Gen, nine in the third placeHexagram 52, line 3 · Gen (Stillness) · changing to 23
The line
In plain wordsStopping rigidly at the waist, as if the flesh of the back were torn apart, so that you can neither bend nor straighten. It is dangerous, and the heart is as uneasy as if it were being roasted over a fire. Where you need to be flexible, you must not force a stop.
The Image commentary on this line
艮其限，危薰心也。
"Stilling the waist": the danger scorches the heart.
The small Image commentary is the earliest explanation of the line texts. It usually explains a line from its position: where it stands, whether it holds the center, and which line answers it.
Verdict
慎Proceed with care. There is some risk, or some regret left over, but nothing serious. Notice it early, correct it early, and things turn for the better.
How to read good fortune, misfortune, regret, humiliation and no blame →
Asking about work, love or money
- Work
- You have jammed something shut by force: cut it off in one stroke, stopped the work, stopped talking. Now nothing above or below can move, and you are burning with worry. The danger lies in being too rigid; leave room where things need to turn.
- Love
- Forcing yourself to cut off your feelings, or using the silent treatment to make a problem stop, leaves everything frozen, and the one suffering most inside is you. Stopping by force like this is dangerous. What needs saying still has to be said; leave a gap so you can both turn around.
- Money
- Cutting off all spending at once, even what needs spending, leaves your life jammed tight and your mind anxious all day. Clamping down this hard is dangerous: saving is not freezing. Keep paying for what is necessary, and leave yourself some room to move.
This is how to read it when this is the only changing line. With several changing lines, first see which text governs; for the hexagram as a whole, see Gen.
Line position
A yang line in a yang place: it is in its proper place. Its partner is the top line, which is also yang, so there is no answer from it.
Third place: the top of the lower trigram, a place of risk. A moment of transition. Be on guard.
When you get this line
If this is the only changing line in your cast (three backs, old yang), this line is your answer. The primary hexagram is Gen (Stillness); when this line changes it becomes Bo (Splitting Apart): hexagram 52 changing to 23.
Which text to read with several changing lines →
Resulting hexagram · Bo (Splitting Apart)
The foundation is being hollowed out bit by bit. This is no time to act.