Line 1 Yin
Sitting on a bare stump, one enters a dark valley and sees nobody for years. Withdrawal into obscurity can prolong distress.
← The 64 hexagrams
HEXAGRAM 47 · Kùn
Exhaustion
When resources fail and words lose credibility, preserve character and act on firm grounds.
☱ Above: Dui · Lake☵ Below: Kan · Water
Meaning
A lake without water evokes constraint and depletion. Inner resolve matters more than argument; recognizing the actual trap can reveal a way forward.
FOR REFLECTION
Under constraint, which part of my conduct remains mine to choose?
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
Constrained amid food and wine, one awaits a red-sashed visitor. Attend sincerely to present duties rather than rushing out.
Line 3 Yin
Trapped by stone, leaning on thorns, one returns to an empty home. Unsuitable supports deepen isolation.
Line 4 Yang
Arrival is delayed by a metal carriage; embarrassment remains, yet the matter reaches an end. Material obstruction need not end assistance.
Line 5 Yang
Images of mutilation and red sashes portray severe constraint. Release comes gradually; remain sincere in the duties still possible.
Line 6 Yin
Vines entangle an unstable footing, and every movement seems regrettable. Honest reconsideration can make departure possible.
References
Classical Zhouyi · 困James Legge, The Yî King (1882), Sacred Books of the East XVI, hexagram 47
Editorial policy & bibliography →For reference and reflection. This commentary makes no certain claim about the future.