Also known as Conflict, Contention, Arguing.
The character 訟 joins "speech" with "public": a case argued in the open, like a lawsuit. Hexagram 6 is about a conflict you may well be right about. Its advice is that being right is not the same as winning, and that pushing to the end costs more than it gains.
The figure
Heaven over Water. Heaven rises and water sinks, so the two move apart. Strength on the outside with danger inside describes someone who looks firm but feels uneasy, which is what makes people argue.
The judgment
You are in the right and blocked, and you should be wary. Stopping halfway goes well; carrying it to the end goes badly. Find someone who can arbitrate. Not the moment for the big crossing.
Stopping partway goes well. Fighting it out to the end goes badly. Find a fair third party to weigh in, and don't take on anything big while the dispute is live.
The image
Sky pulling one way and water the other. Settle the terms at the start, before there is anything to argue about.
Most disputes are decided at the beginning, when the terms were left vague. Get it clear and in writing first.
The six lines
Counted from the bottom, the way the figure is built when you cast it.
- Line 1, at the bottom. Don't drag the matter out. A few sharp words get said, and in the end it goes well.
- Line 2. You can't win this fight. Back off and go home. The people around you are spared the fallout.
- Line 3. Live on what you have already earned. Stay steady through the danger and it ends well. If you work under someone, don't fight for the credit.
- Line 4. You can't win. Turn back, accept how things stand, and change your stance. There is peace in holding steady. It goes well.
- Line 5. Bring the dispute before a fair judge. This goes very well. This is the one line where making your case is favored.
- Line 6, at the top. Even if you're given the honor, it gets stripped from you over and over before the day is half done. A prize won by fighting won't stay yours.
Reading it for a question
Hexagram 6 usually means you are in a disagreement at work, in a legal matter or in the family. Be right without being stubborn. Settle early, bring in someone neutral, and don't escalate.