| Name | 剥 Bō, “Splitting Apart” |
|---|---|
| Upper trigram | ☶ 艮 Mountain: stillness and limits |
| Lower trigram | ☷ 坤 Earth: receptivity and support |
The Judgment
不利有攸往。
Not wise to have anywhere to go.
Things are falling apart. Don't try to act your way out — hold still until it bottoms.
The Image
山附于地，剥；上以厚下安宅。
The mountain rests on the earth — Splitting Apart. Those above can secure their position only by being generous to those below.
When the structure is breaking down, the only way to stay standing is to take care of the people underneath you.
The six lines
If a line changes in your cast, read its text below. Lines are numbered from the bottom.
Line 1 · first (bottom) · Yin
剥床以足，蔑贞，凶。
The bed is split at the legs. Those who persist — misfortune.
Foundation cracking. Trying to hold the old shape only makes the break worse.
Line 2 · second · Yin
剥床以辨，蔑贞凶。
The bed is split at the frame. Those who persist — misfortune.
The damage is moving up. Still trying to brace the old setup is still the wrong move.
Line 3 · third · Yin
剥之，无咎。
Split, but no blame.
You separate from the group that's falling apart. Painful but clean — no fault.
Line 4 · fourth · Yin
剥床以肤，凶。
The bed is split at the skin. Misfortune.
It's reached you now. No more distance. Brace and survive — that's the only goal here.
Line 5 · fifth · Yin
贯鱼，以宫人宠，无不利。
A school of fish. Favor through ladies of the court. Nothing fails.
When you stop fighting the current and accept guidance from unexpected sources, the door reopens.
Line 6 · top · Yang
硕果不食，君子得舆，小人剥庐。
A great fruit not yet eaten. The noble one gets a carriage. The small house breaks apart.
One seed survives the collapse. That's how rebirth works — keep the seed, lose the structure.
Related hexagrams
- Inverted (turned upside down): Hexagram 24, Return
- Complement (every line reversed): Hexagram 43, Breakthrough