Hexagram 7 · The Army

师 · Shī

Hexagram 7, The Army (师, Shī), is one of the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching (Book of Changes). It is formed by Water below and Earth above. Its judgment reads, in the Chinese original: “贞，丈人吉，无咎。”. In the classical tradition this hexagram is associated with organized collective effort and discipline. This page collects its structure, judgment, Image and six line texts for cultural study.

Structure

Lower trigram: Water (坎) — depth, danger and constancy in flow
Upper trigram: Earth (坤) — receptivity and support
Symbol: ䷆ · Name: 师 (Shī) · Number: 7 of 64

Judgment (Chinese original)

The Image (Chinese original)

The Six Lines (Chinese original)

1. Bottom line (yin) (初六)
   师出以律，否臧凶。
   The Image says: “师出以律”，失律“凶”也。
2. 九二 (九二)
   在师中吉，无咎；王三锡命。
   The Image says: “在师中吉”，承天宠也；“王三锡命”，怀万邦也。
3. 六三 (六三)
   师或舆尸，凶。
   The Image says: “师或舆尸”，大无功也。
4. 六四 (六四)
   师左次，无咎。
   The Image says: “左次，无咎”，未失常也。
5. 六五 (六五)
   田有禽，利执言，无咎；长子帅师，弟子舆尸，贞凶。
   The Image says: “长子帅师”，以中行也；“弟子舆师”，使不当也。
6. Top line (yin) (上六)
   大君有命，开国承家，小人勿用。
   The Image says: “大君有命”，以正功也；“小人勿用”，必乱邦也。

FAQ

What is I Ching Hexagram 7?

Hexagram 7 is The Army (师, Shī), one of the sixty-four hexagrams of the I Ching. It is formed by Water below and Earth above, and belongs to the classical Chinese textual tradition.

What is the judgment of The Army?

The judgment of The Army reads, in the Chinese original: “贞，丈人吉，无咎。”. Its Great Image reads: “地中有水，师。君子以容民畜众。”. Translations vary by edition; the judgment and the Image are the core texts for understanding the hexagram.

What does The Army symbolize?

In the classical tradition, The Army is associated with organized collective effort and discipline. It is studied as cultural symbolism — a lens for reflection — not as a prediction of fortune or future events.