Hexagram 43, Guài (Breakthrough): Line 5

夬卦九五 · 泽天夬 · 中文版

九五:苋陆夬夬,中行无咎。

The line (Legge)

The fifth NINE, undivided, shows (the small men like) a bed of purslain, which ought to be uprooted with the utmost determination. (The subject of the line having such determination), his action, in harmony with his central position, will lead to no error or blame.

Small Image commentary

'If his action be in harmony with his central position, there will be no error:' - but his standing in the due mean is not yet clearly displayed.

象曰:中行无咎,中未光也。

In plain words

Resolute as in pulling up purslane: walking the middle way, no fault. Purslane is a soft, brittle weed that is hard to root out entirely, standing for the top line. The fifth line is closest to the top line and close to it in feeling, so it must hold to the middle way all the more when it acts. The Small Image says walking the middle is without fault, but the middle way is not yet shining.

Applying it to your situation

If you need to end a close but harmful relationship, this line suggests being decisive while keeping your balance. How can you end it without swinging to the other extreme?

Position

A solid (yang) line in the fifth place, which is a yang (odd) place, so it is in its proper place. It holds the centre of the upper trigram. Its partner is line 2; both are yang, so they do not respond.

If this line moves

With this line moving alone, Guài changes into Hexagram 34 Dà Zhuàng (Great Power). The Jiaoshi Yilin verse for this change (Chinese): 焦氏易林·夬之大壮.

The hexagram

Hexagram 43 Guài (Breakthrough). The Judgment: Guai requires (in him who would fulfil its meaning) the exhibition (of the culprit's guilt) in the royal court, and a sincere and earnest appeal (for sympathy and support), with a consciousness of the peril (involved in cutting off the criminal). He should (also) make announcement in his own city, and show that it will not be well to have recourse at once to arms. (In this way) there will be advantage in whatever he shall go forward to.

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English text: James Legge, The Yi King (Sacred Books of the East, vol. 16, 1882), public domain, as transcribed by the Chinese Text Project. Chinese: the received text. Offered for study and reflection, not as prediction. Plain-English readings and position notes by this site.

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