Hexagram 28
大過 Dà Guò
Great Exceeding
☱ Lake above ☴ Wind
Judgment 卦辭
棟撓。利有攸往。亨。
Commentary
The ridgepole sags. The structure is under too much stress—strong in the middle, weak at the ends. This cannot last. Transition is needed immediately. Find somewhere to go. Success comes only through movement; staying put means collapse.
Classical Text
大過巽下兌上 大過， 棟橈，利有攸往，亨。 棟橈者，謂屋棟也。本之與末俱橈弱，以言衰亂之世，始終皆弱也。「利有攸往亨」者，既遭衰難，聖人利有所往，以拯患難，乃得亨通，故云「利有攸往亨」也。 ○注「音相過之過」。正義曰：相過者，謂相過越之甚也，非謂相過從之過，故《象》云「澤滅木」，是過越之甚也。四陽在中，二陰在外，以陽之過越之甚也。
Da Guo (Great Excess), with Xun below and Dui above. Great Excess. The ridgepole sags. It is beneficial to have somewhere to go. Success. "The ridgepole sags" refers to the ridgepole of a house. Both the base and the top are sagging and weak, which speaks of a time of decline and disorder where beginning and end are both weak. "It is beneficial to have somewhere to go; Success" means that having encountered decline and difficulty, the sage benefits from having somewhere to go in order to rescue the time from calamity, and thereby attains success. Therefore it says "It is beneficial to have somewhere to go; Success." Note on "pronounced as the 'guo' of surpassing one another." The Correct Meaning states: "Surpassing one another" means surpassing and exceeding to an extreme degree; it does not mean the 'guo' of passing by. Therefore the Image says "the lake submerges the trees," which signifies surpassing and exceeding to an extreme degree. Four yang lines are in the center and two yin lines are on the outside, showing the extreme excess of the yang.
Image 象
澤滅木，大過。君子以獨立不懼，遁世無悶。
The lake rises above the trees. Extraordinary times. The person of character stands alone without concern, renounces the world without bitterness. When normal structures fail, individual integrity becomes everything.
Lines 爻辭
藉用白茅無咎
Spread white rushes beneath. Extreme caution for extraordinary undertaking. This carefulness looks excessive but isn't wrong. Exceptional ventures fail without exceptional attention to foundations.
Classical commentary
初六，藉用白茅，无咎。
Initial Six. For a mat, use white rushes. No blame.
枯楊生稊老夫得其女妻無不利
The dry poplar sprouts at the root. An older man takes a young wife. Everything works despite appearances. Alliance with what is humble and vital creates renewal. In crisis, connecting with basics creates possibility.
Classical commentary
九二，枯楊生稊，老夫得其女妻，无不利。
Nine in the Second. The withered willow produces shoots. The old husband obtains his young wife. Nothing that is not beneficial.
棟橈凶
The ridgepole breaks. The structure fails. This is misfortune. You insisted on pushing forward when the supports couldn't hold. Refusing counsel, accepting no help—now the weight crashes through.
Classical commentary
《象》曰：棟橈之凶，不可以有輔也。
The Image says: The misfortune of the sagging ridgepole—one cannot serve as a support.
棟隆吉有它吝
The ridgepole is braced. Good fortune—unless your motives are impure. Through connection with those below, you stabilize the situation. But if you use these connections for personal power, shame follows.
Classical commentary
九四，棟隆，吉，有它吝。
Nine in the Fourth. The ridgepole is raised. Auspicious. If there are other involvements, regret.
枯楊生華老婦得其士夫無咎無譽
The withered poplar flowers. The old woman takes a husband. Neither blame nor praise. Flowering exhausts the tree; the marriage produces nothing new. The form is maintained but the substance is spent.
Classical commentary
九五，枯楊生華，老婦得其士夫，无咎无譽。
Nine in the Fifth. The withered willow produces blossoms. The old wife obtains her young husband. No blame, no praise.
過涉滅頂凶無咎
Wading through water that rises over your head. Misfortune, but no blame. You undertake what must be done regardless of personal cost. Some things matter more than survival. This is one of them.
Classical commentary
《象》曰：過涉之凶，不可咎也。
The Image says: The misfortune of wading too deep—one cannot be blamed.