Hexagram 3 · Difficulty at the Beginning

屯 · Zhūn

Hexagram 3, Difficulty at the Beginning (屯, Zhūn), is one of the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching (Book of Changes). It is formed by Thunder below and Water above. Its judgment reads, in the Chinese original: “元亨，利贞；勿用有攸往，利建侯。”. In the classical tradition this hexagram is associated with the hardship that attends all first growth. This page collects its structure, judgment, Image and six line texts for cultural study.

Structure

Lower trigram: Thunder (震) — arousal and decisive motion
Upper trigram: Water (坎) — depth, danger and constancy in flow
Symbol: ䷂ · Name: 屯 (Zhūn) · Number: 3 of 64

Judgment (Chinese original)

The Image (Chinese original)

The Six Lines (Chinese original)

1. Bottom line (yang) (初九)
   磐桓；利居贞，利建侯。
   The Image says: 虽磐桓，志行正也；以贵下贱，大得民也。
2. 六二 (六二)
   屯如，邅如，乘马班如。匪寇婚媾。女子贞不字，十年乃字。
   The Image says: 六二之难，乘刚也。“十年乃字”，反常也。
3. 六三 (六三)
   即鹿无虞，惟入于林中，君子几，不如舍，往吝。
   The Image says: “即鹿无虞”，以从禽也。君子舍之；“往吝”，穷也。
4. 六四 (六四)
   乘马班如，求婚媾，往吉，无不利。
   The Image says: “求”而“往”，明也。
5. 九五 (九五)
   屯其膏，小贞吉，大贞凶。
   The Image says: “屯其膏”，施未光也。
6. Top line (yin) (上六)
   乘马班如，泣血涟如。
   The Image says: “泣血涟如”，何可长也？

FAQ

What is I Ching Hexagram 3?

Hexagram 3 is Difficulty at the Beginning (屯, Zhūn), one of the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching. It is formed by Thunder below and Water above, and belongs to the classical Chinese textual tradition.

What is the judgment of Difficulty at the Beginning?

The judgment of Difficulty at the Beginning reads, in the Chinese original: “元亨，利贞；勿用有攸往，利建侯。”. Its Great Image reads: “云雷，屯。君子以经纶。”. Translations vary by edition; the judgment and the Image are the core texts for understanding the hexagram.

What does Difficulty at the Beginning symbolize?

In the classical tradition, Difficulty at the Beginning is associated with the hardship that attends all first growth. It is studied as cultural symbolism — a lens for reflection — not as a prediction of fortune or future events.