初
初九。賁其趾、舍車而徒。
Adorning the toes—walk instead of riding. Simple steps are fine at the start.
䷕
Hexagram 22
Grace (山火賁)
Sanka-hi / Bì
Fire under a mountain—ornament and surface beauty matter, but inner substance matters more.
Judgment
賁。亨。小利有攸往。
Grace. Success. Favorable for small undertakings.
Decorate appropriately; useful for small matters, not great ones. Substance must anchor style.
Line-by-Line (Yao)
Interpretations if the line changes.
二
六二。賁其須。
Adorning the beard—minor embellishment; harmless but superficial.
三
九三。賁如濡如、永貞吉。
Grace like being moistened—lasting correctness is good. Subtle, enduring polish.
四
六四。賁如皤如、白馬翰如、匪寇婚媾。
Grace like plainness; a white horse gallops—not bandits, but a suitor. Simplicity reveals honest intent.
五
六五。賁于丘園、束帛戔戔、吝、終吉。
Grace in hills and gardens; small bundles of silk—stingy, yet ends well. Simple gifts suffice.
上
上九。白賁、无咎。
White, unadorned grace—no blame. Pure simplicity is best.
Practical Reading: Love, Career, Health & Decisions
When you cast Hexagram 22, Bì (Grace), the Book of Changes shows you a situation with Gen (Mountain) above and Li (Fire) below. Fire under a mountain—ornament and surface beauty matter, but inner substance matters more. Use the cards below to map that pattern onto your specific question — a love reading, a career decision, a health concern, or a yes/no choice.
Love & Relationships
Polish appearance, but nurture inner charm too. In a love or relationship reading, Hexagram 22 (Bì) describes the meeting point of Gen (mountain) above and Li (fire) below: how the outer situation meets your inner state. Ask whether you are forcing the relationship to fit a picture, or letting it move at the rhythm this hexagram suggests. For a partnered question, read the changing lines to see which side — yours or the other person's — is being asked to shift.
Work & Career
Refine presentations; don’t forget core value. In work and career, Bì points to whether the outer market or workplace (Gen (mountain)) and your inner stance (Li (fire)) are in alignment. If a project, negotiation, or job change is the question, ask what this hexagram says about timing rather than effort: pushing harder rarely changes a Bì situation; reading the configuration usually does.
Health & Wellbeing
Pursue health from within, not just looks. For a body or wellness reading, treat the lines of Hexagram 22 as descriptions of phases, not diagnoses. Bì usually signals where energy needs to be conserved versus where it is asking to be expressed. Combine the hexagram's advice with concrete medical guidance — the I Ching is a reflective tool, not a substitute for professional care.
Decision-Making
When the question is a yes/no — should I take the offer, move, leave, commit? — read Hexagram 22 (Bì, Grace) as a statement about the configuration of your situation rather than the outcome. The summary "Fire under a mountain—ornament and surface beauty matter, but inner substance matters more." is your starting frame. Ask: does this action respect that configuration, or fight it? Changing lines, if any, tell you which specific aspect needs to bend.
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