What does 元亨利贞 really mean?

[MadePossible]

The decision of Hexagram 1:

 

元亨利贞 (yuán hēng lì zhēn).

 

This is a highly mysterious phrase, appearing often throughout the Yijing.

 

1. 元 (yuán) - the early meaning was that of a head.
2. 亨 (hēng) - prosperity, success?
3. 利 (lì) - Shaughnessy tells us it originally represented a sharp knife harvesting grain. Later it took on the meaning of 'sharp' as in 'intelligent'.
4. 贞 (zhēn) - loyalty?

 

 

 

[Taomeow]

I think it's one of the least mysterious statements in the I Ching.

 

A favorable beginning (yuan), penetrating progress (heng), beneficial appropriateness (li), and steadfast correctness (zhen) -- 

throughout the I Ching Yuanheng Lizhen stands for the "green light" in response to your divination.  A "yes," rather than what the outcome of other inquiries may be -- "maybe," "possible but not likely," "don't go there," "a hard no."  

[forestofclarity]

Here's an interesting article below with a variety of interpretations depending on how you break it up. There are moral, philosophical, divinatory, etc. meanings. 

 

In the Taoist I Ching (a commentary by Liu Yiming, trans Cleary)), it is said to be a complete cycle of creation, like the four seasons or the four parts of internal cultivation. 

 

https://www.arcjournals.org/pdfs/ijhsse/v9-i11/1.pdf

[kakapo]

10 hours ago, MadePossible said:

The decision of Hexagram 1:

 

元亨利贞 (yuán hēng lì zhēn).

 

This is a highly mysterious phrase, appearing often throughout the Yijing.

 

1. 元 (yuán) - the early meaning was that of a head.
2. 亨 (hēng) - prosperity, success?
3. 利 (lì) - Shaughnessy tells us it originally represented a sharp knife harvesting grain. Later it took on the meaning of 'sharp' as in 'intelligent'.
4. 贞 (zhēn) - loyalty?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

元 (Yuán): That is a great idea.

 

亨 (Hēng): Everything will go well.

 

利 (Lì): Doing this will bring good results.

 

贞 (Zhēn): Everything will finish strong, and end well.

 

In the I Ching. It's the universe telling you that all conditions are aligned for a complete and total success, as long as you stay on track

 

 

[MadePossible]

There really are a thousand different ideas what it could mean, because no-one actually seems to know what it means.

[Taomeow]

3 hours ago, MadePossible said:

There really are a thousand different ideas what it could mean, because no-one actually seems to know what it means.

 

Note to self: never respond to newcomers' questions until you know more about them.   

[forestofclarity]

2 hours ago, Taomeow said:

 

Note to self: never respond to newcomers' questions until you know more about them.   

 

Other people read these also! 

[ChiDragon]

On 10/28/2025 at 2:22 AM, MadePossible said:

There really are a thousand different ideas what it could mean, because no-one actually seems to know what it means.

乾: 元亨利貞
乾 is the first hexagram of the 64 hexagrams in the Yinjing.
元亨利貞 describes the positive characteristics of the 乾 hexagram.
1. 元 describes that 乾 is the origin of all things. It is the creator of all things. It is the nature of the universe.

2. 亨 describes that everything with 乾 is going smoothly with nature.
3. 利 describes that everything with 乾 is beneficial without interruption, deterrence, or damage.
4. 貞 describes that everything with 乾 is genuine.  

[Sanity Check]

Knowing nothing about the system of trigrams, I'll comment this.

 

Why 64?

 

2^6 = 64.

 

Hm. Interesting.

[Taomeow]

2 hours ago, Sanity Check said:

Knowing nothing about the system of trigrams, I'll comment this.

 

Why 64?

 

2^6 = 64.

 

Hm. Interesting.

 

Very briefly, this is part of the taoist take on the nature of reality, the  "as above so below" principle coded in the  binary above-below numerical system of the I Ching.  "Heaven above, 32, Earth below, 32" is a statement often encountered in taoist alchemical literature.

  

The set of 64 hexagrams exhibits a perfect balance:

32 hexagrams are Yang in nature. These are the hexagrams that contain an odd number of solid, yang lines (1, 3, or 5).

32 hexagrams are Yin in nature. These are the hexagrams that contain an even number of broken, yin lines (2, 4, or 6).

 

The human body, measured in kuns, is 64.  A kun is a measurement unit (used, e.g., by competent acupuncturists for locating points) for a particular individual, approximately the width of that individual's thumb.  It is of course slightly different for all people, but based on the fractal nature of the body, there will be corresponding differences in the length of every part, and each anatomically normal human body will measure 64 kun.  The lower "heaven" part and the upper "earth" part are each 32.  

 

 

[Sanity Check]

8 hours ago, Taomeow said:

 

Very briefly, this is part of the taoist take on the nature of reality, the  "as above so below" principle coded in the  binary above-below numerical system of the I Ching.  "Heaven above, 32, Earth below, 32" is a statement often encountered in taoist alchemical literature.

  

The set of 64 hexagrams exhibits a perfect balance:

32 hexagrams are Yang in nature. These are the hexagrams that contain an odd number of solid, yang lines (1, 3, or 5).

32 hexagrams are Yin in nature. These are the hexagrams that contain an even number of broken, yin lines (2, 4, or 6).

