Hexagram 35: Progress
晉 Jìn · Fire over Earth
Things are rising into the light. This hexagram describes easy, visible progress, the way the sun climbs over the earth each morning. You are being noticed, and your efforts start to count. The key is to let your own good qualities shine and to share credit generously, so that progress stays clean and others are glad to see you advance.
| Number (King Wen order) | 35 |
|---|---|
| Chinese name | 晉 (Jìn) |
| Upper trigram | ☲ Fire (Lí): clear, bright, clinging |
| Lower trigram | ☷ Earth (Kūn): yielding, receptive |
| Unicode symbol | ䷢ |
On this page (9)
Hexagram 35 in plain words
Fire sits above the earth: the sun has cleared the horizon and spreads its light across the land. Nothing is hidden and everything grows clear. Tradition reads this as rapid, honest advancement, the image of a trusted official who is welcomed and rewarded by the ruler several times in a single day. It is a time when merit is recognized.
The wise person, seeing the sun rise, works to make their own good qualities bright. Progress here comes from clarity and devotion rather than from scheming. You advance by being useful, by being seen for what you actually are, and by staying loyal to people who support you. The lines warn against two errors: grasping at advancement like a hoarding rodent, and turning sharp and aggressive once you have risen. Do not take every gain or setback too much to heart. Keep your eyes on doing good work and treating people well, and the recognition tends to follow. This is a hexagram of daylight, so act openly and let your intentions be plain.
The judgment
In Žin we see a prince who secures the tranquillity (of the people) presented on that account with numerous horses (by the king), and three times in a day received at interviews.
Translation: James Legge, 1882 (public domain).
The image
(The trigram representing) the earth and that for the bright (sun) coming forth above it form Žin. The superior man, according to this, gives himself to make more brilliant his bright virtue.
From Legge's Appendix II (the Great Symbolism), The Sacred Books of the East, vol. 16, 1882 (public domain).
In plain words: The sun rises above the earth and its light spreads. This is a time to let your best qualities shine more clearly through what you do.
The six lines
Read only the lines that changed in your reading. Lines are counted from the bottom.
Line 1 (bottom)
The first SIX, divided, shows one wishing to advance, and (at the same time) kept back. Let him be firm and correct, and there will be good fortune. If trust be not reposed in him, let him maintain a large and generous mind, and there will be no error.
You start to move forward and are pushed back. Stay correct and calm; if others do not trust you yet, remain generous and patient, and no harm comes of it.
Line 2
The second SIX, divided, shows its subject with the appearance of advancing, and yet of being sorrowful. If he be firm and correct, there will be good fortune. He will receive this great blessing from his grandmother.
Progress comes with sorrow or worry. Keep steady, and help arrives from a kind, older figure, like a blessing from a grandmother.
Line 3
The third SIX, divided, shows its subject trusted by all (around him). All occasion for repentance will disappear.
Everyone around you agrees and supports you. Any regret falls away because you are moving with others, not alone.
Line 4
The fourth NINE, undivided, shows its subject with the appearance of advancing, but like a marmot. However firm and correct he may be, the position is one of peril.
You advance like a hoarding rodent, grabbing quietly and hoping no one notices. That kind of progress is risky to keep up; come into the open.
Line 5
The fifth SIX, divided, shows how all occasion for repentance disappears (from its subject). (But) let him not concern himself about whether he shall fail or succeed. To advance will be fortunate, and in every way advantageous.
Regret fades. Do not worry about gain and loss; keep going in good faith and things go well.
Line 6 (top)
The topmost NINE, undivided, shows one advancing his horns. But he only uses them to punish the (rebellious people of his own) city. The position is perilous, but there will be good fortune. (Yet) however firm and correct he may be, there will be occasion for regret.
You push forward with lowered horns. Use that sharpness only to set your own house in order; aware of the risk, you avoid harm, but forcing it on others brings embarrassment.
Related hexagrams
| Opposite (every line changed) | 5. Waiting |
|---|---|
| Inverse (turned upside down) | 36. Darkening of the Light |
| Nuclear (lines 2 to 5) | 39. Obstruction |
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 35 turns into:
| Line 1 changes | Hexagram 21, Biting Through |
|---|---|
| Line 2 changes | Hexagram 64, Before Completion |
| Line 3 changes | Hexagram 56, The Wanderer |
| Line 4 changes | Hexagram 23, Splitting Apart |
| Line 5 changes | Hexagram 12, Standstill |
| Line 6 changes | Hexagram 16, Enthusiasm |
Learn more: what the I Ching is, how to read changing lines, the eight trigrams, how to cast with coins or yarrow.
Hexagram 35 in love and relationships
In love, feelings can come into the open now, and a relationship may move forward in a clear, sunny way. Be warm and honest, and let the other person see who you really are.
Hexagram 35 for work and decisions
At work, your efforts are likely to be noticed. Do your best work in plain view, give credit to others, and resist the urge to grab or push harder than the moment needs.
Questions
What does hexagram 35 mean?
Things are rising into the light. This hexagram describes easy, visible progress, the way the sun climbs over the earth each morning. You are being noticed, and your efforts start to count. The key is to let your own good qualities shine and to share credit generously, so that progress stays clean and others are glad to see you advance.
What does hexagram 35 mean in love?
In love, feelings can come into the open now, and a relationship may move forward in a clear, sunny way. Be warm and honest, and let the other person see who you really are.
What does hexagram 35 mean for work?
At work, your efforts are likely to be noticed. Do your best work in plain view, give credit to others, and resist the urge to grab or push harder than the moment needs.
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