Hexagram 28
大過 Dà Guò · Great excess
Legge: Ta Kwo
☱ Lake (Duì) above ☴ Wind, wood (Xùn)
Scryway summary
Modern commentary written for Scryway. Not part of the classic text.
A load beyond what the beam can bear. Unusual times call for unusual measures.
The judgment
Ta Kwo suggests to us a beam that is weak. There will be advantage in moving (under its conditions) in any direction whatever; there will be success.
The image
(The trigram representing) trees hidden beneath that for the waters of a marsh forms Ta Kwo. The superior man, in accordance with this, stands up alone and has no fear, and keeps retired from the world without regret.
The lines, bottom to top
- Bottom line, broken
The first line, divided, shows one placing mats of the white mao grass under things set on the ground. There will be no error.
- Second line, solid
The second line, undivided, shows a decayed willow producing shoots, or an old husband in possession of his young wife. There will be advantage in every way.
- Third line, solid
The third line, undivided, shows a beam that is weak. There will be evil.
- Fourth line, solid
The fourth line, undivided, shows a beam curving upwards. There will be good fortune. If (the subject of it) looks for other (help but that of line one), there will be cause for regret.
- Fifth line, solid
The fifth line, undivided, shows a decayed willow producing flowers, or an old wife in possession of her young husband. There will be occasion neither for blame nor for praise.
- Top line, broken
The topmost line, divided, shows its subject with extraordinary (boldness) wading through a stream, till the water hides the crown of his head. There will be evil, but no ground for blame.
Quoted from James Legge (trans.), The Yi King, Sacred Books of the East vol. XVI, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1882. Public domain. The image is from Legge’s Appendix II. Words in parentheses are Legge’s additions.