consider what could go wrong with what you have while things are still quiet.
Line 2 九二
大轝以載，有攸往，无咎。
A big cart for loading. There is somewhere to go. No blame.
A big cart is built to carry a heavy load somewhere. Ask what you have gathered and where it is meant to go.
Line 3 九三
公用亨于天子，小人弗克。
A duke presents offerings to the Son of Heaven. The petty person cannot do this.
A duke brings his wealth to the Son of Heaven, and the petty person could not do it. Ask what you would be willing to offer upward or outward from what you have.
Line 4 九四
匪其尫，无咎。
It is not his frailty. No blame.
Scholars differ on this word, and it may point at a fullness kept in check. Consider which of your advantages you could stop displaying.
Line 5 六五
厥孚交如，威如；吉。
His trust meets and connects, and he has dignity. Good fortune.
Trust here goes both ways and carries dignity. Ask how you could be open and still be taken seriously.
Line 6 上九
自天佑之，吉无不利。
From heaven comes help for it. Good fortune, and nothing is unfavorable.
Help comes from heaven, the line says, and that is something you cannot arrange. Consider what you have received that you did not cause, and how you could give thanks for it.
What this hexagram says
This hexagram is heaven below and fire above. The sun stands high and its light falls on everything. It is about holding a great deal, whether of means, influence or ability.
The judgment is two characters meaning supreme success. The image adds the duty that comes with it: check what is wrong and raise what is good. Ask what you owe to others because of what you now have.
If your question is about a successful project or a position of influence, tradition reads this as a time for generosity and restraint. A reading has nothing to say about money decisions. The lines keep hardship in view and say the petty person cannot do what holding so much requires.
A hexagram is a prompt for reflection. It cannot promise a result, and it is no substitute for medical, legal or financial advice.
Where this text comes from
The Chinese follows the Wikisource text of the Zhou Yi (its page for this hexagram, 周易/大有), compared with the Project Gutenberg edition. The Great Image comes from the Wikisource page 周易/大象.
- Wikisource, 周易
Retrieved 2026-11-08
- Project Gutenberg eBook 25501, 易經
Retrieved 2026-11-08
Read this hexagram with its traditional commentaries in our library.
Where the sources differ
- In the second line, Wikisource reads 大轝 and notes that it is also written 車. Project Gutenberg reads 大車. Both mean a big cart.
- In the fourth line, Wikisource reads 匪其尫 (尫 means lame or frail) and notes that it is also written 彭. Project Gutenberg reads 匪其彭 (彭 means full or strong, so: not his fullness).
- In the top line, Wikisource keeps 佑 (to help) and notes that it is also written 右, which can carry the same sense.
- Project Gutenberg writes 無 where Wikisource has 无. These are variant forms of the same word.
The English renderings and the advice are by Cast & Chart. The advice is a modern reading and is not part of the classical text.