Hexagram 14.6 — Great Possession (Top Line)
Da You · 上爻 — Heaven's blessing descends
大有卦 · 上九(自天祐之)
Read from the bottom upward. The highlighted bar marks the top line (上爻), which is the focus of this page.
If You Just Cast This Line
The oracle text of this line crowns the hexagram's meaning. It speaks to the apex of Great Possession — not merely wealth or power, but the alignment of inner virtue with cosmic support. The top line of Great Possession shows abundance blessed by heaven itself, where success flows not from force but from harmony with the Tao.
Its message is grace meeting readiness. "Heaven's blessing descends" means you have cultivated the character, humility, and wisdom that allows fortune to find you. This is not luck — it is the natural result of integrity meeting opportunity. When inner cultivation is complete, outer support arrives spontaneously and abundantly.
Key Concepts
Original Text & Translation
「自天祐之,吉无不利。」 — From heaven comes blessing; auspicious, nothing that does not further.
The image is of celestial support flowing downward to one who has prepared the vessel to receive it. This is not passive waiting but active worthiness. The top line of Great Possession represents the culmination of right action, ethical leadership, and humble stewardship. When these qualities are present, assistance arrives from unexpected quarters, doors open effortlessly, and endeavors succeed with remarkable ease.
Core Meaning
Line six sits at the apex of the hexagram, where accumulation reaches its zenith. In Great Possession, this position signifies not the danger of overreach but the grace of perfect timing. The line is yang at the top of a predominantly yang hexagram, yet it remains humble and receptive — this paradox is its genius. It holds great power without grasping, commands resources without hoarding, and leads without dominating.
Practically, this line distinguishes between success that exhausts and success that regenerates. Heaven's blessing comes to those who have learned to receive, delegate, share credit, and remain teachable even at the peak. The oracle confirms that when you operate from generosity rather than scarcity, from service rather than ego, the universe conspires in your favor. This is not mysticism — it is the observable pattern that integrity, over time, attracts opportunity.
The phrase "nothing that does not further" is absolute. It suggests a state where even apparent obstacles become advantages, where setbacks reveal better paths, and where your presence itself becomes a catalyst for collective good. This is the harvest of long cultivation.
Symbolism & Imagery
The top line of Great Possession evokes the image of a mountain peak receiving the first light of dawn. Heaven (Qian) above, Fire (Li) below — clarity illuminated by cosmic order. The blessing descends like rain on prepared soil: it does not create fertility, it activates what was already planted. This line teaches that divine favor is not arbitrary; it follows the law of resonance. You have become the kind of person, leader, or creator that heaven can work through.
In leadership terms, this is the elder statesman, the founder who has transcended founder-syndrome, the artist whose work now serves something larger than personal ambition. The symbolism also addresses legacy: what you build at this line endures because it is rooted in principle, not personality. Your success becomes a platform for others.
The imagery also includes the idea of effortless action (wu wei). At the top line, you no longer push — you allow. Doors open, resources flow, allies appear, not because you manipulate but because you have aligned with the grain of reality. This is the Tao made visible in human affairs.
Action Guidance
Career & Business
- Lead from service: frame every decision around stakeholder benefit — customers, team, ecosystem. When you optimize for collective thriving, individual success follows.
- Delegate with trust: empower others fully. Your role is vision and culture, not control. Heaven's blessing multiplies through the hands of many.
- Stay teachable: seek mentors, peer feedback, and contrary perspectives. Humility at the top prevents stagnation and invites continuous renewal.
- Build institutions, not monuments: create systems, processes, and cultures that outlive your tenure. Measure legacy by what persists when you step back.
- Share credit generously: publicly acknowledge contributions. This magnetizes talent and goodwill, creating a virtuous cycle of collaboration.
- Recognize the moment: you are in a window of maximum leverage. Decisions made now set trajectories for years. Move with clarity and care.
Love & Relationships
- Gratitude as practice: express appreciation daily. Heaven's blessing in relationship means recognizing the gift of presence, not taking it for granted.
