Hexagram 36
Darkening of the Light
明夷 (Míng Yí)
Earth over Fire
Hexagram 36 represents a time when light is obscured by darkness, symbolizing adversity and challenging circumstances. This hexagram teaches the wisdom of concealing one's brilliance during difficult times, maintaining inner integrity while outwardly adapting to unfavorable conditions. Like the sun setting beneath the earth, true light persists even when hidden, waiting for the proper moment to shine again. The superior person understands that sometimes survival and preservation require strategic withdrawal and patient endurance rather than direct confrontation with overwhelming darkness.
Key Concepts
The Judgment (卦辞)
Translation: "Darkening of the Light. In adversity it furthers one to be persevering."
Hexagram 36 describes a period when darkness temporarily obscures the light, representing times of adversity, oppression, or unfavorable circumstances beyond your immediate control. This hexagram counsels strategic adaptation rather than futile resistance against overwhelming forces. The wise person recognizes when external conditions make open expression of truth or brilliance dangerous or counterproductive. During such times, the key to survival and eventual success lies in maintaining inner integrity while outwardly conforming to difficult circumstances. Like a lamp covered to protect its flame in a storm, your inner light must be preserved even when it cannot openly shine. This is not cowardice but wisdom, understanding that some battles are won through patient endurance rather than direct confrontation.
The judgment emphasizes perseverance in adversity as the path forward. When darkness prevails in the external world, the superior person turns inward, cultivating virtue and wisdom in preparation for better times. This hexagram teaches that difficult periods are temporary, and those who maintain their principles while adapting their methods will emerge stronger when conditions improve. The challenge is to remain true to your core values while being flexible in your approach, neither compromising your integrity nor foolishly exposing yourself to unnecessary harm. Historical examples include wise ministers who served unjust rulers while secretly working for the good, or scholars who preserved knowledge during dark ages.
The Image (大象传)
君子以莅众，用晦而明。
Translation: "The light has sunk into the earth: the image of Darkening of the Light. Thus does the superior person live with the great mass: he veils his light, yet still shines."
The image presents fire beneath earth, symbolizing light that has descended into darkness yet continues to exist. This powerful metaphor teaches that true brilliance cannot be extinguished by external circumstances, only temporarily concealed. The superior person learns to navigate difficult social and political environments by moderating outward displays of wisdom or virtue while maintaining inner clarity and purpose. This is the art of living among those who might not appreciate or might even resent exceptional qualities, requiring the ability to blend in without losing one's essential nature. The image suggests that sometimes the greatest wisdom lies in appearing ordinary, allowing your light to work subtly rather than attracting dangerous attention.
This teaching has profound practical applications for anyone living under oppressive conditions or working within flawed systems. The key is to veil your light without extinguishing it, to adapt without compromising core principles. Like a seed that waits underground through winter, preserving its life force until spring, the wise person endures dark times by protecting what is essential while remaining patient and alert for opportunities. This approach requires both strength and humility, the courage to maintain your truth and the wisdom to know when silence serves better than speech.
The Six Lines (六爻)
Nine at the Beginning (初九)
Bottom line - Yang
"Darkening of the light during flight. He lowers his wings. The superior person does not eat for three days on his wanderings. But he has somewhere to go. The host has occasion to gossip about him."
This line depicts the beginning of adversity, requiring immediate withdrawal from danger. Like a bird lowering its wings to avoid detection, you must make yourself less visible and accept temporary hardship. The reference to not eating for three days indicates the sacrifices necessary when fleeing unfavorable conditions. Though others may criticize or misunderstand your retreat, you recognize the wisdom of strategic withdrawal. This is a time to prioritize survival and preservation over pride or comfort, accepting short-term difficulties to avoid greater harm.
Six in the Second Place (六二)
Second line - Yin
"Darkening of the light injures him in the left thigh. He gives aid with the strength of a horse. Good fortune."
