Hexagram 14: 大有
dà yǒu — big domain
Judgment
Possession in Great Measure. Supreme success. Strength and clarity unite. Power expresses itself in graceful and controlled way, bringing wealth through proper administration.
Image
Fire in heaven above: the image of Possession in Great Measure. The sun brings both good and evil into light. Man must curb evil and promote good, serving benevolent will.
Digital Artifact
Stewart Brand's Whole Earth Catalog
Stewart Brand (1968)
Before you could Google anything, Brand created a catalog that gave you access to tools—literal and conceptual. The subtitle: 'Access to Tools.' Not hoarding tools. Not controlling access. Providing it. Fire (clarity of curation, what's actually useful) in Heaven above (universally accessible, high-minded purpose). The Whole Earth Catalog didn't sell you things—it showed you where to get things, how to evaluate them, why they mattered. Possession in great measure: not the catalog possessing tools but users possessing knowledge of tools. Brand positioned himself humbly—not as authority but as facilitator. One weak line (editorial voice) holding strong lines (all those tools, techniques, resources) through modest curation. The last issue's back cover: 'Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.' Possession handled correctly: shared, made mobile and useful, placed at disposal of anyone who needed it. Supreme success through unselfish modesty.
Historical Context
- Period
- Zhou Dynasty
- Oracle Bone Etymology
- Fire (☲) above, Heaven (☰) below—fire in heaven shines far, making all things manifest. Weak fifth line in place of honor holds strong lines through modest virtue.
- Traditional Use
- The classical text describes this as possession determined by fate, accorded with time. True possession comes through unselfish modesty—the weak line has power over strong lines through virtue, not force.
Lines
Line 1: 無交害匪咎艱則無咎
Line 2: 大車以載有攸往無咎
Line 3: 公用亨于天子小人弗克
Line 4: 匪其彭無咎
Line 5: 厥孚交如威如吉
Line 6: 自天祐之吉無不利
Practical Guidance
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