Hexagram 17 Sui - Complete Guide Part 3: Divination Guide — How to Read Following in Practice
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BY NICOLE LAU
Hexagram 17 Sui - Complete Guide Part 3: Divination Guide — How to Read Following in Practice
Sui is one of the most nuanced hexagrams to read in practice because it distinguishes so precisely between genuine following — the active, discerning adaptability that moves with the natural order — and its counterfeits: blind following, following for personal advantage, and the following that loses genuine inner virtue. This guide gives you the practical framework for reading Sui accurately in any divination context.
What Sui Is Actually Telling You
Before reading the lines, establish the fundamental orientation of Sui. The hexagram is asking: is the following genuine — grounded in genuine inner virtue and directed toward the genuine good — or is it false following — blind, self-serving, or losing genuine inner virtue? The quality of the following is the central question of every Sui reading.
The core message of Sui in any reading: genuine following — the active, discerning adaptability that moves with the natural order in the service of the genuine good — has supreme success. Perseverance furthers. No blame.
Questions Sui Answers Best
- Timing and adaptability: “Is this the right time to act / wait / follow?” — Sui’s image of the superior person going indoors at nightfall is the answer: genuine following is the precise attunement to the natural rhythm of the time.
- Leadership and followership: “Should I lead or follow in this situation?” — Sui gives the precise intelligence of genuine following: when to lead and when to follow, when to act and when to yield.
- Relationships and alignment: “Am I following the right person / path / direction?” — Sui’s Lines 2 and 3 give the precise framework: are you following the small boy or the strong man? Are you losing one for the other?
- Motivation and sincerity: “Am I following for genuine reasons or personal advantage?” — Sui’s Line 4 is the precise answer: following that seeks personal advantage creates outer success but inner misfortune.
- Adaptability and change: “How do I adapt to this changing situation?” — Sui’s Line 1 (changing the standard) is the answer: genuine adaptability changes the standard in response to the natural order.
- Spiritual alignment: “Am I aligned with the genuine good?” — Sui’s Line 5 (sincere in the good) is the most direct answer in the I Ching: follow the good with genuine sincerity. Good fortune.
What Sui Is Not Saying
- Sui does not mean passive compliance. Genuine following is active discernment — the precise intelligence of the person who knows what is genuinely worth following and follows with genuine sincerity rather than blind obedience.
- Sui does not mean following the crowd. The crowd may be following the small boy (Line 2) or following for personal advantage (Line 4). Genuine following requires genuine discernment about what is genuinely worth following.
- Sui does not mean abandoning genuine inner virtue. Line 4’s warning — following that creates outer success but whose perseverance brings misfortune — is the most important warning of Sui: genuine following never abandons genuine inner virtue.
- Sui does not mean following is always appropriate. The judgment — “perseverance furthers” — implies that genuine following requires genuine perseverance in genuine inner virtue. Not every situation calls for following; sometimes genuine inner virtue requires leading.
Reading Sui Without Moving Lines
When Sui appears with no moving lines, the hexagram speaks in its full, undivided voice:
- The time of genuine following has arrived — the natural order calls for adaptability rather than fixed position
- Supreme success through genuine following — move with the natural order rather than against it
- Perseverance furthers — maintain genuine inner virtue through the entire journey of following
- No blame — the person of genuine following has nothing to defend, nothing to protect
- Go indoors at nightfall for rest and recuperation — follow the natural rhythm of activity and rest
No moving lines means: genuine following is the complete answer — move with the natural order, maintain genuine inner virtue, and find supreme success through genuine adaptability.
The Six Moving Lines: What Each Means in Practice
Line 1 Moving — Changing the Standard
Changing hexagram: Hexagram 45 Cui (Gathering Together)
The beginning of genuine following — and the changing hexagram Cui (Gathering Together) reveals the natural consequence: the person who changes the standard in response to the natural order finds the genuine gathering of Cui. The genuine adaptability of Line 1 naturally attracts the genuine gathering of people around the changed standard. Go out in company — genuine deeds are produced through genuine following.
Practical guidance: Change the standard. The genuine gathering of Cui is the natural consequence. Go out in company — genuine deeds are produced through genuine following.
Line 2 Moving — Following the Small Boy
Changing hexagram: Hexagram 58 Dui (The Joyous / Lake)
The danger of following the wrong thing — and the changing hexagram Dui (The Joyous) reveals the nature of the small boy: the immediate, the pleasant, the joyful — the following that is grounded in the joy of the moment rather than the genuine good of the long term. The double lake of Dui is the image of the genuine joy that is available — but the person who clings to the small boy of immediate joy loses the strong man of genuine lasting good.
Practical guidance: Examine what you are following. The immediate joy of Dui is real — but do not lose the strong man of genuine lasting good by clinging to the small boy of immediate pleasure.
