I Ching hexagram · 29 of 64
Hexagram 29: The Abysmal 坎 Kǎn · Danger, depth, persistence
Repeated danger. Stay sincere and steady to pass through. Repeated danger. If you are sincere, your heart has success, and whatever you do is honoured.
- Upper: ☵ Water
- Lower: ☵ Water
- Nuclear: 27
- Opposite: 30
Number
29 of 64
Chinese name
坎 Kǎn
Upper trigram
☵ Water
Lower trigram
☵ Water
Nuclear hexagram
䷚ 27. Nourishment
Opposite hexagram
䷝ 30. The Clinging
What hexagram 29 means
Hexagram 29 doubles the trigram Water: danger upon danger, one ravine after another. It describes a time of serious difficulty, risk and repeated trials.
Water shows the way through. It flows on, fills every hollow and never loses its course. Stay sincere and consistent, keep moving step by step, and danger becomes training.
The Judgement · 卦辞
习坎：有孚，维心亨，行有尚。
Repeated danger. If you are sincere, your heart has success, and whatever you do is honoured.
The Image · 象曰
水洊至，习坎；君子以常德行，习教事。
Water flows on without stopping: the image of the repeated abyss. The noble person keeps to steady virtue and practises the work of teaching.
The lines and trigrams
The Abysmal doubles the trigram ☵ Water (坎 Kǎn), so its quality of danger and depth fills both the inner and the outer world.
A hexagram is read from the bottom line up. Lines 1 to 3 form the lower trigram and lines 4 to 6 the upper trigram. Solid lines are yang and broken lines are yin; in the traditional names a yang line is called Nine (九) and a yin line Six (六).
Hexagram 29 in your life
Love and relationships
Difficult times test the relationship. Honesty and steady commitment carry you through; avoid risky emotional choices.
Personal growth
Courage is built in hard times. Keep your heart steady and practise what you know is right.
The six changing lines
If you cast hexagram 29 and some lines come out as changing lines, read the text for those lines, then turn each one into its opposite to find the hexagram your situation is moving towards. See how to consult the I Ching.
Line 1 初六 · Six at the beginning
Repeated danger, and you fall into a pit within the ravine. Growing used to danger leads to misfortune.
Line 2 九二 · Nine in the second place
The ravine is dangerous. Aim only for small gains for now.
Line 3 六三 · Six in the third place
Danger in front and behind. Don't act; wait until a way out appears.
Line 4 六四 · Six in the fourth place
A jug of wine and a bowl of rice in plain earthenware, passed in through the window. Simple sincerity brings no blame in the end.
Line 5 九五 · Nine in the fifth place
The ravine is not yet overflowing. Fill it only to the brim and don't overreach; no blame.
Line 6 上六 · Six at the top
Bound with ropes and hemmed in by thorns, for three years you cannot find the way. Misfortune.
Hexagram 29 questions, answered
What does I Ching hexagram 29 mean?
Hexagram 29, The Abysmal (坎 Kǎn), is about danger, depth, persistence. Repeated danger. Stay sincere and steady to pass through. Hexagram 29 doubles the trigram Water: danger upon danger, one ravine after another. It describes a time of serious difficulty, risk and repeated trials.
What does hexagram 29 mean in love?
Difficult times test the relationship. Honesty and steady commitment carry you through; avoid risky emotional choices.
What does hexagram 29 mean for work and money?
Repeated obstacles or a risky environment. Don't take shortcuts: be consistent, learn from each challenge and stay sincere.
Which trigrams make up hexagram 29?
Hexagram 29 is made of the Water trigram (Kǎn) doubled, above and below.
What are the related hexagrams of hexagram 29?
Its nuclear hexagram is 27, Nourishment. Its opposite, with every line changed, is 30, The Clinging. It reads the same upside down, so it is its own inverse.
All 64 hexagrams
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