What Does Hexagram 45, Tsui (Gathering Together, 萃), Say About Bringing People Together, and Why Does Gathering Require a Shared Place of Worship?

What is the Trạch Địa Tụy hexagram?

Trạch Địa Tụy (澤地萃) is the 45th hexagram among the 64 in the traditional sequence, made up of four yin lines and two yang lines. The inner trigram (lower trigram) is Khôn ☷, the image of earth. The outer trigram (upper trigram) is Đoài ☱, the image of a marsh. A marsh sits upon the earth, water flows from high places down to the low and pools there, so the image of the hexagram is the place where the myriad things gather. The character Tụy (萃) means to gather, to flock together.

According to the five-element classification commonly used on reference sites, this hexagram belongs to the Metal element. This is a convention of each reference system, not a line from the classic, so different places may record it differently. Its opposing hexagram (tổng quái) is Sơn Thiên Đại Súc (hexagram 26).

Why does the Tụy hexagram follow the Cấu hexagram (number 44)?

The Tự Quái truyện, the later commentary that discusses the order of the hexagrams, explains: things meet and only afterwards gather, and so Tụy follows Cấu. Cấu (hexagram 44, Thiên Phong Cấu) speaks of meeting. Meeting is the first step, gathering is the step after. Two people meeting does not necessarily make a group, but when a group forms it always begins from meetings.

One thing must be kept clear: the Tự Quái truyện is a commentary text, not the words of the classic. The words of the classic for a hexagram consist only of the judgment and the line texts. When reading translations, if you see a sentence explaining the order of the hexagrams, you should know that it is the view of a later commentator, not the wording of the classic. The classic's words are traditionally attributed to King Wen and the Duke of Zhou; modern scholarship does not treat that attribution as proven. Moving to the next hexagram, Địa Phong Thăng (hexagram 46), the connecting idea is very clear: once things have gathered, the next step is to accumulate and grow. Tụy is gathering, Thăng is advancing, and the two hexagrams form a pair.

What does the judgment of the Tụy hexagram say?

The judgment records: 萃：王假有廟，利見大人，亨。利貞。用大牲吉，利有攸往。

Sino-Vietnamese readings, pronounced exactly according to those Chinese characters: Tụy: Vương cách hữu miếu, lợi kiến đại nhân, hanh. Lợi trinh. Dụng đại sinh cát, lợi hữu du vãng.

Close translation: Tụy is gathering. The king arrives at the ancestral temple, it is favorable to see the great man, there is success. It is favorable to be steadfastly correct. Using a great sacrificial victim is auspicious, it is favorable to have somewhere to go.

The phrase "vương cách hữu miếu" describes a real ritual in the society of ancient times: the king arrives at the ancestral temple, the place where the shared ancestors of the clan and the state are worshipped, in order to sacrifice. This is historical context, not advice telling today's reader that they must build a temple.

Wang Bi's commentary (in the Chu Dịch chính nghĩa): 假，至也，王以聚至有廟也 (Giả means to arrive; the king, through gathering, arrives at the temple). On "it is favorable to see the great man, there is success, it is favorable to be correct": 聚得大人，乃得通而利正也 (Only when gathering gains the great man does it become successful and favorable to correctness). On "using a great victim is auspicious": 全乎聚道，「用大牲乃吉」也。聚道不全，而用大牲，神不福也 (Only when the way of gathering is complete is it auspicious to use a great victim; if the way of gathering is not complete and one uses a great victim, the spirits do not bestow blessing).

The Thoán truyện (part of the Ten Wings, traditionally attributed to Confucius; modern scholarship places it between the 5th and 2nd centuries BCE) writes: 萃，聚也；順以說，剛中而應，故聚也。王假有廟，致孝享也。利見大人亨，聚以正也。用大牲吉，利有攸往，順天命也。觀其所聚，而天地萬物之情可見矣。 Close translation: Tụy is gathering; compliant and joyful, firm and central and responsive, and so there is gathering. The king arrives at the temple to present the offering of filial piety. It is favorable to see the great man and there is success, because gathering follows the correct way. Using a great victim is auspicious, it is favorable to have somewhere to go, because this accords with the mandate of heaven. Observe where people gather, and the true nature of heaven, earth and the myriad things can be seen.

