坎 · Kǎn · Water over Water
dangerdepthsincerityperseverance
The Abyss (坎, Kǎn) is hexagram 29 of the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching,
in the traditional King Wen order. It is made of Water (☵) above Water
(☵).
Meaning of hexagram 29
You are in a deep or dangerous place, but water keeps flowing through it
without losing its nature. Sincerity and steadiness carry you through.
Advice
Do not resist the danger, stay true to yourself and keep moving.
The two trigrams
The Abyss doubles the trigram ☵ Water (Kǎn): deep, flowing and
dangerous above and below, the quality of water at its purest.
- Hexagram
- 29. The Abyss
- Chinese name
- 坎 Kǎn
- Upper trigram
- ☵ Water (Kǎn)
- Lower trigram
- ☵ Water (Kǎn)
- Lines
- 2 yang (solid) and 4 yin (broken)
- Place in the sequence
- 29 of 64 (King Wen order)
The six lines of The Abyss
A hexagram is read from the bottom line up. In a reading, a changing
line (a 6 or a 9 in the three-coin method) draws attention to its
position.
-
First line
(yin, broken): the beginning. The root
of the matter: early stirrings, foundations, and what has not yet
shown itself.
-
Second line
(yang, solid): the inner circle. Your
immediate surroundings and steady supports: how things work at close
range.
-
Third line
(yin, broken): the threshold. A point
of tension between inner and outer, often a test or a restless push
forward.
-
Fourth line
(yin, broken): the approach. Stepping
into wider circles or nearer to authority; caution and good
relationships matter here.
-
Fifth line
(yang, solid): the center of power. The
place of influence and clear leadership: where the situation is most
fully expressed.
-
Sixth line
(yin, broken): the culmination. The far
edge of the situation: completion, overreach, or letting go.
Related hexagrams