TL;DR: Thủy Thiên Nhu (需) is the fifth hexagram among the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching, with Khảm (Water) above and Càn (Heaven) below. The hexagram text says: 需：有孚，光亨。貞吉，利涉大川 (Nhu: hữu phu, quang hanh. Trinh cát, lợi thiệp đại xuyên), meaning that with sincerity there is smooth success, steadfast correctness brings good fortune, and it is favorable to cross the great river. Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: this can be seen as a period of prepared waiting, strengthening internal matters, and keeping rhythm rather than committing funds recklessly.
Which hexagram number is Thủy Thiên Nhu (需) among the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching?
In the Zhou Yi sequence, Thủy Thiên Nhu (需) is hexagram number 5, with the upper trigram being Khảm (Water) and the lower trigram being Càn (Heaven). It follows the Mông hexagram (蒙) and precedes the Tụng hexagram (訟). The name "Nhu" carries the meaning of waiting, of necessity.
Tradition attributes the classic text of the Nhu hexagram to King Wen and the Duke of Zhou, and the commentary sections (Thoán truyện, Tượng truyện) to Confucius and his disciples; modern scholarship does not regard these attributions as proven. The Thập Dực are layers of commentary composed later, roughly between the 5th and 2nd centuries BCE.
What does the original text of the Thủy Thiên Nhu hexagram record?
The original text consists of the gua statement and the six line statements. Below they are transcribed from the Zhou Yi text preserved on Wikisource, together with the Sino-Vietnamese pronunciation and a close translation.
Gua statement:
需：有孚，光亨。貞吉，利涉大川。
Nhu: hữu phu, quang hanh. Trinh cát, lợi thiệp đại xuyên.
Translation: Nhu (waiting) has trust, bright and penetrating. Persisting correct brings good fortune, favorable to cross the great river.
Line statements:
- Sơ cửu line: 需于郊，利用恆，无咎。 (Nhu vu giao, lợi dụng hằng, vô cữu. Translation: Waiting in the outskirts, one should keep constancy of heart, no fault.)
- Cửu nhị line: 需于沙，小有言，終吉。 (Nhu vu sa, tiểu hữu ngôn, chung cát. Translation: Waiting on the sand, there is some minor talk back and forth, in the end good fortune.)
- Cửu tam line: 需于泥，致寇至。 (Nhu vu nê, trí khấu chí. Translation: Waiting in the mud, it brings bandits to arrive.)
- Lục tứ line: 需于血，出自穴。 (Nhu vu huyết, xuất tự huyệt. Translation: Waiting in blood, emerging from the cave.)
- Cửu ngũ line: 需于酒食，貞吉。 (Nhu vu tửu thực, trinh cát. Translation: Waiting with wine and food, persisting correct brings good fortune.)
- Thượng lục line: 入于穴，有不速之客三人來，敬之終吉。 (Nhập vu huyệt, hữu bất tốc chi khách tam nhân lai, kính chi chung cát. Translation: Entering the cave, there are three uninvited guests who come, treat them with respect and in the end good fortune.)
What do the Thoán truyện and Tượng truyện of the Thủy Thiên Nhu hexagram say?
The Thoán truyện and Tượng truyện belong to the Thập Dực, not to the classic text. Tradition attributes them to Confucius; modern scholarship places them roughly between the 5th and 2nd centuries BCE.
Thoán truyện:
需，須也，險在前也；剛健而不陷，其義不困窮矣。需，有孚，光亨，貞吉，位乎天位，以正中也。利涉大川，往有功也。
Translation: Nhu means waiting, danger lies ahead; firm and strong yet not falling in, its meaning is not exhausted. Nhu, having trust, bright and penetrating, persisting correct brings good fortune, positioned in the heavenly position, by means of correctness and centrality. Favorable to cross the great river, going forward brings merit.
Đại Tượng (Tượng truyện):
雲上於天，需；君子以飲食宴樂。
Translation: Clouds above heaven, this is Nhu; the noble person accordingly eats, drinks and enjoys.
