Line 1 Yin
Going meets obstruction; returning earns approval. Waiting for the right time may be wiser than forcing advance.
← The 64 hexagrams
HEXAGRAM 39 · Jiǎn
Obstruction
With danger ahead, stopping and seeking support is a form of capability.
☵ Above: Kan · Water☶ Below: Gen · Mountain
Meaning
Dangerous water above a mountain portrays obstruction. The favorable southwest suggests seeking an accessible route and capable help rather than forcing a blocked passage.
FOR REFLECTION
Which route is blocked, and who could help me reconsider it?
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 royal servant faces repeated difficulty for a shared duty rather than private advantage. Some obligations require perseverance.
Line 3 Yang
Advance is blocked; return brings a welcome. Do not abandon existing support merely to appear to move forward.
Line 4 Yin
Going meets difficulty; returning makes connections. Gather support before attempting the obstacle again.
Line 5 Yang
Amid great obstruction, friends arrive. Steadiness at the center of trouble can draw others into shared effort.
Line 6 Yin
Further advance is difficult; returning brings substantial benefit. Seek wise guidance and strengthen what is close at hand.
References
Classical Zhouyi · 蹇James Legge, The Yî King (1882), Sacred Books of the East XVI, hexagram 39
Editorial policy & bibliography →For reference and reflection. This commentary makes no certain claim about the future.