Transformation · lines 2 and 4
Passivity becomes Clearing Obstacles
What this change means
Thunder and rain: the second and fourth lines move, and the still Earth releases what it was holding. The fourth leads, asking you to stay out of sight and away from the noise. The second says that quietly, without fuss, you can succeed. Both point the same way: discretion. The resulting hexagram, 40 Clearing Obstacles, shows the result. The obstacles have been overcome one by one, and now balance matters. Move fast and firmly where you're able, but don't overestimate your reach. If you need rest, or a step back before going on, take it. So the way through was quiet, and it can stay that way. Don't celebrate loudly. Tie up loose ends calmly, forgive what can be forgiven, and keep a low profile while the new freedom settles.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 4 of 2 Passivity
Staying away from the noise, out of sight, is the best way to get what you want.
A bag tied at the neck. No fault, no praise.
- Line 2 of 2 Passivity
Quietly, without a lot of fuss, you can succeed.
Straight, square, great. Without learning it, nothing that is not favorable.
- The judgment of 2 Passivity
This is not the time to take the initiative to achieve things. It's better to let others guide you and to keep at your projects with patience.
Great success. The constancy of a mare is favorable. The noble person has somewhere to go: going ahead, they lose the way; following behind, they find someone to guide them. It is favorable to find friends in the southwest and to lose them in the northeast. Calm constancy brings good fortune.
- The judgment of 40 Clearing Obstacles
The obstacles have been overcome one by one. You're in a time when balance matters: act quickly and decisively as far as you can, without overrating your abilities. If you feel you need a rest, or even to step back before going on, do it.
The southwest is favorable. With nowhere to go, coming back brings good fortune. With somewhere to go, going early brings good fortune.
The trigrams
The way back
40 Clearing Obstacles → 2 Passivitylines 2 and 4
Other transformations of Passivity
- 19Fleeting Successlines 1 and 2
- 36Darknesslines 1 and 3
- 46Going Uplines 2 and 3
- 51Shocklines 1 and 4
- 62Success in Small Matterslines 3 and 4
- 3Initial Obstacleslines 1 and 5
- 29Waterlines 2 and 5
- 39Held Backlines 3 and 5
- 45Meetinglines 4 and 5
- 27Nourishmentlines 1 and 6
- 4Immaturitylines 2 and 6
- 52Abidinglines 3 and 6
- 35Advancelines 4 and 6
- 20Observinglines 5 and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.