Hexagram 32 of 64 · King Wen order
恆Duration
Héng · ䷟ · above: Thunder ☳ 震 Zhèn · below: Wind ☴ 巽 Xùn
The principle of consistency and endurance, not as stagnation, but as a steady movement in a single direction.A one-line gloss written for this site (AI-assisted). Everything below it is the classical text.
The Judgment 卦辭
亨，無咎，利貞，利有攸往。
Hăng indicates successful progress and no error (in what it denotes). But the advantage will come from being firm and correct; and movement in any direction whatever will be advantageous.
James Legge, The Yî King (1882), the Text. Words in (parentheses) are Legge's own additions.
Commentary on the Judgment 彖傳 (Tuan, the first Wing)
1. Hang denotes long continuance. The strong (trigram) is above, and the weak one below; (they are the symbols of) thunder and wind, which are in mutual communication; (they have the qualities of) docility and motive force; their strong and weak (lines) all respond, each to the other:—these things are all found in Hang.
2. (When it is said that) 'Hang indicates successful progress and no error (in what it denotes); but the advantage will come from being firm and correct,' this indicates that there must be long continuance in its way of operation. The way of heaven and earth is to be long continued in their operation without stopping.
3. (When it is said that) 'Movement in any direction whatever will be advantageous,' this implies that when (the moving power) is spent, it will begin again.
4. The sun and moon, realising in themselves (the course of Heaven), can perpetuate their shining. The four seasons, by their changing and transforming, can perpetuate their production (of things). The sages persevere long in their course, and all under the sky are transformed and perfect. When we look at what they continue doing long, the natural tendencies of heaven, earth, and all things can be seen.
The Image 象
雷風，恆；君子以立不易方。
(The trigram representing) thunder and that for wind form Hăng. The superior man, in accordance with this, stands firm, and does not change his method (of operation).
Legge's Great Image (Appendix II). The Chinese above also carries the Small Images of the six lines.
The six lines 爻辭
Read from the bottom (line 1) to the top (line 6). Each line: the Chinese, Legge's translation, and the Small Image commentary on it.
Line 1 初六
The first line from the bottom, yin (broken, six)
浚恆，貞凶，無攸利。
The first SIX, divided, shows its subject deeply (desirous) of long continuance. Even with firm correctness there will be evil; there will be no advantage in any way.
Small Image: 'The evil attached to the deep desire for long continuance (in the subject of the first line)' arises from the deep seeking for it at the commencement (of things).
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 34, The Power of the Great.
Line 2 九二
The second line from the bottom, yang (solid, nine)
悔亡。
The second NINE, undivided, shows all occasion for repentance disappearing.
Small Image: 'All occasion for repentance on the part of the subject of the second NINE, (undivided,), disappears:'—he can abide long in the due mean.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 62, Preponderance of the Small.
Line 3 九三
The third line from the bottom, yang (solid, nine)
不恆其德，或承之羞，貞吝。
The third NINE, undivided, shows one who does not continuously maintain his virtue. There are those who will impute this to him as a disgrace. However firm he may be, there will be ground for regret.
Small Image: 'He does not continuously maintain his virtue:'—nowhere will he be borne with.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 40, Deliverance.
Line 4 九四
The fourth line from the bottom, yang (solid, nine)
田無禽。
The fourth NINE, undivided, shows a field where there is no game.
Small Image: (Going) for long to what is not his proper place, how can he get game?
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 46, Pushing Upward.
Line 5 六五
The fifth line from the bottom, yin (broken, six)
恆其德，貞，婦人吉，夫子凶。
The fifth SIX, divided, shows its subject continuously maintaining the virtue indicated by it. In a wife this will be fortunate; in a husband, evil.
Small Image: 'Such firm correctness in a wife will be fortunate:'—it is hers to the end of life to follow with an unchanged mind. The husband must decide what is right, and lay down the rule accordingly:—for him to follow (like) a wife is evil.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 28, Preponderance of the Great.
Line 6 上六
The sixth line from the bottom, yin (broken, six)
振恆，凶。
The topmost SIX, divided, shows its subject exciting himself to long continuance. There will be evil.
Small Image: 'The subject of the topmost line is exciting himself to long continuance:'—far will he be from achieving merit.
If this line changes, it becomes Hexagram 50, The Caldron.
Related hexagrams
lines 2-4 below, 3-5 aboveOpposite 錯卦42. Increase 益
every line changedInverse 綜卦31. Influence 咸
turned upside down
A hexagram is a mirror, not a command: read it to reflect, never to obey. Sources: James Legge (tr.), The Yî King, Sacred Books of the East vol. XVI (Oxford, 1882; 2nd ed. 1899), public domain; the Chinese text from Project Gutenberg ebook #25501 (易經), public domain. The trigram facts and the related hexagrams are computed from the line pattern. The gloss, selection and arrangement are CC-BY-SA-4.0 (PlayfulProcess). Data: github.com/PlayfulProcess/recursive-iching.