Hexagram 2 of 64
The Receptive
坤 (Kūn)
Earth (kūn) — the receptive, yielding ground
Receptive EarthAs shown in classical I Ching texts
Composition
Upper Trigram
Receptive, yielding, nurturing — the power that receives and completes
Outer situation / environment
Lower Trigram
Receptive, yielding, nurturing — the power that receives and completes
Inner situation / your state
Interaction
Earth above Earth — ground meeting ground. The outer energy of earth shapes the inner disposition of earth.
Meaning
Pure yin energy — earth above and below. Receptivity, devotion, and yielding strength.
Classical Judgment
“The Receptive brings about sublime success, furthering through the perseverance of a mare.”
The classical judgment is the original oracle text — the answer the I Ching gives when this hexagram appears.
The Image
The earth's condition is receptive devotion. The superior one, with broad character, carries the outer world.
The Image is a nature scene associated with this hexagram — a symbolic picture that distils its essence. In classic texts, meditating on the Image was considered the proper way to absorb the hexagram's teaching.
Nuclear Hexagram
Lines 2–5 of this hexagram form an inner hexagram called the nuclear hexagram. It reveals the hidden seed or underlying dynamic within the situation — what lies at the core beneath the surface.
#2 — Hidden within
The Receptive
坤 (Kūn) · Receptive Earth
In a Reading
When hexagram 2 appears in your reading, the I Ching is drawing your attention to the quality of receptive earth. Sit with the Image — “The earth's condition is receptive devotion” — and consider how this pattern is playing out in your current situation. The Judgment offers the oracle’s direct guidance on how to move with this energy rather than against it.
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