#21
Biting Through
噬嗑
— Shì Kè
Upper trigram: Fire (Lí) · Lower trigram: Thunder (Zhèn)
Overall meaning
Hexagram Biting Through symbolizes decisiveness in judgment and removing obstacles. Upper trigram is Fire (clarity), lower is Thunder (power) — thunder and lightning with bright fire, the image of teeth biting through hard matter. This is the hexagram of law, punishment, and decisive removal of obstacles.
Judgment text (Thoán từ)
Biting Through: success. It furthers to use punishment. Bite through the obstacle — success.
Line texts (6 lines)
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1
First Nine: His feet are fastened in the stocks, so that his toes disappear — no blame. Small punishment in the early stage prevents greater crime later.
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2
Second Six: Bites through tender meat, so that his nose disappears — no blame. Heavier punishment, must be more decisive to resolve the issue.
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3
Third Six: Bites on dried meat, encounters poison — slight regret, no great blame. Resistance during enforcement — slight difficulty but no fault.
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4
Fourth Nine: Bites on dried gristly meat — receives bronze arrows; it furthers to be mindful of difficulties and persevering — good fortune. Encounters great difficulty but persists and finds a solution.
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5
Fifth Six: Bites on dried meat — receives gold; perseverance with awareness of danger, no blame. The arbiter at the center must remain impartial, not seduced.
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6
Top Nine: His neck is fastened in the wooden cangue, so that his ears disappear — misfortune. The stubborn refusing to mend, in the end suffer the heaviest punishment.
Applications by topic
- Marriage
- Conflicts and disagreements need decisive resolution. Don't let strife drag on. Speak straight and handle clearly.
- Career
- Resolve workplace problems and conflicts decisively. Don't compromise with wrong behavior. Enforce rules consistently.
- Wealth
- Settle outstanding debts and disputes. Act decisively. Cut investments that keep losing.
- Health
- Treat accumulated illnesses fully; don't drag on. Decisive in changing bad habits. May need strong medical intervention.
- Lawsuit
- Hexagram very suitable for litigation. Decisive action benefits. Clear evidence and sharp argument are the keys to winning.
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