Hexagram 55 — Abundance (丰)
A clear, modern reading of I Ching hexagram 55—Abundance (Fēng): Peak fullness — enjoy but do not cling.
Feng is abundance — thunder and lightning, sun at midday. Don't worry at the peak, yet stars at noon and empty grand houses warn: clarity in judgment and graceful contraction when fullness hides emptiness.
The Judgment
亨，王假之，勿忧，宜日中。
Hēng, wáng jiǎ zhī, wù yōu, yí rì zhōng.
“Success. The king approaches. Do not worry. Be like the sun at midday.”
In plain terms: Peak fullness — enjoy but do not cling.
The Image
雷电皆至，丰；君子以折狱致刑。
Léi diàn jiē zhì, fēng; jūnzǐ yǐ zhé yù zhì xíng.
“Both thunder and lightning arrive — the noble person decides lawsuits and executes punishments.”
The Image invites us to translate the hexagram's symbolism into practical conduct—not superstitious fortune-telling.
Six Lines (Brief)
- Meeting the matching lord — ten days no blame; going brings honor.
- Abundance hidden — stars at noon; sincerity revealed brings fortune.
- Abundance veiled — rainbows at noon; right arm broken, no blame.
- Hidden abundance — meeting the foreign lord brings good fortune.
- Excellence arrives — celebration and praise; good fortune.
- Grand house, hidden family — empty inside. Three years unseen. Misfortune.
In Daily Life
When Abundance appears in reflection, consider:
- Be like midday sun — don't worry at abundance
- Decide lawsuits clearly — justice in fullness
- Stars at noon — see decline within peak; stay alert
Practical scenarios:
- Career peak — don't worry; shine like midday
- Surface prosperity — grand house, empty inside
- Justice — clear decisions in abundance
Spatial Note (Feng Shui)
In feng shui, Abundance is often associated with the East and the Wood phase.
Lower Zhen (east) and upper Li (south). Thunder and lightning — active east, bright south for peak abundance.
Related Hexagrams
A Closing Thought
Abundance reminds us: Peak fullness — enjoy but do not cling. What is this pattern asking of you right now?