Hexagram 32: Duration
Endurance, constancy
| Chinese | 恆 (Héng) |
|---|---|
| Upper trigram | ☳ Thunder — The Arousing (Wood) |
| Lower trigram | ☴ Wind — The Gentle (Wood) |
| Keywords | duration, endurance, perseverance, consistency |
| Opposite | Hexagram 42: Increase |
| Inverted | Hexagram 31: Influence |
What does Hexagram 32 (Duration) mean?
Duration 恆 (Héng) is hexagram 32 of the I Ching, formed by Thunder (The Arousing) over Wind (The Gentle). Its theme is endurance, constancy, with key ideas of duration, endurance, perseverance, consistency. The Judgment reads: “Duration. Success. No blame. Perseverance furthers.”
The Judgment of Duration
Duration. Success. No blame. Perseverance furthers.
The Image of Duration
Thunder and wind: the image of Duration.
The six changing lines of Hexagram 32
When a casting produces moving lines, their texts speak directly to your situation. Read from the bottom line upward.
Six at the beginning
“Seeking duration too hastily brings misfortune persistently. Nothing that would further.”
Trying to force permanence at the very start undermines the foundations needed for genuine endurance. Patience is the first act of duration.
Nine in the second place
“Remorse disappears.”
The second line holds firm in the middle; regret dissolves when one maintains steady, centred continuity.
Nine in the third place
“He who does not give duration to his character meets with disgrace. Persistent humiliation.”
Inconsistency of character — behaving differently under pressure than in ease — earns lasting contempt. Enduring virtue requires being the same person in all conditions.
Nine in the fourth place
“No game in the field.”
Persisting in a direction that yields nothing is stubborn waste. Endurance must be directed — staying on a barren course is not virtue but error.
Six in the fifth place
“Giving duration to one's character through perseverance. This is good fortune for a woman, misfortune for a man.”
Steadfast consistency suits a supportive, receptive role, but a leader must also adapt. Rigid adherence without flexibility is a limitation for those who must act decisively.
Six at the top
“Restlessness as an enduring condition brings misfortune.”
Making agitation and change one's permanent mode of being is the opposite of duration. Perpetual motion without rest corrodes both body and enterprise.
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