Guai 澤天夬
A time to decide
It is time to cut cleanly. Lingering attachment usually comes back as regret.
What does I Ching hexagram 43 (Breakthrough) mean?
Lake water bursting above the sky: firm resolve. Wrong things must be boldly cleared away.
- Breakthrough in love
- Time to clearly sort out an ambiguous relationship.
- Breakthrough at work and with money
- Decisions are needed. Follow fair procedure.
- Advice
- Be firm, yet decide gently.
The judgment and the image
Judgment · Breakthrough
Misfortune“Proclaim it at the king’s court; sincerely call out; danger. Announce it from your own city; it is not fitting to take up arms; it is fitting to undertake something.”
The Image: The lake rises above heaven: breakthrough. The noble person distributes wealth downward and avoids clinging to his virtue.
原文 · 揚于王庭,孚號,有厲,告自邑,不利即戎,利有攸往。 / 澤上于天,夬;君子以施祿及下,居德則忌。
The six lines of hexagram 43
Lines are read from the bottom up. When you cast a reading and a line is changing, its statement becomes the key message.
Line 1 · 初九
Caution“Strength in the forward toes; going and not winning is a fault.”
You rush in with more courage than strength and it fails. Prepare first.
原文 · 壯于前趾,往不勝為咎。
Line 2 · 九二
Neutral“Alarmed and calling out; at night, weapons; no worry.”
Stay vigilant, and there is nothing to fear.
原文 · 惕號,莫夜有戎,勿恤。
Line 3 · 九三
Misfortune“Strength in the cheekbones: misfortune. The noble person is resolute; walks alone and meets rain, wet and displeased, but no blame.”
Appearances can look bad as you act decisively alone, but you’re not wrong.
原文 · 壯于頄,有凶。君子夬夬,獨行遇雨,若濡有慍,无咎。
Line 4 · 九四
No blame“No skin on his thighs; he walks with difficulty. If he led a sheep, regret would vanish; but he hears words and does not believe.”
Stubbornly refusing advice makes progress painful.
原文 · 臀无膚,其行次且。牽羊悔亡,聞言不信。
Line 5 · 九五
No blame“Weeds; resolute, resolute; walking the middle way, no blame.”
Pull out the last bit of the problem and keep to the middle.
原文 · 莧陸夬夬,中行无咎。
Line 6 · 上六
Misfortune“No more outcry: in the end, misfortune.”
When the time for decisive action has passed, nothing can save you.
原文 · 无號,終有凶。
Related hexagrams
- Opposite hexagram (every line flipped): 23. Bo (Splitting Apart)
- Reversed hexagram (turned upside down): 44. Gou (Coming to Meet)
The classical text is in the public domain; the English translations and readings are our own, for reflection and entertainment.