26.  Ta Ch'u
       The Restraining Force.

Upper Trigram: Ken; Inaction, a Mountain.
Lower Trigram: Ch'ien; Creative Principle, Heaven.

Governing Rulers: Six in the fifth place.
                                    Top-most nine.
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The Image:
Heaven amidst a mountain:
The image of Ta Ch'u.
The superior man, in accordance with this, stores largely in his memory the words and deeds of former men, to subserve the accumulation of his virtue.
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Miscellaneous Signs:                                             (25)
Ta Ch'u keeps still and waits the proper time;
Wu Wang sets forth how evil springs from crime.
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The Judgement:
Under the conditions of Ta Ch'u it will be advantageous to be firm and correct. If its subject do not seek to enjoy his revenues in his own family, without taking service at court, there will be good fortune.
It will be advantageous for him to cross the great stream.

Commentary:
In the trigrams composing Ta Ch'u, we have the attributes of the greatest strength and of substantial solidity, which emit a brilliant light, and indicate a daily renewal of its subject's virtue.
The strong line is in the highest place, and suggests the value set on talents and virtue; there is power in the upper trigram to keep even the strongest in restraint: all this shows 'the great correctness' required in the hexagram.
The 'good fortune attached to the subject's not seeking to enjoy the revenues in his own family', shows how talent and virtue are nourished.
'It will be advantageous for him to cross the great stream': the ruler in the fifth place is responded to by the second, the central line of the inner trigram.
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The Lines:

Nine in the bottom place:
Showing its subject in a position of peril. It will be advantageous for him to stop his advance.
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Nine in the second place:
A carriage with the strap under it removed.
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Nine in the third place:
Showing its subject urging his way with good horses. It will be advantageous for him to realise the difficulty of his course, and to be firm and correct, exercising himself daily in his charioteering and methods of defence; then there will be advantage in whatever direction he may advance.
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Six in the fourth place:
The young bull, and yet having the piece of wood over his horns! There will be great good fortune.
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Six in the fifth place:
 O
The teeth of a castrated hog.
There will be good fortune.
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Top-most nine:
 O
Showing its subject as in command of the firmament of heaven. There will be progress.
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Commentaries:

Nine in the bottom place:
'He is in a position of peril. It will be advantageous for him to stop his advance': he should not act rashly and expose himself to calamity.
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Nine in the second place:
'He is as a carriage from which the strap under it has been removed', but being in the central position, he will incur no blame.
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Nine in the third place:
'There will be advantage in whatever direction he may advance': the subject of the top-most line is of the same mind with him.
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Six in the fourth place:
The 'great good fortune' indicated by this line, shows that there is occasion for joy.
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Six in the fifth place:
The 'good fortune' indicated by this line, shows that there is occasion for congratulation.
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Top-most nine:
'In command of the firmament of heaven': the way is grandly open for movement.
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