Darkness becomes Leaving Behind

What to read, in order

Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.

1. ●Line 2 of 33 Leaving Behind, which stays still

   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.

2. ●Line 3 of 33 Leaving Behind, which stays still

   If, just as you're leaving something behind, you still let circumstances tempt you to stay, you'll need to find allies to make even a little progress.

   A tethered retreat. There is sickness, danger. Keeping servants and maids: good fortune.

3. The judgment of 36 Darkness

   It's a dark time: circumstances force you to live alongside the wrong people. If you know how to protect yourself, hold on to your integrity, and go unnoticed, without openly showing your light and your talents, you'll stay safe until better times come. However hard they seem, hard times pass too.

   Constancy in hardship is favorable.

4. Line 1 of 36 Darkness

   Trying to move ahead right now will only show you obstacles. Keep persevering on the right path, the one your heart moves you along, without straying from your goal and advancing as far as you can.

   The wounded light, in flight, lowers its wings. The noble person is on the road: three days without eating. There is somewhere to go; the host grumbles.

5. Line 4 of 36 Darkness

   You'll be allowed to see the causes of the hard situations you're facing. This will help you act quickly and withdraw to safe ground before adversity takes complete control.

   It enters the left side of the belly; it reaches the heart of the wounded light and goes out through the courtyard gate.

6. Line 5 of 36 Darkness

   For now you can't withdraw to better circumstances, so you have to stay where you are, with your mind fixed on your goal and a low profile so you don't draw attention.

   The wounded light of Jizi. Constancy is favorable.

7. Line 6 of 36 Darkness

   If you keep persevering, quietly and without drawing attention, the bad situations and the people behind them will fall under their own weight.

   No light, darkness. First it climbs to heaven; later it goes into the earth.

8. 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 trigrams

The way back

Other transformations of Darkness

• → 40Clearing Obstacleslines 1, 2, 3, and 4
• → 29Waterlines 1, 2, 3, and 5
• → 28Excesseslines 1, 2, 4, and 5
• → 45Meetinglines 1, 3, 4, and 5
• → 58Inner Peacelines 2, 3, 4, and 5
• → 4Immaturitylines 1, 2, 3, and 6
• → 50The Vessel of Nourishmentlines 1, 2, 4, and 6
• → 35Advancelines 1, 3, 4, and 6
• → 38Oppositeslines 2, 3, 4, and 6
• → 57Gentlenesslines 1, 2, 5, and 6
• → 20Observinglines 1, 3, 5, and 6
• → 61Inner Integritylines 2, 3, 5, and 6
• → 1Activitylines 2, 4, 5, and 6
• → 25Innocencelines 3, 4, 5, and 6