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Hexagram 15 — Da Zhuang, The Power of the Great
Chronological no. 15 (binary-weight order) · King Wen no. (traditional) 34 · 大壯
By Anibal Edelberto Amiot — Updated October 1, 2026
the eldest son
the father
Thunder above Heaven: the image of the great's power. Considerable force rises to the very highest point, visible to all, capable of shaking whatever lies in its path. This is the figure of power at its peak, one that must learn to master itself precisely because it could sweep everything away. Thus the noble one walks no path but those in keeping with right conduct: great force without proper measure becomes its own ruin.
Influence amplifies until it becomes a force no longer contained. What begins as simple resonance can, if nothing comes to frame it, grow until it escapes all control. This line warns that power without discipline sooner or later turns against the one who wields it.
The six lines
At the base of the earth, fullness stirs: the yang onset that carried the whole figure now yields its place.
The steadied earth reaches its limit: the solidity that upheld the structure is about to change its nature.
At the threshold between earth and man, force wavers: what acted through firmness hesitates before turning.
In the action of man, fullness meets its limit: the initiative that led the figure folds back upon itself.
At the sage's seat, emptiness fills: the suppleness that governed with discretion gathers a new force.
At the summit, emptiness reaches its fullest extent and closes: the furthest opening turns toward its opposite.
Source: La Livrée d'Hermès, Anibal Amiot — chapter 7.1 (pp. 63–68). French version of this page.
For the notions used here — magic square, layer and casting, the Yi Jing — see the project lexicon.
The patterns of this hexagram
Eight 12×12 Jacquard patterns are generated from this hexagram, one for each admissible family of the system. Each has its own page: cell, tiling, recolourings and data.
Bases — YANG mutant
Bases — YANG
Pair of two — YANG + YIN mutant
Pair of two — YIN mutant + YANG mutant
Pair of two — YIN + YANG
Pair of two — YIN + YANG mutant
Triple — without YANG
Triple — without YANG mutant
Neighbouring hexagrams
14 — Heng, Duration · 16 — Bi, Holding Together
Hexagrams sharing a trigram
Same upper trigram (☳ Zhen): 8 — Yu, Enthusiasm · 9 — Zhen, The Arousing · 10 — Jie, Deliverance · 11 — Gui Mei, The Marrying Maiden · 12 — Xiao Guo, Preponderance of the Small · 13 — Feng, Abundance · 14 — Heng, Duration
Same lower trigram (☰ Qian): 7 — Tai, Peace · 23 — Xu, Waiting · 31 — Guai, Breakthrough · 39 — Da Chu, The Taming Power of the Great · 47 — Da You, Possession in Great Measure · 55 — Xiao Chu, The Taming Power of the Small · 63 — Qian, The Creative
