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Hexagram 29: The Abyss

䷜ 坎 (Kǎn) · The abyss. Danger repeated; keep faith and keep going.

danger, faith, persistence, flow

Lower trigram: Water ☵ · Upper trigram: Water ☵

The judgment

Difficulty follows difficulty, like water falling into one hollow after another. Don't freeze and don't panic. Hold on to what you know is true in your heart; that inner steadiness carries you through and gives your actions weight.

The image

Water flows on and on, filling each hollow before moving ahead, until it reaches the sea. Be steady and consistent in good conduct, and pass on what you know by patient repetition.

The six lines

Read only the lines that changed in your casting, counting from the bottom.

• Line 1 (bottom): You have grown used to danger and slipped deeper into it without noticing. Getting comfortable with what is wrong leads to misfortune.
• Line 2: The hollow is dangerous and you cannot climb out all at once. Aim for small, reachable steps; that is enough for now.
• Line 3: Every way forward or back seems to lead into another pit. Stop and wait instead of struggling; any move now makes things worse.
• Line 4: A modest gift of wine and rice in plain earthenware is handed over through a window, not with ceremony at the door. In hard times simple sincerity is enough; no blame.
• Line 5: The pit is not overflowing; the water has risen just level with its edge and will soon find its way out. Don't try to do everything at once; leave by the easiest route, and there is no blame.
• Line 6 (top): Tied up and caught in a thicket of thorns, you cannot find a way out for a long while. Having lost your bearings, expect a hard stretch and allow the time it takes to find them again.

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