Hexagram 7: The Army
師Shī
Many hands need a steady lead.
The passages below are historical language. Their references to fortune, danger, and the exemplary person belong to the text’s world. Our modern explanation is an invitation to reflect on your situation.
The Judgment
Classical Chinese
師。 貞，丈人吉，無咎。
Our English rendering
The Army. Steadfastness. With a mature elder, good fortune. No blame.
The Image
Classical Chinese
象曰：地中有水，師。君子以容民畜眾。
Our English rendering
Water lies within the earth: The Army. A person of integrity therefore makes room for the people and sustains the multitude.
Translation note: Zhang ren describes a mature male elder in the source's historical setting. 'Mature elder' keeps that role visible; the text's army language is not softened into a modern promise of teamwork.
A modern reading
Water contained within the earth suggests a body of resources held together by a larger structure. The Image turns from this arrangement to the care of many people. A force that can be gathered also has to be housed and sustained. For a contemporary reader, this makes the conditions behind collective action visible: the people doing the work need support, and the structure holding them together needs enough capacity to carry their needs.
The Judgment names an elder alongside steadfastness. Experience and steadiness matter in its military setting because a leader's decisions reach beyond that leader's own life. A present reflection can examine how authority is exercised in any joint effort. Ask who understands the consequences of the proposed action, who hears the needs of the participants, and who will remain responsible for those needs once the group has been set in motion.
A question to sit with
Who is responsible for sustaining the people whose effort this undertaking requires?
Source and method
The Judgment and Image are classical passages from the Book of Changes. The English rendering and modern explanation are Meow Ching’s editorial work. This page covers these two passages; it does not translate the six individual line texts.
Read the classical text on Wikisource · Our sources and method