䷪BreakthroughGuài

The judgment

扬于王庭，孚号，有厉，告自邑，不利即戎，利有攸往

The lake has risen to the top of the sky and one yielding line is left to cut. A decision this public has to be stated in the open; settle it behind a door and it grows back.

The image

Water has climbed above heaven and cannot climb further. What is announced at the top cannot be taken back in silence.

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

   壮于前趾，往不胜为咎

   One step out and already rushing; strength not gathered, and that step cannot be taken back.

2. 九二Line 2

   惕号，莫夜有戎，勿恤

   A sound in the night, a call to stand ready; once the alarm is out, the knot in the chest loosens.

3. 九三Line 3

   壮于頄，有凶。君子夬夬，独行遇雨，若濡有愠，无咎

   Cheeks puffed out taut, all that force worn openly on the face. He goes anyway, alone on the road, caught halfway in rain, clothes soaked and clinging, face burning, and his feet do not stop.

   Marked in the textominousno blame

4. 九四Line 4

   臀无肤，其行次且。牵羊悔亡，闻言不信

   No whole skin left to sit on, so he shifts and drags each step. Someone leads a sheep over; go along with it and the regret dissolves. Yet the words reach his ear, and he listens without believing them.

   Marked in the textregret clears

5. 九五Line 5

   苋陆夬夬，中行无咎

   Pulling creeping weeds one by one toward the middle ground, learning where to stop.

   Marked in the textno blame

6. 上六Line 6

   无号，终有凶

   Calling out until no one answers; the matter has passed the stretch that could be recovered.

   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→Great ExceedingHexagram 28
• 九二→RevolutionHexagram 49
• 九三→The JoyousHexagram 58
• 九四→WaitingHexagram 5
• 九五→Great PowerHexagram 34
• 上六→The CreativeHexagram 1