Hexagram 28 of 64
大過 Dà Guò · Great Exceeding
上 兌 Lake (Duì) over 下 巽 Wind (Xùn)
Too full. Set some down.
Judgment
Zhouyi, hexagram 28, judgment. English translation in preparation.
Image
In short: the lake drowns the wood.
Zhouyi, hexagram 28, Great Image. Short gloss by Koyonari; full translation in preparation.
Commentary
Dà Guò shows the lake rising above the trees, where the central weight-bearing beam bows under excessive stress. Dà Guò addresses the state of being overloaded: setting down a portion of the load meets this moment better than adding more reinforcement. Reduce the weight first before discussing support; enduring the strain is temporary, whereas lightening up is the state that can truly endure.
Koyonari commentary.
The Six Lines
“Spreading white reeds beneath; no blame.” When setting an object down, a layer of clean white thatch grass is also laid beneath it as padding, showing exceptional care. At the beginning of Dàguò, the first yin line meets matters with yielding caution. No blame means no fault, indicating that an extra measure of respectful care does no harm at this moment.
Zhouyi, hexagram 28, line 1. Koyonari translation.
“Placing white cogon grass beneath shows yielding softness positioned below.” Spreading clean white cogon grass beneath objects to show reverence is because Six at the beginning occupies the lowest position with yielding humility; acting with utmost caution and deliberation allows it to avoid error.
Zhouyi, hexagram 28, line 2. Koyonari translation.
“A withered poplar puts forth young shoots; an old man takes a young maiden to wife; nothing that is not favorable.” Fresh shoots emerge from the roots of a withered poplar, and an elderly man gains a young wife. Both are images of renewed vitality amid aging. Tí here means newly sprouted tender shoots. Nothing unfavorable means there is no disadvantage; this line emphasizes the benefit supplied by new vitality.
Zhouyi, hexagram 28, line 3. Koyonari translation.
“An old husband and young wife: exceeding, yet joining together.” An old husband marries a young maiden; the age disparity exceeds ordinary unions, yet they bond harmoniously.
Zhouyi, hexagram 28, line 4. Koyonari translation.
“The ridgepole bends; misfortune.” The main beam of a house bends and can barely bear the weight it supports. Dòng means the main beam, and ráo means bending. Through the image of a beam bending under pressure, the third yang line depicts a burden too heavy for the available support. Misfortune means an unfavorable outcome.
Zhouyi, hexagram 28, line 5. Koyonari translation.
“The misfortune of the sagging ridgepole: it cannot be supported.” The danger of the bending ridgepole is that it can receive no support. Nine in the third place is excessively firm in a yang position, leaving no way to obtain help.
Zhouyi, hexagram 28, line 6. Koyonari translation.
“The ridgepole is braced high; good fortune. If there are other entanglements, distress.” The beam rises upward and can support the house, hence good fortune, meaning a favorable outcome. But additional entanglements bring humiliation, an embarrassing and regrettable predicament. Unlike the bending beam of the third yang line, the fourth yang line can bear a heavy responsibility, yet must still attend to any extra ties that may burden it.
Zhouyi, hexagram 28, line 7. Koyonari translation.
“The arched ridgepole brings good fortune; it bends not downward.” The ridgepole arching upward brings good fortune because it avoids bending downward.
Zhouyi, hexagram 28, line 8. Koyonari translation.
“A withered poplar blooms with flowers; an old woman takes a young man as husband; no blame, no praise.” A withered poplar blossoms, and an elderly woman gains a young husband. Although there is a union, it does not bring continuing renewal like shoots growing from the roots. Huá means flowers. No blame and no praise means there is no fault, but also nothing deserving praise. The vitality shown here is unlikely to last.
Zhouyi, hexagram 28, line 9. Koyonari translation.
“A withered willow blossoms; can it last? An old woman and youth: disgraceful.” A withered willow flowering cannot endure; an elderly woman taking a young husband is likewise unsightly.
Zhouyi, hexagram 28, line 10. Koyonari translation.
“Wading through excessive water until submerged over the head; misfortune, but no blame.” Wading too deep, with water covering the top of the head, is the image of an excessive crossing ending in submersion. Misfortune describes an unfavorable situation and outcome; no blame means there is no moral reproach. The top yin line treats the danger of excessive action separately from the moral assessment of taking on a difficult task.
Zhouyi, hexagram 28, line 11. Koyonari translation.
“The misfortune of wading through the ford cannot be blamed.” Wading too deeply and risking drowning brings misfortune in the outcome; yet courageously braving peril to rescue others and sacrificing oneself for the Way is beyond reproach, and thus should not be blamed.
Zhouyi, hexagram 28, line 12. Koyonari translation.