Hexagram 5, Xū (Waiting): Line 4

需卦六四 · 水天需 · 中文版

六四:需于血,出自穴。

The line (Legge)

The fourth SIX, divided, shows its subject waiting in (the place of) blood. But he will get out of the cavern.

Small Image commentary

'He is waiting in (the place of) blood:' - he accommodates himself (to the circumstances of the time), and hearkens to (its requirements).

象曰:需于血,顺以听也。

In plain words

Waiting in blood, getting out of the pit. The fourth line has already entered the danger of the upper trigram; "blood" stands for a place of harm. But it yields and listens to the times rather than fighting them, and so it gets out of the pit. The Small Image calls this yielding and listening.

Applying it to your situation

If you are already caught in difficulty, this line suggests going with the situation and listening before trying to force your way out. What most needs to be heard right now?

Position

A broken (yin) line in the fourth place, which is a yin (even) place, so it is in its proper place. Its partner is line 1; one is yin and the other yang, so they respond to each other.

If this line moves

With this line moving alone, Xū changes into Hexagram 43 Guài (Breakthrough). The Jiaoshi Yilin verse for this change (Chinese): 焦氏易林·需之夬.

The hexagram

Hexagram 5 Xū (Waiting). The Judgment: Xu intimates that, with the sincerity which is declared in it, there will be brilliant success. With firmness there will be good fortune; and it will be advantageous to cross the great stream.

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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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