Transformation · line 3
Gentleness becomes Release from Obstacles
What this change means
The third line asks a blunt question: how long will you keep thinking about it? Here Gentleness turns against itself, yielding again and again until nothing is decided, and that brings distress. With this line the lower Wind becomes Water, and the scene shifts to wind blowing across water, scattering whatever has hardened. The resulting hexagram, 59 Release from Obstacles, shows the way out: you can free yourself from what holds you back if you act sincerely and bring opposing sides together around a shared goal. Much of the tension comes from selfishness, your own or other people's. So stop circling the decision. Make up your mind to do what needs doing, then move with humility, letting the current carry you instead of fighting it. Endless deliberation is the real obstacle here; once you act in good faith, the knots can begin to loosen.
What to read, in order
Marked ● is what Zhu Xi's tradition puts at the center for this number of moving lines.
- Line 3 of 57 Gentleness
Thinking about what to do without making up your mind to do what needs doing will only delay your success.
Yielding again and again. Distress.
- 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 59 Release from Obstacles
You can free yourself from the obstacles that hold you back if you're able to act sincerely and bring opposites together around shared goals. The tension has arisen because selfishness rules. To move forward, be humble and let the current carry you rather than going against it.
Success. The king goes to his temple. It is favorable to cross the great river. Constancy is favorable.
The trigrams
The way back
59 Release from Obstacles → 57 Gentlenessline 3
Other transformations of Gentleness
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.