Wang Bi's commentary on the Thoán truyện: 全聚乃得致孝之享也 (Only when gathering is complete can one present the offering of filial piety). On "it is favorable to see the great man, there is success, gathering follows the correct way": 大人，體中正者也。通眾以正，聚乃得全也 (The great man is one who embodies the way of centrality and correctness. Only by connecting the multitude through the correct way does gathering become complete). On "using a great victim is auspicious, it is favorable to have somewhere to go, because this accords with the mandate of heaven": 順以說而不損剛，順天命者也。天德剛而不違中，順天則說，而以剛為主也 (To be compliant and joyful without harming the firm is to accord with the mandate of heaven. The virtue of heaven is firm yet does not go against centrality; to accord with heaven is joyful, and firmness is taken as the master). On "observe where people gather, and the true nature of heaven, earth and the myriad things can be seen": 方以類聚，物以群分，情同而後乃聚，氣合而後乃群 (Directions gather by kind, things divide by group; only when feelings are alike do they then gather, only when energies are in harmony do they then form a group).

The Tượng truyện of the Tụy hexagram: why must gathering be prepared against?

The Đại Tượng (Tượng truyện, part of the Ten Wings) writes: 澤上於地，萃；君子以除戎器，戒不虞。

Sino-Vietnamese: Trạch thượng ư địa, Tụy; quân tử dĩ trừ nhung khí, giới bất ngu.

Close translation: A marsh above the earth, that is the image of Tụy. The noble person accordingly repairs weapons and guards against the unexpected.

At first hearing this seems paradoxical: the hexagram speaks of gathering, yet the teaching is to repair weapons. But the reasoning is very tight. When people gather in one crowded place, friction also increases. A careless word, an uneven share, a contested spot to stand, any of these can turn into something big. The noble person does not prepare out of suspicion of others, but because they know that where many people are, there are also many risks. Repairing weapons here should be understood in a broad sense: having rules ready, having plans ready, not necessarily literal weapons.

The six line texts of the Trạch Địa Tụy hexagram

The six lines are read from the bottom up. Below are the original Chinese characters, the Sino-Vietnamese reading pronounced exactly according to those characters, and a close translation.

The Sơ lục line: trust not yet firm

The classic records: 有孚不終，乃亂乃萃，若號一握為笑，勿恤，往无咎。 The Tiểu Tượng writes: 乃亂乃萃，其志亂也 (Confusion and then gathering, because the will is confused).

Wang Bi's commentary: 有應在四而三承之，心懷嫌疑，故「有孚不終」也。不能守道，以結至好，迷務競爭，故「乃亂乃萃」也。一握者，小之貌也。為笑者，懦劣之貌也。已為正配，三以近寵，若安夫卑退，謙以自牧，則「勿恤」而「往無咎」也。 Meaning: There is a correspondence with line 4, yet line 3 receives and follows it, and the heart harbors suspicion, and so "there is trust but it is not kept to the end." One cannot hold to the way in order to form the closest bond, and is lost in striving and contention, and so "there is confusion and gathering." A single handful is the appearance of smallness. Bringing laughter is the appearance of weakness and inferiority. One is already the proper consort, and line 3, through closeness, is favored; if one rests content in lowliness and retreat, and is modest in self-discipline, then one "does not worry" and "going forward brings no fault."

The Lục nhị line: having someone to lead the way

The classic records: 引吉，无咎，孚乃利用禴。 The Tiểu Tượng writes: 引吉无咎，中未變也 (Being led is auspicious and brings no fault, because the way of centrality has not changed).

Wang Bi's commentary: 居萃之時，體柔當位，處坤之中，己獨處正，與眾相殊，異操而聚，民之多僻，獨正者危。未能變體以遠於害，故必見引，然後乃「吉」而「無咎」也。禴，殷者祭名也，四時祭之省者也。居聚之時，處於中正，而行以忠信致之。以省薄薦於鬼神也。 Meaning: In the time of gathering, one's substance is yielding and one holds the proper position, standing in the middle of the Khôn trigram, and one alone holds to correctness, differing from the crowd; when the people are mostly given to deviation, the one who alone is correct is in danger. One cannot change one's substance to distance oneself from harm, and so one must be led, and only then is there "auspiciousness" and "no fault." Thược is the name of a sacrifice in the Yin dynasty, a simplified one among the four seasonal sacrifices. In the time of gathering, one stands in centrality and correctness, and acts by bringing sincerity and trust. One offers a simplified and modest sacrifice to the spirits.