This line represents being wounded by adverse circumstances but maintaining the strength to help others despite personal injury. The left thigh symbolizes support and mobility, suggesting your capacity to act is impaired but not destroyed. Your response to adversity demonstrates character, using whatever strength remains to assist those in need. Like a strong horse that continues despite injury, your perseverance and service to others during difficult times brings ultimate good fortune and builds the foundation for future recovery and respect.
Nine in the Third Place (九三)
Third line - Yang
"Darkening of the light during the hunt in the south. Their great leader is captured. One must not expect perseverance too soon."
This line indicates a turning point where the source of darkness can be identified and eventually overcome. The southern hunt represents active engagement with the problem, and capturing the great leader symbolizes understanding the root cause of adversity. However, the warning against expecting immediate perseverance reminds you that solving problems takes time. Even when you identify what needs to change, transformation cannot be rushed. Patience remains essential even as you begin to address the darkness, allowing solutions to develop naturally rather than forcing premature resolution.
Six in the Fourth Place (六四)
Fourth line - Yin
"He penetrates the left side of the belly. One gets at the very heart of the darkening of the light, and leaves gate and courtyard."
This line describes deep insight into the nature of the darkness you face, penetrating to its very heart and understanding its true character. This profound comprehension allows you to make a decisive departure from the unfavorable situation. The imagery of leaving gate and courtyard suggests a complete withdrawal from the sphere of darkness once you fully understand its nature. This is not flight born of fear but strategic departure based on clear understanding. You recognize that some situations cannot be reformed from within and require complete separation to preserve your integrity and wellbeing.
Six in the Fifth Place (六五)
Fifth line - Yin
"Darkening of the light as with Prince Chi. Perseverance furthers."
This line references Prince Chi, who feigned madness to survive tyranny while maintaining his inner wisdom and integrity. It represents the highest form of concealing light during darkness, appearing to conform while secretly preserving truth and virtue. In positions of visibility or responsibility during oppressive times, you must be especially skillful in veiling your brilliance. This requires extraordinary perseverance and self-control, maintaining your principles internally while adapting your external behavior to survive. The strategy is neither surrender nor open rebellion but wise navigation of impossible circumstances until better times arrive.
Six at the Top (上六)
Top line - Yin
"Not light but darkness. First he climbed up to heaven, then he plunged into the depths of the earth."
The top line warns of the ultimate consequence when darkness reaches its extreme, depicting the fall of those who embody oppression and injustice. What rises through dark means must eventually fall, as tyranny contains the seeds of its own destruction. This line offers hope to those enduring difficult times, reminding them that darkness cannot prevail forever. It also serves as a warning against becoming what you oppose, ensuring that in surviving darkness you do not adopt its methods. The cycle completes itself, and those who maintain their light through dark times will witness the inevitable collapse of oppression.
Love & Relationships (爱情)
In relationships, hexagram 36 indicates a challenging period where misunderstanding, external pressures, or difficult circumstances obscure the natural warmth and connection between partners. This is not the time for dramatic declarations or forcing issues into the open, but rather for maintaining your commitment and love quietly while navigating unfavorable conditions. Perhaps family opposition, financial stress, or other external factors create darkness around your relationship. The wisdom here is to preserve the essential bond while being strategic about how you express it publicly. Your love may need to be more private, more patient, and more resilient than in easier times.
For those in established relationships, this hexagram counsels against allowing external darkness to penetrate the core of your connection. Protect your relationship by not exposing it unnecessarily to hostile forces or negative influences. This might mean keeping certain aspects of your partnership private, supporting each other quietly through difficulties, or choosing your battles wisely when facing opposition. The key is maintaining inner warmth and commitment even when outer circumstances make open expression difficult. Like a flame protected from the wind, your love can survive if you shield it appropriately during storms.
For those seeking love, this hexagram suggests that now may not be the optimal time for new romantic pursuits, or that any new connection will require unusual discretion and patience. If you do meet someone during this period, the relationship may need to develop quietly and slowly, away from public scrutiny or external interference. Focus on building genuine connection rather than outward displays, and be prepared for a relationship that must prove its strength through adversity rather than flourishing in ideal conditions. True love formed in darkness often proves remarkably resilient when light returns.
