29
坎
Kǎn

Hexagram 29: The Abysmal Water

彖 · Tuan

Judgment

There is sincerity. Hold fast to the heart: success. Going forward brings esteem.
Judgment Commentary · 彖傳
Repeated Pitfalls means doubled danger. Water flows on and does not fill up. It moves through danger without losing its trust. Hold fast to the heart: success. This comes through firm centeredness. Going forward brings esteem: in going on there is achievement. Heaven's danger cannot be climbed. Earth's danger lies in mountains, rivers, hills, and ridges. Kings and dukes establish dangers to guard their states. The time and use of danger are truly great.
象 · Xiang

Image

Water arrives again and again: Repeated Pitfalls. The Noble One keeps virtue and conduct constant and practices the work of teaching.
六爻 · Six Lines

Lines

Line 06

Top Six
Bound with cords and ropes, placed among thickets of thorns, one cannot find release for three years. Misfortune.
Corresponds to line 3
Commentary
Top Six loses the Way: the misfortune lasts three years.

Line 05

Nine in the Fifth
The pit does not overflow; it only comes level. No blame.
Central Corresponds to line 2
Commentary
The pit does not overflow: the center is not yet great.

Line 04

Six in the Fourth
A jug of wine, a pair of bowls, and earthenware vessels. Receive a simple pledge through the window. In the end, no blame.
Corresponds to line 1
Commentary
A jug of wine and a pair of bowls means that the firm and the yielding meet.

Line 03

Six in the Third
Coming to pit upon pit, dangerous and obstructed, one enters the pit within the pit. Do not use this.
Corresponds to line 6
Commentary
Coming to pit upon pit means that in the end there is no achievement.

Line 02

Nine in the Second
The pit has danger. Seek only small gains.
Central Corresponds to line 5
Commentary
Seeking only small gains means one has not yet left the center.

Line 01

Initial Six
Repeated pitfalls. Enter into the pit within the pit. Misfortune.
Corresponds to line 4
Commentary
Repeated pitfalls, entering the pit: losing the Way is misfortune.
卦象 · Guà Xiàng

Trigrams

Upper Trigram

K'an

Dangerous

Element
Water
Direction
North
Season
Winter
Lower Trigram

K'an

Dangerous

Element
Water
Direction
North
Season
Winter
Palace
Kan Palace
Role: Palace Head
Shi line 6 · Ying line 3
Ruling trigram
K'an