Shi He
Biting Through
When you receive Hexagram 21, Shi He, the I Ching turns your attention to biting through. Biting Through. Below is its judgment, its image, and the meaning of each changing line.
The Judgment
Biting Through. Successful progress. It furthers to apply constraints.
Classical (Legge)Shih Ho indicates successful progress (in the condition of things which it supposes). It will be advantageous to use legal constraints.
The Image
Thunder and lightning. The ancient kings framed their penalties with strictness and enacted their laws.
Classical (Legge)(The trigrams representing) thunder and lightning form Shih Ho. The ancient kings, in accordance with this, framed their penalties with strictness and enacted their laws.
The Changing Lines
Feet in the stocks, toes cut away. No error.
Classical (Legge)(The subject) has his feet in the stocks and is deprived of his toes. There will be no error.
Biting through the soft flesh, and going on to bite off the nose. No error.
Classical (Legge)(The subject) bites through the soft flesh, and (goes on) to bite off the nose. There will be no error.
Gnawing dried flesh, and meeting with what is disagreeable. There will be occasion for some small regret, but no great error.
Classical (Legge)(The subject) gnaws dried flesh, and meets with what is disagreeable. There will be occasion for some small regret, but no (great) error.
Gnawing the flesh dried on the bone, and getting the pledges of money and arrows. It furthers to realize the difficulty of the task and be firm. Good fortune.
Classical (Legge)(The subject) gnaws the flesh dried on the bone, and gets the pledges of money and arrows. It will be advantageous to him to realise the difficulty of his task and be firm — in which case there will be good fortune.
Gnawing dried flesh, and finding the yellow gold. Be firm and correct, realizing the peril of the position. No error.
Classical (Legge)(The subject) gnaws dried flesh, and gets the yellow gold. Let him be firm and correct, realising the peril (of his position). There will be no error.
Wearing the cangue, ears cut away. Misfortune.
Classical (Legge)(The subject) wears the cangue and is deprived of his ears. There will be evil.
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