The Lục tam line: wanting to enter but not yet accepted

The classic records: 萃如，嗟如，无攸利，往无咎，小吝。 The Tiểu Tượng writes: 往无咎，上巽也 (Going forward brings no fault, because above is compliant).

Wang Bi's commentary: 履非其位，以比於四，四亦失位。不正相聚，相聚不正，患所生也。幹人之應，害所起也，故「萃如嗟如，無攸利」也。上六亦無應而獨立，處極而憂危，思援而求朋，巽以待物者也。與其萃於不正，不若之於同志，故可以往而無咎也。二陰相合，猶不若一陰一陽之應，故有「小吝」也。 Meaning: One treads a position that is not one's own, and is close to line 4, and line 4 also has lost its position. Gathering that is not correct, gathering that is not correct, is where trouble is born. Interfering with another's correspondence is where harm arises, and so "gathering and sighing, nothing is favorable." The Thượng lục line also has no correspondence and stands alone, at the extreme and anxious about danger, thinking of aid and seeking friends, and is one who is compliant in waiting for things. Rather than gathering in what is not correct, it is better to go to those of like mind, and so one can go forward without fault. Two yin joining together is still not as good as the correspondence of one yin and one yang, and so there is "a small regret."

The Cửu tứ line: the one who draws people together

The classic records: 大吉，无咎。 The Tiểu Tượng writes: 大吉无咎，位不當也 (Greatly auspicious and no fault, because the position is not fitting).

Wang Bi's commentary: 履非其位而下據三陰，得其所據，失其所處。處聚之時，不正而據，故必「大吉」，立夫大功，然後「無咎」也。 Meaning: One treads a position that is not one's own, yet below one occupies the three yin lines; one gains what one occupies but loses where one should abide. In the time of gathering, one occupies without being correct, and so there must be "great auspiciousness," and only after establishing a great merit is there "no fault."

The Cửu ngũ line: the leader of the gathering

The classic records: 萃有位，无咎。匪孚，元永貞，悔亡。 The Tiểu Tượng writes: 萃有位，志未光也 (Gathering while holding a position, because the will is not yet clear and bright).

Wang Bi's commentary: 處聚之時，最得盛位，故曰「萃有位」也。四專而據，己德不行，自守而己，故曰「無咎匪孚」。夫脩仁守正，久必悔消，故曰「元永貞，悔亡」。 Meaning: In the time of gathering, one attains the most flourishing position, and so it says "gathering while holding a position." Line 4 monopolizes and occupies, and one's own virtue cannot be put into practice, and one can only keep to oneself, and so it says "no fault, yet trust is not won." To cultivate benevolence and hold to correctness, over time remorse will surely dissolve, and so it says "keep the great virtue steadfast and lasting, and remorse dissolves."

The Thượng lục line: standing outside the gathering

The classic records: 齎資涕洟，无咎。 The Tiểu Tượng writes: 齎咨涕洟，未安上也 (Sighing and shedding tears, because being above one is not yet at peace).

Wang Bi's commentary: 處聚之時，居於上極，五非所乘，內無應援。處上獨立，近遠無助，危莫甚焉。齎咨，嗟歎之辭也。若能知危之至，懼禍之深，憂病之甚，至於涕洟，不敢自安，亦無所不害，故得「無咎」也。 Meaning: In the time of gathering, one stands at the topmost extreme, line 5 is not something one can ride over, and within there is no correspondence or aid. Standing alone above, with no help near or far, there is no danger greater than this. Tê tư is a word of sighing and lament. If one can know that danger has reached its utmost, fear the depth of calamity, worry over the severity of the affliction, to the point of shedding tears, and dare not rest at ease, then nothing can harm one either, and so one obtains "no fault."

It must be emphasized: some line texts carry the social norms of ancient times, for example the matter of the king sacrificing at the temple, or the matter of sacrificial victims according to rank, or the matter of the proper consort and closeness. These are historical context for understanding the wording, not advice to be applied directly to life today.

