Hexagram 22
山火贲
Grace
Upper Trigram
☶
艮 (土)
Lower Trigram
☲
离 (火)
Palace
艮 Palace
Shi / Ying Lines
Shi: Line 1 · Ying: Line 4
The 艮 trigram (土) sits above the 离 trigram (火), forming 山火贲. This hexagram belongs to the 艮 Palace.
Judgment (卦辞)
Grace has success. In small matters it is favorable to undertake something.
Image (象辞)
Fire at the foot of the mountain: the image of Grace.
Line Texts (爻辞)
He lends grace to his toes, leaves the carriage. (贲其趾)
Lends grace to the beard on his chin. (贲其须)
Graceful and moist. Constant perseverance. (贲如濡如)
Grace or simplicity? A white horse comes. (贲如皤如)
Grace in the hills and gardens. (贲于丘园)
Simple grace. No blame. (白贲)
In-Depth Analysis
Hexagram 22, Bi (Grace), is Fire below Mountain - fire illuminating the mountain's contours, revealing its beauty. This is the hexagram of form, adornment, and aesthetic refinement. The judgment says Grace has success in small matters - form is important but should not be mistaken for substance. The lines trace the evolution of grace: from adorning the toes to simple grace that needs no ornament. The hexagram teaches that the highest beauty is simplicity itself, and that grace, properly understood, illuminates rather than conceals.
Historical Stories
📜 The Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi: beauty found in imperfection and simplicity, embodying Bi's highest teaching that simple grace needs no ornament. A cracked tea bowl is more beautiful than a perfect one.
📜 Steve Jobs' obsession with design at Apple: he understood that grace (form) matters, but only when it serves function. The iPhone's beauty was inseparable from its usability.
Practical Applications
Career: Polish your presentations and communications, but never let style substitute for substance.
Relationships: Small acts of grace - a thoughtful note, a remembered detail - illuminate love more than grand gestures.
Personal Growth: Cultivate taste and refinement, but remember the final line of this hexagram: simple grace. No blame.