I Ching · Hexagram 39 of 64
Hexagram 39: Jian （蹇） — Obstruction
Jian is Water over Mountain: water running down the mountain, so that every step is hard. The hexagram speaks of difficult roads, and counsels avoiding the contest for the heights in favor of the level and easy way, of drawing near the great person, and of the noble one turning back to cultivate his own virtue.
At a glance
| Hexagram | 39 of 64 |
|---|---|
| Name | Jian 蹇 · Obstruction |
| Upper trigram | Kan （坎）· Water |
| Lower trigram | Gen （艮）· Mountain |
| Structure | Water over Mountain |
| Lines | 6 lines |
The Judgment （卦辞）
Obstruction. Favorable to the southwest, unfavorable to the northeast. Favorable to see the great person. Steadfastness brings good fortune.
ExplainedThe road of life is full of difficulty. The southwest is the yielding, level direction; the northeast is the peak where one struggles to be first. If the road can be walked without contention, do not contend, for contention breeds the self and with the self comes guilt that destroys all merit. And the most important thing in life is to follow the right person closely.
Tuan Zhuan — Commentary on the Judgment （彖传）
Obstruction means difficulty; danger lies ahead. To see danger and be able to stop, this is wisdom indeed. Favorable to the southwest: going, one obtains the center; unfavorable to the northeast: that path is exhausted. Favorable to see the great person: going, there is merit. In place and steadfast, good fortune, and thereby the state is set right. Great indeed is the use of the time of Obstruction.
ExplainedDanger ahead and the ability to stop is wisdom, for the Book does not urge risk-taking, and to love contention is already danger. The level southwest means equality of mind, and equality is where awakening begins; to climb the peak is to be exhausted in the end. The great person is not one with powers or rank but one who labors and gives himself for others, and in following him one finds merit.
Xiang Zhuan — Image Commentary （大象）
Water upon the mountain: Obstruction. Thus the noble one turns back to himself and cultivates his virtue.
ExplainedWhen the road will not carry you, turn around and examine yourself, refine your character and build up virtue: this is how the knot is untied. The strongest is the one who conquers himself, and cultivation is precisely the conquering of one's own craving, which should be spent on saving others rather than on enlarging desire.
The Six Lines （六爻）
The lines are read from the bottom upward. Each carries its own text, a Small Image commentary, and a plain-English reading.
Line 1 · YinLine 1
Going brings obstruction; returning brings honor.
Small ImageGoing brings obstruction, returning brings honor: it is fitting to wait.
ExplainedEvery line here speaks of going and returning. Going means contending for name and gain, where the road is blocked at every turn; returning means turning the light around and cultivating virtue. Honor is not won but yielded: the one who has ability and does not contend is praised, while the one who wins contention earns only envy.
Line 2 · YinLine 2
King and minister in trouble upon trouble: not for their own sake.
Small ImageKing and minister in trouble upon trouble: in the end, no resentment.
ExplainedTo share a nation's calamity without avoiding it is not for self-proof but for the sake of others. Only hardship borne for the public good can dissolve the hidden grudge of resentment and self-importance that secretly poisons human relations; to be tested and to suffer in the public cause is a blessing, for it clears what resentment would otherwise carry from life to life.
Line 3 · YangLine 3
Going brings obstruction; returning turns back.
Small ImageGoing brings obstruction, returning turns back: there is joy within.
ExplainedAgain the warning against chasing name and gain; the return is the turning of the light to restore one's original nature. Set the mind on the inner gate, guard the one and let the light reflect back, the simplest thing of all, since intention goes where it is placed. Recovering one's nature, one is filled with an inward joy no outer pursuit can give.
Line 4 · YinLine 4
Going brings obstruction; returning joins together.
Small ImageGoing brings obstruction, returning joins together: in place and substantial.
ExplainedWhen the task is too heavy for one pair of hands, but one has already turned the light around and reached inward joy, helpers arrive and join in one heart. Being in the right place means the hardship faced is for rightness and not for profit, and a well-cultivated, joyful person draws many to share the burden.
Line 5 · YangLine 5
Great obstruction: friends come.
Small ImageGreat obstruction, friends come: because of centrality and measure.
ExplainedA great obstruction is not a private trouble but a nation's or an age's descent. Then friends come from afar, not mere companions but the enlightened, drawn by kindred purpose and descending to aid. Because one has walked the center with right measure, emotion at rest and action well attuned, the aid comes and resistance breaks like split bamboo.
Line 6 · YinLine 6
Going brings obstruction; returning brings greatness. Good fortune. Favorable to see the great person.
Small ImageGoing brings obstruction, returning brings greatness: the will is within. Favorable to see the great person: thereby following what is noble.
ExplainedSet against the dead end of contending is the great harvest of turning back within, and the greatest harvest is to meet the great person and be lifted beyond the ordinary. Like attracts like: become one who turns back to cultivate virtue, and the sages come seeking you. Those who chase name and gain are base; those who cultivate themselves are noble.
Key takeaway
Obstruction teaches that in difficulty one should not contend for the heights but take the level way, follow the great person, and turn inward to cultivate virtue.
Frequently asked questions
What does Hexagram 39 (Jian) mean in the I Ching?
Jian is Water over Mountain: water running down the mountain, so that every step is hard. The hexagram speaks of difficult roads, and counsels avoiding the contest for the heights in favor of the level and easy way, of drawing near the great person, and of the noble one turning back to cultivate his own virtue.
What is the judgment of Hexagram 39?
Obstruction. Favorable to the southwest, unfavorable to the northeast. Favorable to see the great person. Steadfastness brings good fortune. The road of life is full of difficulty. The southwest is the yielding, level direction; the northeast is the peak where one struggles to be first. If the road can be walked without contention, do not contend, for contention breeds the self and with the self comes guilt that destroys all merit. And the most important…
What do the six lines of Hexagram 39 say?
Line 1: Going brings obstruction; returning brings honor. Line 2: King and minister in trouble upon trouble: not for their own sake. Line 3: Going brings obstruction; returning turns back. Line 4: Going brings obstruction; returning joins together. Line 5: Great obstruction: friends come. Line 6: Going brings obstruction; returning brings greatness. Good fortune. Favorable to see the great person.
What is the main lesson of Hexagram 39 (Obstruction)?
Obstruction teaches that in difficulty one should not contend for the heights but take the level way, follow the great person, and turn inward to cultivate virtue.
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