Exact classical source
天与水违行，讼。君子以作事谋始。
Yarrow editorial translation. Heaven and water move in contrary directions: Song. The noble person plans at the beginning of an undertaking.
Yarrow / Source Notes / 2026-07-17
Yarrow Image-to-Action note · 2026-07-17
Write the Beginning Before Conflict Writes It
Read Hexagram 6 Song through contrary directions, then make three starting assumptions visible before collaborators begin the work.
䷅
Hexagram 6 · Song · Conflict
This page studies a supplied Xiang image. It does not claim this hexagram was cast for the modern scene.
Source image
Open sky and running water occupy one view but move along contrary paths, making divergence visible before collision.
Concrete tension
Two collaborators use the same project name while privately meaning different owners, outcomes, and stopping points.
Visible modern action
Before opening the task board, write three lines on one sheet: who owns the next decision, what counts as done, and what condition stops the attempt. Both collaborators mark the same sheet.
Why this action comes from this source
The source locates the response at the beginning of the undertaking. That is why the scene records assumptions before execution instead of offering generic advice to communicate after conflict appears.
Reflection question
Which starting assumption must become visible before the work begins?
Audience value
Informative: the note turns Song into a concrete pre-conflict design practice with three inspectable fields.
Source boundary
The Chinese quotation is verified against Yarrow's bundled Yang Tiancai and Zhang Shanwen Zhouyi source text. The English translation, objects, tension, and action are modern Yarrow editorial work. The bowls, cards, timers, screens, and other modern objects are not claimed to appear in the classic. This note is not a fresh cast, a prediction, or a promise of outcomes.