What this change means
Both trigrams shift in this movement: Heaven below becomes Wind and the Lake above becomes Water, the image of a well. The fourth line leads, warning against pushing ahead at all costs and brushing off advice, which is the surest route to trouble. The first line adds a matter of rhythm; haste invites circumstances to stop you, so move slowly and firmly. In Overflowing, pressure needs a careful outlet. The resulting hexagram, 48 Right Action, shows that opportunities are on your side, but only if you stop postponing and make use of what you already have. It isn't about hunting for something new. The contradiction to resolve is this: don't force, yet don't stall. Listen, slow down enough to see clearly, and then act on the resources in front of you before the chance passes you by.
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 43 Overflowing
You want to push ahead at all costs at a time when it isn't wise, and you refuse to listen to advice. That will lead you into trouble.
Buttocks without skin; the walk falters. Leading the ram by a rope: regret vanishes. Hears words and does not believe them.
- Line 1 of 43 Overflowing
It's time to act slowly but firmly; acting in a hurry will make circumstances stop you.
Strength in the front toes. Going without prevailing is a fault.
- The judgment of 43 Overflowing
It's a time of excessive buildup: some situations are about to get out of control and overwhelm you, both personally and in your relationships. You need to bring what's happening into the open, but without speaking about it directly; watch your words so you don't provoke reactions. It's a time to act generously to ease the tension that's there.
It is proclaimed in the king's court. A sincere cry: there is danger. Word comes from one's own city. It is not favorable to take up arms. It is favorable to have somewhere to go.
- The judgment of 48 Right Action
You're at a moment when opportunities are on your side. But if you don't know how to use them because you keep putting off decisions and actions, being in the right place at the right time won't do you any good. It's not about looking for new things but about making use of what you have, or there will be loss.
The town is changed, the well is not. Nothing lost, nothing gained. They come and go, and draw from the well. Nearly there, the rope does not yet reach the well; if the jar breaks, misfortune.
The trigrams
The way back
48 Right Action → 43 Overflowinglines 1 and 4
Other transformations of Overflowing
- 31Attractionlines 1 and 2
- 47Overwhelmedlines 1 and 3
- 17Adaptinglines 2 and 3
- 63After the Endlines 2 and 4
- 60Thriftlines 3 and 4
- 32What Lastslines 1 and 5
- 55Abundancelines 2 and 5
- 54A Subordinate Rolelines 3 and 5
- 11Well-Beinglines 4 and 5
- 44Lack of Firmnesslines 1 and 6
- 13Gathering with Equalslines 2 and 6
- 10Treading Carefullylines 3 and 6
- 9Small Thingslines 4 and 6
- 14Wealthlines 5 and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.