豐
Fēng — Abundance
upper trigram
震Thunder (Movement)lower trigram
離Fire (Clinging)The Judgment
亨。王假之。勿憂。宜日中。
Character-by-character gloss
Modern Interpretation
Success. The king attains abundance. Be not sad. Be like the sun at midday. Clarity within, movement without—this produces greatness and abundance. Development has reached a peak, but this extraordinary condition cannot be maintained permanently. Not every mortal is able to bring about such a time. A sage might well feel sad in view of the decline that must follow. But such sadness does not befit them. Only one who is inwardly free of sorrow and care can lead in a time of abundance—like the sun at midday, illuminating and gladdening everything under heaven.
The Image
雷電皆至，豐。君子以折獄致刑。
Character-by-character gloss
Modern Interpretation
Both thunder and lightning come. Decide lawsuits and carry out punishments. Clarity within makes it possible to investigate the facts exactly. Shock without ensures strict and precise carrying out of punishments.
「雷電皆至，豐。」雷和電一起到來。象辭說君子「折獄致刑」——審理訴訟，執行刑罰。內在的清明讓我們能夠精確地調查事實。外在的震動確保嚴格而精確地執行。這兩者缺一不可。審判需要智慧，執行需要決斷。
The Six Lines
First (Bottom) Line
初九 遇其配主。雖旬无咎。往有尚。
Modern Interpretation
When a man meets his destined ruler, they can be together ten days, and it is not a mistake. Going meets with recognition. To bring about abundance, a union of clarity with energetic movement is needed. Two individuals with these attributes are suited to each other. Even if they spend an entire cycle of time together during abundance, it will not be too long. Go forth to make your influence felt; it will meet with recognition.
Second Line
六二 豐其蔀。日中見斗。往得疑疾。有孚發若。吉。
Modern Interpretation
The curtain is of such fullness that the polestars can be seen at noon. Through going one meets with mistrust and hate. If one rouses through truth, good fortune comes. Plots and party intrigues have the darkening effect of an eclipse. The ruler is overshadowed by a party that has usurped power. Energetic measures would meet only mistrust and envy. The essential thing is to hold inwardly to the power of truth, which in the end exerts an invisible influence, so that all goes well.
Third Line
九三 豐其沛。日中見沬。折其右肱。无咎。
Modern Interpretation
The underbrush is of such abundance that the small stars can be seen at noon. He breaks his right arm. No blame. The eclipse reaches totality. Even the most insignificant persons can push themselves to the foreground. This makes it impossible for an able person to undertake anything—as though their arm were broken. But they are not to blame for being thus hindered in action.
Fourth Line
九四 豐其蔀。日中見斗。遇其夷主。吉。
Modern Interpretation
The curtain is of such fullness that the polestars can be seen at noon. He meets his ruler, who is of like kind. Good fortune. Darkness is already decreasing; interrelated elements come together. The complement must be found—wisdom to complement joy of action. Then everything will go well.
Fifth Line
六五 來章。有慶譽吉。
Modern Interpretation
Lines are coming. Blessing and fame draw near. Good fortune. The ruler is modest and therefore open to the counsel of able people. Surrounded by those who suggest lines of action. This brings blessing, fame, and good fortune to all.
Sixth (Top) Line
上六 豐其屋。蔀其家。闚其戶。闃其无人。三歲不覿。凶。
Modern Interpretation
His house is in a state of abundance. He screens off his family. He peers through the gate and no longer perceives anyone. For three years he sees nothing. Misfortune. A person who through arrogance and obstinacy attains the opposite of what they strive for. Seeking abundance and splendor for their dwelling, wishing at all odds to be master in their house, they so alienate their family that in the end they find themselves completely isolated.
Yilin Verse
From the Forest of Changes (焦氏易林) — 豐 Fēng (Abundance)
諸孺行賈，經涉大阻。與杖為市，不憂危殆。利得十倍。
Young merchants set out trading, crossing great obstacles on the way. With staffs they make their market; undaunted by danger and peril. Profit gained tenfold.
