| Name | 既济 Jì Jì, “After Completion” |
|---|---|
| Upper trigram | ☵ 坎 Water: danger and depth |
| Lower trigram | ☲ 离 Fire: clarity and attachment |
The Judgment
亨，小利贞。初吉，终乱。
Success in small matters. Stay true — fortune. At the beginning — fortune. In the end — disorder.
You've arrived. The danger now isn't failure — it's complacency. Stay alert even after winning.
The Image
水在火上，既济；君子以思患而豫防之。
Water above fire — After Completion. The wise consider misfortune and arm themselves against it in advance.
When everything is good, plan for when it won't be. That's how you keep it good longer.
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
曳其轮，濡其尾，无咎。
He brakes his wheels. He gets his tail in the water. No blame.
Slow down at the start, even if it gets you a little wet. Restraint at the beginning of success is what protects it.
Line 2 · second · Yin
妇丧其茀，勿逐，七日得。
The woman loses the curtain of her carriage. Do not run after it. In seven days you will get it.
Small loss after success. Don't chase. What's yours comes back on its own. Patience.
Line 3 · third · Yang
高宗伐鬼方，三年克之。小人勿用。
The high ancestor disciplines the demon country. For three years he conquers it. Do not use small-minded people.
Big victories require long campaigns and right people. Don't bring the petty into the work of legacy.
Line 4 · fourth · Yin
繻有衣袽，终日戒。
The finest clothes turn to rags. Be cautious all day long.
Even peak success starts to fray. Stay vigilant every single day, even when nothing seems wrong.
Line 5 · fifth · Yang
东邻杀牛，不如西邻之禴祭，实受其福。
The neighbor in the east who slaughters an ox does not attain as much real happiness as the neighbor in the west with his small offering.
Big spending doesn't beat real sincerity. The modest honest offering hits harder than the showy one.
Line 6 · top · Yin
濡其首，厉。
He gets his head in the water. Danger.
Got too deep too late. Drowning in your own success. Pull back hard, now.
Related hexagrams
- Inverted (turned upside down): Hexagram 64, Before Completion
- Complement (every line reversed): Hexagram 64, Before Completion