Fire above – Heaven below
Da You is the Chinese name of this hexagram with “da” meaning great and “you” meaning possession. In ancient times “you” also indicated harvest as the originators reflected on the transitory nature of “possession”. Other names for this hexagram are Great Harvest and Great Possessing. The subject of this hexagram illustrates the situation of prosperity and abundance on an individual level.
Breaking down the symbolism of the 3-line trigrams helps with understanding the ancient teachings:
When trigram Heaven is below (as in the image below right), it references the inner realm of the person or situation. Heaven, as the internal urge, gives focus, inspiration and direction along with the strength and endurance required for success. And perhaps even greater, Heaven provides motivation.
Trigram Fire is on top of trigram Heaven, much like the auspiciousness of the Sun shining. When good, orderly direction rises from the inner trigram, it is met with fire’s clarity and the ability to discern within the reality of the outer world. Fire also confers an ability to connect with others with warmth and enthusiasm.
The ancient ideograph is on the upper left portion of the image below. According to the ancient sages Heaven, Earth and humans were great. The human figure at the top of the image represents “great”. Below is a depiction of a hand which is grasping the bottom image. To some scholars it represents a piece of meat being shared freely with others by one who has great “possession”. To others the bottom image was believed to be the Moon, intended as a reminder that possessions can wax, wane and even disappear, such as during the dark of the Moon.
In summary: Abilities and talents have a higher purpose behind them; they are gifts of Heaven. These gifts receive their value from what they are used for. The guidance of Heaven gives strength of character and the light of Fire gives clarity of mind. The amounts of possession and power is not a measure of greatness. The act of being able to treasure is as good as the treasure itself. Great Possession becomes fulfilling when what one treasures has true value.
Following are a few ideas for interpretations of each line:
Line 1 – One at the beginning of Great Possession has not yet met with threats or challenges and understandably may fall into a kind of complacency. The ancients maintain success is more assured by maintaining an attitude of wholesome simplicity coupled with forewarned awareness.
Line 2 – An auspicious placement that allows for accomplishments. The caution is not to stray into underestimating or making too much of oneself. A middle road, using your gifts in the way that fits you, bodes well.
Line 3 – This line position indicates a sacrifice may be needed. The gold of the sun freely circulates and spreads its radiance. That is the suggested manner of sacrifice, to express gratitude by circulating possessions freely, trusting the purity of your motivation. For those with great possession, fulfillment comes in giving.
Line 4 – This placement indicates there may be the temptation to boast. In the act of bragging or boasting, the integrity of one’s natural power loses something as it then moves from your spirit to your mind. The best course of action is to accumulate greatness of self-direction, which enables you to refrain from the distraction of comparison to others.
Line 5 – Representative of an ability for leadership with the accompanying skills. The ancients saw the strength of being able to command with authority equally important as commanding with empathy and kindness. More importantly, this leader must know the proper timing for using discipline or empathy.
Line 6 – This placement is one of the most favorable in the I Ching. Within this line, the counsel is to keep up one’s attitude of appreciation, awe and hope so as to not allow the attitude of taking life for granted.