Full explanation
Thunder and fire converge in Abundance upon itself — the hexagram unchanged. Young merchants set out on a trading venture, crossing great obstacles. They rely on their walking staffs for trade and do not worry about danger. Profits multiply tenfold. When Abundance transforms into itself, the pattern intensifies rather than shifts. The young traders embody Abundance's own energy: vigorous, bold, traversing difficulties with nothing but a staff and commercial instinct. Their fearlessness in the face of hardship yields extraordinary returns. The self-referential transformation suggests that true abundance perpetuates itself — those who fully inhabit the moment of fullness, without hesitation or anxiety, find that prosperity regenerates from within.
Masterpiece
A work of art reflecting this hexagram's essence
Rooster and Hen with Hydrangeas
Itō Jakuchū (伊藤若冲), 1759
Jakuchū painted this vivid scene of a rooster and hen beneath blooming hydrangeas, azaleas, and roses. The male bird's brilliant plumage contrasts with the female's quieter tones, creating visual abundance. Part of his 30-scroll 'Paintings of Animals and Plants' series, the work exemplifies hexagram 55's theme of fullness and prosperity.
Wilhelm Commentary
Richard Wilhelm's classic translation and interpretation
The Judgment
It is not given to every mortal to bring about a time of outstanding greatness and abundance. Only a born ruler of men is able to do it, because his will is directed to what is great. Such a time of abundance is usually brief. Therefore a sage might well feel sad in view of the decline that must follow. But such sadness does not befit him. Only a man who is inwardly free of sorrow and care can lead in a time of abundance. He must be like the sun at midday, illuminating and gladdening everything under heaven.
The Image
This hexagram has a certain connection with Shih Ho, BITING THROUGH (21), in which thunder and lightning similarly appear together, but in the reverse order. In BITING THROUGH, laws are laid down; here they are applied and enforced. Clarity [Li] within makes it possible to investigate the facts exactly, and shock [Chên] without ensures a strict and precise carrying out of punishments.
First (Bottom) Line
To bring about a time of abundance, a union of clarity with energetic movement is needed. Two individuals possessed of these two attributes are suited to each other, and even if they spend an entire cycle of time together during the period of abundance, it will not be too long, nor is it a mistake. Therefore one may go forth, in order to make one's influence felt; it will meet with recognition.
Second Line
It often happens that plots and party intrigues, which have the darkening effect of an eclipse of the sun, come between a ruler intent on great achievement and the man who could effect great undertakings. Then, instead of the sun, we see the northern stars in the sky. The ruler is overshadowed by a party that has usurped power. If a man at such a time were to try to take energetic measures, he would encounter only mistrust and envy, which would prohibit all movement. The essential thing then is to hold inwardly to the power of truth, which in the end is so strong that it exerts an invisible influence on the ruler, so that all goes well.
Third Line
The image is that of a progressive covering over of the sun. Here the eclipse reaches totality, therefore even the small stars can be seen at noon. In the sphere of social relationships, this means that the prince is now so eclipsed that even the most insignificant persons can push themselves into the foreground. This makes it impossible for an able man, though he might be the right hand of the ruler, to undertake anything. It is as though his arm were broken, but he is not to blame for being thus hindered in action.
Fourth Line
Here the darkness is already decreasing, therefore interrelated elements come together. Here too the complement must be found–the necessary wisdom to complement joy of action. Then everything will go well. The complementary factor postulated here is the reverse of the one in the first line. In the latter, wisdom is to be complemented by energy, while here energy is complemented by wisdom.
Fifth Line
The ruler is modest and therefore open to the counsel of able men. Thus he is surrounded by men who suggest to him the lines of action. This brings blessing, fame, and good fortune to him and all the people.
Sixth (Top) Line
This describes a man who because of his arrogance and obstinacy attains the opposite of what he strives for. He seeks abundance and splendor for his dwelling. He wishes at all odds to be master in his house, which so alienates his family that in the end he finds himself completely isolated.