Hexagram 12.1 — Standstill (First Line)
Pi · Pulling Up Grass — 初爻
否卦 · 初六（拔茅茹，以其彙）
Read from the bottom upward. The highlighted bar marks the first line (初爻), which is the focus of this page.
If You Just Cast This Line
The oracle text of this line opens the hexagram's meaning with an image of withdrawal that is not solitary. When you pull up grass, roots come together — what moves, moves in clusters. The first line of Standstill shows the beginning of stagnation, but also the first opportunity to recognize shared fate and act collectively.
Its message is strategic retreat with allies. In times when the environment becomes hostile to growth, those who share values naturally band together. This is not defeat; it is intelligent regrouping. By withdrawing now with those who understand the moment, you preserve integrity and prepare for better conditions.
Key Concepts
Original Text & Translation
「拔茅茹，以其彙，貞吉。」 — Pulling up grass by the roots; it comes up with its kind. Perseverance brings good fortune.
The image is of interconnected roots. When conditions turn unfavorable, withdrawal is not an isolated act but a movement that naturally includes those bound by shared principle. The counsel is to recognize who belongs to your "cluster" — colleagues, friends, or values-aligned partners — and move together rather than fragment. Good fortune comes not from the withdrawal itself, but from maintaining integrity and connection during the retreat.
Core Meaning
Line one sits at the base of Standstill, where obstruction first becomes apparent. Unlike Hexagram 1's hidden dragon preparing to rise, this line describes a force that must pull back because the environment will not support forward motion. The wisdom here is discernment: knowing when persistence becomes waste, and when retreat becomes strategy.
Practically, this line addresses the difference between quitting and repositioning. Quitting is reactive and isolating; repositioning is deliberate and relational. "Pulling up grass with its kind" means you do not abandon your network or compromise your standards. You withdraw to protect what matters, and you do so with those who share your understanding of the moment. This collective movement creates resilience that isolated retreat cannot.
Symbolism & Imagery
Grass roots intertwine beneath the surface, invisible but structurally connected. When one is pulled, others follow — not by force, but by natural attachment. This image teaches that withdrawal in difficult times reveals true alliances. Fair-weather connections dissolve; deep bonds hold. Standstill's first line is therefore a filter: it separates those committed to shared values from those merely present during ease.
This imagery also addresses timing and scale. A single blade of grass pulled alone is fragile; a clump with roots intact can be replanted. The line counsels you to think in terms of ecosystems, not individuals. When you move, consider who moves with you, what you carry together, and how you maintain coherence during the transition. This is the foundation of enduring communities and organizations.
Action Guidance
Career & Business
- Recognize stagnation early: if initiatives repeatedly stall, if decision-making becomes opaque, or if values drift from stated mission, these are environmental signals.
- Identify your cluster: who shares your standards, work ethic, and vision? These are the people to stay connected with during transitions.
- Coordinate exits or pivots: if leaving a role or project, consider whether trusted colleagues should also explore options. Collective moves preserve culture and capability.
- Preserve institutional knowledge: document processes, maintain relationships, and keep communication channels open even as you step back.
- Avoid public blame: withdraw with dignity. Criticism of the environment you're leaving weakens your cluster and burns bridges unnecessarily.
Love & Relationships
- Recognize toxic patterns: if a relationship or social circle consistently drains rather than nourishes, withdrawal is not failure — it is self-respect.
- Move with mutual understanding: if both partners recognize that external conditions (family pressure, geographic incompatibility, life-stage mismatch) are creating standstill, coordinate your response rather than fracture.
- Protect shared values: in friendships or partnerships, retreat from environments that compromise your collective integrity. Find spaces where your bond can breathe.
- Communicate clearly: "pulling up grass together" requires honest conversation. Silence during withdrawal creates confusion and resentment.
Health & Inner Work
- Withdraw from depletion: if routines, environments, or habits consistently undermine your energy, step back. This is not laziness; it is boundary-setting.
- Identify supportive structures: who or what helps you maintain well-being during difficulty? Therapists, training partners, spiritual communities — these are your "roots."
- Simplify inputs: reduce exposure to news cycles, social comparison, and over-scheduling. Create space for recovery and reflection.
- Honor the body's signals: fatigue, recurring injury, or emotional flatness are the body's way of saying the current path is unsustainable. Listen and adjust.
Finance & Strategy
- Exit deteriorating positions: if fundamentals weaken, if thesis breaks, or if risk exceeds tolerance, withdraw capital. Do so systematically, not emotionally.
- Coordinate with aligned investors: if you're part of a syndicate, fund, or partnership, communicate early about changing conditions. Collective repositioning is cleaner than fragmented panic.
- Preserve dry powder: standstill is not the time for aggressive deployment. Hold liquidity, reduce leverage, and wait for clarity.
- Document lessons: treat withdrawal as data. What signaled the turn? What would you do differently? This knowledge strengthens future decisions.
Timing, Signals, and Readiness
How do you know when to pull back? Look for persistent friction: efforts that once flowed now meet resistance; conversations that once built now circle; resources that once multiplied now deplete. When these patterns repeat across multiple domains, the environment has shifted. The first line of Standstill says: act on this recognition early, while you still have agency and allies.
Readiness to withdraw is marked by clarity, not bitterness. If you can name what you're protecting (values, health, relationships, capital) and who you're moving with, the retreat is strategic. If you're fleeing in confusion or isolation, pause and seek counsel first. The grass metaphor implies preparation: roots intact, direction clear, companions identified.
When This Line Moves
A moving first line in Hexagram 12 often signals that your withdrawal, though necessary, will lead to a shift in conditions. The resultant hexagram (determined by your specific divination method) will show the new configuration that emerges after you and your "cluster" reposition. This movement is not permanent exile; it is a phase transition that protects core strength and prepares for re-engagement when the environment improves.
Practical takeaway: do not treat withdrawal as an ending. Treat it as a strategic pause that preserves what matters. Stay connected with your cluster, maintain your practices, and watch for the signals that indicate conditions are shifting back toward openness. Standstill does not last forever, but those who retreat wisely are the ones who return strong.
Concise Summary
Hexagram 12.1 teaches the art of collective retreat. When stagnation sets in, those who recognize it early and withdraw with integrity and allies preserve their strength. "Pulling up grass by the roots" means moving together, protecting shared values, and maintaining coherence during difficulty. Perseverance in this context is not stubborn endurance but wise repositioning — stepping back now to step forward later, when conditions allow growth once more.