Career & Business (事业)
Professionally, hexagram 36 indicates working in challenging environments where your talents and contributions may not be properly recognized or where organizational dysfunction obscures merit and truth. This could manifest as working under poor leadership, navigating office politics that reward the wrong behaviors, or operating in industries or markets experiencing downturns. The strategic approach is to continue performing excellent work while being less visible about your achievements, avoiding the jealousy or opposition that visibility might attract. Document your contributions privately, maintain your professional standards, and prepare for better opportunities while surviving current difficulties. This is not the time for ambitious moves or seeking promotion, but for consolidating your position and preserving your reputation.
For business owners and entrepreneurs, this hexagram warns of unfavorable market conditions, regulatory challenges, or competitive pressures that make normal operations difficult. The wisdom is to reduce your profile, conserve resources, and focus on core strengths rather than expansion or innovation. This might mean scaling back operations, avoiding risky ventures, or even temporarily closing certain aspects of your business to preserve the essential core. Like a plant that pulls energy into its roots during winter, focus on survival and preservation rather than growth. Those businesses that maintain quality and integrity during dark times position themselves for strong recovery when conditions improve.
The hexagram also speaks to those working in fields where truth or excellence is currently undervalued or suppressed. If you are a teacher, artist, journalist, or professional in any field where integrity matters, you may find your best work unappreciated or even opposed. Continue your work with dedication but be strategic about how and where you share it. Build networks of like-minded professionals, preserve important knowledge or methods, and maintain your standards even when they seem out of step with prevailing trends. Your perseverance during these dark times establishes credibility and positions you as a leader when values shift back toward truth and quality.
Health & Wellness (健康)
In health matters, hexagram 36 suggests a period where vitality may be diminished or where health challenges require you to reduce activity and conserve energy. This is not a time for aggressive treatments or dramatic lifestyle changes, but rather for gentle, restorative approaches that support your body's natural healing processes. The darkening of light in health terms means your usual energy and resilience may be temporarily obscured, requiring you to honor your limitations and rest more than usual. Focus on fundamental health practices like adequate sleep, gentle movement, and nourishing food rather than ambitious fitness goals or complex health regimens. Your body needs protection and patience, not pressure to perform.
For those dealing with chronic conditions or recovery from illness, this hexagram counsels acceptance of a slower healing process and the wisdom to work with your body rather than against it. There may be setbacks or periods where progress seems invisible, but maintaining consistent care and positive habits will preserve your foundation for eventual recovery. Avoid treatments or practitioners that promise quick fixes or dramatic results, as these may be unreliable during this period. Instead, focus on building sustainable health practices and working with trusted healthcare providers who understand the value of patient, comprehensive care. Your inner vitality remains even when outer symptoms suggest otherwise.
Mental and emotional health require particular attention during this hexagram's influence, as the darkness it represents can manifest as depression, anxiety, or loss of hope. Recognize that these feelings, while real, are responses to difficult circumstances rather than permanent states. Maintain practices that preserve your inner light such as meditation, time in nature, creative expression, or spiritual study. Seek support from trusted friends or professionals, but be selective about who you confide in, as not everyone will understand or support your journey through darkness. Remember that this period is temporary, and maintaining your mental and emotional core will allow you to emerge stronger when conditions improve.
Financial Matters (财运)
Financially, hexagram 36 indicates a period of economic challenge or reduced prosperity where the usual paths to income or wealth creation may be blocked or diminished. This is emphatically not the time for risky investments, ambitious financial ventures, or conspicuous displays of wealth. Instead, focus on conservation, protection of existing assets, and maintaining essential income streams even if they are less lucrative than you would prefer. Like a household that stores provisions before winter, your priority should be building reserves and reducing unnecessary expenses. Any wealth you have should be kept secure and private, as visibility might attract unwanted attention or create problems during these unfavorable times.
