䷗ReturnFù

The judgment

亨。出入无疾，朋来无咎。反复其道，七日来复，利有攸往

One strong line comes back at the bottom of five soft ones. The return has started and moves at its own speed, so the work is to not disturb it.

The image

Thunder turns inside the earth, out of sight. The first step back is small enough to be missed.

The six lines

Read from the bottom up. A line that moves is read here, and read again in the hexagram it becomes.

1. 初九Line 1

   不远复，无祇悔，元吉

   A misstep right at the start; turn back at once, while the wrong road is still short.

   Marked in the textregretauspicious

2. 六二Line 2

   休复，吉

   Someone offers a hand; ease off and readjust rather than forcing the pace.

   Marked in the textauspicious

3. 六三Line 3

   频复，厉无咎

   Changing course again and again, doubling back each time, busy motion that never settles.

   Marked in the textdangerno blame

4. 六四Line 4

   中行独复

   Mid-column, turning back alone; no one walks with you, no one blocks the way.

5. 六五Line 5

   敦复，无悔

   Making the return solid and unhurried, without announcement or need to prove it.

   Marked in the textregret

6. 上六Line 6

   迷复，凶，有灾眚。用行师，终有大败，以其国君，凶；至于十年，不克征

   The way has already gone wrong, yet the march continues, and the further it goes the less the road is recognized. Setting out with an army ends in heavy loss; even the one who held the seat is dragged down, and for ten years there is no strength to set out again.

   Marked in the textominous

Where each changing line leads

Flip one line and it is a different hexagram. These are the six it becomes.

• 初九→The ReceptiveHexagram 2
• 六二→ApproachHexagram 19
• 六三→Darkening of the LightHexagram 36
• 六四→The ArousingHexagram 51
• 六五→Difficulty at the BeginningHexagram 3
• 上六→NourishmentHexagram 27