First Six (初六)
Repeated danger; entering the pit within. Evil.
Danger piling upon danger pulls you deeper into trouble. Do not grow accustomed to hardship or accept a worsening situation as normal.
Hexagram 29
Kǎn 坎
Upper · Kǎn (Water) | Lower · Kǎn (Water)
Danger · water · repeated difficulty · sincerity · overcoming peril · genuine heart
What does Hexagram 29 mean?
Hexagram 29, Kǎn (坎), is about danger, water, and repeated difficulty. When danger recurs, a sincere and honest heart becomes your greatest strength.
The Judgment
Khan repeated shows sincerity; the mind penetrates; action has worth.
When danger recurs, a sincere and honest heart becomes your greatest strength. Your mind grows sharp and clear through facing hardship. Like water flowing around obstacles, you find your way forward by remaining truthful and moving with purpose—this is how you transform peril into progress.
The Lines
Second Nine (九二)
Peril upon peril; seeking the small, one finds it.
When surrounded by difficulty, release grand ambitions and build from small gains. Modest progress now sustains you through the crisis.
Third Six (六三)
Coming and going both bring danger; all is peril and unrest. Enter the pit. Do not act.
When every direction holds risk, stillness is wisdom. Pause and wait rather than exhaust yourself in fruitless struggle.
Fourth Six (六四)
A simple cup and bowl of earthenware; sincerity flows through the window. In the end, no error.
Humble, genuine exchange—even in scarcity—opens the way forward. Your honest heart and modest approach will see you through.
Fifth Nine (九五)
The defile not yet full; order approaches. No error.
The crisis has not reached its worst; relief is near. Trust that extremes naturally turn, and your patience will be rewarded.
Sixth Six (上六)
Bound with rope, cast into thorns; three years pass without finding the way. Evil.
Clinging to old mistakes and refusing to change traps you for years. Break free from what binds you, or suffer prolonged captivity.
Hexagram 29 FAQ
What does Hexagram 29 mean for career?
You face real obstacles, yet this is not the time to abandon your path. Move with the flexibility of water—find the way around, not through, what blocks you. Your integrity and steady effort now will become your greatest asset later. The difficulty you endure today builds the resilience you will need tomorrow.
What does Hexagram 29 mean for love and relationships?
Strain in your relationships need not be permanent. Speak and listen with genuine heart; avoid emotional outbursts and instead respond with the calm fluidity of water. Weathering hardship together often deepens bonds. Sincerity, not perfection, is what heals.
What does Hexagram 29 mean for study and personal growth?
Learning feels hard right now, and that is precisely where growth lives. Build your foundation slowly and steadily, like water filling a vessel from the bottom. The struggle you feel is not a sign of failure—it is the sign of real learning taking root. Persist without haste.
What does Hexagram 29 mean for business and money?
Crisis tests your character and adaptability. Stay true to your principles while remaining flexible in your methods. Manage risk carefully; do not compound one problem with another. Your ability to navigate danger with integrity will ultimately determine your survival and success.
What should I be careful about with Hexagram 29?
The greatest danger is becoming numb to hardship and accepting decline as inevitable. Do not let repeated difficulty erode your will to change. Avoid hasty action born of frustration; instead, wait for the right moment to move. Patience and discernment, not force, will free you.
What if Hexagram 29 has changing lines?
Read the line statement for each changing line above. With two or more changing lines, Zhu Xi’s rules decide which text leads the reading.
Original English translation by James Legge, 1882 (Public Domain). Editorial adaptation © Yijing.