The Dispute
sòng · Heaven over WaterKnow what you want here, and stop before winning becomes everything.
有孚，窒，惕，中吉，終凶。利見大人，不利涉大川。
You hold a sincere claim, but it is blocked. Stay alert and stop halfway, since pushing a quarrel to the finish tends to go badly. Look for a fair, wise voice, and take on no great risks now.
The six lines
初六：不永所事，小有言，終吉。
Do not drag this matter out. A few words may fly, but letting it go early tends to end well.
九二：不克訟，歸而逋，其邑人三百戶无眚。
You cannot win this one. Withdraw and slip home quietly, and your town of three hundred households stays unharmed. Stepping back protects those around you.
六三：食舊德，貞厲，終吉。或從王事，无成。
Live on the standing already earned for you. It is tense, yet it can end well. If you serve a larger cause, claim no achievement.
九四：不克訟，復即命渝，安貞吉。
You cannot win this one. Turn back, accept what is right, and change your stance. Settling into steadiness is the good path.
九五：訟，元吉。
The dispute comes before someone fair and clear-sighted. When a matter is judged rightly from the center, that is a great blessing.
上九：或錫之鞶帶，終朝三褫之。
You may be rewarded with a fine sash, and three times before noon it gets pulled off you. What fighting wins rarely stays yours.
The I Ching is a tool for reflection. Do not use it as the basis for medical, legal or money decisions.