Hexagram of the Day Tuesday, December 15, 2026: #3 Difficulty at the Beginning (屯)

The phonetic note indicates 'tun' rhymes with 'zhang-lun.' Zhen and Kan are both names of three-line trigrams. In Zhen, one yang moves beneath two yin lines, so its virtue is movement and its image is Thunder.

In Kan, one yang is trapped between two yin lines, so its virtue is entrapment and danger, and its image is cloud, rain, and water.

Tun (Difficulty at the Beginning) is the name of the six-line hexagram; it means difficulty—the sense of things first being born and not yet having found free passage. Therefore, the character depicts a sprout breaking through the earth, just emerging but not yet spreading forth.

The hexagram shows Zhen meeting Kan: Heaven and Earth first interact and encounter danger and entrapment; hence its name is Difficulty at the Beginning. Zhen's movement is below and Kan's peril is above; this means being able to move within danger.

Although being able to move allows penetration, being in danger means one should preserve correctness and not advance hastily.

Therefore, for those who obtain it by divination, its judgment portends great penetration and advantage in being steadfast, but one must not advance hastily anywhere.

Moreover, Nine at the Beginning is yang dwelling beneath yin and serves as the primary ruler of the hexagram; this is an image of being able to place oneself beneath others through worthiness, winning the people, and being worthy of rulership.

Therefore, when divining about establishing a ruler, encountering this hexagram is auspicious.

'Nan' (difficulty) is read in the departing tone; the same applies to the image of Six in the Second Place. Using the two trigram bodies, it explains the name and meaning of the hexagram: 'first interacting' refers to Zhen; 'difficulty arises' refers to Kan.

Using the virtues of the two trigram bodies, it explains the hexagram statement: movement is the action of Zhen, and peril is the place of Kan. From here onward, the explanation of 'supreme penetration, advantage in being steadfast' follows King Wen's original meaning.

Using the images of the two trigram bodies, it explains the hexagram statement: Thunder is the image of Zhen, and Rain is the image of Kan. 'The workings of Heaven' refers to the movements of Heaven's cycles. 'Chaos' means disordered confusion, and 'dimness' means dark obscurity.

When yin and yang interact, thunder and rain arise, and disordered dimness fills the space between Heaven and Earth.

The realm is not yet settled and proper roles are not yet clear; it is appropriate to establish rulers to govern, and one cannot yet call it a time of peace and tranquility.

That this does not draw on the meaning of the Nine at the Beginning line is because meanings can be drawn from many aspects, and this merely presents one of them.

Kan speaks not of water but of clouds, conveying the sense of not yet having free passage. 'Regulating and ordering' refers to the work of untangling silk: 'jing' means drawing out the threads, and 'lun' means arranging them.

The age of difficulty and birth is the time for the superior man to take action.

In the Sequence of the Gua, it is said: 'After Heaven and Earth exist, the myriad things are born. What fills the space between Heaven and Earth is nothing other than the myriad things; hence it is received by Difficulty at the Beginning.

Tun means fullness; Tun means the initial birth of things.' When the myriad things are first born, they are knotted and have not yet found free passage; hence they fill and choke the space between Heaven and Earth.

When they achieve smooth and luxuriant growth, the sense of obstruction vanishes. Heaven and Earth give birth to the myriad things; Tun is the first birth of things, and therefore follows The Creative and The Receptive.

Speaking from the two images, the rising of clouds and thunder represents the initial interaction of yin and yang.

Speaking from the two trigram bodies, Zhen begins interacting below, and Kan begins interacting in the middle; when yin and yang interact, clouds and thunder are formed.

When yin and yang first interact, clouds and thunder correspond to each other but have not yet become rain; hence it is Tun. If they had already become rain, it would be Deliverance. Furthermore, moving within peril is also the meaning of Tun.

When yin and yang do not interact, it is Standstill; when they first interact but are not yet free-flowing, it is Tun. In terms of the times, it is when the world faces difficulty and has not yet achieved smooth prosperity.

