Hexagram 6, Heaven over Water: Conflict (Song), is the 6th of the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching. It is made of Qian (heaven) above and Kan (water) below, and it speaks about disputes, lawsuits, and the wisdom of stopping while the road back is still open.

Hexagram 6 (Song) at a Glance

Attribute	Detail
Number	6 of 64
Name	Heaven over Water: Conflict (Song)
Image	☰ over ☵ (heaven over water)
Inner (lower) trigram	Kan ☵, water
Outer (upper) trigram	Qian ☰, heaven
Element	Upper trigram Qian is Metal, lower trigram Kan is Water
Overall tone	A dispute that calls for settling it
Key phrase	Sincere but blocked; halfway is good, to the end is misfortune
Yang lines	4 of 6
Opposite hexagram (every line flipped)	Hexagram 36, Earth over Fire: Darkening of the Light (Ming Yi)
Reversed hexagram (turned upside down)	Hexagram 5, Water over Heaven: Waiting (Xu)

The Original Text and Its Meaning

This part gives the classical wording of Hexagram 6 in English, with a plain explanation. If you only care about how the hexagram applies to daily life, feel free to skim it and jump to the later sections.

The Judgment

Conflict: there is sincerity, but it is blocked; caution, and the middle brings good fortune; the end brings misfortune. It is favorable to see the great person. It is not favorable to cross the great river.

In plain words: Song describes a person who means well but runs into obstruction and must stay alert. Stopping halfway is good, and pursuing the matter to the very end is not. It helps to bring in someone with standing to judge fairly, and it is not a good time to throw yourself into something large and risky. The words "misfortune in the end" are the hexagram's heaviest warning: the further you push a dispute, the more there may be to lose.

The Image

Heaven and water move in opposite directions: Conflict. In the same way, the noble person plans the beginning when starting any undertaking.

In plain words: heaven rises and water flows down, so the two never meet. A dispute has the same shape. Once two sides are heading in different directions, more talking tends to put them further apart. The core lesson is not how to win the argument, but how to avoid letting things reach the point where an argument is needed.

The Six Lines

The six lines of Song describe six postures inside a dispute, from the first spark to a victory that still ends in loss. Read from the bottom up.

Line	Classical text	Plain meaning
Line 1 (six at the beginning)	Do not prolong the affair; a little talk; in the end, good fortune.	Not dragging the quarrel out means a few words are said, but the end is good
Line 2 (nine in the second place)	Cannot win the dispute; goes back and slips away; his town of three hundred households is free of blame.	Unable to win, withdrawing to a small place of your own avoids trouble
Line 3 (six in the third place)	Living on old virtue; steadfast in danger, in the end good fortune. If in the service of a king, do not claim success.	Relying on what you have already earned, and not claiming credit, ends well
Line 4 (nine in the fourth place)	Cannot win the dispute; returns and accepts the ruling, changes course; peaceful steadfastness brings good fortune.	Turning back to what is right and settling down is good
Line 5 (nine in the fifth place)	Conflict; supreme good fortune.	A fair judge at the center of the dispute brings great good fortune
Line 6 (nine at the top)	Perhaps one is granted a leather belt, but by the end of the morning it is stripped away three times.	A prize won by pushing to the end may be taken back again and again

Reading the Six Lines in Everyday Terms

The six lines of Hexagram 6 are a map of six situations inside a conflict, from the moment it first appears to the moment it has gone all the way to the end. Here is each line in everyday language.

Line 1: Stop when it starts. This is when a disagreement has just appeared. A slightly harsh remark, a small misunderstanding, a money disagreement that has not turned into a real fight. The line advises against dragging it out. Explain once, give a little ground if that lets the matter close, or let it pass in silence. You may take a few comments for it, but the end tends to be good. Most big fights begin with a tiny clash that nobody wanted to stop.

Line 2: Step back when you are the weaker side. Here you are in the weaker position and the other side is much stronger. The line says it plainly: you cannot win. Go back, keep to your own small ground, and retreat to a space you control. This is not cowardice but good sense. Fighting to the end from a weak position wastes time and also pulls family, coworkers and friends into the trouble. Pulling back at the right moment protects what is still whole.

