← The I Ching
Hexagram 39 · ☵ over ☶
Obstruction
Jian
The judgment
The path is blocked by genuine difficulty — water above the mountain, real danger ahead. This is not the time to press forward; the blockage cannot simply be pushed through. Look inward, gather your resources, find allies and examine whether your approach itself needs to change.
The image. Water rests above the mountain — difficulty that cannot simply be forced through.
Guidance
Don't push against what is genuinely blocked. Turn back, examine your situation fully and seek the help that can actually be found. The obstacle may be forcing a better path.
How it’s built
Every hexagram is two trigrams — the lower one beneath the upper. This one is Gèn below Kǎn.
☵Upper · Waterthe Abysmal — danger, the deep, flow through hardship, the middle son
☶Lower · MountainKeeping Still — stillness, limits, meditation, the youngest son