 

The human body, measured in kuns, is 64.  A kun is a measurement unit (used, e.g., by competent acupuncturists for locating points) for a particular individual, approximately the width of that individual's thumb.  It is of course slightly different for all people, but based on the fractal nature of the body, there will be corresponding differences in the length of every part, and each anatomically normal human body will measure 64 kun.  The lower "heaven" part and the upper "earth" part are each 32.  

 

 

 

 

Computer memory is also binary 0 or 1.

 

Yin/yang being based on 2 states appears similar.

 

Computer memory is arranged along similar lines. 

 

8, 16, 32, 64 bytes organized by orders of 2 ^ whatever.

 

 

 

Nintendo's N64 might have more in common with 64 trigrams than I ever would have suspected...

[ChiDragon]

11 hours ago, Sanity Check said:

Knowing nothing about the system of trigrams, I'll comment this.

 

Why 64?

 

2^6 = 64.

 

Hm. Interesting.

It is 8 x 8 = 64
8 trigram x 8 trigram = 64 hexagrams

[Taomeow]

6 hours ago, ChiDragon said:

It is 8 x 8 = 64
8 trigram x 8 trigram = 64 hexagrams

 

And why would you multiply 8 trigrams by 8 trigrams?  

What's the idea behind the arithmetic?

 

 

[Taomeow]

6 hours ago, Sanity Check said:

 

 

Computer memory is also binary 0 or 1.

 

Yin/yang being based on 2 states appears similar.

 

Computer memory is arranged along similar lines. 

 

8, 16, 32, 64 bytes organized by orders of 2 ^ whatever.

 

 

 

Nintendo's N64 might have more in common with 64 trigrams than I ever would have suspected...

 

That's because Leibniz who introduced binary mathematics to the West and became de facto the father of the computer binary system was familiarized with the I Ching by a Jesuit missionary in China, a personal friend of his, who translated it and sent it to him.  Leibniz was very impressed and put the idea to good use.   

Too bad we never see credit given where credit is due in such cases.  Leibniz is credited with inventing it instead...   

Edited 12 hours ago by Taomeow

[ChiDragon]

2 hours ago, Taomeow said:

 

And why would you multiply 8 trigrams by 8 trigrams?  

What's the idea behind the arithmetic?

 

 

I thought you would ask.

There are 8 trigrams in the Yijing to begin with. If you stack the first trigram on top of the 8 trigrams. Then, the second on top of the same 8 trigrams and so on. You will be ended with 64 hexagrams. 

Edited 9 hours ago by ChiDragon

[Sanity Check]

8 hours ago, ChiDragon said:

It is 8 x 8 = 64
8 trigram x 8 trigram = 64 hexagrams

 

 

Its based on yin yang.

 

Yin = #1

Yang = #2

 

There being only 2 states, it is like trying to count with only 2 fingers on one hand.

 

(2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64)

 

2 ^ 6

 

2 * 2 * 2 * 2 * 2 * 2

 

= 64

 

If a system of greater precision were devised, it would continue

 

128, 256, 512, 1024, etc

 

Its the same pattern followed by computer architecture based on 0 and 1 logic.

 

And so someone like me with a small background in computer programming should pick it up right away.

 

 

 

 

[Taomeow]

7 hours ago, ChiDragon said:

I thought you would ask.

There are 8 trigrams in the Yijing to begin with. If you stack the first trigram on top of the 8 trigrams. Then, the second on top of the same 8 trigrams and so on. You will be ended with 64 hexagrams. 

 

Why would I ask a question about the multiplication table?..  I wanted to see what meaning you assign to the operation you proposed.  Meaning. 

 

Here's how  the I Ching is really generated.  It reflects the actual process of the separation of wuji into yin and yang and the emergence of the trigrams and hexagrams.  The linear sequence has been created because in a book you go line by line rather than in a circle, is all.    

 

 

Confucius is reported to have been asked, at the end of his very long and fruitful life, if he has any regrets.  "Just one...  I wish I had fifty more years of life to dedicate exclusively to the study of the I Ching," he responded. 

 

 

[ChiDragon]

1 hour ago, Taomeow said:

Why would I ask a question about the multiplication table?..  I wanted to see what meaning you assign to the operation you proposed.  Meaning. 

It is not a multiplication table. It is the combination of 8 trigrams by stacking them one by one. Then, it ends up with 64 combinations.

[ChiDragon]

1 hour ago, Taomeow said:

Confucius is reported to have been asked, at the end of his very long and fruitful life, if he has any regrets.  "Just one...  I wish I had fifty more years of life to dedicate exclusively to the study of the I Ching," he responded. 

The Yijing was introduced to Confucius, at the age of fifty, by Laotze. Then, he came up with his own explanation of the Yijing. 

[Sanity Check]

2 hours ago, Taomeow said:

 

Why would I ask a question about the multiplication table?..  I wanted to see what meaning you assign to the operation you proposed.  Meaning. 

 

Here's how  the I Ching is really generated.  It reflects the actual process of the separation of wuji into yin and yang and the emergence of the trigrams and hexagrams.  The linear sequence has been created because in a book you go line by line rather than in a circle, is all.    

 

 

Confucius is reported to have been asked, at the end of his very long and fruitful life, if he has any regrets.  "Just one...  I wish I had fifty more years of life to dedicate exclusively to the study of the I Ching," he responded. 

 

 

 

 

That is very interesting.

 

I want to comment on it, sometime after I figure out what an i ching is.