Hexagram 33

Dun — Withdrawal

Heaven over Mountain · Heaven above, Mountain below · 天山遁

Also known as: Retreat

The Judgement

遁卦：亨，小利贞。

Success that goes through. In small matters, holding to what is right is favourable.

AI commentaryIn Dun, two yin lines grow from below while the yang force draws back, an image of timely withdrawal and of keeping safe through clear sight. The judgement, success that goes through, with small steadfastness favourable, means that stepping back promptly when the moment calls for it brings success. Yet while yin is rising, only the modest who keep correct are favoured, and the noble person can achieve little that is great. Drawn in divination, it advises withdrawal over advance and concealment over display. One who reads the times and declines to contend with the petty person finds safety and room to manoeuvre.

AI plain readingDun shows two yin lines growing from below while the yang force steps back. It stands for withdrawing in good time and protecting yourself through clear judgement. The judgement promises success that goes through, with holding to what is right favourable in small matters. Stepping back at the right moment brings success rather than loss. But while yin is rising, only those in modest positions do well by keeping correct, and the noble person can hardly achieve anything great. If you draw this hexagram, it advises stepping back rather than pushing forward, and keeping a low profile. Read the situation and avoid clashes with petty people; withdrawing keeps you safe and leaves room to change course.

The Great Image

天下有山，遁；君子以远小人，不恶而严。

Heaven spans above and a Mountain rises beneath it: Withdrawal. So the noble person keeps petty people at arm's length, without hatred yet with unbending dignity.

The Six Lines

1st Line (six)

初六：遁尾，厉，勿用有攸往。

Caught at the tail end of the withdrawal: danger. Make no move to go anywhere.

AI commentaryThe line sits at the rear of the withdrawal, like one who left too late and trails behind, which is dangerous. Any venture only adds danger; lying still and keeping out of affairs avoids harm. Withdraw early; if late, stay hidden.

AI plain readingYou are at the back of the withdrawal, like someone who left too late and now trails behind, which is dangerous. Pushing ahead or starting anything only adds to the risk. Lie low, stay still and keep out of affairs to avoid harm. The lesson: step back early; if late, stay hidden.

Timing: You are lagging as the tide turns and danger follows close; lie low and make no rash moves to avoid harm.
Money: Risk closes in on positions you exited too late; sit tight with no fresh money, since a hasty move invites danger.
Career: At work, any new project or office manoeuvre now adds danger; having pulled back late, stay uninvolved until the risk passes.
Relationships: The bond is at real risk. Do not press for answers or force a showdown; staying quiet keeps the peace.
Home & Household: Hidden problems linger at home. Postpone renovations or big household purchases and keep routines steady, and the household stays safe.
Health: The tradition favours quiet rest here; skip strenuous exertion, since pushing yourself adds to the risk while stillness keeps you steady.
Marriage: Wedding or engagement plans meet many setbacks. Slow down and do not force a date; patience keeps you clear of blame.
Exams & Study: Exam prospects are weak and you have fallen behind, yet calm study and steady revision let you hold your ground.
Travel: Danger trails any departure now. Cancel or postpone the trip and stay put until conditions clearly settle.
Disputes & Legal Matters: Exiting the conflict late leaves you exposed. File nothing new, avoid confronting the other side, and the harm can be contained.
Finding a Person: The person is hard to trace for now; wait for word to reach you rather than searching frantically in every direction.
The Decision Point: Step back early; if you are already late, lie low, stay still, keep out of affairs and make no move, and harm can be avoided.

2nd Line (six)

六二：执之用黄牛之革，莫之胜说。

Secured with the hide of a yellow ox, bound so tightly that no one can work it loose.

AI commentaryTied with yellow oxhide, the bond cannot be undone: central, correct sincerity unites ruler and minister in one immovable purpose. Whoever keeps to the centre with a will as tough as hide has a resolve to withdraw that none can take away.

AI plain readingPicture something tied with yellow oxhide, so tight it cannot be undone. With balanced, upright sincerity, ruler and minister bind their purposes together, and nothing can move them. The lesson: if you hold to the middle way with resolve as tough as leather, your decision to step back cannot be taken from you either.

