Hexagram 47
泽水困
Oppression
Hexagram 47, Kun (Oppression), is Lake over Water - the lake drained dry, its water fallen beneath it.
Upper Trigram
☱
兑 (金)
Lower Trigram
☵
坎 (水)
Palace
兑 Palace
Shi / Ying Lines
Shi: Line 1 · Ying: Line 4
The 兑 trigram (金) sits above the 坎 trigram (水), forming 泽水困. This hexagram belongs to the 兑 Palace.
Judgment (卦辞)
Oppression. Success. Perseverance. The great man brings about good fortune.
Judgment text follows the Wilhelm–Baynes translation (The I Ching or Book of Changes, Princeton University Press), quoted for commentary.
Image (象辞)
There is no water in the lake: the image of Exhaustion.
Line Texts (爻辞)
Sitting oppressed under a bare tree. Three years one sees nothing. (臀困于株木)
Oppressed while at meat and drink. (困于酒食)
Oppressed by stone, leans on thorns. (困于石)
He comes quietly, oppressed in a golden carriage. (来徐徐)
His nose and feet are cut off. Joy comes softly. (劓刖)
Oppressed by creeping vines. Movement brings remorse. (困于葛藟)
Hexagram 47 in Love & Relationships
Relationships: A relationship under strain reveals its foundation. Hardship is a test, not a verdict.
Hexagram 47 in Career & Decisions
Career: In a period of exhaustion or obstruction, do not measure yourself by output. Preserve integrity; the tide will turn.
Hexagram 47 as a yes / no answer
Leans no
The hexagram's core image counsels restraint — forcing now works against you.
The I Ching reads situations, not fixed outcomes — your reading can weigh the moving lines with this leaning.
In-Depth Analysis[+]
Hexagram 47, Kun (Oppression), is Lake over Water - the lake drained dry, its water fallen beneath it. This is the hexagram of adversity, of being hemmed in and exhausted. Yet the judgment is paradoxical: 'Oppression. Success.' The I Ching holds that hardship, endured with integrity, forges the great man - 'the great man brings about good fortune.' The lines trace oppression in every form: sitting under a bare tree, oppressed by stone and thorns, and finally entangled in creeping vines. Kun teaches that what breaks the weak reveals the strong. Words may fail in extremity; action and steadfastness remain.
Historical Stories[+]
Dostoevsky in the Siberian prison camp: his years of oppression produced The House of the Dead and a depth of insight no comfort could have given him.
The ancient sage who, oppressed and hungry, continued to teach beneath a bare tree - his words outliving the dynasty that had silenced him.
Practical Applications[+]
Career: In a period of exhaustion or obstruction, do not measure yourself by output. Preserve integrity; the tide will turn.
Relationships: A relationship under strain reveals its foundation. Hardship is a test, not a verdict.
Personal Growth: Oppression strips away the inessential. Ask what remains when everything comfortable is taken.
Classical Sources for Hexagram 47
易隐 (The Hidden Changes)清 (Qing Dynasty, 1644–1912)
Advanced analytical frameworks for hexagram interpretation: Flying/Hidden lines, Six Animals contextual dynamics, and inter-hexagram comparison logic.
Related Hexagrams
Learn More
Wonder how Hexagram 47 applies to your situation?
Ask the I Ching about Hexagram 47