初
初六。往蹇、來譽。
Going meets obstruction; coming back gains praise. Retreat wisely.
䷦
Hexagram 39
Obstruction (水山蹇)
Suizan-ken / Jiǎn
Water before a mountain—blocked path. Stop, reassess, and seek support.
Judgment
蹇。利西南、不利東北。利見大人、貞吉。
Obstruction. Favorable southwest, unfavorable northeast. Meeting a great person benefits; correctness is good.
Accept the block; detour toward helpful people. Upright patience leads out.
Line-by-Line (Yao)
Interpretations if the line changes.
二
六二。王臣蹇蹇、匪躬之故。
The king’s minister struggles—not for himself. Serving despite hardship.
三
九三。往蹇、來反。
Going is obstructed; returning brings reversal. Turn back to regroup.
四
六四。往蹇、來連。
Going obstructed; returning unites. Retreat to reconnect.
五
九五。大蹇、朋来。
Great obstruction; friends arrive. Help comes in big difficulty.
上
上六。往蹇、來碩、吉。利見大人。
Going obstructed; returning brings abundance—good fortune. Meeting a great person benefits.
Practical Reading: Love, Career, Health & Decisions
When you cast Hexagram 39, Jiǎn (Obstruction), the Book of Changes shows you a situation with Kan (Water) above and Gen (Mountain) below. Water before a mountain—blocked path. Stop, reassess, and seek support. Use the cards below to map that pattern onto your specific question — a love reading, a career decision, a health concern, or a yes/no choice.
Love & Relationships
Progress is hard; take it slow and seek advice. In a love or relationship reading, Hexagram 39 (Jiǎn) describes the meeting point of Kan (water) above and Gen (mountain) below: how the outer situation meets your inner state. Ask whether you are forcing the relationship to fit a picture, or letting it move at the rhythm this hexagram suggests. For a partnered question, read the changing lines to see which side — yours or the other person's — is being asked to shift.
Work & Career
Obstacles ahead; consider another route and mentors. In work and career, Jiǎn points to whether the outer market or workplace (Kan (water)) and your inner stance (Gen (mountain)) are in alignment. If a project, negotiation, or job change is the question, ask what this hexagram says about timing rather than effort: pushing harder rarely changes a Jiǎn situation; reading the configuration usually does.
Health & Wellbeing
Rest and adjust plans; force will worsen things. For a body or wellness reading, treat the lines of Hexagram 39 as descriptions of phases, not diagnoses. Jiǎn usually signals where energy needs to be conserved versus where it is asking to be expressed. Combine the hexagram's advice with concrete medical guidance — the I Ching is a reflective tool, not a substitute for professional care.
Decision-Making
When the question is a yes/no — should I take the offer, move, leave, commit? — read Hexagram 39 (Jiǎn, Obstruction) as a statement about the configuration of your situation rather than the outcome. The summary "Water before a mountain—blocked path. Stop, reassess, and seek support." is your starting frame. Ask: does this action respect that configuration, or fight it? Changing lines, if any, tell you which specific aspect needs to bend.
Go Deeper in the I Ching App
Study real readings, changing lines, and FAQs. The AI edition gives tailored interpretations and dialogue.
📖 The app translation is now a book
Wilhelm's I Ching (Japanese edition)
is now available as a book
Free with Kindle Unlimited