Preponderance of the Great
Lake (兌 Duì) above, Wind (巽 Xùn) below
Published July 22, 2026 · By Oriens
I Ching Hexagram 28, 大過 (Dà Guò), represents Preponderance of the Great.
SourceZhouyi (周易, The Book of Changes) — hexagram 28 (大過 Dà Guò). Chinese source: Chinese Text Project, based on 《武英殿十三經注疏》本《周易正義》 (ctp:book-of-changes/da-guo). Judgment: received Zhouyi hexagram statement (卦辭). English: Translation by Oriens Editorial Translation. Image: Xiang / Image commentary layer (象傳), distinct from the Judgment and line texts. Image and line English: named translation by James Legge, The Yî King (1899), public-domain translation; online reproduction. The named translation is used for the Image and line statements only.
1. Judgment (卦辭 Guàcí)
大過：棟橈，利有攸往，亨。
Oriens Editorial Translation: The ridgepole bends. Having somewhere to go is fruitful; success.
2. Image (象 Xiàng / Xiang commentary)
泽灭木,大过。君子以独立不惧,遁世无闷。
James Legge: (The trigram representing) trees hidden beneath that for the waters of a marsh forms Ta Kwo. The superior man, in accordance with this, stands up alone and has no fear, and keeps retired from the world without regret.
3. Line Statements (爻辭 Yáocí)
Line 1 of 6 (from the bottom):
初六：藉用白茅，无咎。
James Legge: The first SIX, divided, shows one placing mats of the white mao grass under things set on the ground. There will be no error.
Line 2 of 6 (from the bottom):
九二：枯楊生稊，老夫得其女妻，无不利。
James Legge: The second NINE, undivided, shows a decayed willow producing shoots, or an old husband in possession of his young wife. There will be advantage in every way.
Line 3 of 6 (from the bottom):
九三：棟橈，凶。
James Legge: The third NINE, undivided, shows a beam that is weak. There will be evil.
Line 4 of 6 (from the bottom):
九四：棟隆，吉；有它吝。
James Legge: The fourth NINE, undivided, shows a beam curving upwards. There will be good fortune. If (the subject of it) looks for other (help but that of line one), there will be cause for regret.
Line 5 of 6 (from the bottom):
九五：枯楊生華，老婦得士夫，无咎无譽。
James Legge: The fifth NINE, undivided, shows a decayed willow producing flowers, or an old wife in possession of her young husband. There will be occasion neither for blame nor for praise.
Line 6 of 6 (from the bottom):
上六：過涉滅頂，凶，无咎。
James Legge: The topmost SIX, divided, shows its subject with extraordinary (boldness) wading through a stream, till the water hides the crown of his head. There will be evil, but no ground for blame.
For the general method for changing lines and relating hexagrams, see How to Read the I Ching.
4. Modern Interpretation (Oriens commentary)
This is an Oriens interpretation, not part of the Zhouyi text.
Preponderance of the Great can prompt a careful question about load: what here is carrying more than its design assumed, and what would genuinely redistribute the weight? The sagging ridgepole is the text's own image for a moment when the great predominate — a description of a condition, not a prophecy.
The Chinese source and translation provenance are identified above. The Judgment is an Oriens Editorial Translation; the Image and line statements are labeled with James Legge. This keeps the modern reflection separate from both the received text and the named translation.
This reflection predicts no collapse and no rescue. Health, financial, legal, employment, and relationship decisions belong within their appropriate professional and personal contexts.
Continue with the Hexagram 28 card and the I Ching guide; these are reading paths, not additional predictions.