Hexagram 43
泽天夬
Breakthrough
Hexagram 43, Guai (Breakthrough), is Lake over Heaven - the lake risen up to the heavens, five yang lines below pressing upward against a single yin line above.
Upper Trigram
☱
兑 (金)
Lower Trigram
☰
乾 (金)
Palace
坤 Palace
Shi / Ying Lines
Shi: Line 5 · Ying: Line 2
The 兑 trigram (金) sits above the 乾 trigram (金), forming 泽天夬. This hexagram belongs to the 坤 Palace.
Judgment (卦辞)
Breakthrough. One must resolutely make the matter known at the court of the king.
Judgment text follows the Wilhelm–Baynes translation (The I Ching or Book of Changes, Princeton University Press), quoted for commentary.
Image (象辞)
The lake has risen up to heaven: the image of Breakthrough.
Line Texts (爻辞)
Mighty in the forward-striding toes. (壮于前趾)
A cry of alarm. Arms at evening and at night. (惕号)
To be powerful in the cheekbones brings misfortune. (壮于頄)
No skin on his thighs, walking comes hard. (臀无肤)
In dealing with weeds, firm resolution is necessary. (苋陆夬夬)
No cry. In the end misfortune comes. (无号)
Hexagram 43 in Love & Relationships
Relationships: Some truths must be spoken plainly and resolutely. Do not let them fester in silence.
Hexagram 43 in Career & Decisions
Career: Make the decisive move openly and fairly. A breakthrough made in the dark breeds distrust.
Hexagram 43 as a yes / no answer
Depends on timing
The hexagram counsels timing and care: the answer depends on how and when you proceed.
The I Ching reads situations, not fixed outcomes — your reading can weigh the moving lines with this leaning.
In-Depth Analysis[+]
Hexagram 43, Guai (Breakthrough), is Lake over Heaven - the lake risen up to the heavens, five yang lines below pressing upward against a single yin line above. This is the hexagram of decision, of the resolute act that breaks through a final obstruction. The judgment: 'one must resolutely make the matter known at the court of the king' - the breakthrough must be public and just, not hidden or rash. The lines trace the dangers of breakthrough: the over-hasty toes, the cry of alarm, the power in the cheekbones that brings misfortune. Guai teaches that decisiveness must be paired with fairness - the strong hand that acts openly, without cruelty.
Historical Stories[+]
The decisive public trial that exposes corruption to the light rather than settling it in secret - breakthrough made at the court, not in the dark.
A surgeon's decisive cut, made openly with skill and care, removing the obstruction so the body can heal.
Practical Applications[+]
Career: Make the decisive move openly and fairly. A breakthrough made in the dark breeds distrust.
Relationships: Some truths must be spoken plainly and resolutely. Do not let them fester in silence.
Personal Growth: Decisiveness without fairness is cruelty. Act firmly, but act justly.
Classical Sources for Hexagram 43
卜筮正宗 (The Orthodox Manual of Divination)清 (Qing Dynasty, 1644–1912)
The Eighteen Questions framework, the classification of hexagram patterns by life domain (career, wealth, relationships, health, travel, litigation), and the methodological rules for interpreting conflicting lines.
Related Hexagrams
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