Transformation · lines 2 and 4
Gentleness becomes Leaving Behind
What this change means
With the second and fourth lines moving, the lower Wind becomes Mountain and the upper becomes Heaven: a mountain under the sky, solid and apart. The fourth line leads. You can act as the moment demands, at a measured pace, and what you go after can be gained. The second line points to something holding you back that you can't identify, and advises turning to people versed in ritual and the unseen who can help free you. The resulting hexagram, 33 Leaving Behind, frames the outcome: stepping back from a path isn't a loss now. It gives you time to recover strength and think the situation through, and letting go of what doesn't serve you can turn into a gain. Act where action is right, seek help with the hidden obstacle, and don't fear a retreat that clears the way.
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 57 Gentleness
You're able to act as the situation requires, so go ahead, without haste but without delay, and you'll succeed.
Regret vanishes. In the hunt, three kinds of game are taken.
- Line 2 of 57 Gentleness
You're being held back by dark forces you can't identify. So it's wise to turn to people who, through magical practices, can help you move forward.
Yielding beneath the bed. Scribes and diviners are called in great numbers. Good fortune. No fault.
- The judgment of 57 Gentleness
It's a time when you'll gain and succeed through gentleness. This isn't the time for big actions, or for using pressure or force. It's a time to choose a path and stay on it steadily. Even if you don't see much progress, success will show itself through the build-up of small actions and through seeking the support of those above you.
Small success. It is favorable to have somewhere to go. It is favorable to see the great person.
- 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
33 Leaving Behind → 57 Gentlenesslines 2 and 4
Other transformations of Gentleness
- 37The Tribelines 1 and 2
- 61Inner Integritylines 1 and 3
- 20Observinglines 2 and 3
- 1Activitylines 1 and 4
- 6Conflictlines 3 and 4
- 26Great Achievementslines 1 and 5
- 52Abidinglines 2 and 5
- 4Immaturitylines 3 and 5
- 50The Vessel of Nourishmentlines 4 and 5
- 5Inactionlines 1 and 6
- 39Held Backlines 2 and 6
- 29Waterlines 3 and 6
- 28Excesseslines 4 and 6
- 46Going Uplines 5 and 6
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.