Duration
恆Heng
No. 32 · Thunder over Wind
Heng (Duration)
Heng (Duration) means lasting. Thunder and wind always go together. This is about keeping a commitment or a relationship going for the long run, and about the risk of holding on the wrong way.
Cast your own hexagramHeng (Duration) is about staying power. Now is the time to hold a sound direction and keep working steadily; that path tends to go smoothly and without blame. Lasting means the direction stays fixed, while the methods can still adjust as needed.
Favorable
- Build for the long run
- Keep your promises
- Stick to a daily routine
- Hold your chosen direction
Avoid
- Asking too much too soon
- Changing plans every few days
- Pushing on with the wrong method
- Wavering back and forth
Work and money
- Job search
- Look for a place you can stay. In interviews, say which area you want to go deep in; steady growth beats a one-step pay bump. The first line, digging deep for permanence, warns against asking for fast promotion the day you start.
- Business
- Heng (Duration) favors repeat customers, long contracts, memberships: business that builds over time. The Tuan says sun and moon shine long; a shop earns regulars by opening every day. Don't replace your product line every quarter.
- Money
- Good for long-term, regular habits, like automatic saving or holding for the long run. Don't chase short-term moves, and don't swap everything out over a brief swing.
Love and people
- Single
- Not a time for whirlwind romance or rushing to the altar. What lasts is someone you could share daily life with. Get to know them slowly and see whether your rhythms fit; that is what makes it last.
- In a relationship
- When thunder moves, wind follows: two people with matching rhythm tend to last. A good time to talk about long-term commitment. The biggest risk is the third line, not keeping one's character constant, where promises keep shifting and trust erodes.
- Getting back together
- The question Heng (Duration) asks is whether it can last. Before getting back together, be clear why you split and whether the change will hold this time. If it can, the chances are decent; if you only want to try, don't go back yet.
- People and partnerships
- Choose partners who share your values and will commit for the long haul. Once terms are set, stick to them. The top line's restless shaking is what partnerships fear most: one side that keeps wavering is a warning sign.
Daily life
- Exams and study
- The strength of Heng (Duration) is time: a fixed daily session beats a last-minute sprint. The fourth line, no game in the field, warns that the wrong material or method gets nothing however long you study. Confirm what will be tested.
- Moving and travel
- Good for a move meant to last; pick a place you could stay for years. Trips tend to go smoothly if you keep the original plan; switching destinations at the last minute invites hiccups.
- Body and mind
- Regular habits are the point: a fixed sleep schedule and steady exercise do more than occasional big efforts. Don't push yourself too hard all at once, either. If tiredness lingers for weeks, talk to a doctor.
Traditional questions
- Something you are waiting for
- Slow but steady. Like the seasons, it comes on its own schedule. The condition is that you don't change course halfway or push until they're annoyed. Stick to the original plan and wait.
- Disputes and lawsuits
- Disputes tend to run long; this is a test of endurance. Keeping your account consistent matters most. The Image says stand firm and do not change direction; change your story midway and the other side is likely to find the gap.
- Lost things and people
- Likely to turn up with a patient search. Xun (Wind) below is wood, cords and long things; Zhen (Thunder) above is movement and crossroads. Check wooden furniture, piles of cables, and busy doorways or hallways, retracing your usual route.
Making a decision
If this is something you mean to keep doing and the direction is sound, go ahead and stick with it. If you only want to try it for a few days, don't start yet.
If you are…
Three hours a day from the start collapses fast. The lasting Heng (Duration) means is lasting in its proper way: a little every day without a break. Switch to twenty minutes at a fixed time, and add more only after a few months.
Stability has value, and Heng (Duration) doesn't ask you to change for change's sake. But check that you're still growing. If you've stopped learning, move to a new area within the company or earn a new certification: same path, updated methods.
This is the reading when no line is changing. With changing lines, Zhu Xi’s method says which line to read, and the result page after a casting tells you directly.
亨，无咎。利貞，利有攸往。
Success. No blame. Steadfastness pays. It pays to have somewhere to go.
Thunder over Wind: Zhen (Thunder) above, Xun (Wind) below. Zhen is thunder and the eldest son; Xun is wind and the eldest daughter. When thunder moves, wind rises with it; the two keep each other company. The eldest son outside and the eldest daughter within is the lasting way of a household, so it is called Heng (Duration).
Six at the beginning
浚恆，貞凶，无攸利。
Digging deep for permanence. Even steadfastness brings misfortune. Nothing is gained.
Things have barely begun and you already want full commitment and long-term promises. Asking too much too soon backfires even when you are in the right. Build trust from shallow ground first.
