← All 64 hexagrams

Hexagram 36 / 64 · Stillness

Hexagram 36Darkening of the Light

Protect your clarity when conditions are difficult.

明夷 / Ming Yi
UPPER: EARTH
LOWER: FIRE

A modern reflection

A way to look at this moment.

There are environments in which exposing every thought is not helpful. Discernment includes knowing what to share, with whom, and when. Keep a connection to your values and supportive relationships while choosing a careful way to move through the situation.

Sit with this question

What part of your inner life needs a more supportive setting?

One small practice.

Make time with a person or practice that helps you think clearly.

The image & the structure.

This hexagram places earth above fire. The lower trigram evokes light and clarity; the upper trigram evokes receptive ground. Consider these as images to explore rather than instructions to follow.

The six lines are read from the bottom upward. A solid line is yang; a broken line is yin. In a coin reading, some lines may change and form a relating hexagram. A hexagram on its own does not specify which lines are changing.

Learn about changing lines →
This page contains original modern reflections, not a translation of the I Ching’s Judgment, Image, or individual line texts. Names vary between translations. About our sources and approach.