36. Míng Yí 明夷

Above is the trigram Kun (Earth), below is the trigram Li (Fire). The metaphorical image of this hexagram is the onset of night as the sun hides behind the earthly horizon. Ming I reminds us that darkness is as inevitable as dawn. During such periods, further progress is extremely difficult. It is wisest to stop now, replenish your energy, and patiently wait for the sunrise and further progress.
In dark times, power usually falls into the hands of similarly dark people. Ming I tells us that now is not the time for open opposition against such people and even not the time to oppose them, as such actions could lead to being engulfed by darkness. In some situations, we need to hide our inner light in order to achieve our goals.
This does not mean that we should give our power to the wrong person or plan. We should cultivate external detachment and internal persistence. We will remain in balance between dangerous candor and harmful deception and can continue to exist as living light in the darkness.
An alternative meaning of this hexagram is hidden in the language of the I Ching, which says: "The wise ruler, observing this, realizes that one engaged in self-improvement on the Path is among many people. If in this situation excessive Clarity is used, it frightens the foolish, alerts the mediocre, and easily attracts slander and destruction. Thus, in relationships with people, it is necessary to maintain clarity but apply darkening." Sometimes it is not wise to be too open, neither in plans nor in thoughts, as it does not bring any benefit. High position, possession of confidential information, development of strategic plans – these are not things to be openly shared with everyone indiscriminately. The hexagram warns us and indicates that we need to understand with whom and for what reason communication occurs. As the saying goes, the best way to disrupt your plans is to tell someone about them. In other words, do not reveal yourself without necessity.