Small Image: 浚恆之凶，始求深也。
Nine in the second place
悔亡。
Regret disappears.
Your position or circumstances aren't ideal, but by keeping to the middle and avoiding extremes, the regret you might have had goes away. Keep your current pace.
Small Image: 九二悔亡，能久中也。
Nine in the third place
不恆其德，或承之羞，貞吝。
Not keeping one's character constant, one may meet with disgrace. Even steadfastness brings humiliation.
Wavering, or failing to deliver what you promised, makes people stop taking you seriously, maybe even in public. However good your reasons, it is hard to avoid looking bad. Finish what you already committed to first.
Small Image: 不恆其德，无所容也。
Nine in the fourth place
田无禽。
Hunting in the field, there is no game.
Effort in the wrong place: time spent, nothing gained, like staying in a role that doesn't fit you or chasing clients in a market with no demand. Stop and pick a different field.
Small Image: 久非其位，安得禽也。
Six in the fifth place
恆其德，貞，婦人吉，夫子凶。
Keeping one's character constant, steadfast. Good fortune for a woman, misfortune for a man.
Steady accommodation works well in a supporting role. But if you are the one who has to judge and decide, just going along with others tends to cause problems. Be clear first about which role you are in now.
Small Image: 婦人貞吉，從一而終也。夫子制義，從婦凶也。
Six at the top
振恆，凶。
Restless shaking in the pursuit of permanence. Misfortune.
Changing things constantly and never sitting still can feel like effort, but nothing gets done. The line marks this as unfavorable. Instead of switching again, pick one thing and see it through.
Small Image: 振恆在上，大无功也。
恆，久也。剛上而柔下，雷風相與，巽而動，剛柔皆應，恆。恆亨无咎利貞，久於其道也。天地之道，恆久而不已也。利有攸往，終則有始也。日月得天，而能久照，四時變化，而能久成，聖人久于其道，而天下化成；觀其所恆，而天地萬物之情可見矣！
Heng (Duration) means lasting. The firm is above and the yielding below; thunder and wind work together; gentle, then moving; firm and yielding lines all answer each other: this is Heng. Success, no blame and steadfastness pay because it lasts in its proper way. The way of heaven and earth endures and never stops. It pays to have somewhere to go, because every ending is followed by a beginning. Sun and moon, holding to heaven, can shine for a long time; the four seasons change and so can bring things to completion for a long time; the sage stays long in the way, and all under heaven is transformed and brought to completion. Look at what endures, and the true nature of heaven, earth and all things can be seen.
The Image雷風，恆；君子以立不易方。
Thunder and wind: this is Heng (Duration). The noble person, seeing this, stands firm and does not change direction.
The Sequence: why it comes here夫婦之道，不可以不久也，故受之以恆；恆者久也。
The hexagram before is Xian (Influence): two people moved by each other and becoming a couple. A couple's way of life has to last, so Xian is followed by Heng (Duration). Heng means lasting.
Miscellaneous Notes咸速也，恒久也。
Xian (Influence) is quick; Heng (Duration) is lasting. Xian is two people moved by each other, a feeling that gets through at once. Heng is the way of marriage, kept up over a long time.
Related hexagramsFAQ
What does Heng mean for love?
Not a time for whirlwind romance or rushing to the altar. What lasts is someone you could share daily life with. Get to know them slowly and see whether your rhythms fit; that is what makes it last. When thunder moves, wind follows: two people with matching rhythm tend to last. A good time to talk about long-term commitment. The biggest risk is the third line, not keeping one's character constant, where promises keep shifting and trust erodes.
What does Heng mean for work?
Look for a place you can stay. In interviews, say which area you want to go deep in; steady growth beats a one-step pay bump. The first line, digging deep for permanence, warns against asking for fast promotion the day you start. Good for long-term efforts: deepening your expertise, a stable position, a multi-year contract. Don't change direction every few weeks; what you have built up tends to start paying off now.
With Heng, will what I am waiting for come?
Slow but steady. Like the seasons, it comes on its own schedule. The condition is that you don't change course halfway or push until they're annoyed. Stick to the original plan and wait.
With Heng, will I find what I lost?
Likely to turn up with a patient search. Xun (Wind) below is wood, cords and long things; Zhen (Thunder) above is movement and crossroads. Check wooden furniture, piles of cables, and busy doorways or hallways, retracing your usual route.
A hexagram answers one question; your chart shows the whole of you and your year.
The classical text follows the standard edition of the Zhouyi. The plain readings are Xingge’s own, offered as a reference, not as the final word.