Oppression (困, Kùn) is hexagram 47 of the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching,
in the traditional King Wen order. It is made of Lake (☱) above Water
(☵).
Meaning of hexagram 47
You are worn down and hemmed in, and words alone will not help.
Adversity tests what you are made of.
Advice
Stay cheerful and firm inside, conserve your energy and do not argue
your case.
The two trigrams
Oppression places ☱ Lake (Duì), joyful, open and pleasing, above ☵
Water (Kǎn), deep, flowing and dangerous. The lower trigram is the inner
side of the situation and the upper one its outer side.
Hexagram
47. Oppression
Chinese name
困 Kùn
Upper trigram
☱ Lake (Duì)
Lower trigram
☵ Water (Kǎn)
Lines
3 yang (solid) and 3 yin (broken)
Place in the sequence
47 of 64 (King Wen order)
The six lines of Oppression
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(yang, solid): 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.