I Ching · Hexagram 47 of 64
47. Kùn 困 · Oppression
By Destiny Kua · Updated
Exhausted and hemmed in. Words fail, so let actions speak.
- Upper trigram
- Lake 兌
- Lower trigram
- Water 坎
What hexagram 47 means
Kùn shows a lake with its water drained away below: exhaustion and confinement. It is oppression, a time when you are hemmed in and your words aren't believed. The traditional advice is to stay cheerful and true inside, and to let actions rather than explanations speak.
Hexagram 47 in daily life
At work
Exhausted or blocked by circumstances. Talk less, act steadily and conserve energy.
In relationships
Hard times, and words aren't landing. Show care through what you do.
For yourself
Keep your spirit up. Adversity can strengthen character.
The six changing lines
If your cast included changing lines (a 6 or a 9), read the matching lines below. Line 1 is the bottom line.
| Line | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Line 1 | Sitting oppressed under a bare tree, wandering into a gloomy valley. For a while, nothing is clear. |
| Line 2 | Oppressed even amid food and drink. Help arrives from someone in authority; be sincere. |
| Line 3 | Stuck on stone, leaning on thorns, returning home to find no comfort. Misfortune; stop forcing. |
| Line 4 | Help arrives very slowly. Some embarrassment, but it comes to an end. |
| Line 5 | Cut off and frustrated, then joy comes gently. Be sincere and patient. |
| Line 6 | Tangled in vines, you think: 'if I move, I'll regret it.' Acknowledge the regret, then move. Good fortune. |
The two trigrams
The lower trigram, Water 坎 (Kǎn), stands for your inner state and the root of the situation. The upper trigram, Lake 兌 (Duì), stands for the outer circumstances. In element terms this is Metal over Water. Water is the trigram of Kua 1 and Lake is the trigram of Kua 7.
Related hexagrams
- Opposite (every line changed): 22. Bì 賁 · Grace
- Inverted (read upside down): 48. Jǐng 井 · The Well
- Trigrams swapped: 60. Jié 節 · Limitation
Questions to reflect on
- What is exhausting me, and what can I let go?
- What action would speak louder than words?
- How can I stay cheerful inside?
Our line summaries are written in plain English in our own words, based on the traditional meanings. For reflection and entertainment, not prediction or professional advice.