Line 3: Live on what you have earned, and do not fight over credit. The person here stands in the middle, with some influence but not in charge. The line suggests living on the goodwill and reputation built up earlier instead of rushing into a scramble. If you work for someone above you, finish the job and let it be, without listing your merits or demanding a share. This is how things last. Many people lose because they claim their reward the moment they earn a little, and then get tangled in a fight that was not worth it.

Line 4: Turn back when you see you are wrong. This person has realized they are in the wrong, or that they cannot win. The right move is to return and correct course. The I Ching praises this attitude: changing direction toward what is right brings peace, and peace is good. In daily life, apologizing or stepping out of the argument takes strength, not weakness. Many relationships survive because one side turned back in time.

Line 5: A fair person steps in to judge. This is the finest line of the hexagram. It shows a judge who is fair, takes no side, and has enough standing that both parties respect them. The line gives it "supreme good fortune." In ordinary life this might be an elder in the family, a fair-minded boss, or a trusted referee. When a dispute is too hard to settle alone, the most valuable thing may be to find such a person and let both sides agree to accept their view.

Line 6: Winning, and still losing. The last line is the deepest of the hexagram. The one who went all the way has won. A fine belt is granted, a recognition is given. But the line says that by the end of the morning it has been stripped away three times. A win that corners the other side often leaves resentment behind, and the person who lost today may be the one taking it back tomorrow. Winning a case is not the same as winning in life. This is why the Judgment warns of misfortune for those who pursue a dispute to the end.

If you want to cast a hexagram and see its reading, you can try it on HOROS.

What Hexagram 6 May Say About Everyday Life

Love

Casting Song on a love question often points to a relationship with an ongoing conflict in which both people feel they are right. Arguments, silence, and misunderstandings pile on top of each other. The hexagram does not say who is right or wrong. It says to stop. Whoever steps forward first tends to keep the love. If you are interested in someone, this may not be the moment to push harder, so wait for the mood to soften and then talk straight. For people weighing a breakup or a divorce, the hexagram leans toward reconciliation first, ideally with a close person both sides trust.

Career

On career, Song often appears when there is friction at work: a conflict with a coworker, a disagreement with a manager, a contract dispute, a legal matter. The hexagram is clear that going to the end is a poor path. Settle early where you can, and prefer negotiation over confrontation. If you are in the weaker position, step back and look for another route. If you are in the right, it still helps to ask a fair person to judge, rather than handling it in the heat of emotion. This may not be the time to start a large project or sign a complicated contract. Go over every clause carefully before you put pen to paper.

Money

On money, Song leans strongly toward property and payment disputes: a debt that has not been collected, a contract with gaps, dividing family assets, a dispute over land or housing. The hexagram suggests settling by agreement and keeping the matter out of court if another way exists. Court costs, time, relationships and peace of mind are hidden prices that people often forget to count. This does not look like a time for a large investment or a risky loan. Sums that are still hanging, with unclear paperwork, are worth making clear right away. A case that seems certain may cost both the money and the relationship.

Health

On health, Song points to the strain of long-running tension. Many people who cast this hexagram carry an ongoing dispute in their heads without noticing how much it is wearing on their daily rhythm. The first step is to deal with the source of the tension rather than to reach for quick fixes. It may help to keep regular hours, sleep enough, cut back on alcohol, and keep work out of the bedroom. Slow the evenings down and allow time to rest. If you are already under a doctor's care, follow your doctor's advice instead of searching and treating yourself.

Closing Thought: Plan the Beginning

Many people remember this hexagram as a bad one because of the line about misfortune in the end. That reading is a little unfair to Song. The hexagram does not forbid anyone from contending. It makes two requests. First, think things through at the start so there is no need to contend. Second, if you are already in the middle of a dispute, know where to stop. Someone who takes both to heart can meet difficulty and still keep their own balance, and, more valuable, keep the people next to them.