Hexagram 45: Gathering Together
Assembly, collection
| Chinese | 萃 (Cuì) |
|---|---|
| Upper trigram | ☱ Lake — The Joyous (Metal) |
| Lower trigram | ☷ Earth — The Receptive (Earth) |
| Keywords | gathering, assembly, unity, devotion |
| Opposite | Hexagram 26: Great Taming |
| Inverted | Hexagram 46: Pushing Upward |
What does Hexagram 45 (Gathering Together) mean?
Gathering Together 萃 (Cuì) is hexagram 45 of the I Ching, formed by Lake (The Joyous) over Earth (The Receptive). Its theme is assembly, collection, with key ideas of gathering, assembly, unity, devotion. The Judgment reads: “Gathering Together. Success. The king approaches his temple.”
The Judgment of Gathering Together
Gathering Together. Success. The king approaches his temple.
The Image of Gathering Together
Over the earth, the lake.
The six changing lines of Hexagram 45
When a casting produces moving lines, their texts speak directly to your situation. Read from the bottom line upward.
Six at the beginning
“If you are sincere, but not to the end, there is sometimes confusion, sometimes gathering together. If you call out, then after one grasp of the hand you can laugh again. Regret not. Going is without blame.”
Incomplete sincerity creates instability in the gathering. A genuine call restores connection quickly; small regrets should not prevent movement forward.
Six in the second place
“Letting oneself be drawn brings good fortune and remains blameless. If one is sincere, it furthers one to bring even a small offering.”
Allowing oneself to be drawn into the gathering by genuine feeling rather than forcing entry is correct. Even modest, sincere contribution is valued.
Six in the third place
“Gathering together amid sighs. Nothing that would further. Going is without blame. Slight humiliation.”
Finding oneself excluded from the centre of gathering is painful but not shameful. Moving toward the periphery of the group is still preferable to isolation.
Nine in the fourth place
“Great good fortune. No blame.”
The one who gathers from the right position, with the right intent, receives unqualified good fortune.
Nine in the fifth place
“If in gathering together one has position, this brings no blame. If there are some who are not yet sincerely in the work, sublime and enduring perseverance is needed. Then remorse disappears.”
Leadership in gathering requires earning genuine commitment, not merely commanding presence. Patient, consistent demonstration of purpose draws authentic followers.
Six at the top
“Lamenting and sighing, floods of tears. No blame.”
Being unable to find one's place in the gathering after sincere effort is genuinely sorrowful. The grief itself, honestly expressed, contains no fault.
Will Gathering Together answer your question?
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