剝 Splitting Apart

Also known as Stripping

Yin has almost conquered; a single yang line clings at the top. The figure depicts a time of erosion, when the base of a structure is being peeled away.

splitting apart · stripping · decay

The Story

A noble family had been losing servants, tenants, and friends for years. The patriarch, not understanding, tried force: whippings, fines, decrees. More servants left. His wise daughter said: "We are not being attacked from outside. We are being peeled, like fruit under the fingernail, because we have forgotten to be generous. Generosity below is the only thing that keeps those above from falling." He released the fines, shared the harvest, and apologised for the whippings. The peeling stopped. In hard times, hoarding is the fastest way to collapse; open-handedness is the ladder that keeps you standing.

Servants Leaving panel 1 for Hexagram 23, Splitting Apart. — Servants Leaving

Force Makes It Worse panel 2 for Hexagram 23, Splitting Apart. — Force Makes It Worse

Daughter Sees The Peeling panel 3 for Hexagram 23, Splitting Apart. — Daughter Sees The Peeling

Opening The Stores panel 4 for Hexagram 23, Splitting Apart. — Opening The Stores

Apology At The Gate panel 5 for Hexagram 23, Splitting Apart. — Apology At The Gate

Standing By Generosity panel 6 for Hexagram 23, Splitting Apart. — Standing By Generosity

The Judgment

It does not further one to go anywhere.

The Image

The mountain rests on the earth: the image of splitting apart. Thus those above can ensure their position only by giving generously to those below.

Interpretation

Yin has almost conquered; a single yang line clings at the top. The figure depicts a time of erosion, when the base of a structure is being peeled away. The counsel is not to resist with force — the pattern will run its course — but to remain still, generous, and inwardly upright until the turning.

Trigrams

Upper · Outer

艮

Gèn · Mountain

keeping still, stopping, stability

Lower · Inner

坤

Kūn · Earth

the receptive, yielding, nurturing

The Six Lines

First (Bottom) The leg of the bed is split. Those who persevere are destroyed. Misfortune. The foundation is going; cling hard and be pulled down with it.
Second The bed is split at the edge. Those who persevere are destroyed. Misfortune. Damage is rising; obstinacy worsens the loss.
Third He splits with them. No blame. Separating from those bringing one down; clean break.
Fourth The bed is split up to the skin. Misfortune. The decay has reached the body; this is the worst line of the hexagram.
Fifth A shoal of fishes. Favour comes through the court ladies. Everything acts to further. Connection through the channel that remains open; favour arrives by indirect routes.
Sixth (Top) There is a large fruit still uneaten. The superior person receives a carriage. The house of the inferior person is split apart. At the extremity, a seed remains; the unjust structure collapses but the worthy are carried onward.