I Ching · Hexagram 40 of 64
Hexagram 40: Jie （解） — Deliverance
Jie is Thunder over Water: thunder moves, rain falls, and the drought is relieved. The hexagram speaks of escape from difficulty through timely action, and of how hardship, calamity and karmic obstruction are dissolved and misfortune turned into good.
At a glance
| Hexagram | 40 of 64 |
|---|---|
| Name | Jie 解 · Deliverance |
| Upper trigram | Zhen （震）· Thunder |
| Lower trigram | Kan （坎）· Water |
| Structure | Thunder over Water |
| Lines | 6 lines |
The Judgment （卦辞）
Deliverance. Favorable to the southwest. If there is nowhere to go, the return brings good fortune. If there is somewhere to go, early action brings good fortune.
ExplainedWhere obstruction once held, now comes release, loosening and reconciliation. The southwest is the yielding and level: become approachable, humble and kind, and above all give up contention and argument, settling the invisible temper first. Have nowhere to go: lay down the ambition for success and satisfaction and wait in non-doing, restoring the root of the mind before body, family, marriage and work can be repaired in turn. And once the turn comes, set out again, for having been adjusted and knowing where one went wrong, every step will be auspicious.
Tuan Zhuan — Commentary on the Judgment （彖传）
Deliverance: danger and movement; by moving, one escapes danger. Favorable to the southwest: going, one obtains the multitude. The return brings good fortune: one obtains the center. If there is somewhere to go, early action brings good fortune: going, there is merit. Heaven and earth released, thunder and rain arise; thunder and rain arising, the hundred grains and all plants burst their husks. Great indeed is the time of Deliverance.
ExplainedDanger joined with movement is the hexagram of escape: recovery from illness, a business turned from loss to profit, a broken marriage mended, a cold household made warm again. To lower oneself and not contend is to win support, as humility gathers people while force repels even kin. Restoring the vital root requires attaining the center, holding the middle so that emotion and desire fall silent, and from that stillness a harmony follows in which heaven aids and people help. Then going forth again brings no hindrance, and one can reconcile opponents and fulfill great vows.
Xiang Zhuan — Image Commentary （大象）
Thunder and rain arise: Deliverance. Thus the noble one pardons faults and forgives crimes.
ExplainedWhen thunder and rain break the drought, hardship turns to relief; and so in a time of calamity the noble one proclaims amnesty, and for himself forgives others. The karma that now appears is one's own guilt, and to ask heaven's pardon one must first pardon others, for forgiveness is the fire that melts the ice of debt.
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
No blame.
Small ImageThe meeting of firm and yielding: in rightness, no blame.
ExplainedNo blame means skill in making amends, which is repentance. Faced with obstruction, the first task is to repent and not to blame the nation or one's kin, for the sea of karma rises from deluded thought. Sit upright and recollect the true nature, gather the scattered mind by recitation, and then see whether one acts rightly for the world; with repentance, recollection and merit, the obstruction clears.
Line 2 · YangLine 2
In the hunt, three foxes are taken; he obtains the yellow arrow. Steadfastness brings good fortune.
Small ImageNine in the second, steadfast and auspicious: the middle way is obtained.
ExplainedThe foxes are doubt and unbelief, which multiply in the heart for want of wisdom. The yellow arrow, yellow being the color of the center, is the middle way itself: guarding the center like a sun that lights all things opens wisdom, clears suspicion, and lets one believe what is worth believing.
Line 3 · YinLine 3
Carrying a burden and riding in a carriage invites the robbers to come. Steadfastness, distress.
Small ImageCarrying a burden and riding in a carriage: shameful indeed. Bringing arms upon oneself, whom else is there to blame?
ExplainedThe commoner without rank who rides a four-horse carriage invites robbers: to display wealth without position is to call for plunder. Hoarding teaches theft and flaunting beauty invites assault, and to parade wealth, talent, attainment or even one's children is to draw envy and conflict. Calamity summoned by oneself, of whom can one complain?
Line 4 · YangLine 4
Loosen your thumb: friends arrive, and there is trust.
Small ImageLoosening your thumb: the position is not yet fitting.
ExplainedThe thumb is the leading digit: loosen the thought of being foremost. One may hold every other virtue and still want to be the head, so regard yourself as least, as the one who washes the feet of others, and companions come of themselves and trust you. The moment you claim to be the leader, your place is no longer right.
Line 5 · YinLine 5
The noble one is able to untie: good fortune. He is trusted by the petty.
Small ImageThe noble one unties: the petty retire.
ExplainedThe noble one unties everything, turning savagery into serenity, so that the monstrous have nowhere to lodge, for such things arise only where human hearts answer them. Win the petty by sincerity, and sincerity takes form and becomes manifest, moving and transforming, not by compulsion or instruction but by transformation, until the petty mind recedes and turns noble.
Line 6 · YinLine 6
The lord shoots the falcon on the high wall and takes it. Nothing is unfavorable.
Small ImageThe lord shoots the falcon: to untie perversity.
ExplainedThe falcon on the high wall is a fierce bird, and one keeps the weapon on the person and waits for the moment, so that the shot never misses. The falcon stands for hatred, and this line concerns the dissolving of enmity, the spiritual leader settling grudges that have run for generations. Hatred breeds only hatred; only love dissolves hatred and the disasters that follow it.
Key takeaway
Deliverance teaches the dissolving of difficulty, calamity and karmic debt through humility, forgiveness and well-timed action.
Frequently asked questions
What does Hexagram 40 (Jie) mean in the I Ching?
Jie is Thunder over Water: thunder moves, rain falls, and the drought is relieved. The hexagram speaks of escape from difficulty through timely action, and of how hardship, calamity and karmic obstruction are dissolved and misfortune turned into good.
What is the judgment of Hexagram 40?
Deliverance. Favorable to the southwest. If there is nowhere to go, the return brings good fortune. If there is somewhere to go, early action brings good fortune. Where obstruction once held, now comes release, loosening and reconciliation. The southwest is the yielding and level: become approachable, humble and kind, and above all give up contention and argument, settling the invisible temper first. Have nowhere to go: lay down the ambition for success and satisfaction and…
What do the six lines of Hexagram 40 say?
Line 1: No blame. Line 2: In the hunt, three foxes are taken; he obtains the yellow arrow. Steadfastness brings good fortune. Line 3: Carrying a burden and riding in a carriage invites the robbers to come. Steadfastness, distress. Line 4: Loosen your thumb: friends arrive, and there is trust. Line 5: The noble one is able to untie: good fortune. He is trusted by the petty. Line 6: The lord shoots the falcon on the high wall and takes it. Nothing is unfavorable.
What is the main lesson of Hexagram 40 (Deliverance)?
Deliverance teaches the dissolving of difficulty, calamity and karmic debt through humility, forgiveness and well-timed action.
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