Hexagram 64 Line 1: 初六
Classical Chinese Text
初六 濡其尾。吝。
濡其尾
Line Commentary
He gets his tail in the water. Humiliating. In times of disorder there is a temptation to advance yourself as rapidly as possible in order to accomplish something tangible. But this enthusiasm leads only to failure and humiliation if the time for achievement has not yet arrived. In such a time it is wise to spare yourself the opprobrium of failure by holding back.
Commentary
You get your tail in the water. Humiliating. In times of disorder there is a temptation to advance yourself rapidly to accomplish something tangible. But this enthusiasm leads only to failure and humiliation—the time for achievement has not yet arrived. The young fox, lacking the old fox's caution, plunges in boldly and may fall through. Spare yourself the opprobrium of failure by holding back.
When This Line Changes
If Line 1 changes, Hexagram 64 Wei Ji (Before Completion) transforms into Hexagram 38 Kui (Opposition).
Parent Hexagram
Fire (離) over Water (坎)
Upper Trigram: ☲ Fire | Lower Trigram: ☵ Water