OBSTRUCTION
39. Chien / Obstruction
Top: water | Bottom: Mountain
The hexagram pictures a dangerous abyss lying before us and a steep, inaccessible mountain
rising behind us. We are surrounded by obstacles; at the same time, since the mountain has the
attribute of keeping still, there is implicit a hint as to how we can extricate ourselves. The
hexagram represents obstructions that appear in the course of time but that can and should be
overcome. Therefore all the instruction given is directed to overcoming them.
THE JUDGMENT
The southwest furthers. The northeast does not further. It furthers one to see the great man.
Perseverance brings good fortune.
The southwest is the region of retreat, the northeast that of advance. Here an individual is
confronted by obstacles that cannot be overcome directly. In such a situation it is wise to pause in
view of the danger and to retreat. However, this is merely a preparation for overcoming the
obstructions. One must join forces with friends of like mind and put himself under the leadership
of a man equal to the situation: then one will succeed in removing the obstacles. This requires the
will to persevere just when one apparently must do something that leads away from his goal.
This unswerving inner purpose brings good fortune in the end. An obstruction that lasts only for
a time is useful for self-development. This is the value of adversity.
THE IMAGE
Water on the mountain: Thus the superior man turns his attention to himself and molds his character.
Difficulties and obstructions throw a man back upon himself. While the inferior man seeks to put
the blame on other persons, bewailing his fate, the superior man seeks the error within himself,
and through this introspection the external obstacle becomes for him an occasion for inner
enrichment and education.
THE LINES
Six at the beginning means:
Going leads to obstructions, and coming meets with praise.
When one encounters an obstruction, the important thing is to reflect on how best to deal with it.
When threatened with danger, one should not strive blindly to go ahead, for this only leads to
complications. The correct thing is, on the contrary, to retreat for the time being, not in order to
give up the struggle but to await the right moment for action.
Six in the second place means:
The King's servant is beset by obstruction upon obstruction, but it is not his own fault.
Ordinarily it is best to go around an obstacle and try to overcome it along the line of least
resistance. But there is one instance in which a man must go out to meet the trouble, even though
difficulty piles upon difficulty: this is when the path of duty leads directly to it-in other words,
when he cannot act of his own volition but is duty bound to go and seek out danger in the service
of a higher cause. Then he may do it without compunction, because it is not through any fault of
his that he is putting himself in this difficult situation.
Nine in the third place means:
Going leads to obstructions; hence he comes back.
While the preceding line shows the official compelled by duty to follow the way of danger, this
line shows the man who must act as father of a family or as head of his kin. If he were to plunge
recklessly in to danger, it would be a useless act, because those entrusted to his care cannot get
along by themselves. But if he withdraws and turns back to his own, they welcome him with
great joy.
Six in the fourth place means:
Going leads to obstructions, and coming leads to union.
This too describes a situation that cannot be managed single-handed. In such a case the direct
way is not the shortest. If a person were to forge ahead on his own strength and without the
necessary preparations, he would not find the support he needs and would realize too late that he
has been mistaken in his calculations, inasmuch as the conditions on which he hoped he could
rely would prove to be inadequate. In this case it is better, therefore, to hold back for the time
being and to gather together trustworthy companions who can be counted upon for help in
overcoming the obstructions.
Nine in the fifth place means:
In the midst of the greatest obstructions, friends come.
Here we see a man who is called to help in an emergency. He should not seek to evade the
obstructions, no matter how dangerously they pile up before him. But because he is really called
to the task, the power of his spirit is strong enough to attract helpers whom he can effectively
organize, so that through the well-directed co-operation of all participants the obstruction is
overcome.
Six at the top means:
Going leads to obstructions, coming leads to great good fortune. It furthers one to see the great
man.
This refers to a man who has already left the world and its tumult behind him. When the time of
obstructions arrives, it might seem that the simplest thing for him to do would be to turn his back
upon the world and take refuge in the beyond. But this road is barred to him. He must not seek
his own salvation and abandon the world to its adversity. Duty calls him back once more into the
turmoil of life. Precisely because of his experience and inner freedom, he is able to create
something both great and complete that brings good fortune. And it is favorable to see the great
man in alliance with whom one can achieve the work of rescue.