What this change means
Pushing ahead at any cost while refusing to listen: that is the trap the fourth line describes, and it carries the full weight of this reading. In Overflowing, tension has built up to the point where it must come out, but this line shows the wrong way to release it. Stubborn forward motion, deaf to advice, tends to lead straight into trouble. As the Lake above becomes Water, the figure turns into clouds gathering over heaven, and the resulting hexagram, 5 Inaction, gives the answer: wait. Waiting here is not passivity. It's time to prepare for the active period ahead, to look at conditions honestly, and to stay calm and alert so you'll recognize when it's time to move. Listen to the people who are trying to warn you. Let go of the need to force a result, and use the pause to get ready.
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.
- 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 5 Inaction
It's time to wait, not to act. Waiting doesn't mean standing still, though: it's a good time to prepare for the active period that's coming. A calm, relaxed attitude will lead you to success: look at the conditions without lying to yourself, and stay alert so you know when it's time to act. Destiny follows its own course.
There is sincere trust. Shining success. Constancy brings good fortune. It is favorable to cross the great river.
The trigrams
The way back
5 Inaction → 43 Overflowingline 4
Other transformations of Overflowing
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.