What this change means
What the third line asks is restraint, and it asks firmly: waiting in the mud, acting in haste invites raiders. As this line moves, the lower Heaven turns into Lake, and the water above now has something to hold it. Rushing at this point tends to bring trouble you didn't need, from people or circumstances ready to take advantage of a misstep. The ground is soft; every hurried step sinks.
60 Thrift, the resulting hexagram, gives that restraint a shape. Save your time, strength and means, so that whatever comes next finds you ready. When the challenges come, the preparation will let you meet them more easily. So the delay isn't empty. Measure what you spend, put limits on what you start, and resist the urge to prove something by moving now. The trouble this line warns about is mostly self-made, and patience keeps it away.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 3 of 5 Inaction
If you act in haste, you'll run into trouble.
Waiting in the mud. It brings the raiders on.
- The judgment of 5 Inaction
It's time to wait, not to act. Waiting doesn't mean standing still, though: it's a good time to prepare for the active period that's coming. A calm, relaxed attitude will lead you to success: look at the conditions without lying to yourself, and stay alert so you know when it's time to act. Destiny follows its own course.
There is sincere trust. Shining success. Constancy brings good fortune. It is favorable to cross the great river.
- The judgment of 60 Thrift
It's a time to conserve your time, energy and resources so you're ready for what lies ahead. If you do, when challenges arrive you'll be prepared and will overcome them easily.
Success. Bitter measure cannot be kept up with constancy.
The trigrams
The way back
60 Thrift → 5 Inactionline 3
Other transformations of Inaction
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.