In practice
The judgment
Just as a stream moves through obstacles and gets past them, following its course without stagnating, you're at a time when obstacles will come one after another, but you'll get past them if you can keep moving. Letting fear paralyze you will only leave you stuck.
The poetry
The Pit
There is sincere trust. Only the heart gets through. Going earns esteem.
The image
Water arrives again and again: the double pit. So the noble person makes virtue and conduct constant, and keeps up the work of teaching.
The lines
- Line 6上六
Trying to escape the obstacles, you get more tangled if you keep doing things the wrong way and side with the wrong people.
Bound with braided cords, set among thorn thickets; three years and no way out. Misfortune.
- Line 5九五
You'll get out of the obstacles now if you follow the path of least resistance and, step by step, head toward your goal.
The pit does not overflow; it fills just to the level. No fault.
- Line 4六四
Obstacles will be overcome now only if you open up to help that seems minor but will make the difference.
A jug of wine, a bowl of grain besides, in clay vessels. The simple offering passes in through the window. In the end, no fault.
- Line 3六三
It's time to stop, watch and act only when you're sure that moving forward will lead to success. Ask for inner guidance.
Coming and going: pit and pit. Danger, and depth besides. Entering the bottom of the pit. Do not act.
- Line 2九二
You're in a dangerous situation where you only get results in small matters. This isn't the time for great success.
In the pit there is danger. Seeking, a little is gained.
- Line 1初六
You won't get results if you keep acting recklessly in the direction you're going, without watching outside circumstances.
Pit upon pit. Entering the bottom of the pit. Misfortune.
Its 63 transformations
Depending on which lines move in your cast, Water turns into another hexagram. Pick the lines from your cast.
One moving line
6
Two moving lines
15
- 3Initial Obstacleslines 1 and 2
- 5Inactionlines 1 and 3
- 39Held Backlines 2 and 3
- 58Inner Peacelines 1 and 4
- 45Meetinglines 2 and 4
- 28Excesseslines 3 and 4
- 19Fleeting Successlines 1 and 5
- 2Passivitylines 2 and 5
- 46Going Uplines 3 and 5
- 40Clearing Obstacleslines 4 and 5
- 61Inner Integritylines 1 and 6
- 20Observinglines 2 and 6
- 57Gentlenesslines 3 and 6
- 6Conflictlines 4 and 6
- 4Immaturitylines 5 and 6
Three moving lines
20
- 63After the Endlines 1, 2, and 3
- 17Adaptinglines 1, 2, and 4
- 43Overflowinglines 1, 3, and 4
- 31Attractionlines 2, 3, and 4
- 24Coming Backlines 1, 2, and 5
- 11Well-Beinglines 1, 3, and 5
- 15Simplicitylines 2, 3, and 5
- 54A Subordinate Rolelines 1, 4, and 5
- 16Passionlines 2, 4, and 5
- 32What Lastslines 3, 4, and 5
- 42Increaselines 1, 2, and 6
- 9Small Thingslines 1, 3, and 6
- 53Gradual Progresslines 2, 3, and 6
- 10Treading Carefullylines 1, 4, and 6
- 12Declinelines 2, 4, and 6
- 44Lack of Firmnesslines 3, 4, and 6
- 41Decreaselines 1, 5, and 6
- 23The Falllines 2, 5, and 6
- 18Loss, Then Gainlines 3, 5, and 6
- 64Transitionlines 4, 5, and 6
Four moving lines
15
- 49Renewallines 1, 2, 3, and 4
- 36Darknesslines 1, 2, 3, and 5
- 51Shocklines 1, 2, 4, and 5
- 34Great Manifestationlines 1, 3, 4, and 5
- 62Success in Small Matterslines 2, 3, 4, and 5
- 37The Tribelines 1, 2, 3, and 6
- 25Innocencelines 1, 2, 4, and 6
- 1Activitylines 1, 3, 4, and 6
- 33Leaving Behindlines 2, 3, 4, and 6
- 27Nourishmentlines 1, 2, 5, and 6
- 26Great Achievementslines 1, 3, 5, and 6
- 52Abidinglines 2, 3, 5, and 6
- 38Oppositeslines 1, 4, 5, and 6
- 35Advancelines 2, 4, 5, and 6
- 50The Vessel of Nourishmentlines 3, 4, 5, and 6
Five moving lines
6
All six lines moving
1
The classical text
坎：有孚，維心亨。行有尚。
象曰：水洊至，習坎；君子以常德行，習教事。
初六：習坎，入于坎窞，凶。
九二：坎有險，求小得。
六三：來之坎坎，險且枕，入于坎窞，勿用。
六四：樽酒簋貳，用缶，納約自牖，終无咎。
九五：坎不盈，祗既平，无咎。
上六：係用徽纆，寘于叢棘，三歲不得，凶。
Related hexagrams
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.