Timing: Keep a balanced, principled course and let your resolve be as tough as oxhide; unwavering steadiness brings no blame.
Money: Protect what you already hold. A disciplined, moderate budget kept without wavering stays stable and draws no blame.
Career: Stay loyal to your role and your original aims at work; steady, single-minded commitment lets a firm purpose succeed.
Relationships: Genuine affection is firmly anchored here. Stay faithful and honest, and no rival or rumour can pull you apart.
Home & Household: Run the household on fair, consistent principles and keep family commitments; kindly, dependable management keeps the home secure.
Health: A moderate routine kept with persistence suits you; the tradition links steady sleep, diet and exercise with good health.
Marriage: Loyalty binds this partnership like knotted leather. Stay true to each other and the union can last into old age.
Exams & Study: Pick one study plan and stick with it; focused effort without switching methods makes success in the exam achievable.
Travel: Fix your route and purpose before leaving and keep to them, because a resolute journey goes smoothly and draws no blame.
Disputes & Legal Matters: Hold a consistent, well-documented position in the dispute. When your case rests on fairness and evidence, you can stand your ground.
Finding a Person: Keep making enquiries through the same reliable channels; patient, unwavering follow-up is what the reading links with finding them.
The Decision Point: Hold to the centre with sincere, upright purpose and keep your resolve as tight as oxhide; a will that firm cannot be shaken.

3rd Line (nine)

九三：系遁，有疾厉，畜臣妾吉。

A withdrawal held back by attachments brings affliction and danger. For keeping servants and attendants, it is auspicious.

AI commentaryThe line wants to withdraw but is tied down by private attachments, like setting out while ill, which is dangerous. Such ties are auspicious only for small household matters such as keeping servants, never for larger affairs. Withdrawal means cutting private ties.

AI plain readingYou want to step back, but personal attachments hold you, like travelling while sick: dangerous. Such ties are auspicious only for small household matters, such as caring for staff and dependants, and must not drag down the bigger picture. The lesson: when withdrawing, cut private ties; never let minor feelings ruin major plans.

Timing: Personal entanglements slow you like walking while ill; cut them loose, keep minor matters in proportion, and the situation can turn.
Money: Petty side interests are tangling your finances; wind up minor deals and shared obligations to keep your core savings protected.
Career: Personal loyalties at work are holding back your career move; settle them cleanly and keep sentiment from derailing the larger plan.
Relationships: Lingering attachments complicate your love life, so sort out the tangle honestly before a passing feeling spoils everything.
Home & Household: Handling everyday chores and caring for dependants is auspicious; keep personal favouritism out of major family decisions and peace follows.
Health: The tradition reads strain and real risk here. Drop the worries that drain you and put rest and recovery first.
Marriage: Outside ties leave the engagement stalled between going ahead and pulling back. End them, commit wholeheartedly, and the marriage can proceed.
Exams & Study: Side commitments are eating into revision time like studying with a fever; drop extra activities and concentrate on exam preparation.
Travel: Unfinished personal business weighs on the trip. Settle loose ends before departure, then travel with your mind on the journey itself.
Disputes & Legal Matters: Personal feelings have dangerously entangled the dispute; argue strictly from facts and documents, and never risk the main issue over pride.
Finding a Person: Scattered errands keep stalling the search. Choose one solid lead and pursue it without being diverted by minor tasks.
The Decision Point: When stepping back, cut private ties; being held by personal feeling is like travelling sick. Let attachments govern small matters, never the larger plan.

4th Line (nine)

九四：好遁君子吉，小人否。

Withdrawing from what one loves: for the noble person, auspicious; for the petty person, it turns out badly.

AI commentaryThe heart is attached to something, yet the line can withdraw resolutely. The noble person gives up what is loved and leaves, so it is auspicious; the petty person, sunk in desire, cannot leave and fares badly. Letting go divides them.

AI plain readingYou care about something, yet you can walk away from it decisively. The noble person gives up what they love and steps back, so it is auspicious; the petty person, absorbed in desire, cannot leave, so things go badly. The lesson: letting go of what you love is what separates the two.

Timing: Now is the moment to walk away from a comfort; release it and the period turns auspicious, cling and it sours.
Money: Cash in a favourite holding while it still looks good; the reading calls that auspicious and warns that greed backfires.
Career: Step away decisively from a role you are fond of; work then flows auspiciously, whereas clinging on drags you down.
Relationships: When a romance is wrong, let reason end it cleanly; letting go is auspicious, but lingering in infatuation brings trouble.
Home & Household: Give up minor household preferences for the family's greater good. Yielding keeps the home peaceful, while stubborn attachment unsettles it.
Health: Drop a cherished bad habit such as late nights; the tradition links restraint with health and indulgence with harm.
Marriage: Make marital decisions soberly and on time; the auspicious path belongs to whoever can let go, not whoever clings.
Exams & Study: Shelve games, social media and parties until exams end, since that sacrifice is auspicious for passing and indulgence undermines your results.
Travel: Leave a place you enjoy without lingering and turn back when needed; overstaying works against you, prompt departure is auspicious.
Disputes & Legal Matters: Accept a reasonable settlement once offered. Dropping the fight is auspicious, whereas prolonging the case out of pride turns sour.
Finding a Person: Drop fixed assumptions about where they must be and stay flexible; releasing that fixation actually makes them easier to find.
The Decision Point: Letting go of what you love separates the noble person from the petty person: leave resolutely and it is auspicious; cling and it fails.

