Hexagram 21

Shì Kē, Biting through

  Top 9: Wherefore a cangue extinguishing the ears? Pitfall.
One hears what one expects to hear and does not hear or see reality. It is tunnel thinking. Do not enter the tunnels of common opinion (or your own dead-end one) - rather leave them by thinking further ahead and expecting the uncommon. Perk up those ears!
(Changes to hex.51)   Mirror

  6 at 5: Biting dried meat. Achieving gold. Divination: danger. No fault.
When one makes the root of difficulties visible or conscious, one creates the possibility to do something about it. There is a natural resistance against doing this, because it means change, which is usually hazardous. But it also means your life will improve.
(Changes to hex.25)   Mirror

  9 at 4: Biting dried meat with bone. Achieving a metal arrow head. Fruitful: a difficulties' divination: auspicious.
Only when one goes to the bottom of things, one finds the causes of trouble. Nobody likes to go there, finding problems which are difficult to solve. But it is the only way to make things work right. It will earn you praise.
(Changes to hex.27)  Mirror

  6 at 3: Biting cured meat, encountering poison. Small distress. Without fault.
Enjoy things but not in a mindless way. Maybe everything is fine, but if you’re too gullible, nice times can turn into dark ones. A little precaution or attention can avoid big disasters.
(Changes to hex.30)   Mirror

  6 at 2: Biting skin, extinguishing the nose. Without fault.
Some things don't need scrutiny. Indulge yourself in them, enjoy and move on. Or maybe they teach you a little lesson. Avoiding everything will stop both learning and fun. Small godsends or mistakes teach you how to deal with bigger ones. But: be very careful with every idea you share with others. They might resent, even if - or especially - when you're totally right.
(Changes to hex.38)   Mirror

  Initial 9: Shoes are foot-fetters, keeping the toes in check. Without fault.
Do you walk on the shoes which agree with you, which can carry you along your true path? Prevailing views, from others or yourself, can either prohibit your movements or catapult you onto a wrong path. You need balance between being stuck and having no limits in order to lead your life in a meaningful way.
(Changes to hex.35)  Mirror

  No lines changing: you can try to do things, but they may fail or even backfire. If there's nothing that should (or can) be done, then this might be a good time to relax and refuel. The Poem and the Image are guides that show you the best way to do that.

  The Trigrams offer possibilities that the hexagram-texts don't show.