Hexagram 11
地天泰
Peace
Upper Trigram
☷
坤 (土)
Lower Trigram
☰
乾 (金)
Palace
坤 Palace
Shi / Ying Lines
Shi: Line 3 · Ying: Line 6
The 坤 trigram (土) sits above the 乾 trigram (金), forming 地天泰. This hexagram belongs to the 坤 Palace.
Judgment (卦辞)
Peace. The small departs, the great approaches. Good fortune. Success.
Image (象辞)
Heaven and earth unite: the image of Peace.
Line Texts (爻辞)
When ribbon grass is pulled up, the sod comes with it. (拔茅茹)
Bearing with the uncultured in gentleness. (包荒)
No plain not followed by a slope. (无平不陂)
Fluttering down, not boasting of wealth. (翩翩)
The sovereign gives his daughter in marriage. (帝乙归妹)
The wall falls back into the moat. (城复于隍)
In-Depth Analysis
Hexagram 11, Tai (Peace), is one of the most auspicious hexagrams. Heaven below and Earth above - their positions reversed, signifying that heaven and earth are in harmonious communication. The small departs and the great approaches. Peace is not a static state but a dynamic balance that must be actively maintained. The lines warn that even in times of greatest harmony, vigilance is required - the wall can fall back into the moat at any moment. The hexagram teaches that true peace comes from free flow of energy between above and below, and that prosperity must be shared to be sustained.
Historical Stories
📜 Emperor Wen of Han (180-157 BCE) reduced taxes, abolished cruel punishments, and opened communication between court and common people, embodying Tai's principle of heaven and earth in harmony.
📜 The Pax Romana under Augustus: two centuries of unprecedented peace. But as Tai's sixth line warns, walls eventually fall back into moats - peace is not self-sustaining.
Practical Applications
Career: Harmony comes from open communication. Share credit and information freely.
Relationships: True partnership requires both sides to listen as much as they speak.
Personal Growth: When things go well, that is precisely when you should examine what could go wrong.