What this change means
The fourth line moves, and the Water above the mountain becomes a Lake, a danger turned into something that can be approached. This line says plainly that you won't get past these obstacles on your own. Going ahead alone means hardship; coming back means joining with others. Return to more stable conditions and look for people who think the way you do; their help is what makes the difference. The resulting hexagram, 31 Attraction, shows how that help arrives. It comes to the extent that you stay open and receptive, making room for others to come close and support you generously, without anyone working an angle. That openness is the opposite of the lone push that kept failing. So lower your guard a little, ask, and listen. Let people in, and the same obstacle that stopped you can become the place where your allies find you.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 4 of 39 Held Back
You won't get past the obstacles on your own. It's time to return to more stable conditions and look for support from like-minded people; with their help you'll succeed.
Going: hardship. Coming: joined with others.
- The judgment of 39 Held Back
Every time you advance, something blocks you, forcing you to stop, step back, and look for help from like-minded people who give you their support. That way you'll get past the obstacles one by one until the final victory.
The southwest is favorable; the northeast is not. It is favorable to see the great person. Constancy brings good fortune.
- The judgment of 31 Attraction
You'll get good results to the extent that you stay open and receptive, which lets people come close who will support you and help you get there, generously and without self-interest.
Success. Constancy is favorable. Taking a wife brings good fortune.
The trigrams
The way back
31 Attraction → 39 Held Backline 4
Other transformations of Held Back
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.