What should you understand when you meet the Trạch Địa Tụy hexagram and ask about work?

In Nhật Nguyệt's understanding, the Tụy hexagram suggests situations of a collective nature: forming a team, expanding a network, pooling capital together, a family reunion, meeting the two families. The common thread is that trust is the foundation; if there is only the form of gathering while the heart is not genuine, the relationship cracks at the very moment it seems closest.

Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: when asking about work and meeting this hexagram, you should review whether you already have a clear enough "shared place" (a shared goal, shared rules, someone who takes shared responsibility), and whether you already have someone trustworthy enough that others will follow. If not, strengthen those two things before expanding the scale. This is a reference suggestion, not a conclusion about destiny or the outcome of your work.

What should you understand when you meet the Trạch Địa Tụy hexagram and ask about love?

In Nhật Nguyệt's understanding, the Sơ lục line and the Lục tam line describe awkward states of wanting to belong to a group or a relationship without yet receiving a clear response. The Lục nhị line suggests that having someone to lead the way, someone to vouch for you, makes the way in easier. The Cửu ngũ line emphasizes the endurance and integrity of the one who draws people together.

Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: if you are asking about love, look at which line in the sequence above you are on, and prioritize clarity and honesty over pushing for a quick result. You should not read the ancient line texts about the proper consort and secondary wives as advice for relationships today; that is historical context. This is a reference suggestion, not a statement about the future of the relationship.

What should you understand when you meet the Trạch Địa Tụy hexagram and ask about money?

In Nhật Nguyệt's understanding, the image of a marsh upon the earth suggests things gathering into one place. In matters of money, that is usually the setting of pooled capital, a common fund, or a concentrated source of income. The Cửu tứ line in Wang Bi's commentary emphasizes that occupying from an incorrect position means one must establish a great merit before one can hope for no fault, that is, responsibility goes together with the position of holding resources.

Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: if you are considering pooling capital or setting up a common fund, you should agree in advance on the rules of contribution, the rules of use, and who bears final responsibility. You should not treat this hexagram as a certain indicator of profit or loss. This is a reference suggestion, not investment advice.

What should you understand when you meet the Trạch Địa Tụy hexagram and ask about health?

In Nhật Nguyệt's understanding, the image of water pooling on the earth suggests stagnation, poor circulation. This is an association by image, not a medical diagnosis.

Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: if you are asking about health, see it as a reminder to pay attention to movement, rest, and to get checked when there are unusual signs. It does not replace seeing a doctor. This is a reference suggestion, not a conclusion about your state of health.

What should you understand when you meet the Trạch Địa Tụy hexagram and ask about leadership?

In Nhật Nguyệt's understanding, the Cửu ngũ line is where the leader of a gathering is spoken of most clearly. The classic records "tụy hữu vị, vô cữu. Phỉ phu, nguyên vĩnh trinh, hối vong." Wang Bi's commentary explains that although one holds a flourishing position, if line 4 monopolizes power and occupies, one's own virtue cannot be put into practice, one must keep to oneself, and one must cultivate benevolence and hold to correctness over the long term before remorse dissolves.

Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: if you are in the position of leading a group, review whether you truly hold people's trust or only hold the title, and whether someone is monopolizing power and blocking the way between you and the group. Steadfastness and integrity are the two things to do before using authority. This is a reference suggestion, not a statement about the outcome of your leadership.

The structure of the Trạch Địa Tụy hexagram in a table

Where do the six lines of the Trạch Địa Tụy hexagram stand, and which hexagram does each line change into when it moves?

The table is read from the first line (bottom) up to the top line. The line name combines the position and the nature: yang is called Cửu, yin is called Lục. The last column is the changed hexagram when ONLY that line moves, calculated by the same method used by Nhật Nguyệt's divination tool.

Topic overview article

Topic overview article: The 64 hexagrams of the I Ching

One thing must be stated clearly to avoid mixing sources: the book Khổng Minh Thần Toán has its own card system, in which there are also hexagrams bearing names such as Trạch Địa Tụy. The verse cards in that book are the words of a different system, not the line texts of the I Ching. The two sources should not be mixed together when interpreting a hexagram.