Hexagram 47: Oppression
Exhaustion, adversity
| Chinese | 困 (Kùn) |
|---|---|
| Upper trigram | ☱ Lake — The Joyous (Metal) |
| Lower trigram | ☵ Water — The Abysmal (Water) |
| Keywords | oppression, exhaustion, adversity, perseverance |
| Opposite | Hexagram 22: Grace |
| Inverted | Hexagram 48: The Well |
What does Hexagram 47 (Oppression) mean?
Oppression 困 (Kùn) is hexagram 47 of the I Ching, formed by Lake (The Joyous) over Water (The Abysmal). Its theme is exhaustion, adversity, with key ideas of oppression, exhaustion, adversity, perseverance. The Judgment reads: “Oppression. Success. Perseverance. The great man brings about good fortune.”
The Judgment of Oppression
Oppression. Success. Perseverance. The great man brings about good fortune.
The Image of Oppression
There is no water in the lake.
The six changing lines of Hexagram 47
When a casting produces moving lines, their texts speak directly to your situation. Read from the bottom line upward.
Six at the beginning
“One sits oppressed under a bare tree and strays into a gloomy valley. For three years one sees nothing.”
Exhaustion in a barren environment with no clear path forward. The darkness lasts; do not mistake temporary blindness for a permanent condition.
Nine in the second place
“One is oppressed while at meat and drink. The man with the scarlet knee bands is just coming. It furthers one to offer sacrifice. To set forth brings misfortune. No blame.”
Even in conditions of outward comfort, inner oppression persists. Help is on the way; wait for it rather than acting prematurely.
Six in the third place
“A man permits himself to be oppressed by stone, and leans on thorns and thistles. He enters his house and does not see his wife. Misfortune.”
Suffering that is self-imposed through poor judgment compounds itself. Clinging to what wounds and missing what nourishes is the deepest oppression.
Nine in the fourth place
“He comes very quietly, oppressed in a golden carriage. Humiliation, but the end is reached.”
Being privileged yet inwardly oppressed is its own particular shame. Yet even from this constrained position, the goal is eventually attained.
Nine in the fifth place
“His nose and feet are cut off. Oppression at the hands of the man with the purple knee bands. Joy comes softly. It furthers one to make offerings and libations.”
Severe constraint imposed by those in authority still yields to quiet joy over time. Ritual acknowledgment and patient endurance open the way forward.
Six at the top
“He is oppressed by creeping vines. He moves uncertainly and says, "Movement brings remorse." If one feels remorse over this and makes a beginning, good fortune comes.”
Entangled by confused thinking, one hesitates. But if regret itself becomes the catalyst for a genuine new beginning, the oppression lifts.
Will Oppression answer your question?
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