One of the eight trigrams, kun(坤) consists of three yin lines: ☷. It is also one of the 64 hexagrams when it consists of six yin lines:
. According to scholars on The Book of Changes, as the kun trigram is composed only of yin lines, it is purely yin and is thus used to symbolize all yin things or principles. The kun trigram symbolizes earth, and when it comes to society, it symbolizes the social roles played the by the female, the mother, and the subjects of the ruler, as well as gentle, kind, and generous ways of doing things. In this context, kun also means creating and nourishing all things under heaven.
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【引例】
坤,順也。(《周易•說卦》)
至哉坤元,萬物資生,乃順承天。(《周易•彖上》)
The kun trigram means gentleness. (The Book of Changes)
Great is the kun hexagram! All things owe their existence to kun, since it represents the will of Heaven. (The Book of Changes)