Line 1 Yin
The bed's feet are stripped away: damage begins in its lowest supports.
← The 64 hexagrams
HEXAGRAM 23 · Bō
Stripping Away
Support is being worn away; tend the foundation before advancing.
☶ Above: Gen · Mountain☷ Below: Kun · Earth
Meaning
The mountain rests on earth as a bed is stripped from its feet upward. When support deteriorates, protect the foundation and what remains sound before seeking expansion.
FOR REFLECTION
Which support do you still take for granted despite signs of erosion?
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
The stripping reaches the bed frame; firm support fails without anyone joining to help.
Line 3 Yin
Separate from the surrounding erosion rather than share in its wrongdoing.
Line 4 Yin
The bed is stripped to the skin: danger has become immediate and personal.
Line 5 Yin
Fish are strung in order and palace attendants guided: coordination replaces rivalry.
Line 6 Yang
A large fruit remains uneaten: preserve renewal; integrity gains support, destruction loses shelter.
References
Classical Zhouyi · 剝James Legge, The Yî King (1882), Sacred Books of the East XVI, hexagram 23
Editorial policy & bibliography →For reference and reflection. This commentary makes no certain claim about the future.