Tiểu Tượng:
- Sơ cửu: 需于郊，不犯難行也。利用恆，无咎，未失常也。 (Waiting in the outskirts, not wading into difficulty to go. One should keep constancy of heart, no fault, not yet losing the constant way.)
- Cửu nhị: 需于沙，衍在中也。雖小有言，以吉終也。 (Waiting on the sand, spreading in the middle. Though there is some minor talk back and forth, it ends with good fortune.)
- Cửu tam: 需于泥，災在外也。自我致寇，敬慎不敗也。 (Waiting in the mud, disaster is outside. Bringing bandits upon oneself, with reverence and caution one is not defeated.)
- Lục tứ: 需于血，順以聽也。 (Waiting in blood, compliant and listening.)
- Cửu ngũ: 酒食，貞吉，以中正也。 (Wine and food, persisting correct brings good fortune, because of centrality and correctness.)
- Thượng lục: 不速之客來，敬之終吉。雖不當位，未大失也。 (Uninvited guests come, treat them with respect and in the end good fortune. Though not in the proper position, there is no great loss.)
How do Wang Bi and Zhu Xi comment on the Thủy Thiên Nhu hexagram?
These two commentators represent two different reading traditions. Below their commentary is cited from the version preserved on Wikisource, translated closely in meaning.
Wang Bi's commentary (in the Zhou Yi zhengyi):
- On "favorable to cross the great river, going forward brings merit": The virtue of Càn advances; going forward is penetrating.
- On Sơ cửu: In the time of Nhu, being far from the most difficult place, one can restrain one's advance to avoid danger and wait for the time; though not responding to the pivot, one can keep the constant way.
- On Cửu nhị: About to approach the difficult place, hence it says "waiting on the sand". Not yet reaching the point of bringing bandits, hence it says "there is some minor talk back and forth". Near yet not pressing on the difficult place, far yet not lagging behind the time, treading firmness and dwelling in the middle, in order to await the meeting; though there is some minor talk back and forth, it ends with good fortune.
- On Cửu tam: Using firmness to press on danger, wanting to advance one's own way, therefore it summons bandits and draws enemies. One still has to wait, not falling into one's own firmness. The bandits' arrival is self-summoned; with reverence and caution in defense, one can avoid defeat.
- On Lục tứ: In general what is called blood is where yin and yang wound each other. When yin and yang are near yet do not obtain each other, when yang wants to advance but yin blocks it, then they harm each other. The cave is the path of yin, at the head of Khảm, inside the cave. Cửu tam advances with firmness, the fourth cannot resist it; seeing encroachment, it withdraws, compliant and obeying the command, hence it says "waiting in blood, emerging from the cave".
- On Cửu ngũ: What Nhu waits for is in order to attain. Having already obtained the heavenly position, penetrating centrality and correctness, there is no more waiting to do, hence only wine and food, and one obtains "persisting correct brings good fortune".
- On Thượng lục: The reason Lục tứ "emerges from the cave" is that it does not obtain harmony with the third and blocks its path; if it did not withdraw it would be harmed, hence it cannot but "emerge from the cave" and withdraw. Coming to Thượng lục, at the end of the hexagram, it is not the one blocking the path. It responds to the third; the third comes to it, and so becomes its support, hence there is no withdrawal in fear of harm, but rather the firmness of entering the cave. The reason the three yang lines do not dare to advance is that they wait for the difficulty to end. When the difficulty ends, they come, without waiting for an invitation. One is at the end of the difficult place, hence they come of themselves. Dwelling in a position without a proper seat, with one yin as master over three yang, hence one must treat them with respect and only afterwards is there good fortune.
