Hexagram 23:

decompose, break down, strip(ing) away

By Augustin Chan · Last updated 2025

Upper Trigram
Lower Trigram

Judgment

decompose, break down, strip(ing) away
(it) (is) not (much); will not be; nothing
worth(while), reward(ing), benefit(icial)
yǒu(to, in) have, find, take(ing) (on)
yōusomewhere; (a) place, direction, purpose
wǎngto go, move towards; in going; ahead

剝。不利有攸往。順時而行。智者接受無法阻止嘅事,小心管理過渡。

Image

shān(a, the) mountain
added, in addition; depends, (is) contingent
to; on, upon
(the) earth, ground, land
decomposing
shàng(a, the) superior(s), lofty; those above
accordingly, therefore, thus
hòu(is, are) generous, tolerant, genuine (to, with)
xià(a, the) subordinate(s), lowly, those below
ān(in, to) secure, ensure, confirm, settle(ing)
zhái(a, their) place, position, base; dwelling(s)

山附於地,剝之象也。上以厚下安宅。——喺上嘅人想保住位置,就要對下面嘅人慷慨。

城市遺跡(Urban Artifact)

Hexagram 23 digital artifact

九龍城寨 — 拆卸剖面

香港市政工程署 + 時間 (AD 1993)

超高密度嘅『山』被切開,似塊晶石咁:床鋪、掛曆、電線、空氣,全部露晒出嚟。剝唔係報仇;係拆嘅程序。穩固、記錄、搬遷,等結構重歸泥土。良善嘅種子留低咗:教訓、地圖、前行嘅生命。

Historical Context

Period
周代
Oracle Bone Etymology
山(☶)坐響上面,地(☷)坐響下面——山停喺地上,但地基慢慢蝕緊。
Traditional Use
古籍形容暗爻由下漸漸升,推翻最後一條光爻。同第九個月(十月至十一月)相關,嗰陣陰力上升完全取代陽。

Lines

Line 1: 剝床以足蔑貞凶

depriving, stripping, abridging, reducing
chuáng(the) bed, couch, divan, platform
of (the use of); by (taking)
(the, its) legs, support, basis, stand, footing
miè(to) dismiss, disregard, ignore, disdain (such)
zhēnpersistence, loyalty, steadfastness, truth
xiōng(is) unfortunate, ill-omened; has pitfalls

Line 2: 剝床以辨蔑貞凶

depriving, stripping, abridging, reducing
chuáng(the) bed, couch, divan, platform
of (the use of); by (taking)
biàn(the, its) frame, context, distinction(-iveness)
miè(to) dismiss, ignore, disdain(ing) (such)
zhēnpersistence, loyalty, steadfastness, truth
xiōng(is) unfortunate, ill-omened; has pitfalls

Line 3: 剝之無咎

depriving, curtailing, abridging, cutting back
zhīitself; oneself, one's own; here; this
is not, no; is without; avoids, escapes
jiùblame; wrong; (a) mistake, (an) error(s)

Line 4: 剝床以膚凶

depriving, stripping, abridging, reducing
chuáng(the) bed, couch, divan [of complacency]
of (the use of); by (taking); for
(the, its) flesh, skin, meat [its occupant]
xiōngunfortunate, ill-omened, ominous, brutal

Line 5: 貫魚以宮人寵無不利

guàn(a) string(line), line, thread; [suc-, pro- cession]
of fish(es); [prosperous, contented people]
by (way, means) of; through, with; due to
gōng(the) palace, (large, upper class) household
rénoccupants', inhabitants', personnel's, staff's
chǒngsponsorship, kindness, favor, esteem
without; (there is) nothing
doubt; (that) (is) not; (which) cannot be
worthwhile, (turned to) advantage(ous)

Line 6: 碩果不食君子得輿小人剝廬

shuò(the) ripe, plump, large(est); (over)ripe
guǒfruit (realization, conclusion, outcome, result)
is not; will not be; avoids, escapes; goes un-
shí(being) eaten, consumed, fed upon; food
jūn(a, the) noble, worthy, honored
young one, heir, disciple
gains, finds, occupies, receives, claims
輿support, basis, ground, transport, carriage
xiǎo(as, while) (the) average, common, petty
rénones, folk, people
(are) deprived of; tear down, scavenge, loot
(their)(own) hovels, shacks, shanties, slums

Practical Guidance

九龍城寨,1993年。挖土機入場。香港嗰座無政府嘅山——14層無規劃建築,33,000人住喺6.4英畝,幾十年冇政府監管——開始有系統咁拆。 卦廿三:剝。山上地下。結構塌緊,但唔係報復。係程序。政府唔會凌晨三點派警察拎鐵錘撞入去。佢哋穩固、記錄、搬遷。佢哋賠償。佢哋拆之前影低每間房。佢哋保留可以保留嘅嘢。 拆到一半嘅剖面露出蜂巢咁嘅內部:房間疊住房間,電線穿過空隙似血管,掛曆仲掛喺牆,透過爛咗嘅安全網見到床鋪。挖土機咬住一層,上面裸露嘅空間有鈉燈照住。呢座山重歸泥土,但係有條理咁進行。 古文教落:不利有攸往。地基拆緊,就咪試住再起高啲。咪堅持話座山可以企到永遠。接受正發生緊嘅事。陰爻升緊——五條暗爻往上推,上面嗰條光爻勉強頂住。呢個係時勢,唔係個人失敗。 錯嘅反應:死頂。啲拒絕搬遷嘅居民,堅持城寨可以繼續落去。咁會導致更大損失——等結構最後塌嗰陣被埋喺入面。啱嘅反應:管理過渡。記錄咗啲乜,搬走住嗰度嘅人,等山還返做泥土但保留良善嘅種子。 良善嘅種子留低咗。九龍城寨拆卸產生咗完整嘅相片記錄。建築研究。口述歷史。居民獲賠償搬咗走。嗰啲教訓——關於非正規城市化、關於密度超晒所有規劃會點——呢啲留低咗。有形嘅山冇咗,但佢產生嘅知識繼續前行。 你嘅對應版本:個項目失敗緊。段關係完緊。項技術淘汰咗。你感覺到地基拆緊。五條陰爻升咗;剩返一條陽爻勉強撐住。咪展開新行動。咪將資源倒落去救時間已經判咗死刑嘅嘢。穩固、記錄、搬遷。小心管理拆嘅過程。 山附於地。當地攞返起喺佢上面嘅嘢,智者唔會同地心吸力鬥。佢哋確保喺上嘅人(領導、餘下嘅持份者)慷慨對待下面嘅人(受塌影響嘅人)嚟維持位置。賠償、記錄、有序過渡。 九龍城寨拆咗十四個月。唔係突然災難——有條理咁還返做泥土。咁就係當你阻止唔到拆嗰陣嘅處理方法。挖土機咬、房間似晶石咁打開,剩低嘅係山曾經企過嘅平地。良善嘅種子:學到嘅教訓、前行嘅生命、完整嘅紀錄。

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