Line 1 Yang
Walk plainly, without borrowed status, doing what fits your position.
← The 64 hexagrams
HEXAGRAM 10 · Lǚ
Careful Conduct
Moving near great power requires care and awareness of limits.
☰ Above: Qian · Heaven☱ Below: Dui · Lake
Meaning
Treading on a tiger's tail pictures a delicate situation. Respectful conduct works with self-knowledge; bold appearance cannot replace missing ability.
FOR REFLECTION
How clearly have you assessed your ability and the situation's limits?
The six lines
Read from line 1 at the bottom to line 6 at the top. These are paraphrases, not verbatim translations.
Line 2 Yang
The path is level; the quiet person keeps steady without competing for notice.
Line 3 Yin
With impaired sight and footing, provoking the tiger mistakes daring for competence.
Line 4 Yang
Near the tiger's tail, careful apprehension helps you make your way through.
Line 5 Yang
Decisive conduct still carries danger; authority calls for closer self-examination.
Line 6 Yang
Look back over your steps and examine the whole course, including its outcome.
References
Classical Zhouyi · 履James Legge, The Yî King (1882), Sacred Books of the East XVI, hexagram 10
Editorial policy & bibliography →For reference and reflection. This commentary makes no certain claim about the future.