Hexagram 26
Great Accumulation - Mountain over Heaven
大畜
Meaning and Overview
The upper trigram of the Great Accumulation hexagram is Gen, representing mountain; the lower trigram is Qian, representing heaven, forming the image of Mountain over Heaven. The image of Qian heaven signifies nature, while mountain over heaven suggests that within the primeval mountain forests there are wild horses, wild cattle, and wild boars. The Great Accumulation hexagram deals with the domestication of these wild animals. If the Li hexagram, where Fuxi invented fishing nets, marks the beginning of Chinese fishery civilization; the Yi hexagram, where Shennong invented plows and other tools, marks the beginning of Chinese agricultural civilization; and the Shihe hexagram, where Shennong invented the market, marks the beginning of Chinese commercial civilization, then the Great Accumulation hexagram marks the beginning of Chinese animal husbandry civilization. The hexagram statement says: "Favorable to be steadfast. Not eating at home brings good fortune. Favorable to cross great rivers." This refers to large animals like cattle, horses, and pigs, which should be raised in the mountains. "Favorable to be steadfast" means one must manage these large animals well, otherwise they will run back into the deep forests and become wild again. To address this, the hexagram provides practical measures: for horses, it says "daily practice in chariot driving and defense"—the third line says that training wild horses daily in chariot driving will turn them into "fine horses galloping." For wild cattle, measures are taken while the calf is still young: training it to plow and pull carts, and putting a bamboo muzzle on its mouth—this is "the calf's muzzle." After domesticating the calf, when it grows into an adult ox, habit becomes second nature, and the ox will be obedient, hence "supreme good fortune." The fifth line discusses how to domesticate a wild boar, which is highly aggressive—the boar is called shi, and its ferocity is formidable.
Chinese Interpretation
《大畜》卦上卦为艮，为山，下卦为乾，为天，组成山天《大畜》卦的卦象。卦象乾天意味着自然，山天意味着原始的天然的大山森林里面，有原始的野马、野牛、野猪，《大畜》卦就是人工畜养这些野马、野牛、野猪，如果说，《周易》里面的《离》卦伏羲氏发明渔网意味着中国渔业文明的开端，《益》卦神农氏发明耒等农具意味着中国农业文明的开端，《噬嗑》卦神农氏发明市场意味着中国商业文明的开端，那么《大畜》卦则意味着中国畜牧业文明的开端。《大畜》卦辞说：“利贞，不家食，吉，利涉大川。”指牛、马、猪等大型动物，应该在大山里面放养。利贞，指要管理好这些大型动物，否则会跑回深山老林，变回野生动物了。针对这个问题，《大畜》卦辞所采取的切实可行的措施，对于马则是“日闲舆卫”，九三爻辞说，天天训练野马驾车的技能，就会变成“良马逐”了。对于野牛，则在小牛未长大时采取措施，训练耕田拉车，给小牛的嘴巴上戴上竹笼子，即“童牛之牿”，驯化好童牛即小牛后，小牛长成大牛，那么习惯成自然，大牛也会听话，因此“元吉”。六五是讲如何驯化野公猪，野公猪具有很强的攻击性，猪即豕，豕的厉害。
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.
利贞，不家食，吉，利涉大川。
有利于坚守正道，不让贤者留在自己家里自食其力，吉祥，利于渡过大的难关。
Favorable to be steadfast. Not eating at home brings good fortune. Favorable to cross great rivers.
It is beneficial to hold fast to the right path. Not keeping the worthy at home to fend for themselves brings good fortune. It is favorable to cross great difficulties.
初九，有厉，利已。
初九爻，发现危险，就立即停止前进，是有利的。
The first nine: There is danger. It is favorable to stop.
The first line: When danger is perceived, immediately cease advancing—this is beneficial.
九二，舆说輹。
九二爻，马车脱开了轮辐，不能前进。
The second nine: The chariot loses its wheel spokes.
The second line: The chariot has lost its wheel spokes and cannot move forward.
九三，良马逐，利艰贞；日闲舆卫，利有攸往。
九三爻，良马奔跑，在艰难的环境中坚守正道，不迷失方向，才会有利。对驾驶马车和防卫防范的技术非常纯熟，利于前进。
The third nine: Fine horses gallop. Favorable to be steadfast in difficulty. Daily practice in chariot driving and defense. Favorable to have somewhere to go.
The third line: Fine horses gallop. In difficult circumstances, hold fast to the right path and do not lose direction—this will be beneficial. When skilled in chariot driving and defense, it is favorable to advance.
六四，童牛之牿，元吉。
六四爻，给小牛戴上木枷，限制它乱跑乱窜乱触乱斗，十分吉祥。
The fourth six: The muzzle of a young calf. Supreme good fortune.
The fourth line: Putting a wooden muzzle on a young calf to restrain it from running wild, goring, and fighting—this is supremely auspicious.
六五，豮豕之牙，吉。
六五爻，已被阉割的猪的牙齿，不会被猪用来咬人，吉祥。
The fifth six: The tusks of a gelded boar. Good fortune.
The fifth line: The tusks of a castrated boar will not be used to bite people—this is auspicious.
上九，何天之衢，亨。
上九爻，多么四通八达、畅通无阻的平坦大道啊，亨通。
The top nine: How the highway of heaven! Prosperous.
The top line: What a broad and unobstructed highway of heaven! All goes smoothly.