Grace (賁, Bì) is hexagram 22 of the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching, in the
traditional King Wen order. It is made of Mountain (☶) above Fire (☲).
Meaning of hexagram 22
Form and presentation matter, but they adorn substance rather than
replace it. Beauty is welcome in small things.
Advice
Make a good impression, but do not mistake polish for the real thing.
The two trigrams
Grace places ☶ Mountain (Gèn), still, steady and restrained, above ☲
Fire (Lí), bright, clinging and clear. The lower trigram is the inner
side of the situation and the upper one its outer side.
Hexagram
22. Grace
Chinese name
賁 Bì
Upper trigram
☶ Mountain (Gèn)
Lower trigram
☲ Fire (Lí)
Lines
3 yang (solid) and 3 yin (broken)
Place in the sequence
22 of 64 (King Wen order)
The six lines of Grace
A hexagram is read from the bottom line up. In a reading, a changing
line (a 6 or a 9 in the three-coin method) draws attention to its
position.
First line(yang, solid): the beginning. The root
of the matter: early stirrings, foundations, and what has not yet
shown itself.
Second line(yin, broken): the inner circle. Your
immediate surroundings and steady supports: how things work at close
range.
Third line(yang, solid): the threshold. A point
of tension between inner and outer, often a test or a restless push
forward.
Fourth line(yin, broken): the approach. Stepping
into wider circles or nearer to authority; caution and good
relationships matter here.
Fifth line(yin, broken): the center of power. The
place of influence and clear leadership: where the situation is most
fully expressed.
Sixth line(yang, solid): the culmination. The far
edge of the situation: completion, overreach, or letting go.