Line 1 Yang
A foot restraint covers the toes: an early limit stops the fault from spreading.
← The 64 hexagrams
HEXAGRAM 21 · Shì Kè
Biting Through
An obstruction between the jaws must be dealt with clearly.
☲ Above: Li · Fire☳ Below: Zhen · Thunder
Meaning
Thunder and lightning join action to clarity. Biting through an obstruction concerns fair examination and accountability; the ancient punishments are images to interpret, not actions to imitate.
FOR REFLECTION
What blocks resolution, and have you examined enough evidence?
The six lines
Read from line 1 at the bottom to line 6 at the top. These are paraphrases, not verbatim translations.
Line 2 Yin
Biting soft flesh until the nose disappears: even an easy case meets resistance.
Line 3 Yin
Biting dried meat meets poison: an old matter contains an unpleasant resistance.
Line 4 Yang
Bite through tough meat with bone and find a metal arrow; persist carefully.
Line 5 Yin
Biting dried meat reveals yellow metal; keep balance and caution in judgment.
Line 6 Yang
A neck restraint hides the ears: ignored warnings have allowed the fault to become grave.
References
Classical Zhouyi · 噬嗑James Legge, The Yî King (1882), Sacred Books of the East XVI, hexagram 21
Editorial policy & bibliography →For reference and reflection. This commentary makes no certain claim about the future.