- Serve without scorekeeping: give freely, not transactionally. When both partners operate this way, abundance becomes self-sustaining.
- Create space for the other's growth: your security allows you to champion their dreams. This generosity deepens bond and mutual respect.
- Celebrate milestones: honor what you've built together. Ritual and acknowledgment anchor blessing in memory and meaning.
- Extend the circle: your relationship can become a source of support for others — hospitality, mentorship, modeling healthy partnership.
Health & Inner Work
- Rest as strategy: at the top line, recovery is not weakness but wisdom. Deep rest allows integration of all you've achieved.
- Spiritual practice: meditation, prayer, or contemplative walks. Create space to receive insight rather than only generating effort.
- Nourish rather than deplete: choose foods, movement, and routines that build vitality. Your body is the temple through which blessing flows.
- Release what no longer serves: old identities, outdated goals, toxic habits. Heaven's blessing requires room to enter.
- Cultivate joy: pleasure, play, beauty, and laughter are not distractions — they are frequencies that align you with abundance.
Finance & Strategy
- Invest in alignment: allocate capital to ventures that reflect your values. Financial return follows ethical coherence.
- Diversify generously: spread wealth across asset classes, geographies, and causes. Concentration at the top invites risk; distribution invites resilience.
- Philanthropy as practice: give meaningfully, not performatively. Heaven's blessing circulates through generosity, not hoarding.
- Mentorship and education: fund learning, sponsor emerging talent, share knowledge. Your abundance becomes seed capital for the next generation.
- Long-term thinking: optimize for decades, not quarters. The top line sees beyond the immediate horizon.
- Gratitude and humility: acknowledge luck, timing, and help received. This honesty protects against hubris and invites continued fortune.
Timing, Signals, and Readiness
The top line of Great Possession marks a peak, but not an ending. It is the moment when accumulated effort crystallizes into visible, undeniable success. You will know you are in this phase when opportunities arrive faster than you can pursue them, when allies appear without solicitation, when obstacles dissolve with minimal friction. These are not coincidences — they are confirmations that you have done the inner work required for outer support.
Timing guidance: act decisively but without urgency. You are operating from a position of strength, so there is no need to force or rush. Each move should feel aligned, almost inevitable. If a decision feels strained or requires excessive convincing, pause. Heaven's blessing flows through ease, not struggle. Trust that what is meant for you will come; your role is to remain worthy of it through continued humility, service, and integrity.
Watch for these signals: unsolicited endorsements, serendipitous introductions, resources appearing just as needed, and a sense of being "in the flow." These indicate you are riding the wave of celestial support. Maintain your practices, stay grounded, and let momentum build naturally.
When This Line Moves
A moving top line in Great Possession often signals a transition from peak achievement to a new cycle of service or teaching. The blessing you have received now becomes something you steward for others. The resultant hexagram will show the specific form this transition takes — whether into quieter influence, mentorship, institutional building, or a return to simplicity with deeper wisdom.
Practical takeaway: do not cling to the peak. The movement of this line invites you to gracefully evolve. Success at the top is not a permanent state but a platform for the next contribution. Ask yourself: How can my abundance serve? What structures will carry this forward? Who is ready to receive what I have learned? The answers will shape your next chapter with the same grace that brought you here.
This is also a reminder that heaven's blessing is dynamic, not static. It flows to those who remain open, generous, and aligned. As you move into the next phase, carry forward the humility and service that attracted the blessing in the first place. This ensures continuity of fortune across changing circumstances.
Concise Summary
Hexagram 14.6 is the zenith of Great Possession — the moment when inner virtue and outer fortune align perfectly. Heaven's blessing descends not as luck but as the natural response to integrity, humility, and service. This line asks you to receive with gratitude, lead with generosity, and recognize that your success is a trust to be stewarded for the benefit of all. Nothing fails to further when you operate from this alignment. The oracle confirms: you have done the work, and the universe is responding. Stay worthy, stay humble, and let the blessing flow through you into the world.