I Ching
Interpreted by wu wei

The Meaning of the Kua

The meaning of each kua is generally derived from the attributes of the two trigrams from which it is formed.

For example, the meaning of kua 11 Tai,

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is Peaceful Prosperity And Harmony.

It is comprised of the trigram of Ch’ien,

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which represents heaven, and K’un,

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which represents earth. Earth is over heaven. The tendency of earth is to sink, and the tendency of heaven is to rise; therefore, the two come together bringing about a time of "heaven on earth" or Peaceful Prosperity and Harmony.

Sometimes the names and the meanings of the kua are taken from what the six line figure looks like, as in the kua of Ting,

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the cauldron, which resembles a big pot. The divided bottom line represents the legs; the next three solid lines represent the belly of the pot; the next divided line, the rings or handles by which the cauldron is carried; and the top solid line, the lid.

Some of the kua take their meaning from the action of the lines, as in that of kua number 43, Kuai , which means Overthrow Of Evil. Each of the five lower undivided lines represents a strong and virtuous person who has banded with the others to move upward to overthrow the top line, which, being divided, represents a dark force or an evil person.

On the following pages are listed the eight primary trigrams along with their attributes or the objects they represent. The attributes of the trigrams are not inherent in the objects the trigrams represent. For instance, the kua of Ch’ien represents: heaven; the father; and males. Ch’ien’s attributes are: creative; strong; and virtuous. That does not mean that all males are creative, strong, and virtuous. In the trigram Kuai, mentioned earlier, which represents Overthrow Of Evil, the person represented by the broken top line of the kua could be either an evil man or an evil woman, depending on the circumstances surrounding your question.