Hexagram 7 of 64
The Army
師 Shī
Upper trigram: 坤 Kūn, earth
Lower trigram: 坎 Kǎn, water
The judgment
貞，丈人吉，无咎。
Holding firm. A venerable leader has good fortune. No blame.
The Great Image
地中有水，師；君子以容民畜眾。
Within the earth there is water: The Army. In the same way, the noble person gives room to the people and nourishes the many.
The six lines
Lines are counted from the bottom. Read a line closely when it changes in your cast.
Line 1 初六
師出以律，否臧，凶。
The army goes out under rules. If they are not sound, misfortune.
Marching without sound rules is where the line sees misfortune. If you are about to start something large with others, ask whether the rules are clear.
Line 2 九二
在師中吉，无咎；王三錫命。
In the midst of the army, good fortune. No blame. The king three times confers his commission.
The leader stays in the middle of the troops, and the king's honors come to that place. Consider whether you are close enough to the people doing the work.
Line 3 六三
師或輿尸，凶。
The army may cart home corpses. Misfortune.
The old image is of bodies being carted home, and it mourns that cost. Ask who would bear the loss if the people running your effort are unclear about who leads.
Line 4 六四
師左次，无咎。
The army camps on the left. No blame.
Camping on the left was a way to fall back in good order. Consider whether a planned retreat could be the sensible move for now.
Line 5 六五
田有禽，利執言，无咎。長子帥師，弟子輿尸，貞凶。
There is game in the fields. It is fitting to state the charge. No blame. The eldest son leads the army. A younger son carts corpses. Holding firm brings misfortune.
The game is in the field and the case for action is plain, yet two commanders bring disaster. If a shared effort has split authority, ask who is really in charge.
Line 6 上六
大君有命，開國承家，小人勿用。
The great ruler issues a command to found states and continue houses. Do not employ the petty person.
The war is over and rewards are being handed out, and the line says to keep the petty out of power. When a hard effort ends, consider who you would trust with what comes next.
What this hexagram says
This hexagram is water below and earth above. Water held under the ground is a hidden reserve, as a population is a reserve of soldiers. It is about organized force and the discipline needed to lead it.
The judgment asks for firmness and an experienced leader, and only then finds no blame. In the image the noble person shelters people, which shows a concern beyond winning. Ask who has the standing and experience to lead what you are organizing.
If your question is about running a team or taking on a hard campaign at work, tradition reads this as a call for discipline and a single chain of command. The old text speaks of real war and real dead. Read it as a caution about the human cost of any fight you choose.
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/師), 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.
The English renderings and the advice are by Cast & Chart. The advice is a modern reading and is not part of the classical text.