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Capítulo 6 de 64
东坡易传
The Hexagram of Conflict (Hexagram 6) is composed of Qian (Heaven) above and Kan (Water) below, symbolizing disputes and litigation. The hexagram statement says: "Conflict: sincerity within, yet blocked; be cautious, stop midway, and there will be good fortune; pressing on to the end brings misfortune. It is favorable to see a great person, but unfavorable to cross great rivers."
This means: with sincerity in the heart yet encountering obstruction, one must remain vigilant; stopping midway brings good fortune, but insisting on disputing to the end will bring danger. It is favorable to seek a person of authority for justice, but unfavorable to cross great rivers — that is, one should not recklessly push forward.
The Commentary on the Hexagram explains: the hexagram image is strength above and danger below — Qian is firm and strong above, Kan is perilous and treacherous below. Danger combined with strength constitutes the pattern of conflict. "Sincerity within, yet blocked; be cautious; good fortune in the middle" is because the firm line (Nine in the Second) has come to the central place of the lower trigram; "pressing on to the end brings misfortune" because conflict cannot be prolonged indefinitely.
The Initial Six responds to Nine in the Fourth, and Six in the Third responds to Nine in the Top, but Nine in the Second blocks between them, therefore it is said "sincerity within, yet blocked" — sincerity is obstructed. Nine in the Fourth and Nine in the Top are also unwilling to yield, and conflict thus arises. If Nine in the Second knows fear and stops in time, it may still avoid disaster, hence "be cautious; good fortune in the middle." "The firm one comes and obtains the center" refers to Nine in the Second returning to the middle way, whereupon conflict ceases; if one presses the dispute to its end, there is misfortune.
"Favorable to see a great person" honors the virtue of centrality and correctness, which refers to Nine in the Fifth. "Unfavorable to cross great rivers" means that forcing one's way across will plunge one into the abyss. Turning the great river into an abyss is precisely the error of conflict. The disasters of the world all begin with contention; now seeking to resolve conflict through more conflict will only intensify contradictions and sink one deeper.
The Image Commentary says: heaven and water move in opposite directions — this is the image of the Hexagram of Conflict. The superior person therefore plans carefully at the beginning of affairs and eliminates the hidden causes of conflict at their source.
Wang Bi's commentary: "In adjudicating disputes, I am like others; but what I hope for even more is to prevent disputes from arising altogether." The key to eliminating conflict lies in planning at the outset. "Unclear contracts are precisely the source of disputes," "therefore the virtuous person manages the contracts, and disputes naturally cease."
The line statements are as follows:
Initial Six: Do not persist long in the matter of contention; there is a minor dispute, but ultimately good fortune. Nine in the Second sits between two yin lines and wishes to possess them both. Initial Six does not acquiesce and argues forcefully. Initial Six has a proper response to Nine in the Fourth, and chooses to follow Nine in the Fourth rather than Nine in the Second — rather than being taken by force, it is better to follow the one to whom one is properly corresponded. Though Nine in the Second may voice complaints, Initial Six's clarification is clear, hence "ultimately good fortune." The Image Commentary says: "Do not persist long in the matter" — conflict cannot be prolonged. Though there be "minor words," the differentiation has already been made clear. If one becomes entangled with Nine in the Second, the dispute would have no end.
Nine in the Second: Does not prevail in conflict; returns and retreats. Loses the three hundred households of his town, but there is no calamity. The Image Commentary says: "Does not prevail in conflict; returns." "Retreat" (bu) means to flee. Contending with the superior from below, the disaster is self-invoked ("the calamity comes because it is seized"). Initial Six and Six in the Third do not originally belong to Nine in the Second; Nine in the Second, relying on proximity, forcibly takes possession, regarding the townspeople as manpower to be conscripted, yet their hearts are not convinced. They come only if he prevails; if he does not, they leave him and go. Thus when Nine in the Second "does not prevail in conflict and returns," then Initial Six and Six in the Third all abandon him. Losing the multitude yet being able to know fear may bring slight stability, hence "no calamity" — where "sheng" (blight) means disaster. The phrase "fleeing his town of three hundred households" is like saying he has lost the three hundred households of his town.
