Hexagram 17: Following
隨 Suí · Lake over Thunder
This hexagram is about following: adapting to what the time asks, and choosing well whom or what you follow. To lead others you must first be willing to follow what is right. It suggests flexibility, rest when it is time to rest, and loyalty to good people and good aims. Be careful to follow out of conviction, not out of convenience.
| Number (King Wen order) | 17 |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 隨 (Suí) |
| Upper trigram | ☱ Lake (Duì): joyful, open |
| Lower trigram | ☳ Thunder (Zhèn): arousing, moving |
| Unicode symbol | ䷐ |
On this page (9)
Hexagram 17 in plain words
The lake sits above thunder. Thunder in the middle of the lake is the image of energy resting: in autumn, thunder withdraws into the earth and the world grows still. The joyful lake above follows the movement of thunder below. Tradition reads this as following in two senses: the wise person adapts to the season, resting when evening comes, and people follow a leader who first knows how to serve and adapt.
In your situation, success comes from responsiveness rather than rigid control. Let go of fixed opinions when the situation has changed, and line yourself up with what is genuinely good. The lines warn that following involves choice. If you cling to what is small and comfortable, you lose what is great, and the reverse is also true. You cannot have everything at once. Ask whom you are following and why. Following for flattery or gain leads astray; following out of sincere conviction leads to something lasting. When you are the one being followed, earn it by being honest and by bending to fair requests. Openness and steady principle together make following a source of good fortune.
The judgment
Sui indicates that (under its conditions) there will be great progress and success. But it will be advantageous to be firm and correct. There will (then) be no error.
Translation: James Legge, 1882 (public domain).
The image
(The trigram for the waters of) a marsh and (that for) thunder (hidden) in the midst of it form Sui. The superior man in accordance with this, when it is getting towards dark, enters (his house) and rests.
From Legge's Appendix II (the Great Symbolism), The Sacred Books of the East, vol. 16, 1882 (public domain).
In plain words: Thunder lies quiet inside the lake, resting through the season. Follow the natural rhythm: when the day is ending, stop, go home and rest.
The six lines
Read only the lines that changed in your reading. Lines are counted from the bottom.
Line 1 (bottom)
The first NINE, undivided, shows us one changing the object of his pursuit; but if he be firm and correct, there will be good fortune. Going beyond (his own) gate to find associates, he will achieve merit.
The rules are shifting. Stay true to what is right, and go out and talk with people of every kind; it brings results.
Line 2
The second SIX, divided, shows us one who cleaves to the little boy, and lets go the man of age and experience.
If you hold on to the small one, you lose the strong one. Choosing a shallow attachment costs you a better connection.
Line 3
The third SIX, divided, shows us one who cleaves to the man of age and experience, and lets go the little boy. Such following will get what it seeks; but it will be advantageous to adhere to what is firm and correct.
If you hold on to the strong one, you lose the small one. Choosing what is worthy means letting something lesser go; you find what you seek.
Line 4
The fourth NINE, undivided, shows us one followed and obtaining (adherents). Though he be firm and correct, there will be evil. If he be sincere (however) in his course, and make that evident, into what error will he fall?
Following brings success, but people may follow you for the wrong reasons. Stay sincere and clear about your path, and no blame comes.
Line 5
The fifth NINE, undivided, shows us (the ruler) sincere in (fostering all) that is excellent. There will be good fortune.
Sincere in following what is good. Trusting and serving what is truly worthy brings good fortune.
Line 6 (top)
The topmost SIX, divided, shows us (that sincerity) firmly held and clung to, yea, and bound fast. (We see) the king with it presenting his offerings on the western mountain.
You are bound firmly to a cause or person, and others seek you out. A deep and loyal bond brings honor.
Related hexagrams
| Opposite (every line changed) | 18. Repairing the Spoiled |
|---|---|
| Inverse (turned upside down) | 18. Repairing the Spoiled |
| Nuclear (lines 2 to 5) | 53. Gradual Progress |
All three relations have traditional Chinese names (cuo gua for the opposite, zong gua for the inverse, hu gua for the nuclear). Many modern readers use the opposite as the shadow side of a situation, the inverse as the same moment seen from the other side, and the nuclear hexagram as its inner core.
If one line changes
With a single changing line, hexagram 17 turns into:
| Line 1 changes | Hexagram 45, Gathering Together |
|---|---|
| Line 2 changes | Hexagram 58, Lake (Joy) |
| Line 3 changes | Hexagram 49, Revolution |
| Line 4 changes | Hexagram 3, Difficult Beginnings |
| Line 5 changes | Hexagram 51, Thunder (Shock) |
| Line 6 changes | Hexagram 25, Innocence |
Learn more: what the I Ching is, how to read changing lines, the eight trigrams, how to cast with coins or yarrow.
Hexagram 17 in love and relationships
In love, this hexagram favors flexibility and willingness to follow your partner's lead at times. Choose the bond that is real over the one that is merely comfortable.
Hexagram 17 for work and decisions
At work, adapt to changes rather than resisting them, and align with leaders or projects you genuinely believe in. Be ready to let a smaller option go for a better one.
Questions
What does hexagram 17 mean?
This hexagram is about following: adapting to what the time asks, and choosing well whom or what you follow. To lead others you must first be willing to follow what is right. It suggests flexibility, rest when it is time to rest, and loyalty to good people and good aims. Be careful to follow out of conviction, not out of convenience.
What does hexagram 17 mean in love?
In love, this hexagram favors flexibility and willingness to follow your partner's lead at times. Choose the bond that is real over the one that is merely comfortable.
What does hexagram 17 mean for work?
At work, adapt to changes rather than resisting them, and align with leaders or projects you genuinely believe in. Be ready to let a smaller option go for a better one.
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