| Name | 节 Jié, “Limitation” |
|---|---|
| Upper trigram | ☵ 坎 Water: danger and depth |
| Lower trigram | ☱ 兑 Lake: openness and exchange |
The Judgment
亨。苦节，不可贞。
Success. Galling limitation must not be persevered in.
Healthy limits help. Punishing limits hurt. Know the difference — don't make a virtue of suffering.
The Image
泽上有水，节；君子以制数度，议德行。
Water above the lake — Limitation. The wise create number and measure, and examine the nature of virtue and correct conduct.
Define your standards clearly. Numbers, structure, rules — they protect what matters.
The six lines
If a line changes in your cast, read its text below. Lines are numbered from the bottom.
Line 1 · first (bottom) · Yang
不出户庭，无咎。
Not going out of the door and the courtyard. No blame.
Staying contained at the start. Reading the moment before acting. Right call.
Line 2 · second · Yang
不出门庭，凶。
Not going out of the gate and the courtyard. Misfortune.
Same caution, wrong moment. The door was open — and you didn't walk through. Missed window.
Line 3 · third · Yin
不节若，则嗟若，无咎。
He who is not careful about limitations will have cause to lament. No blame.
Refused to set limits and now you're paying for it. Painful — but you can still adjust. No external fault.
Line 4 · fourth · Yin
安节，亨。
Contented limitation. Success.
Limits you actually like. When the structure fits, the success is built in.
Line 5 · fifth · Yang
甘节，吉，往有尚。
Sweet limitation brings fortune. Going on brings high regard.
The boundary itself feels good. Others see the discipline and respect it. Move forward from here.
Line 6 · top · Yin
苦节，贞凶，悔亡。
Galling limitation. Stay true — misfortune. Regret vanishes.
Limits that punish you. Holding to them long-term is a mistake — but the moment you let go, the regret lifts.
Related hexagrams
- Inverted (turned upside down): Hexagram 59, Dispersion
- Complement (every line reversed): Hexagram 56, The Wanderer