Hexagram 46
Ascending - Advancement
升
Meaning and Overview
The Ascending hexagram has the upper trigram Kun, representing earth, and the lower trigram Xun, representing wood. Trees grow from the earth, gradually becoming towering giants. This is a favorable hexagram, similar to Modesty. The hexagram statement says: 'Great success. It is beneficial to see the great person. Do not worry. Going south is auspicious.' It speaks of grand sacrifice, beneficial for meeting a great person, without concern; a southern campaign is auspicious. The statement does not mention sacrifice, but the line texts of the second and fourth lines do, suggesting military rites before an expedition. Three lines are auspicious: the first line 'Sincere ascent, great good fortune,' the fourth line 'The king offers sacrifice on Mount Qi, good fortune, no blame,' and the fifth line 'Perseverance brings good fortune, ascending steps.' The second line, central, indicates sincerity, beneficial for a summer sacrifice without error; the third line 'Ascending an empty city' faces no obstacle; the top line 'Ascending in darkness, beneficial for ceaseless perseverance' is also not ominous. The Tuan commentary explains: 'The yielding ascends in due time, compliant and smooth; the firm is central and responsive, thus great success.' 'The yielding ascends in due time' means the yin lines move with the times; the second line, firm and central, responds to the fifth, hence great success.
Chinese Interpretation
《升》卦上卦为坤为地，下卦为巽为木，树木在大地上生长，慢慢会长成参天大树。《升》卦是个比较好的卦，近似于《谦》卦，卦辞说：“元亨，用见大人，勿恤，南征，吉。”举行大祭，利于见到大人物，用不着担心，去南方讨伐，吉祥。卦辞没有说祭祀之事，但是爻辞有九二爻、六四爻说到祭祀之事，应该出征前也会举行相关军礼。爻辞中有三个是吉祥的，如初六“允升，大吉”，六四“王用亨于岐山，吉，无咎”，六五“贞吉，升阶”。九二爻得中，说明心存诚信，利于举行夏季祭，不会有错；九三“升虚邑”，不会有阻碍；上六“冥升，利于不息之贞”，这三个爻也没有一个是凶爻。彖辞解释卦辞说：“柔以时升，巽而顺，刚中而应，是以大亨。”所谓“柔以时升”，阴爻与时偕行，九二爻刚爻居于中位并与六五相应，因此大亨。
Line Interpretations
These passages include the core hexagram statement, the six moving line texts, and traditional commentary where available. Read them as layered guidance: the early lines describe the root of the situation, while later lines reveal development, pressure, and outcome.
元亨，用见大人，勿恤，南征，吉。
举行盛大隆重的祭祀，利于见到大人物，不用忧虑担心，周王南征，吉利。
Great success. It is beneficial to see the great person. Do not worry. Going south is auspicious.
Hold a grand and solemn sacrifice, beneficial for meeting a great person; do not worry; the king's southern campaign is auspicious.
初六，允升，大吉。
初六爻，获得信任，上升，大为吉利。
First six: Sincere ascent. Great good fortune.
First line: Gaining trust, ascending, greatly auspicious.
九二，孚乃利用禴，无咎。
九二爻，诚能感人，心心相印，即使举行禴祭等薄祭，也会有利，不会有过失。
Second nine: Sincerity is beneficial for the summer sacrifice. No blame.
Second line: Sincerity moves hearts; even a modest summer sacrifice is beneficial, without fault.
九三，升虚邑。
九三爻，登上了城邑。
Third nine: Ascending an empty city.
Third line: Ascending to a city.
六四，王用亨于岐山，吉，无咎。
六四爻，周王指派大臣协助他在岐山举行盛大隆重的祭祀活动，吉利，不会有咎失。
Fourth six: The king offers sacrifice on Mount Qi. Good fortune, no blame.
Fourth line: The king appoints ministers to assist in a grand sacrifice on Mount Qi; auspicious, without fault.
六五，贞吉，升阶。
六五爻，占卜吉利，周王升上了台阶，举行祭祀活动。
Fifth six: Perseverance brings good fortune. Ascending steps.
Fifth line: Divination is auspicious; the king ascends the steps to perform the sacrifice.
上六，冥升，利于不息之贞。
上六爻，夜晚还在上升，占卜以为不停止祭祀活动是有利的。
Top six: Ascending in darkness. Beneficial for ceaseless perseverance.
Top line: Ascending at night; divination indicates that ceaseless sacrifice is beneficial.
彖曰：柔以时升，巽而顺，刚中而应，是以大亨。“用见大人，勿恤”，有庆也。“南征，吉”，志行也。
彖辞说：阴爻得到阳爻的帮助信任按时上升，下卦为巽，上卦为坤亦为顺，九二为刚爻居中，与六五爻阴阳相应，因此卦辞说大亨通。利于见到大人物，不必忧虑，是因为有喜事来临，值得庆贺。周王南征，吉利，是因为周王能够实现他的伟大而崇高的理想和愿望。
The Tuan says: The yielding ascends in due time, compliant and smooth; the firm is central and responsive, thus great success. 'It is beneficial to see the great person, do not worry'—there is celebration. 'Going south is auspicious'—the will is carried out.
The Tuan commentary says: The yin line, aided and trusted by the yang line, ascends in due time; the lower trigram Xun is compliant, the upper Kun is smooth; the second line, firm and central, responds to the fifth, thus the hexagram statement says great success. 'Beneficial to see the great person, do not worry'—because a joyful event comes, worthy of celebration. 'The king's southern campaign is auspicious'—because the king can realize his great and noble ideals and aspirations.
象曰：地中生木，升；君子以顺德，积小以高大。
大象辞说：地中生木，是《升》卦卦象。君子从《升》卦卦象中获得启示，君子应该不断积累自己的善行与品德，一天天不断进步，最后总有一天会成为圣贤。
The Image says: Within the earth, wood grows: Ascending. The noble one, following virtue, accumulates small things to become great and high.
The Great Image says: Wood growing from the earth is the image of Ascending. The noble one, inspired by this, should continuously accumulate good deeds and virtue, advancing day by day, until one day becoming a sage.
象曰：“允升，大吉”，上合志也。九二之孚，有喜也。“升虚邑”，无所疑也。“王用亨于岐山”，顺事也。“贞吉，升阶”，大得志也。冥升在上，消不富也。
小象辞说：获得信任，上升，大为吉利，是因为初六与上面的九二爻等其他诸爻的志向相合。九二爻，以诚感人，是因为有喜事来临。升到了城邑之上，没有任何的怀疑。周王任用信任的大臣协助他举行祭祀，符合君心与民意。周王占卜吉利，升上了台阶，周王伟大而崇高的理想会得到实现。祭祀时祖先的神灵升到了神位之上，利于夜晚。
The Image says: 'Sincere ascent, great good fortune'—it aligns with the will above. The sincerity of the second nine brings joy. 'Ascending an empty city'—there is no doubt. 'The king offers sacrifice on Mount Qi'—it is a compliant matter. 'Perseverance brings good fortune, ascending steps'—greatly achieving the will. Ascending in darkness at the top—diminishing, not enriching.
The Small Image says: Gaining trust and ascending, greatly auspicious, because the first line's aspiration aligns with the second and other lines above. The second line's sincerity moves people, because a joyful event arrives. Ascending above the city—there is no doubt. The king employs trusted ministers to assist in the sacrifice, in accord with the ruler's heart and the people's will. The king's divination is auspicious; he ascends the steps, and his great and noble ideals will be realized. During the sacrifice, the ancestral spirits ascend to their positions; it is beneficial at night.