Six in the Third: Enjoy the virtue of one's former position; holding to correctness, though there be peril, ultimately good fortune. Or if one follows the king in affairs, one does not claim the achievement as one's own. The Image Commentary says: "Enjoy the former virtue," following the one above brings good fortune. Six in the Third is properly corresponded to Nine in the Top; this is an arrangement mandated by heaven, not because anyone has done it a favor. Even if Nine in the Second and Nine in the Fourth did show favor, they cannot take away the matching of Six in the Third with Nine in the Top. Therefore Six in the Third "enjoys the former virtue" to obey its proper partner. "Enjoy" (shi) carries the sense of consuming and forgetting, of not repaying, much like in the term shiyan (to eat one's words). It is near two yang lines yet does not repay their favor, so first there is peril, then good fortune follows. "If one follows the king in affairs, no achievement claimed": if the old master has a punitive campaign, one may follow; but to claim achievement for oneself would be excessive.
Nine in the Fourth: Does not prevail in conflict; returns to right principle, changes the mind, and abides in correctness — good fortune. The Image Commentary says: "Return and submit to the mandate; change," abide in correctness and do not lose what one has. The proper mandate for Nine in the Fourth is only Initial Six. But it approaches Six in the Third and forcefully demands, so it too does not prevail in conflict. However, since it has the response of Initial Six, withdrawing to what is properly its own, reforming itself and abiding in correctness, it does not lose what it possesses.
Nine in the Fifth: In conflict, greatly good fortune. The Image Commentary says: "Conflict, original good fortune," because Nine in the Fifth abides in centrality and correctness. Nine in the Fifth is in the central position, occupying the honored position, and has no partiality toward any responding line. Thus those who contend all seek rectification from it — this is the reason for its "original good fortune."
Top Nine: Perhaps awarded a great belt, yet within a single day it is seized three times. The Image Commentary says: obtaining the reward garment through conflict is not worthy of respect. Six in the Third is the spouse of Top Nine; Nine in the Second and Nine in the Fourth once contended for it, but "did not prevail in conflict" and it returned to Top Nine. Top Nine's obtaining of Six in the Third is like a belt snatched from another person — wearing it brings shame to the heart. Thus "in one morning it is three times torn away" — just put on, and then stripped off again, shame and restlessness to the utmost degree. Nine in the Second and Nine in the Fourth, who did not prevail, ultimately have neither calamity nor good fortune; Top Nine, who prevailed, suffers the humiliation of being stripped three times. Why? The answer: this is precisely the Way of ending conflict.
Were the victor to boast of victory to display ability, and the defeated to feel shame at defeat and nurse deeper resentment, then the misfortune of conflict would know no end. Therefore let the victor have his honors stripped away, and the defeated abide in correctness without calamity — this is the fundamental method of ending conflict.
The core wisdom of the Conflict Hexagram can be summarized in three points:
Prevention at the start of contention: The hexagram image "heaven and water move in opposite directions" — heaven ascends, water descends — the directions are contrary, so contradiction inevitably arises. The superior person, contemplating this image, understands that eliminating the roots of divergence at the outset of affairs far surpasses judging after the fact. Wang Bi's quotation of Confucius, "must we not bring about the absence of litigation?" reveals that the wisest solution is to prevent conflict from arising at all.
Stopping midway; fear averts disaster: Nine in the Second's "the firm one comes and obtains the center" is the pivotal line of the Conflict Hexagram. Though sincerity is obstructed and grievance is suffered, "be cautious; good fortune in the middle" — as long as one maintains vigilance and stops in time, good fortune may still be obtained. "Pressing on to the end brings misfortune" is not a moral judgment but a description of objective pattern: once conflict is pushed to extremes, both the costs and the outcomes spiral out of control.
The victor gains no glory; the defeated, no shame: Top Nine, though victorious, suffers "three strippings in a single morning"; Nine in the Second and Nine in the Fourth, though defeated, have "no calamity" and "abide in correctness with good fortune." Su Shi points out that this is the "Way of ending conflict": were the victor to exult in triumph and the defeated to nurse resentment, conflict would become an endless vicious cycle. Systemic design and cultural consensus must be used to make both sides regard the value of "victory" cautiously.
In contemporary society, the wisdom of the Conflict Hexagram extends far beyond legal "litigation"; it addresses the underlying logic of all conflict management:
Risk society and "crossing the great river": The hexagram's warning "unfavorable to cross great rivers" cautions against reckless advancement while disputes remain unresolved. 💼 In modern commercial disputes, if a company pushes large-scale expansion while embroiled in litigation, it often loses on both fronts. One should contract risk exposure before the dispute concludes.