Line 3 Moving — Following the Strong Man
Changing hexagram: Hexagram 49 Ge (Revolution)
Following the strong man at the cost of the small boy — and the changing hexagram Ge (Revolution) reveals the nature of the strong man: the revolutionary force that transforms all things. The person who follows the strong man of genuine revolutionary change finds the transformation of Ge — but must persevere in the genuine relationship of both the strong man and the small boy.
Practical guidance: Follow the strong man of genuine revolutionary change. But persevere in the genuine relationship of both — do not lose the small boy of genuine inner life in the excitement of the revolution.
Line 4 Moving — Following for Personal Advantage
Changing hexagram: Hexagram 46 Sheng (Pushing Upward)
The following that seeks personal advantage — and the changing hexagram Sheng (Pushing Upward) reveals the danger: the upward movement of Sheng is available — but the person who follows for personal advantage finds that the upward movement of Sheng is not the genuine following of Sui. Go one’s way with sincerity: the genuine sincerity of genuine inner virtue is the antidote to the following that seeks personal advantage.
Practical guidance: Go one’s way with sincerity. The upward movement of Sheng is available to the person of genuine sincerity — not to the person who follows for personal advantage.
Line 5 Moving — Sincere in the Good
Changing hexagram: Hexagram 51 Zhen (The Arousing / Thunder)
Genuine sincerity in following the good — and the changing hexagram Zhen (Thunder) reveals the power of genuine sincerity: the thunder of genuine arousal is available to the person who follows the good with genuine sincerity. The genuine sincerity of Line 5 is the thunder of Zhen: the sudden, powerful energy that breaks through the stillness and sets all things in motion — the natural consequence of following the good with genuine sincerity.
Practical guidance: Follow the good with genuine sincerity. The thunder of Zhen — the power of genuine arousal — is the natural consequence. Good fortune.
Line 6 Moving — The King’s Introduction to the Western Mountain
Changing hexagram: Hexagram 3 Zhun (Difficulty at the Beginning)
The supreme following held fast by the king — and the changing hexagram Zhun (Difficulty at the Beginning) reveals the context: the supreme following of Line 6 is achieved through the genuine difficulty of the beginning. The king’s introduction to the Western Mountain is the culmination of the genuine difficulty of Zhun: the person who perseveres through the genuine difficulty of the beginning finds the supreme following of Line 6.
Practical guidance: Persevere through the genuine difficulty of the beginning. The king’s introduction to the Western Mountain — the supreme expression of genuine following — is the culmination of genuine perseverance.
Five-Step Practical Reading Framework
- Assess the quality of following: Is the following genuine — grounded in genuine inner virtue and directed toward the genuine good? Or is it blind, self-serving, or losing genuine inner virtue?
- Identify what is being followed: Is it the small boy (the lesser, the immediate) or the strong man (the greater, the genuine)? Are you losing one for the other?
- Examine the motivation: Is the following grounded in genuine sincerity (Line 5) or personal advantage (Line 4)? Genuine following never abandons genuine inner virtue.
- Check the changing hexagram: What does the changing hexagram reveal about the specific quality of the following and the specific path of genuine adaptability?
- Apply the standard of genuine inner virtue: Does the following meet the standard of genuine inner virtue — active discernment, genuine sincerity, and the willingness to change the standard in response to the natural order?
Three Example Readings
Example 1: Career — “Should I follow this new direction at work?”
Result: Sui with Line 1 moving → Hexagram 45 Cui
Reading: Change the standard. The genuine gathering of Cui is the natural consequence of genuine adaptability. Go out in company — genuine deeds are produced through genuine following of this new direction. Perseverance brings good fortune.
Example 2: Relationships — “Am I following the right person?”
Result: Sui with Line 4 moving → Hexagram 46 Sheng
Reading: Examine the motivation of your following. Is it genuine sincerity, or personal advantage? Go one’s way with sincerity. The upward movement of Sheng is available to the person of genuine sincerity — not to the person who follows for personal advantage.
Example 3: Spiritual — “How do I align with the genuine good?”
Result: Sui with Line 5 moving → Hexagram 51 Zhen
Reading: Follow the good with genuine sincerity. The thunder of Zhen — the power of genuine arousal — is the natural consequence of following the good with genuine sincerity. Good fortune.
What Is Next in This Series
- Part 1: The Symbol and Structure
- Part 2: The Six Lines — Complete Line-by-Line Commentary
- Part 3 (This Article): Divination Guide — How to Read Sui in Practice
- Part 4: Philosophy — Sui in Confucian, Taoist, and Political Thought
- Part 5: Practical Applications — Leadership, Relationships, Adaptability, Timing
- Part 6: Modern Interpretations — Systems Thinking, Adaptive Leadership, Complexity Science
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