What this change means
Only the bottom line stays put while five others move, and the lake above has lost its water to the depths below. The unmoved first line is where the counsel lives. In 47 Overwhelmed, circumstances weigh against you, the wrong people may surround you, and your words may not be believed; there's little to do but accept it and wait for better conditions. The still line says what matters most in hard times is to keep your inner strength, because it will be your support. Here your practice of stillness becomes a refuge. Don't argue to be believed. Turn inward, hold on to the light in you, and wait. Better conditions tend to come to those who stay intact through the worst.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 1 of 47 Overwhelmed, which stays still
In these hard times, above all, keep your inner strength: it will be your support.
Buttocks caught on a tree stump. Goes into a dark valley; for three years, not seen.
- 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.
- Line 2 of 52 Abiding
Right now you can only see to stopping yourself in the right place; you can't make sure others do the same.
Still the calves. It cannot come to the aid of what it follows; the heart is not glad.
- Line 3 of 52 Abiding
The stillness you need now can't be forced. It has to come from a calm heart and unhurried breathing.
Still the waist; the flesh along the spine is torn. Danger: the heart is smothered.
- Line 4 of 52 Abiding
You're able to stay calm and trust that the universe will take care of things.
Still the trunk. No fault.
- Line 5 of 52 Abiding
You need not only to stay still and calm but also to keep quiet, because careless words could put you at risk.
Still the jaws; words come in order. Regret vanishes.
- Line 6 of 52 Abiding
There's perfect stillness, an inner calm that lets you master what's outside. Success.
Deep stillness. Good fortune.
- The judgment of 47 Overwhelmed
Things are very much against you: the wrong people surround you, no one believes what you say, and obstacles hem you in. All you can do is accept it and wait for better conditions to come. Your only resource is the inner light that lives in you; turn to that strength to hold you up right now.
Success. For the great person, constancy brings good fortune. No fault. They speak and are not believed.
The trigrams
The way back
47 Overwhelmed → 52 Abidinglines 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6
Other transformations of Abiding
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.