水地比
Core Insight
水地比 — Hexagram 8
Holding Together brings good fortune — but only if you join early and with constancy. Latecomers find the place taken. Ask the oracle again whether your bond is true.
The Image
地上有水，比；先王以建萬國，親諸侯。
The Image of Holding Together: build trustworthy bonds before asking for loyalty. Treat the image as practical discipline, not decoration: let it shape the next concrete choice.
Shifting lines
初爻
At the beginning of Holding Together, keep the move small. Clarify the real question before seeking momentum.
二爻
A steadier position appears. Accept help, test the facts, and choose the next step that can be repeated.
三爻
Pressure rises in Holding Together. Do not make the tension theatrical; name the risk and reduce the unnecessary load.
四爻
The situation nears a threshold. Recheck motives, adjust the method, and avoid forcing a premature outcome.
五爻
This is the governing line of Holding Together. Act from the clearest principle and make the decision useful to others.
上爻
The pattern is reaching its limit. Complete what can be completed, release excess, and prepare for the next change.