"Planning at the beginning of affairs" and the spirit of contract: Wang Bi's observation that "unclear contracts are the source of disputes" reveals: the vast majority of conflicts arise from ambiguous rules and unaligned expectations. 📝 Modern contract management, workplace authority boundaries, and partnership agreements are all practices of "planning at the beginning." It is better to write clear terms beforehand than to hire the best lawyer afterward.
The scarcity of impartial adjudicators: Nine in the Fifth's "conflict, great good fortune" comes from its being "centered in position without partiality toward corresponds" — disinterested yet authoritative. ⚖️ The core principle of modern arbitration bodies and independent investigation mechanisms aligns completely: the adjudicator must possess both power (position) and impartiality (no partiality in responding).
The reputational cost of "three strippings in a morning": Top Nine's lesson holds particular warning value today. 🏆 What is won through conflict—whether the "victory" of public opinion warfare or a "bitter triumph" in court—often carries enormous reputational cost. The moment the victor dons the "belt," public opinion, business partners, and social trust may well be laughing in the shadows. Counter-commentary cases of "winning the lawsuit, losing the public" are countless in modern crises.
A practical decision framework (hypothesis — action — review):
| Context | Guidance from the Conflict Hexagram | Specific action plan |
|---|---|---|
| 🔥 Conflict begins | "Plan at the beginning of affairs"; "do not prolong the matter" | Hypothesis: the divergence originates from information asymmetry or rule ambiguity. Action: clarify rules, confirm expectations in writing, do not rush to escalate. |
| ⚖️ Third-party adjudication involved | "Favorable to see the great person" | Hypothesis: there exists an impartial adjudicative channel with clear authority. Action: assess whether the arbitrator is "positioned and impartial," choosing a fair platform. |
| ⏸️ Mid-course of the dispute | "Be cautious; good fortune in the middle"; "not prevail in conflict, return" | Hypothesis: the marginal benefit of continuing litigation is below its cost and risk. Action: set a stop-loss point; voluntarily settle under acceptable conditions. |
| 🏅 Already "won" the case | "Three strippings in one morning" | Hypothesis: procedural victory does not equal substantive success. Action: do not flaunt victory, proactively repair relationships; avoid publicly humiliating the other side from a triumphant posture. |
Review methodology: After each conflict concludes, revisit three questions — ① Could the divergence have been avoided at the "planning" stage? ② Was there a missed stop-loss window of "be cautious, good fortune in the middle"? ③ If victory was obtained, where did the de facto "stripping of the robe" actually occur?
The Conflict Hexagram contains a deep ontology of conflict. The Commentary on the Sequence says: "After food and drink there must be conflict," meaning that resource distribution necessarily produces disputes. Conflict is not an exception but the norm of social interaction. Yet Chinese culture's attitude toward "conflict" has always carried a restrained transcendence:
The paradox of "no litigation": The Confucian goal of "no litigation" does not mean the elimination of disputes—for disputes are eternal—but rather that, through institutional foresight and cultural self-awareness, disputes are dissolved before being transformed into adversarial litigation. This is a concept of preventive justice.
The dignity of the defeated: Su Shi repeatedly emphasizes the "no calamity" and "abide in correctness with good fortune" of those who do not prevail. He is saying: in a healthy society, failure in a conflict should not destroy one's personhood. 🎭 Only when the defeated can "lose the crowd, know fear, and still find slight peace" can society avoid accumulating a debt of resentment.
The humility of the victor: Top Nine's "three strippings" reveals a paradox: procedural victory is often substantive defeat. This is not merely moral exhortation but a philosophical critique of the "adversarial structure" itself — once confrontation forms, both sides have already fallen into the trap-logic of conflict; the true winner is the rule itself.
The dimension of time: "Conflict to the end brings misfortune" and "good fortune in the middle" constitute an opposition in the philosophy of time. ⏳ The Conflict Hexagram is in effect saying: the value of reconciliation is temporally prior to the value of judgment. The earlier one exits the spiral of contention, the more autonomous one is; the later one exits, the more passive. This deeply echoes the "evolutionary advantage of cooperation" in modern game theory.