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The image of hexagram 40
Jiě Release

Hexagram 40 has trigram Kăn, Water, below or inside, Zhèn, Thunder, above or outside. Kăn is formless water, in a person it removes all stiffness. Zhèn moves without letting itself be hindered. Together they cause supreme freedom of tension.

What does it mean, 'inner' and 'outer' trigram (popup)

When trigram Kăn is below (popup)

When trigram Zhèn is above (popup)

Kăn below Zhèn: Kăn often indicates intuition and the freeing of tensions because it has no shape of its own, and when it has Zhèn on the outside to manifest that, you get the immediate reaction power of acrobats. A freedom of thinking, moving, and split-second decisions that is not restrained by rules, ideas or fears.

The old diviners gave this combination of trigrams a name: Jiě, Release. It is letting go an arrow at the right moment, so it hits its target. The way of Water and the swiftness of Thunder make this possible.

Ideogram of the character Jiě: at the top two hands with a horn, at the bottom the head of an ox, but probably originally an arrow (with bow-string?) and the horn either an awl or an archer's thimble. Release, solution, opening bound and tied things, remove, abolish, stop, melt, clarify, analyze and explain, understand, reconciliation, negligent, relaxed, slack, encounter, to alleviate (pain etc); to cut apart, dissect, dissolve, discharge (water etc), defecate, to forward, send, hand over to. In the past, it referred to various skills of acrobatic performances, especially those performed on horses.

The Image says: Thunder and rain at work: release. The noble one pardons transgressions and is lenient towards crimes.

Hex.40 is the contrast of 37, which is about being and acting according to your abilities and to the place in life where you belong.
Hex.40 is when nothing is predefined, it is the moment and the intuïtion which decide the action. Hex.40 is the hexagram of the archer who releases the arrow at the right moment and exactly on its target. Not by aiming consciously but because nothing else exists for him right then.

  Story:
   Freedom is to be innocent.
   Guilt is the most massive prison wall there is. It makes you do, think and be what others prescribe.
   If you think yourself something should be done, then do it. If not, then don’t – and don’t let anyone point at you and make a feeling of guilt in you. And never do that yourself. Making guilt is a crime against life.
   Stay free and leave free.

The image of hexagram 40 Jiě Release

The image of hexagram 40
Jiě Release