Hexagram 21
Biting Through
噬嗑 · 서합
Fire over Thunder
The Judgment
Something lodged between opposing powers prevents their proper union. It cannot be wished away: clear discernment must identify it, and decisive action must remove it. Thus the administration of justice is fitting, provided punishment answers the offense rather than the anger of the judge. Firmness and gentleness each have their place. When the obstruction is honestly confronted, communication resumes and order becomes possible; severity serves life only when it restores the conditions of harmony.
The Image
Thunder gives force to the movement, while fire makes its object visible. Together they show authority joined to understanding. The noble one therefore makes rules intelligible and consequences definite, so that judgment is neither a hidden trap nor an arbitrary blow, but a clear boundary protecting common life.
In the light of the Dao
Nonforcing does not mean preserving every obstruction. A knot sometimes needs one clean cut. Yet the hand should act without hatred, and stop when passage is restored. The deepest correction removes interference so that the natural accord of things can breathe again.
The two trigrams
Upper · outer
☲Fire
Clinging, clarity · Middle daughter
Lower · inner
☳Thunder
Arousing, movement · Eldest son
The six lines
Read from the bottom up. A line speaks only when it moves — when the cast gives it as 6 or 9.
First line · the beginning · yang, nine
At the beginning, restraint touches the feet and prevents a wrong course from advancing. The discomfort is limited because the fault is caught early. Accepting a modest correction now saves the person from a heavier reckoning; such prevention leaves no lasting blame.
Second line · the inner centre · yin, six
The offense is readily dealt with, like soft food yielding to the teeth, yet the act of correction presses farther than expected. The image of the hidden nose suggests excessive closeness or force. Still, the necessary task is accomplished without culpable error.
Third line · the threshold · yin, six
An old and stubborn matter proves unpleasant to handle. In trying to correct it, one encounters resentment, hidden bitterness, or the residue of earlier wrongdoing. There is some embarrassment, but no essential fault if the work is undertaken honestly and carried through.
Fourth line · the minister · yang, nine
The difficulty is tough and resistant, but within it lies the means of resolution, figured by a hard metal arrowhead. Do not mistake the discovery of leverage for an easy victory. Steady rectitude, joined to awareness of hardship, brings a favorable outcome.
Fifth line · the ruler · yin, six
The case remains demanding, yet a sound and balanced judgment can uncover what is precious within it. Authority must remain centered rather than self-satisfied. Hold firmly to what is right while remembering the danger of misuse, and the responsibility can be discharged without blame.
Top line · the end · yang, nine
Correction has come too late and now encloses the head, covering the ears. The person who would not listen has lost the freedom that listening could have preserved. Persistent deafness to warning turns a remediable fault into grave misfortune and public disgrace.