What this change means
With the first and second lines moving, the mountain below dissolves into Heaven, and a retreat turns into a source of new strength. The second line leads: hold fast to what's fair and right while you let go of what doesn't serve you, and that firmness will get you where you mean to go. The first line adds a warning about timing. If you linger at the tail of the withdrawal, hoping to rescue something from a road that's ending, you'll lose more than you need to. Pull out quickly and decisively. What follows is 1 Activity, a time of new beginnings and of the qualities that carry a project through. The energy is real, but it comes from having stepped back cleanly, not from charging ahead. Let the old road go, keep your principles tight, and then put your strength into what's starting.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 2 of 33 Leaving Behind
If you leave behind what doesn't serve you and hold fast to what is fair and right, you'll reach your goals in the end.
Bound with the hide of a yellow ox: no one can work it loose.
- Line 1 of 33 Leaving Behind
In hard times, when retreat can't be avoided, you'll suffer losses if you don't pull back quickly and actively and still hope to get something out of that road.
Retreating at the tail. Danger. Having somewhere to go is of no use yet.
- The judgment of 33 Leaving Behind
Leaving a path behind or stepping back right now isn't a bad thing. On the contrary, it will help you recover your strength and think carefully about the situation and how to set it right. Sometimes what looks like a loss turns into a gain, if you can let go of what isn't good for you and then pick up again in the right direction.
Success. In small things, constancy is favorable.
- The judgment of 1 Activity
The creative principle. Activity. New beginnings, flourishing, and the qualities you need to carry any undertaking or project through to success.
Great success. Constancy is favorable.
The trigrams
The way back
1 Activity → 33 Leaving Behindlines 1 and 2
Other transformations of Leaving Behind
- 25Innocencelines 1 and 3
- 6Conflictlines 2 and 3
- 37The Tribelines 1 and 4
- 57Gentlenesslines 2 and 4
- 20Observinglines 3 and 4
- 30The Flamelines 1 and 5
- 50The Vessel of Nourishmentlines 2 and 5
- 35Advancelines 3 and 5
- 52Abidinglines 4 and 5
- 49Renewallines 1 and 6
- 28Excesseslines 2 and 6
- 45Meetinglines 3 and 6
- 39Held Backlines 4 and 6
- 62Success in Small Matterslines 5 and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.