Jian · Obstruction

Judgment

利西南，不利东北。

The south-west is favourable, the north-east is not.

The Chinese above is the received classical text. The English below it is a plain-language rendering written for this site — not a scholarly translation. The classical wording is terse and genuinely open to more than one reading, so where interpretations diverge we follow the mainstream one.

The Image (Da Xiang)

山上有水，蹇，君子以反身修德。

山上有水流，前行艰难，这是蹇卦，进退维谷的卦象，君子应当反省自身，修养德行。

The Six Lines

• First line往蹇，来誉。初六 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Second line王臣蹇蹇，匪躬之故。六二 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Third line往蹇，来反。九三 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Fourth line往蹇，来连。六四 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Fifth line大蹇，朋来。九五 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.
• Top line往蹇，来硕，吉；利见大人。上六 — classical Chinese line text. Translations vary substantially between traditions; consult a scholarly edition for depth.

Modern Interpretive Reference

Quality: Inauspicious

Tendency: Obstruction; movement blocked in every direction.

Guidance: Stop advancing. Turn inward, examine yourself, and ask for help.

This section is editorial reflection written for this site, not classical commentary. Hexagram qualities are not fixed outcomes — context and response matter more than the label. For cultural reflection only; not a basis for any decision.