Zhu Xi's commentary (Chu Dịch bản nghĩa):
- On the gua statement: Nhu means waiting. With Càn meeting Khảm, Càn firm and Khảm dangerous, with firmness meeting danger yet not rushing forward to fall into danger, this is the meaning of waiting. Phu is trust within. In this hexagram, Cửu ngũ takes the Khảm body in the middle and solid, yang firm, central and correct, and dwells in the honored position; this is the image of having trust and obtaining correctness. Khảm water is in front, Càn firmness is above, about to cross the water yet not lightly advancing; this is the image. Therefore, if the diviner has something to wait for and can have trust, then it is bright and penetrating; if one also obtains correctness, then good fortune and favorable to cross the great river; correct and firm, then nothing is unfavorable, and in crossing the river what is most valued is knowing how to wait, not wanting to hurry and offend against difficulty.
- On Sơ cửu: The outskirts are broad and distant land, not yet near danger; this is the image. And Sơ cửu is yang and firm, and further has the image of being able to be constant in its own place. Therefore it warns the diviner that if one can be like this, there is no fault.
- On Cửu nhị: The sand is already near danger. Words that wound are also a minor disaster; gradually advancing near Khảm, hence there is this image. Firm and central, one can wait, hence one obtains good fortune in the end; it warns the diviner to be like this.
- On Cửu tam: Mud is about to fall into danger. Bandits are great harm. Cửu tam is even nearer danger and is excessively firm without centrality, hence the image is like this.
- On Lục tứ: Blood is the place of killing and wounding; the cave is the place of danger and entrapment. The fourth is inserted into the Khảm body, entering into danger, hence it is the image of waiting in blood. But being yielding and obtaining correctness, waiting and not advancing, hence it is also the image of emerging from the cave. If the diviner is like this, then though in a place of wounding, in the end one can emerge.
- On Cửu ngũ: Wine and food are joy and pleasure; it speaks of being at ease in order to wait. Cửu ngũ is yang, firm, central and correct, waiting in the honored position, hence it has this image. If the diviner is like this and correct and firm, then one obtains good fortune.
- On Thượng lục: Yin at the end of danger, no longer waiting, has the image of falling into the cave. Below it responds to Cửu tam; Cửu tam together with the two yang lines below wait until the end and then advance together; this is the image of three uninvited guests. Nhu cannot resist but can be compliant; this is the image of respect. The diviner should, when fallen into danger, with what arrives unexpectedly, treat it with respect and wait, then obtain good fortune in the end.
According to Nhật Nguyệt's understanding, what does the Thủy Thiên Nhu hexagram suggest?
According to Nhật Nguyệt's understanding, the Nhu hexagram places two images side by side: Càn firmness below and Khảm danger above. The gua statement records "hữu phu, quang hanh, trinh cát, lợi thiệp đại xuyên", meaning that having trust brings penetration, persisting correct brings good fortune, and in the end it is still favorable to cross the great river. This shows that the waiting here is not resignation, but waiting with preparation.
The Thoán truyện writes "cương kiện nhi bất hãm", meaning firm and strong yet not falling into danger. The Đại Tượng writes "vân thượng ư thiên, Nhu; quân tử dĩ ẩm thực yến lạc", meaning clouds above heaven, the noble person accordingly eats, drinks and enjoys. Nhật Nguyệt understands these two lines as two sides of the same matter: when danger lies ahead, one does not plunge in, but neither does one sit and worry; instead one nourishes body and mind to be strong in order to await the favorable moment.
The line statements move from "giao" (outskirts) to "sa" (sand), "nê" (mud), "huyết" (blood), "tửu thực" (wine and food), then "huyệt" (cave): the closer to danger, the heavier the words, until Cửu ngũ where there is ease, and Thượng lục where there is respect for what arrives unexpectedly. Nhật Nguyệt understands this as a scale of waiting, not a promise about outcomes.
When encountering the Thủy Thiên Nhu hexagram in asking about work, how should it be understood?
Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: if you are in a phase of starting up or expanding a project, consider this a time to perfect internal matters, research the market, and strengthen the team before launching a big step. The gua statement records "lợi thiệp đại xuyên", meaning that crossing the great river is still favorable, but the Thoán truyện and Tượng truyện both emphasize not rushing forward while danger still lies ahead. Weigh the timing carefully rather than committing capital recklessly.