For investors and those managing significant assets, this hexagram counsels extreme caution and a defensive posture. Move resources into safe, stable investments even if returns are minimal. Avoid speculation, complex financial instruments, or opportunities that seem too good to be true, as the darkness of this time makes it difficult to distinguish genuine opportunities from traps. If you must make financial decisions, seek advice from trusted, conservative advisors and prioritize capital preservation over growth. This is a time to protect what you have rather than trying to increase it, understanding that wealth preserved through difficult times becomes the foundation for prosperity when conditions improve.
For those facing financial hardship or reduced income, this hexagram offers the wisdom of strategic adaptation and the assurance that current difficulties are temporary. Focus on essential expenses, seek assistance when needed without shame, and maintain whatever income sources you can even if they seem beneath your qualifications or aspirations. There is no dishonor in accepting humble work or reduced circumstances during genuinely difficult times. What matters is preserving your integrity, meeting your basic needs, and positioning yourself to recover when opportunities return. Many successful people have endured periods of financial darkness, and those who maintain their principles and work ethic during these times often emerge with greater wisdom and resilience.
Personal Growth (个人成长)
For personal development, hexagram 36 represents a profound opportunity for inner growth precisely because outer circumstances are challenging. When external validation, success, or recognition are absent, you are forced to develop genuine self-knowledge and inner strength independent of outside approval. This period asks you to cultivate your wisdom, virtue, and capabilities privately, without the reinforcement of public acknowledgment or visible results. Like a master who continues practicing their art in obscurity, your dedication to growth during dark times builds authentic character rather than mere performance. This is when you discover what you truly value and who you really are, stripped of the masks and roles that easier times allow you to maintain.
The hexagram teaches that some of life's most important lessons can only be learned in darkness and adversity. Challenges that obscure your light force you to find it within yourself rather than reflecting it from external sources. This might involve confronting fears, developing patience, learning humility, or discovering inner resources you never knew you possessed. Embrace this time as a spiritual and psychological initiation, understanding that the person who emerges from darkness with their light intact is fundamentally stronger than one who has only known favorable conditions. Study wisdom traditions, develop contemplative practices, and seek meaning in your struggles rather than merely enduring them.
This hexagram also counsels the development of strategic wisdom and the ability to navigate complex, imperfect situations without losing your integrity. Learn to distinguish between essential principles that must never be compromised and tactical flexibility that allows you to survive and eventually thrive. This sophisticated understanding of when to stand firm and when to adapt, when to speak and when to remain silent, when to act and when to wait, represents a level of maturity that only adversity can teach. The superior person who masters these lessons becomes capable of maintaining their light in any circumstances, neither extinguished by darkness nor corrupted by it, but shining steadily from within regardless of external conditions.
Timing & Advice (时机与建议)
The timing of hexagram 36 is fundamentally about endurance through a difficult period rather than active advancement or achievement. This is not a favorable time for new initiatives, public visibility, or ambitious undertakings. Instead, the period calls for strategic withdrawal, conservation of resources, and patient perseverance while maintaining your inner integrity and preparing for better times. Understand that this darkness is temporary, a natural phase in the larger cycle of change, but also recognize that its duration cannot be precisely predicted. Your task is to survive it with your essential nature intact, neither broken by adversity nor corrupted by adopting the methods of darkness to fight it.
The primary advice is to veil your light without extinguishing it, adapting your outer behavior to difficult circumstances while maintaining your inner truth and values. This requires sophisticated judgment about what is essential and what is merely tactical, what must be preserved at all costs and what can be temporarily set aside. Seek wisdom from those who have successfully navigated similar challenges, study historical examples of people who maintained integrity during dark times, and develop the patience to wait for conditions to improve rather than forcing premature action. Your strength during this period comes from inner conviction and long-term perspective rather than immediate results or external validation.
Finally, remember that darkness eventually gives way to light, and those who preserve their integrity and capabilities during difficult times are positioned to flourish when conditions improve. Use this period to deepen your understanding, strengthen your character, and prepare for future opportunities. Maintain hope without naive optimism, stay engaged without exhausting yourself, and preserve your essential light while being wise about when and how you let it shine. The superior person emerges from the darkening of the light not diminished but refined, carrying wisdom and strength that only adversity can forge, ready to contribute meaningfully when the world is again ready to receive their gifts.