What this change means
Mountain rests on mountain as the fourth and fifth lines move and Heaven above settles into stone. The fifth line leads: a fine retreat, timed well and carried out on friendly terms with everyone you leave behind, brings success. The fourth line asks how you leave. Go without clinging and without regret, sure it's right; otherwise, even after letting go, a grieving heart keeps you closed to what's new. The resulting hexagram, 52 Abiding, shows what follows: a time of stillness, of staying centered and steady. You may need to stop, calm and confident, and wait for outside conditions to show you when to act. Don't go beyond what's happening now. Leave graciously, release the sorrow, and then let yourself be still. The quiet isn't empty; staying in it well is its own success.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 5 of 33 Leaving Behind
Withdrawing at the right moment, and doing it on friendly terms with the circumstances and the people you leave behind, will bring you success.
A fine retreat. Constancy brings good fortune.
- Line 4 of 33 Leaving Behind
You need to leave this road behind without clinging and without regret, sure that it's the right thing. Otherwise, even if you let go, a grieving heart will keep you from opening up to what's new.
A retreat with affection. For the noble person, good fortune; for the petty person, not so.
- 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 52 Abiding
It's a time of stillness, of staying centered and steady: that's the best way forward in your present situation. Sometimes you need to stop, calm and confident, and wait for outer conditions to show you it's time to act. Don't go beyond what's happening now. There's no action, only a harmonious stillness, and staying that way brings success.
Still at the back; the body is not reached. Walking in the courtyard; its people are not seen. No fault.
The trigrams
The way back
52 Abiding → 33 Leaving Behindlines 4 and 5
Other transformations of Leaving Behind
- 1Activitylines 1 and 2
- 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
- 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.