Hexagram 23

Splitting Apart

山地剥 · 剥 · Bō | Mountain over Earth

The mountain crumbles to earth; yield and wait out the decline.

DeclineYieldingEndurancePreservation

Upper trigram

艮 · Mountain

Lower trigram

坤 · Earth

The Judgment

“It does not further one to go anywhere.”

The Lines

Six at the beginningThe bed is split at the legs. Those who would persevere are destroyed. Misfortune.

Six in the second placeThe bed is split at the frame. Those who would persevere are destroyed. Misfortune.

Six in the third placeHe splits with them (the wrong company). No blame.

Six in the fourth placeThe bed is split up to the skin. Misfortune.

Six in the fifth placeA string of fish; favor reaches even the palace women. Nothing is unfavorable.

Nine at the topA great fruit still left uneaten. The noble person gains a carriage; the petty person tears down his own hut.

Line texts are an original modern translation of the classical Zhou Yi (public domain).

Meaning

The mountain erodes back into the earth as yin forces undermine the yang. Decline has set in, and active resistance is futile.

Guidance

Do not strive against the tide; protect what is essential and wait for the cycle to turn.

When This Hexagram Appears

A declining situation where withdrawal and preservation beat doomed resistance.

FAQ about Hexagram 23

What does Hexagram 23, Splitting Apart, mean?

Splitting Apart (山地剥, hexagram 23 of the I Ching). The mountain erodes back into the earth as yin forces undermine the yang. Decline has set in, and active resistance is futile.

What is the Judgment of the Splitting Apart hexagram?

The Judgment reads: “It does not further one to go anywhere.” The mountain crumbles to earth; yield and wait out the decline.

What guidance does Hexagram 23 offer?

Do not strive against the tide; protect what is essential and wait for the cycle to turn.

When does the Splitting Apart hexagram apply?

A declining situation where withdrawal and preservation beat doomed resistance.

Related Hexagrams

Opposite Hexagram

No. 43 · Breakthrough

Every line changed to its opposite — the mirror situation.

Reversed Hexagram

No. 24 · Return

The same figure turned upside down — the view from the other side.