I Ching · King Wen 39
Hexagram 39: Obstruction
䷦ 蹇 Jiǎn · also called Limping, Difficulty, Impeded · The Abysmal above Keeping Still
Water on the mountain, a dangerous ravine ahead: the obstacle is real, and the way is to turn and seek help.
obstacleself-examinationalliesretreattiming
The meaning of Hexagram 39
Mountain below, water above: a steep mountain with a treacherous stream at its top, an obstacle that cannot be walked through. Obstruction differs from Difficulty at the Beginning: this obstacle is outside you, in the terrain, and it is not passable by persistence alone. The tradition's judgement gives directions: the southwest furthers, the northeast does not, it furthers to see the great person, and persistence brings good fortune. The southwest is the open plain; the reading says to turn toward the easy ground, to seek allies and advice, and above all to turn inward and examine oneself, which the image names as the response to obstruction.
The image. Water on the mountain; the wise person turns attention to themselves and moulds their character.
- Advice
- Turn toward the open ground, seek help, and use the block to examine yourself.
- Warning
- Charging the ravine alone, out of pride, is how an obstruction becomes an injury.
over
Structure: ☶ Keeping Still (Mountain) below, ☵ The Abysmal (Water) above. Nuclear hexagram 64, Before Completion. Every line reversed: 38, Opposition.
Hexagram 39 for love and relationships
An obstacle between you that cannot be bulldozed. Stop pushing, look at your own part in it, and bring in help or perspective from outside. The lines repeatedly favour turning back to gather allies over going forward alone.
Hexagram 39 for career
A real block. Do not attack it head-on. Turn to easier ground, seek advice from someone experienced, and use the pause to work on yourself. The reading treats the obstruction as an occasion for growth rather than a failure.
Hexagram 39 for money
Blocked. Move toward the easier, more open option rather than the difficult one, take advice, and do not throw resources at the obstacle. Persistence is favoured, force is not.
Hexagram 39 for decisions
Choose the option that goes around, not through: the open plain, not the ravine. Bring in help. If a decision can wait until you have examined your own role in the block, let it.
The six changing lines
Read from the bottom. A changing line flips, and the hexagram it changes into is named with each.
Going leads to obstruction; coming leads to great good fortune. It furthers to see the great person.
Someone who has already left the difficulty behind and returns to help those still in it. The return is voluntary and it is greatly fortunate. Seeking the great person means combining one's efforts with someone able.
Changing, it becomes Hexagram 53, Development. Read line 6 →
In the midst of the greatest obstruction, friends come.
The one who must face the obstacle directly, and who finds that help arrives because of the way they have faced it. Character under pressure attracts allies. The line is the hexagram's turning point.
Changing, it becomes Hexagram 15, Modesty. Read line 5 →
Going leads to obstruction; coming leads to union.
Turning back in order to gather allies before attempting the difficulty again. Alone, the obstacle is too much; together, it is not. The line is about the strength of a group formed for the purpose.
Changing, it becomes Hexagram 31, Influence. Read line 4 →
Going leads to obstruction; hence one comes back.
Advancing, meeting the wall, and turning back to the people who depend on you, who are glad of it. The return is not defeat; it is the recognition that others need you more than the obstacle does.
Changing, it becomes Hexagram 8, Holding Together. Read line 3 →
The king's servant meets obstruction upon obstruction, but it is not his own fault.
Someone obliged by duty to enter the difficulty regardless, and doing so without self-reproach. The obstacles are not of their making and the duty is real. The line honours this without promising ease.
Changing, it becomes Hexagram 48, The Well. Read line 2 →
Going leads to obstruction; coming meets with praise.
Seeing the block and choosing not to advance into it. Waiting for the right moment is praised, not the attempt to force the moment. The line is the simplest form of the hexagram's advice.
Changing, it becomes Hexagram 63, After Completion. Read line 1 →
Related hexagrams
Cast your own reading
Ask a question and toss six lines. The oracle does not choose the hexagram for you; the coins do.
Ask the I Ching →Common questions
- What does I Ching Hexagram 39 mean?
- Water on the mountain, a dangerous ravine ahead: the obstacle is real, and the way is to turn and seek help. Mountain below, water above: a steep mountain with a treacherous stream at its top, an obstacle that cannot be walked through. Obstruction differs from Difficulty at the Beginning: this obstacle is outside you, in the terrain, and it is not passable by persistence alone. The tradition's judgement gives directions: the southwest furthers, the northeast does not, it furthers to see the great person, and persistence brings good fortune. The southwest is the open plain; the reading says to turn toward the easy ground, to seek allies and advice, and above all to turn inward and examine oneself, which the image names as the response to obstruction.
- What does Hexagram 39 mean for love?
- An obstacle between you that cannot be bulldozed. Stop pushing, look at your own part in it, and bring in help or perspective from outside. The lines repeatedly favour turning back to gather allies over going forward alone.
- Which hexagram does Hexagram 39 change into?
- It depends on which lines change. With one changing line: line 1 gives Hexagram 63, After Completion; line 2 gives Hexagram 48, The Well; line 3 gives Hexagram 8, Holding Together; line 4 gives Hexagram 31, Influence; line 5 gives Hexagram 15, Modesty; line 6 gives Hexagram 53, Development. With every line changing it becomes Hexagram 38, Opposition.