Hexagram 8 — 比 (Bǐ), Holding Together / Union
Above: ☵ 坎 Water Below: ☷ 坤 Earth
The Judgment
吉。原筮元永贞，无咎。不宁方来，后夫凶。
Mutual support brings luck. Examine your alliances early — those who join too late find no place.
The Image (Daxiang)
「地上有水，比；先王以建万国，亲诸侯。」Water on the earth — the ancient kings founded states and drew near to their lords.—— 《周易·大象传》（The Image Commentary）
The Tuan Commentary
彖曰：比，吉也，比，辅也，下顺从也。原筮元永贞，无咎，以刚中也。不宁方来，上下应也。后夫凶，其道穷也。——《易传·彖传》
The Six Line Texts
| 初六 | 有孚比之，无咎。有孚盈缶，终来有它，吉。 |
| 六二 | 比之自内，贞吉。 |
| 六三 | 比之匪人。 |
| 六四 | 外比之，贞吉。 |
| 九五 | 显比，王用三驱，失前禽。邑人不诫，吉。 |
| 上六 | 比之无首，凶。 |
In Plain Terms
Choose allies deliberately; early trust binds. When you receive this hexagram, hold the judgment beside your question: it describes a posture and a season, not a script.
I Ching judgments quoted from the Zhouyi (public domain); modern renderings by BaziOracle, for cultural and entertainment reference.