Difficulty at the Beginning holds the path to great penetration, yet in dealing with it, the advantage lies in being steadfast and firm; without steadfastness and firmness, how could one overcome difficulty? When difficulty is just beginning, one must not advance anywhere.

How could the world's difficulties be overcome by a single person's strength? One must broadly seek assistance; hence 'it is advantageous to establish feudatories.'

Speaking from the two images of clouds and thunder, firmness and yielding first interact. Speaking from the two trigram bodies of Kan and Zhen, there is movement within danger.

When firmness and yielding first interact and cannot yet flow freely, there is hardship and obstruction; hence it says 'difficulty arises.' Moreover, moving within danger carries the meaning of hardship and obstruction.

What is called 'great penetration and steadfastness' is that the movement of thunder and rain fills all.

When yin and yang first interact, there is hardship and they cannot flow freely; when they harmonize, they form thunder and rain, filling the space between Heaven and Earth, and the growth of things is fulfilled.

Thus Difficulty at the Beginning contains the path of great penetration. The reason it can achieve great penetration is due to steadfastness; without steadfastness and firmness, how could one emerge from difficulty?

A person dealing with difficulty also finds the path to great penetration in steadfastness and firmness. The preceding passage spoke of Heaven and Earth generating things; here it speaks of worldly affairs. 'The workings of Heaven' refers to the cycles of time.

'Chaos' means disordered confusion without proper sequence; 'dimness' means dark and unclear. Facing such a time and fortune, what is fitting is to establish assistants so that one may overcome difficulty.

Yet although one establishes feudatories to assist oneself, one must also remain anxious, diligent, fearful, and vigilant, not daring to rest at ease; this is the sage's profound admonition.

Kan speaks not of rain but of clouds because clouds are rain that has not yet formed. Being unable yet to form rain is why it is Difficulty at the Beginning.

The superior man observes the image of Difficulty at the Beginning to regulate and order the affairs of the world in order to deliver it from distress. 'Regulating and ordering' means planning and governing.

Firmness and yielding first interact; hence it is 'Difficulty at the Beginning.' If they do not interact, there is Standstill; thus Difficulty leads to great penetration. With great penetration, there is no peril; hence 'advantage in being steadfast.'

Advancing only increases difficulty. When a ruler is established, things become settled.

Beginning in danger and difficulty, arriving at great penetration, and only then perfecting correctness; hence it says 'Difficulty at the Beginning: supreme penetration, advantage in being steadfast.'

Only with the movement of thunder and rain is fullness attained, all brought about by the initial interaction of firmness and yielding. The body of Difficulty at the Beginning is not at peace; hence it is advantageous to 'establish feudatories.'

Difficulty at the Beginning is the time when Heaven and Earth first begin creation. The creation of things begins in dark obscurity; hence it says 'chaos and dimness.'

Dwelling in the time of initial creation, among all suitable goods, none is better than 'establishing feudatories.'

The time for the superior man to regulate and order affairs.

The Sub-commentary states: Tun means difficulty. When firmness and yielding first interact, difficulty arises; they first encounter each other, hence 'Tun means difficulty.'

Because yin and yang first interact to produce difficulty, and through this difficulty things begin to attain great passage, it is 'supreme penetration.' When the myriad things achieve great penetration, they attain benefit and correctness; hence 'advantage in being steadfast.'

However, the four virtues of Difficulty at the Beginning are inferior to the four virtues of The Creative; hence Difficulty has great penetration, and through penetration there is advantage in being steadfast. The four virtues of The Creative encompass all without exception.

Here, it says 'do not use having somewhere to go,' and separately says 'advantageous to establish feudatories,' which is not like The Creative having nothing that is not advantageous.

The above explains the four natural virtues of Difficulty at the Beginning, which the sage should take as a model.

The Sub-commentary states: 'Do not use having somewhere to go; it is advantageous to establish feudatories' means that in an age of difficulty and distress, when the ways of the world are newly founded and things are not yet at peace, it is appropriate to 'establish feudatories' to bring peace.

