Hexagram 47: 困

kùn — exhaustion, oppression; beset, afflicted, tired

Upper TrigramLake

Lower TrigramWater

Judgment

困kùnexhaustion, oppression; beset, afflicted, tired

亨hēngfulfillment, satisfaction, success, completion

貞zhēnand, with persistence, determination, focus

大dàto, for a the mature, complete, full, great

人rénhuman being, character, one, person

吉jípromise, hope; an opportunity

無wúno; not; without, with no

咎jiùblame; wrong; a mistake, an error

有yǒubut to have, remember; there will be

言yánthe, this, these words, talk, theory

不bùis, but not, no; still wants, needs; without

信xìnto believe; the, ir assurance, conviction

Oppression. Success. Perseverance. The great man brings good fortune and remains blameless. But words are not believed. Times of adversity require inner strength and sparse speech. Cheerfulness despite danger is the source of later success.

Image

澤zéthe lake, pool, pond, marsh

無wúwithout, with no; has no; lacks, wants

水shuǐwater, flow

困kùnexhaustion

君jūnnoble, worthy, honored

子zǐyoung one, heir, disciple

以yǐaccordingly, therefore, thus

致zhìinvokes, involves; calls for, upon

命mìnga higher order, power, purpose; command

遂suìto follow through; succeed in, carry out

志zhìthe aim, intent(ion), objective; resolve

There is no water in the lake. Thus the superior man stakes his life on following his will. When external circumstances fail, only inner truth remains. This concerns the deepest stratum of being—superior to external fate.

Digital Artifact

Infocom's Bankruptcy and Activision Acquisition

Infocom Interactive Fiction (1986)

Infocom created the gold standard of interactive fiction—Zork, Planetfall, Trinity—with literary writing and elegant puzzles. Then they made Cornerstone, a database product meant to diversify beyond games. It failed catastrophically, draining resources while the market shifted toward graphics. Lake above Water: the lake empty, dried up, no water remaining. Exhaustion complete. By 1986, bankruptcy. The tragedy wasn't lack of capability—it was spirit breaking under adversity. The classical text: when a strong person meets constraint, they remain cheerful despite danger, creating power to react. But if adversity breaks the spirit, there's no success. Infocom's spirit broke. They couldn't adapt, couldn't bend, sat oppressed under a bare tree falling into gloom. External circumstances were adverse, but internal attitude made the difference between bending and breaking.

Historical Context

Period: Zhou Dynasty
Oracle Bone Etymology: Lake (☱) sits above, Water (☵) sits below—joyous above, abysmal below.
Traditional Use: The classical text describes oppression as the lake above emptied out, water below drained away. Superior people hemmed in by inferior circumstances. Times of adversity that can lead to success if they befall the right person, but break those who let their spirit be overwhelmed.

Lines

Line 1: 臀困于株木入于幽谷三歲不覿

臀túnthe, with rump, buttocks, bottom, rear end

困kùnbeset, distressed, afflicted, belabored

于yúby, with

株zhūcane, stick, rod, staff, branch, stem

木mùof wood; wooden

入rùentering; going

于yúinto; inside, through; entering

幽yōuthe gloomy, dismal, dark; of gloom

谷gǔvalley, depression, rut, hollow; the valley

三sānfor three

歲suìyears, harvests

不bùnot; without being; without an

覿díseen face to face; a visitor; encounter

Line 2: 困于酒食朱紱方來利用享祀征凶

困kùnbeset, oppressed, distressed, afflicted

于yúamidst, at, before; by, with

酒jiǔwine, drink, spirits, refreshment

食shíand food, sustenance, nourishment

朱zhūthe scarlet, red, vermillion

紱fúsashed nobles; sashes, leggings; gentry

方fāngsuddenly, directly; with direction(s)