The Cửu nhị line in the original text records "tiểu hữu ngôn, chung cát", meaning there is some minor talk back and forth but in the end good fortune; Wang Bi's commentary explains it as being near the difficult place yet not pressing on it, far yet not lagging behind the time. Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: if you encounter a few dissenting voices during the preparation phase, it is not necessarily required to respond sharply; simply keep your rhythm.
When encountering the Thủy Thiên Nhu hexagram in asking about love, how should it be understood?
Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: this is a phase for giving time for both sides to understand each other and build trust, rather than pressing early for commitment. The gua statement records "hữu phu", meaning having trust, and the Thoán truyện emphasizes "cương kiện nhi bất hãm", not falling into danger. In a relationship, "danger" may be differences not yet clearly spoken; go slowly and be open.
It should be noted that the line statements of the Nhu hexagram belong to the social context of ancient times, with the marriage, ruler-subject, and male-female norms of that era. That is historical context for understanding the text, and should not be directly turned into advice for relationships today.
When encountering the Thủy Thiên Nhu hexagram in asking about health, how should it be understood?
Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: the Nhu hexagram suggests patience in treatment and monitoring, not being impatient and constantly changing protocols. The Đại Tượng writes "ẩm thực yến lạc", meaning eating, drinking and enjoying, resting; this is a suggestion about lifestyle rhythm, not a medical prescription. Any specific health matter should be asked of a physician, not decided based on a hexagram.
What is Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion for today?
Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: clearly identify what you are waiting for and what you have prepared for it. If there is no goal and no preparation, that is procrastination; if there is a plan and you are cultivating yourself, that is the spirit of the Nhu hexagram. Regarding money, weigh carefully before committing capital to a big step; regarding work, spend time strengthening internal matters; regarding leadership, give subordinates time to mature rather than forcing immediate results. These are suggestions according to Nhật Nguyệt's understanding, not a promise about outcomes.
Quick reference table for the Thủy Thiên Nhu hexagram
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Order number | 5 |
| Hexagram name | Thủy Thiên Nhu (需) |
| Upper trigram | Khảm (Water) |
| Lower trigram | Càn (Heaven) |
| Gua statement | 需：有孚，光亨。貞吉，利涉大川。 |
| Sơ cửu line | 需于郊，利用恆，无咎。 |
| Cửu nhị line | 需于沙，小有言，終吉。 |
| Cửu tam line | 需于泥，致寇至。 |
| Lục tứ line | 需于血，出自穴。 |
| Cửu ngũ line | 需于酒食，貞吉。 |
| Thượng lục line | 入于穴，有不速之客三人來，敬之終吉。 |
| Đại Tượng | 雲上於天，需；君子以飲食宴樂。 |
How do the Thủy Thiên Nhu hexagram and the adjacent Tụng hexagram (訟) differ?
The Nhu hexagram (number 5) and the Tụng hexagram (number 6) stand next to each other in the Zhou Yi sequence. The Nhu hexagram speaks of waiting, the Tụng hexagram speaks of dispute and litigation. According to Nhật Nguyệt's understanding, this pair suggests a contrast: when one does not know how to wait properly, conflict easily flares up into open dispute. This is Nhật Nguyệt's understanding, not the words of the hexagram.
What is the origin and traditional attribution of authorship of the Thủy Thiên Nhu hexagram?
Tradition attributes the classic text of the Zhou Yi to King Wen and the Duke of Zhou, and the commentary sections (Thoán truyện, Tượng truyện) to Confucius and his disciples; modern scholarship does not regard these attributions as proven. The Thập Dực are layers of commentary composed later, roughly between the 5th and 2nd centuries BCE.
Among later commentary traditions there are Wang Bi (Wei dynasty) and Zhu Xi (Song dynasty); their commentary is cited in the section above from the version preserved on Wikisource. Beyond these two, there are many other commentary traditions, but they lie outside the scope of the sources consulted for this article.
Overview article on the topic: The 64 hexagrams of the I Ching and their meanings
*This content is for reference regarding the text and commentary traditions, and is not medical, financial or legal advice. All personal decisions should be based on specific circumstances and, when needed, consultation with experts.*
