Hexagram 26: Great Accumulation
Outer trigram (upper)
Cấn
Mountain · Earth
Inner trigram (lower)
Càn
Heaven · Metal
Judgment
大畜：利貞，不家食，吉：利涉大川.
Translation
Great Accumulation: favorable to hold to what is right; not eating at home — going out to do great work — brings fortune; favorable to cross the great river.
Commentary
Gen above is stillness, Qian below is strength. Strength held in check builds up into something great. The yang line at the top and the yin line at 5 restrain the three yang lines below. Great virtue is being accumulated here; one should not simply sit idle — going out to serve the world brings fortune.
Line Readings
Line 1 (yang)
初九：有厲，利已.
Translation
Line 1, yang: there is danger — favorable to stop.
Commentary
Line 1, yang, wants to advance but is held back by line 4; danger is present, so it is best to stop and build up strength first.
Line 2 (yang)
九二：輿說輹.
Translation
Line 2, yang: the cart loses its axle strap.
Commentary
Held back by line 5, line 2 is like a cart that loses its axle strap and cannot move — knowing when to stop at the right moment.
Line 3 (yang)
九三：良馬逐：利艱貞，日閑輿衛，利有攸往.
Translation
Line 3, yang: fine horses chasing one another; favorable to hold firm through hardship, practicing daily with cart and defense; favorable to go somewhere.
Commentary
Correctly placed, line 3 is on the verge of breaking through the restraint, like fine horses racing ahead. Daily practice and preparation are needed.
Line 4 (yin)
六四：童牛之牿，元吉.
Translation
Line 4, yin: a plank fitted over a young ox's horns — great fortune.
Commentary
Correctly placed, line 4 restrains line 1's yang energy while it is still young and unformed, like a calf — the easiest and most effective way to do it.
Line 5 (yin)
六五：豶豕之牙，吉.
Translation
Line 5, yin: the tusks pulled from a gelded boar — fortune.
Commentary
Centered, line 5 restrains line 2 by removing the root of its aggression at the source — a gelded boar's tusks become harmless — which works better than direct force.
Line 6 (yang)
上九：何天之衢，亨.
Translation
Top line, yang: carrying the great road of heaven — smooth progress.
Commentary
At the top, the accumulation has reached its peak and is no longer held back; heaven's road opens wide, and progress flows smoothly.