來láiarrive, appear; approach, come

利lìworthwhile, rewarding, beneficial

用yòngand useful, productive, practical

享xiǎngto offer up, present, consecrate, dedicate

祀sìthe sacrifice + to give up this spirit

征zhēnginitiative; to expedite, assert, go boldly

凶xiōngbut; it, this is not; avoids; less

Line 3: 困于石據于蒺藜入于其宮不見其妻凶

困kùnbeset, oppressed, distressed, afflicted

于yúby, with, among, before

石shístone, rock

據jùseize; grab, grasp, hold, take, possession

于yúupon, on; at; onto, on to; of

蒺jíthorns, thistles, caltrops

藜líbrambles; and brambles, briars

入rùentering; going

于yúinto, inside, within, through(out); entering

其qíhis

宮gōnghouse, home, chambers, dwelling

不bùbut not

見jiànseeing

其qíhis

妻qīwife

凶xiōngunfortunate, lucky, happy; disappointing

Line 4: 來徐徐困于金車吝有終

來láiapproaching, coming, arriving

徐xúslowly; haltingly, hesitantly, carefully

徐xúso slowly; and gravely

困kùnbeset, oppressed, distressed, afflicted

于yúin, inside, within

金jīnmetal, gilded, bronze, an expensive

車chēchariot, carriage

吝lìnbut the, this embarrassment, humiliation

有yǒuhas; will have, attain, find

終zhōngan end, outcome, conclusion, limit, finale

Line 5: 劓刖困于赤紱乃徐有說利用祭祀

劓yìnose cut off; noseless

刖yuèand feet cut off; footless; defeated

困kùnbeset, oppressed, distressed, afflicted

于yúby, amidst, among, with

赤chìthe blush, carnation, pink, rouge

紱fúsashed ministers; sashes, leggings

乃nǎiand only then, but then; although, however

徐xúslowly, gradually, carefully

有yǒugetting, attaining, finding, claiming, learning

說shuōrelief, release, freedom, abandon, escape

利lìworthwhile, rewarding, beneficial

用yòngand useful, productive, practical

祭jìto give, offer up; worship; sacrifice

祀sìand a, the this big, generous sacrifice

Line 6: 困于葛藟于臲卼曰動悔有悔征吉

困kùnbeset, oppressed, distressed, afflicted

于yúby, with, among, amidst

葛gécreeping, creepy; creepers, crawlers, kudzu

藟lěiand vines, lianas

于yúproceeding, going in, with

臲nièunsteadiliness; feebly, unstably, unevenly

卼wùand awkwardly(ness); uncomfortably

曰yuēand, while saying, uttering, speaking

動dòngthat action, activity, movement, excitement

悔huǐis, means, brings regret(s), remorse

有yǒuto have, take, claim, earn, assume, presume, own

悔huǐthe regret(s), remorse

征zhēngand expedite, press on, go boldly forward

吉jíis promising, auspicious, opportune, timely

Practical Guidance

You're facing constraint. Resources depleted, options limited, external circumstances adverse. The project's stalled. The team's demoralized. The market's shifted. You're sitting under that bare tree feeling the three years of nothing. Here's what this probably means: the situation can go either way. If you let the exhaustion break your spirit—if you fall into melancholy, if you give up internally—then yes, the oppression wins. But if adversity only bends you, if you maintain inner strength despite external constraints, then you create a power to react that will eventually manifest. The critical distinction: you can't control external circumstances right now. Infocom couldn't force the market to prefer text adventures. But you can control internal attitude. That's what 'stakes his life on following his will' means—not stubbornly forcing the same failed approach, but maintaining core purpose regardless of circumstances. Practical moves in oppression: stop explaining yourself. Words aren't believed anyway. Conserve energy. Focus on what you can actually control. Maintain the deepest principles—the architectural values, the quality standards, the relationships that matter—even if you can't manifest them fully right now. This isn't the time for expansive action. It's the time for inner fortification. The oppression is temporary. The question is whether you'll still be intact, still coherent, still functional when conditions change. Some storms you don't navigate through—you just survive and rebuild after. Stay strong within. The external circumstances will shift eventually.

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