What this change means
A lake at the foot of the mountain replaces wind over the earth as the first, second and fifth lines move. The two judgments share the weight. 20 Observing describes the stillness before a rite, hands washed and the offering not yet made: a time to watch, to inspire by example and to study those you admire.
41 Decrease, the resulting hexagram, asks for moderation and saving: conserve resources and energy, avoid every kind of excess, and get ready for a period of growth that will follow. Combined, the counsel is to watch more and spend less. Use observation to see where your energy leaks away and what you could do without. Simplify, and keep reserves for later. Watch for acting on impulse or spending to keep up appearances; a quiet, frugal stretch now tends to prepare the ground for bigger projects.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- The judgment of 20 Observing
Observe before you act. Right now you're a source of inspiration for others, and at the same time you need to observe those who inspire you. This will let things unfold at the right moment, and perfectly.
Hands washed, the offering not yet made. There is sincere trust, solemn and grave.
- The judgment of 41 Decrease
It's a time for moderation and saving: conserving your resources and energy matters a great deal now. A period of growth will follow, but for now you need to stay aware and avoid excess of every kind while you get ready to take on big projects.
There is sincere trust. Great good fortune. No fault. Constancy is possible. It is favorable to have somewhere to go. What to offer? Two bowls will do for the offering.
- Line 1 of 20 Observing
It doesn't help to stop at appearances when you observe something. Go beyond simple looking: connect the facts.
Looking like a child. For the petty person, no fault; for the noble person, distress.
- Line 2 of 20 Observing
If your perception is subjective, you'll stay on the surface and never reach the heart of the situation.
Peeking through a crack. A woman's constancy is favorable.
- Line 5 of 20 Observing
If you observe responsibly, you'll see how similar situations turned out in the past and can apply the corrections now.
Contemplating my own life. For the noble person, no fault.
The trigrams
The way back
41 Decrease → 20 Observinglines 1, 2, and 5
Other transformations of Observing
- 9Small Thingslines 1, 2, and 3
- 10Treading Carefullylines 1, 2, and 4
- 13Gathering with Equalslines 1, 3, and 4
- 44Lack of Firmnesslines 2, 3, and 4
- 22Good Mannerslines 1, 3, and 5
- 18Loss, Then Gainlines 2, 3, and 5
- 21Bitinglines 1, 4, and 5
- 64Transitionlines 2, 4, and 5
- 56The Travelerlines 3, 4, and 5
- 60Thriftlines 1, 2, and 6
- 63After the Endlines 1, 3, and 6
- 48Right Actionlines 2, 3, and 6
- 17Adaptinglines 1, 4, and 6
- 47Overwhelmedlines 2, 4, and 6
- 31Attractionlines 3, 4, and 6
- 24Coming Backlines 1, 5, and 6
- 7The Armylines 2, 5, and 6
- 15Simplicitylines 3, 5, and 6
- 16Passionlines 4, 5, and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.