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Hexagram 28 — Xian, Influence
Chronological no. 28 (binary-weight order) · King Wen no. (traditional) 31 · 咸
By Anibal Edelberto Amiot — Updated October 1, 2026
the youngest daughter
the youngest son
On the mountain, a Lake: the image of influence. Water rests upon the height, settling into it without forcing it, and it is this mutual receptiveness that lets influence circulate between the two. This is the figure of shared sensitivity, even before words intervene. Thus the noble one welcomes emptiness into himself, that he may receive others: to influence begins always with knowing how to let oneself be touched.
The subtle emotion of mutual influence, barely perceptible. The deepest bonds between beings are often formed before a single word is spoken, in that quiet register of shared feeling. This line says that the most lasting influence is never the one that imposes itself loudly, but the one that slips, almost unnoticed, between two presences open to each other.
The six lines
At the base of the earth, emptiness closes over: what was still an opening begins to fill.
The receptive earth reaches its fullness: the silent welcome that carried the lower figure is about to assert itself.
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, fullness hollows out: the force that governed the figure from its center is about to invert.
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
27 — Dui, The Joyous · 29 — Ge, Revolution
Hexagrams sharing a trigram
Same upper trigram (☱ Dui): 24 — Cui, Gathering Together · 25 — Sui, Following · 26 — Kun, Oppression · 27 — Dui, The Joyous · 29 — Ge, Revolution · 30 — Da Guo, Preponderance of the Great · 31 — Guai, Breakthrough
Same lower trigram (☶ Gen): 4 — Qian, Modesty · 12 — Xiao Guo, Preponderance of the Small · 20 — Jian, Obstruction · 36 — Gen, Keeping Still · 44 — Lu, The Wanderer · 52 — Jian, Development · 60 — Dun, Retreat
