Transformation · line 4
Release from Obstacles becomes Conflict
What this change means
The fourth line asks for a hard kind of freedom: letting go of personal loyalties so you can focus on what you actually want to achieve. In the old text, someone scatters their own band, their circle, and the result is great good fortune; from the scattering a hill rises, something ordinary people wouldn't imagine. Leaving a group or a faction can make room for something larger. But as this line moves, the Wind above turns to Heaven, and the resulting hexagram is 6 Conflict. Breaking with old allegiances can stir friction that won't be solved by action. Cleverness works better than force here. Don't try to win arguments with those you've stepped away from. Let events run their course, seek the advice of someone wise in the matter, and keep your attention on the goal that made the break worthwhile.
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 59 Release from Obstacles
Free yourself from personal loyalties and focus on what you want to achieve; this will lead you to success.
Scatters its band: great good fortune. The scattering forms a hill: not what ordinary people imagine.
- 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 judgment of 6 Conflict
A conflict is arising that can't be solved by action; cleverness works better than force. Recognizing that you can't resolve anything right now, letting events take their course, and seeking the advice of someone wise in this area will help you get out of the conflict.
There is sincere trust, but it is blocked. Caution: stopping halfway brings good fortune; going all the way to the end, misfortune. It is favorable to see the great person. It is not favorable to cross the great river.
The trigrams
The way back
6 Conflict → 59 Release from Obstaclesline 4
Other transformations of Release from Obstacles
Make your own cast
The answer changes with the question. Toss the coins and see which lines move for you.