Hexagram 29: Kǎn 坎

What hexagram 29 means

Water repeats beneath Water, one deep place opening into another below it. Moving through a genuinely difficult stretch works best one honest step at a time, trusting your footing rather than the whole distance.

A question to sit with

What is the one honest next step, even without seeing the whole way through?

The six lines, bottom to top

A changing line is read on its own. These are original reflections written for this site, not a translation.

Line 1 · The beginning

Sliding into a hollow within a hollow suggests difficulty starting to feel normal. Notice where familiarity with a hard situation has dulled your sense of direction. Recognising the pattern is the first step out.

Line 2 · The inner position

In a deep place, reaching for small, achievable gains is the practical way forward. You do not need to solve everything at once. Take the next modest step within reach.

Line 3 · The threshold

Hollows lie both ahead and behind, and every move seems to lead into another. Where no direction offers clear footing, stillness may be wiser than struggle. Let the footing show itself before moving.

Line 4 · Entering the outer

A plain offering of wine and rice passed in through a window describes sincerity offered simply. At the entry to the outer world, a modest, honest gesture can open a way through difficulty. Ceremony matters less than good faith.

Line 5 · The position of authority

Water settling in a hollow, no higher than the hollow can hold, points to doing just enough. Getting through is the task, and anything grander can wait. Measured effort keeps you moving.

Line 6 · The end, and excess

Hemmed in by thorns for a long season, the figure has lost its way. If you feel caught in a tangle of your own making, patient reflection may loosen it. Look for the first thread that can be untangled.