初六：不永所事，小有言，终吉。
Do not extend a minor disagreement into a lasting contest. Clarify what happened and stop feeding it; a brief unpleasant exchange can then settle.
I Ching Hexagram 6
Sòng · Conflict
讼 · Hexagram 6
Song describes a dispute in which each side has a position but neither can readily hear the other. Heaven rises and Water flows downward, carrying them apart. The task is to clarify the disagreement before winning becomes more important than resolving the original matter.
Upper trigram: Heaven/Qián
Lower trigram: Water/Kǎn
The situation you may be in
Misunderstanding, competing interests, or different readings of an agreement may have stalled progress. Repeating your case may not help. Return to shared facts and, where appropriate, seek someone both sides trust to assist.
How to respond
Specify the disputed matter and the condition you hope to restore without turning the exchange into a judgment of character. Clarify early; if dialogue is refused, preserve facts and choose an appropriate way to address the issue.
Judgment and Image
Judgment
讼：有孚窒惕，中吉，终凶。利见大人，不利涉大川。
Conflict. You are sincere but obstructed. A cautious halt halfway brings good fortune. Going through to the end brings misfortune. It furthers one to see the great person. It does not further one to cross the great water.
Image
天与水违行，讼；君子以作事谋始。
Heaven and water go their opposite ways: Conflict. The superior person carefully considers the beginning of all undertakings.
Applying it to real life
Love & relationships
Address one issue at a time instead of reopening every old grievance. Hearing a partner's feelings does not require accepting every accusation. If exchanges become harmful, stop escalation and protect boundaries.
Career & work
Make responsibilities, work, and commitments explicit. Discuss disagreements through agreements that can be checked, rather than using public humiliation to obtain temporary compliance.
Choice & decisions
Choose the route most likely to address the issue, not the one that best displays toughness. Compare what continued confrontation, negotiation, and third-party assistance can realistically achieve.
Timing & pace
Early clarification preserves relationships and options. Avoid adding major commitments at the height of anger; proceed once the facts and the terms of discussion are clear.
The six changing lines
The lines unfold from the bottom upward, describing one pattern of change from its first appearance to its extreme. If your reading has a changing line, begin with that position.
九二：不克讼，归而逋，其邑人三百户无眚。
Withdrawing from an unfavorable contest can protect both you and those drawn into it. Stepping back does not rewrite the underlying facts.
六三：食旧德，贞厉，终吉。或从王事，无成。
Stand on established trust and fulfill your responsibilities. Avoid enlarging the dispute through competition for credit or status.
九四：不克讼，复即命渝，安贞吉。
Recognize when the contest has taken a wrong direction and change your approach. Returning to fair terms serves you better than protecting appearances.
九五：讼，元吉。
A dispute can be resolved when it reaches a fair, centered hearing. Facts and consistent standards make the favorable outcome possible.
上九：或锡之鞶带，终朝三褫之。
Honors or advantages won through contention may quickly be withdrawn. A visible victory does not mean trust, relationships, or the original problem have been repaired.
A common misreading
Song neither encourages a fight nor requires unconditional surrender. It asks you to address the dispute, maintain legitimate boundaries, and recognize the costs of pursuing victory to the bitter end.
Related hexagrams
Text and interpretation
Updated 12 September 2026Reviewed by MysticEast Research
This page preserves the Chinese Judgment, Image, and line texts of the received Zhouyi. MysticEast's modern explanations are newly written to emphasize stages of change and practical judgment rather than fixed good-or-bad predictions.
Read the Zhouyi at the Chinese Text ProjectLet the hexagram meet your actual question
A guide gives you the map. A cast made with a clear question can help locate the exact stage of change you are experiencing.