I Ching hexagram · 60 of 64
Hexagram 60: Limitation 节 Jié · Limits, discipline, measure
Set sensible limits, neither too strict nor too loose. Success. Harsh limitation should not be persisted in.
- Upper: ☵ Water
- Lower: ☱ Lake
- Nuclear: 27
- Opposite: 56
Number
60 of 64
Chinese name
节 Jié
Upper trigram
☵ Water
Lower trigram
☱ Lake
Nuclear hexagram
䷚ 27. Nourishment
Opposite hexagram
䷷ 56. The Wanderer
What hexagram 60 means
Hexagram 60 shows water over a lake that can hold only so much before it overflows. Its Chinese name means the joints of bamboo. It describes limitation, measure and healthy boundaries.
Sensible limits give life structure, like the joints that make bamboo strong. Limits that are too harsh cannot be kept and break down, so find the right measure.
The Judgement · 卦辞
节：亨。苦节不可贞。
Success. Harsh limitation should not be persisted in.
The Image · 象曰
泽上有水，节；君子以制数度，议德行。
Water over the lake: the image of limitation. The noble person creates number and measure and examines what virtue and right conduct are.
The lines and trigrams
Limitation places ☵ Water (坎 Kǎn), the trigram of danger and depth, above ☱ Lake (兑 Duì), the trigram of joy and openness. The lower trigram describes the inner situation and the upper trigram 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 60 in your life
Love and relationships
Healthy boundaries and fair agreements strengthen the relationship. Avoid being too controlling or too restrictive.
Personal growth
Self-discipline with moderation. Set limits you can live with.
The six changing lines
If you cast hexagram 60 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 初九 · Nine at the beginning
Not going out of the door and courtyard. Knowing your limits brings no blame.
Line 2 九二 · Nine in the second place
Not going out of the gate and courtyard. Hesitating when it is time to act brings misfortune.
Line 3 六三 · Six in the third place
Without limitation there is lament. No blame if you learn from it.
Line 4 六四 · Six in the fourth place
Contented limitation. Success.
Line 5 九五 · Nine in the fifth place
Sweet limitation brings good fortune. Going forward earns esteem.
Line 6 上六 · Six at the top
Bitter limitation. Persisting brings misfortune, though remorse may disappear.
Hexagram 60 questions, answered
What does I Ching hexagram 60 mean?
Hexagram 60, Limitation (节 Jié), is about limits, discipline, measure. Set sensible limits, neither too strict nor too loose. Hexagram 60 shows water over a lake that can hold only so much before it overflows. Its Chinese name means the joints of bamboo. It describes limitation, measure and healthy boundaries.
What does hexagram 60 mean in love?
Healthy boundaries and fair agreements strengthen the relationship. Avoid being too controlling or too restrictive.
What does hexagram 60 mean for work and money?
Budgets, rules and sensible limits. Plan within your means and set realistic targets, without excessive austerity.
Which trigrams make up hexagram 60?
Hexagram 60 has Water (Kǎn) as its upper trigram and Lake (Duì) as its lower trigram.
What are the related hexagrams of hexagram 60?
Its nuclear hexagram is 27, Nourishment. Its opposite, with every line changed, is 56, The Wanderer. Turned upside down it becomes 59, Dispersion.
All 64 hexagrams
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