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Hexagram 28

Great Excess

大过 · Dà Guò

Trigram Composition

Upper Trigram

Lake

Lower Trigram

Wind

The Judgment (彖)

Great Excess. The ridgepole sags to the breaking point. It furthers one to have somewhere to go. Success.

The Image (象)

The lake rises above the trees. The superior person stands alone without fear and withdraws from the world without melancholy.

Meaning

An extraordinary situation requiring extraordinary measures. The structure is overburdened and about to break. Bold, independent action is needed — this is no time for half-measures.

Advice

The situation is extreme and calls for exceptional response. Stand firm in your independence. Don't cling to the collapsing structure — move decisively toward something new.

Keywords

Extraordinary timesIndependenceBold actionBreaking pointCourage