Hexagram 43

Breakthrough

泽天夬 · 夬 · Guài | Lake over Heaven

The lake has risen to heaven; resolve the matter openly, not by force.

BreakthroughResolveOpennessDecision

Upper trigram

兑 · Lake

Lower trigram

乾 · Heaven

The Judgment

“One must resolutely make the matter known at the court. Inform your own city. It does not further to resort to arms.”

The Lines

Nine at the beginningPower in the advancing toes. To go forward unable to win brings blame.

Nine in the second placeA wary outcry; arms at nightfall. Have no fear.

Nine in the third placePower in the cheekbones brings misfortune. The noble person is firmly resolved; walking alone, caught in the rain and drenched, he is resented — but no blame.

Nine in the fourth placeThere is no skin on his thighs; he walks only with difficulty. If he would let himself be led like a sheep, regret would vanish — but hearing the words, he does not believe them.

Nine in the fifth placeResolutely uprooting the weeds. Walking the middle, no blame.

Six at the topNo outcry can help; in the end, misfortune.

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

Meaning

A single yin line at the top is about to be displaced by rising yang—a decisive breakthrough. Wrongdoing must be confronted openly and firmly.

Guidance

Make your stand transparently and on principle; resolve the issue without aggression or vindictiveness.

When This Hexagram Appears

A decisive moment to confront and remove a lingering problem—openly, fairly, and firmly.

FAQ about Hexagram 43

What does Hexagram 43, Breakthrough, mean?

Breakthrough (泽天夬, hexagram 43 of the I Ching). A single yin line at the top is about to be displaced by rising yang—a decisive breakthrough. Wrongdoing must be confronted openly and firmly.

What is the Judgment of the Breakthrough hexagram?

The Judgment reads: “One must resolutely make the matter known at the court. Inform your own city. It does not further to resort to arms.” The lake has risen to heaven; resolve the matter openly, not by force.

What guidance does Hexagram 43 offer?

Make your stand transparently and on principle; resolve the issue without aggression or vindictiveness.

When does the Breakthrough hexagram apply?

A decisive moment to confront and remove a lingering problem—openly, fairly, and firmly.

Related Hexagrams

Opposite Hexagram

No. 23 · Splitting Apart

Every line changed to its opposite — the mirror situation.

Reversed Hexagram

No. 44 · Coming to Meet

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