These two sentences explain human affairs.

From 'The Commentary on the Decision says' to 'great penetration and steadfastness.' The Sub-commentary states: 'Difficulty at the Beginning: firmness and yielding first interact and difficulty arises'—this sentence explains the name of Tun.

Because the two qi of firmness and yielding are just beginning to interact, not yet having communicated their feelings, and their dispositions are not yet attuned, 'difficulty arises.'

Once firmness and yielding have already interacted, all things achieve smooth harmony, and it is no longer difficult. It is only at the moment of first interaction that difficulty exists; hence it says 'firmness and yielding first interact and difficulty arises.'

'Moving within peril, great penetration and steadfastness' explains the four virtues. Kan is peril, and Zhen is movement; Zhen is below Kan, which is moving within peril.

Initially moving within peril, difficulty moves unceasingly; about to emerge from peril, it attains 'great penetration and steadfastness.'

Great penetration is supreme penetration; that it does not mention 'advantage' is because advantage belongs to steadfastness, so it simply says 'great penetration and steadfastness.' 'The movement of thunder and rain brings fullness.'

The Sub-commentary states: Master Zhou says: 'This sentence reiterates and explains penetration.' But Tun holds two meanings: one is difficulty, and one is fullness.

Above, it explained the difficulty of Tun by the initial interaction of firmness and yielding; here, it explains fullness through the two images of thunder and rain.

It says that when the two qi of thunder and rain first interact and move to nourish the myriad things, they attain fullness, which is the meaning of penetration.

It reiterates 'penetration' because in an age of difficulty, penetration would seem inappropriate, and fearing that the meaning of penetration might be hard to understand, it specifically clarifies it. From here downward describes the natural images of Tun.

As for the commentary 'only with the movement of thunder and rain is fullness attained,' the Sub-commentary states: Master Zhou and Master Chu say: 'This explains penetration; when the myriad things are full, there is smooth penetration.'

'All brought about by the initial interaction of firmness and yielding' means that the movement of thunder and rain is also the initial interaction of yin and yang.

The fullness of the myriad things is likewise brought about by yin and yang; hence it says 'all brought about by the initial interaction of firmness and yielding.' If one focuses on difficulty, Kan is peril, as stated above: 'moving within peril.'

If one focuses on smooth penetration, Kan is rain and Zhen is movement, as stated here: 'the movement of thunder and rain.' Images are drawn according to the intended meaning, and their senses are manifold. From 'the workings of Heaven in chaos and dimness' to 'not at peace.'

The Sub-commentary states: This explains 'advantageous to establish feudatories.'

'Chaos' refers to initial foundation, and 'dimness' refers to dark obscurity; it means that when Heaven creates the myriad things at the beginning of their rough foundation, it is like being in a time of dark obscurity.

At such a time of chaos and dimness, the ruler should model himself on this hexagram of Difficulty at the Beginning, establishing feudatories to care for the creatures of all quarters, and must not rest comfortably in his affairs.

These two sentences explain the meaning of Tun through human affairs.

As for the commentary 'the body of Difficulty at the Beginning is not at peace,' the Sub-commentary states: because this difficulty and distress leaves the body restless, it is 'advantageous to establish feudatories.'

'The creation of things begins in dark obscurity': 'the creation of things' is the workings of Heaven in chaos and dimness.

'Chaos' conveys the meaning of initial rough beginning; 'begins in dark obscurity' means that when things are first created, their forms are not yet visible and their substances are not yet manifest, so they reside in dark obscurity.

The Sub-commentary states: 'Jing' refers to warp and woof; 'lun' refers to main cords and regulation.

It means that the superior man, taking this image of Difficulty at the Beginning as a model for a time of action, regulates and orders the realm to set boundaries for things; hence it says 'the superior man regulates and orders.'

Yao Xin says: 'Lun means the main cord, used to weave warp and woof together.' This is the affair of a superior man, not its intended meaning. Liu Biao and Zheng Xuan say 'lun is taken as the character for sinking,' which was not Wang Bi's original meaning.