Hexagram 47

Oppression

泽水困 · 困 · Kùn | Lake over Water

The lake has run dry; exhausted, hold to integrity in silence.

AdversityExhaustionEnduranceIntegrity

Upper trigram

兑 · Lake

Lower trigram

坎 · Water

The Judgment

“Success. Perseverance. The great person brings good fortune without blame. Words are not believed.”

The Lines

Six at the beginningHemmed in, seated on a bare stump, he strays into a gloomy valley; for three years he sees no one.

Nine in the second placeHemmed in amid wine and food. The man with the scarlet sash is on his way. It helps to make offerings. To set out brings misfortune, but no blame.

Six in the third placeHemmed in by rock, leaning on thorns; he enters his house and does not find his wife. Misfortune.

Nine in the fourth placeHe comes very slowly, hemmed in by a bronze carriage. Humbling, but it reaches a good end.

Nine in the fifth placeNose and feet cut off, hemmed in by the man with the crimson sash; slowly relief comes. It helps to make offerings.

Six at the topHemmed in by creeping vines, on unsteady ground. If you say, 'Movement brings regret,' and you do repent, then to go forward brings good fortune.

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

Meaning

Water has drained from the lake—exhaustion and constraint. Resources and recognition are low, and words carry no weight.

Guidance

Endure hardship without complaint or self-betrayal; let actions, not arguments, prove your worth.

When This Hexagram Appears

A draining, constrained period when you are blocked and unheard, and inner steadfastness is the test.

FAQ about Hexagram 47

What does Hexagram 47, Oppression, mean?

Oppression (泽水困, hexagram 47 of the I Ching). Water has drained from the lake—exhaustion and constraint. Resources and recognition are low, and words carry no weight.

What is the Judgment of the Oppression hexagram?

The Judgment reads: “Success. Perseverance. The great person brings good fortune without blame. Words are not believed.” The lake has run dry; exhausted, hold to integrity in silence.

What guidance does Hexagram 47 offer?

Endure hardship without complaint or self-betrayal; let actions, not arguments, prove your worth.

When does the Oppression hexagram apply?

A draining, constrained period when you are blocked and unheard, and inner steadfastness is the test.

Related Hexagrams

Opposite Hexagram

No. 22 · Grace

Every line changed to its opposite — the mirror situation.

Reversed Hexagram

No. 48 · The Well

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