Hexagram 24 Fu - Complete Guide Part 1: The Symbol and Structure of Return
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BY NICOLE LAU
Hexagram 24 Fu - Complete Guide Part 1: The Symbol and Structure of Return
Fu is the I Ching's great hexagram of return — of the turning point at which the single yang line of genuine strength returns from below, breaking through the five yin lines of dissolution and initiating the genuine renewal that the preserved seed of genuine inner virtue makes possible. The character fu means to return, to come back, to restore — the image of the foot turning back on the path, the genuine return to the source of genuine inner virtue. Fu is the natural complement of Bo (Splitting Apart, Hexagram 23): where Bo describes the time of maximum dissolution, Fu describes the turning point at which genuine strength begins its return. Fu is one of the most hopeful hexagrams in the I Ching.
The Structure of Fu
Binary and Trigram
Fu is Hexagram 24 in the King Wen sequence. Its binary structure is 000001 — five yin lines above a single yang line at the bottom. This structure is the mirror image of Bo (100000). The single yang line in the first position is the structural key of Fu: the first return of genuine strength after the time of dissolution, the seed of genuine renewal that has germinated from below. The five yin lines above are the genuine receptivity of the earth that receives the returning yang line with genuine openness.
The Two Trigrams
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Lower trigram: Zhen — Thunder, Arousing, Movement
In Fu, the thunder of genuine arousing force is in the lower position: the single yang line of genuine strength that has returned from below, the genuine arousing force that initiates the genuine renewal of Fu. -
Upper trigram: Kun — Earth, Receptivity, Yielding
In Fu, the earth of genuine receptivity is above the thunder of genuine arousing force: the genuine receptivity that receives the returning yang line with genuine openness. The earth of Fu is the nurturing earth of genuine receptivity — the genuine openness that receives the seed of genuine renewal and nurtures it toward genuine growth.
The Image: Thunder Within the Earth
The Xiang Zhuan states: “Thunder within the earth: the image of the Turning Point. Thus the kings of old closed the passes at the time of the solstice. Merchants and strangers did not travel, and the ruler did not journey through the provinces.”
The kings of old who closed the passes at the time of the solstice — who allowed the returning yang line to gather strength in genuine stillness before initiating genuine movement — are the practical wisdom of Fu: the genuine return requires genuine stillness at the turning point.
The Judgment: Success Through Genuine Return
The Tuan Zhuan states: “Return. Success. Going out and coming in without error. Friends come without blame. To and fro goes the way. On the seventh day comes return. It furthers one to have somewhere to go.”
Fu's judgment is full of genuine hope: return has success. Friends come without blame: the genuine return of genuine strength naturally attracts genuine friends. On the seventh day comes return: the natural cycle of genuine return. It furthers one to have somewhere to go: the genuine return of Fu is not the end but the beginning — the turning point that initiates genuine movement toward genuine renewal.
The Winter Solstice: The Central Image of Fu
The central image of Fu is the winter solstice — the turning point at which the darkness reaches its maximum and the light begins its return. The kings of old who closed the passes at the time of the solstice understood the most important practical wisdom of Fu: the genuine return requires genuine rest at the turning point, the genuine stillness that allows the returning yang line to gather the genuine strength that genuine renewal requires.
The Natural Sequence: From Bo to Fu
The Xu Gua Zhuan states: “Things cannot be destroyed once and for all. When what is above is completely split apart, it returns below. Hence after Bo comes Fu.” The dissolution of Bo is not permanent; the seed of genuine inner virtue that the time of splitting apart has not consumed naturally germinates in the return of Fu.
Correspondences and Relationships
- Paired hexagram: Hexagram 23 Bo (Splitting Apart) — return and splitting apart are the two faces of the same natural cycle.
- Inverse hexagram: Hexagram 23 Bo — the earth above thunder (Fu) inverted becomes the mountain above earth (Bo).
- Nuclear hexagram: Hexagram 2 Kun (The Receptive) — the complete openness of Kun that receives the returning yang line with genuine welcome.
What Is Next in This Series
- Part 1 (This Article): The Symbol and Structure
- Part 2: The Six Lines — Complete Line-by-Line Commentary
- Part 3: Divination Guide — How to Read Fu in Practice
- Part 4: Philosophy — Fu in Confucian, Taoist, and Cyclical Thought
- Part 5: Practical Applications — Recognizing Turning Points, Fresh Starts, Genuine Renewal
- Part 6: Modern Interpretations — Turning Point Science, Neuroplasticity, Cycles of Renewal
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