5th Line (nine)

九五：嘉遁，贞吉。

A withdrawal carried out admirably and in good time; holding to what is right is auspicious.

AI commentaryWith central, correct virtue, this line withdraws flawlessly and in keeping with the time. Stepping back calmly and holding to what is right is auspicious: the finest line of Dun. The highest withdrawal is balanced, timely and free of lingering attachment.

AI plain readingYou withdraw with balanced, upright character, doing it gracefully and at exactly the right time. Stepping back calmly while holding to what is right is auspicious, and this is the best line in the hexagram. The lesson: the highest form of withdrawal is to be balanced, well timed and free of any lingering attachment.

Timing: Your timing is excellent: stepping back calmly from a winning position while holding to what is right makes this phase auspicious.
Money: Wind down positions in an orderly way while results are good; an honest, unhurried exit is auspicious and keeps capital safe.
Career: A graceful, well-timed handover or retirement is auspicious and closes this chapter of your working life on a high note.
Relationships: Approach romance calmly and with good timing, without clinging or games; such honest ease is auspicious and draws a good match.
Home & Household: Measured, fair household management with sensible timing for family decisions is auspicious, and the tradition sees a tranquil home.
Health: The tradition favours a balanced, unhurried routine, resting and working at proper hours; living in step with the day supports health.
Marriage: Partners who treat each other with patience and fairness, without possessiveness, find this an auspicious time for a happy marriage.
Exams & Study: Stay composed in the exam hall, pace yourself, and answer carefully and honestly; this steady approach is auspicious for passing.
Travel: Depart at a sensible hour on an unhurried schedule, without looking back, and the journey is auspicious and smooth.
Disputes & Legal Matters: Bring the matter to a calm, fair close at the right moment; a sound settlement reached on principle is auspicious.
Finding a Person: Search calmly and pick your moments to ask around; patient, principled effort is auspicious, and the person can be found.
The Decision Point: The finest withdrawal is balanced and timely: step back calmly, hold to what is right and leave without lingering, and it is auspicious.

6th Line (nine)

上九：肥遁，无不利。

A withdrawal made with ample ease and room to spare: nothing is unfavourable.

AI commentaryWithdrawing far and high with room to spare (肥, here meaning ample), this line steps back most completely, above worldly affairs and free of ties, so nothing is unfavourable. Leaving boldly at the height of the current brings great freedom.

AI plain readingYou withdraw far and high, with room to spare (肥, literally plump, here means ample). This is the most distant and complete step back, above worldly concerns and free of ties, so nothing is unfavourable. The lesson: whoever dares to leave at the height of the current and rise above it gains great freedom.

Timing: Step away at full flow and carry no baggage forward; with room to spare, nothing in this period is unfavourable.
Money: The reading favours withdrawing funds completely while gains are strong. A clean exit leaves you comfortable, and nothing is unfavourable.
Career: Leaving your post completely, whether retiring or going independent, brings great freedom; free of ties, no step is unfavourable.
Relationships: Hold love lightly and drop jealousy or scorekeeping. By letting go you gain ease in the relationship, with no disadvantage.
Home & Household: Household life feels spacious and unburdened; handing over family duties while things go well brings peace and every advantage.
Health: The tradition favours a full break from stress and long, quiet rest; free of burdens, your wellbeing is well supported.
Marriage: Stop forcing a wedding timeline. Releasing fixed expectations tends to bring a good union, and nothing about it is unfavourable.
Exams & Study: Sit the exam relaxed, without fixating on the score; an easy mind can exceed expectations, and every aspect favours you.
Travel: A long journey or relocation far away suits you. Travelling light and carefree, every leg of the trip goes smoothly.
Disputes & Legal Matters: Withdraw from the dispute entirely, perhaps by dropping the claim or settling in full; walking away brings freedom, with nothing unfavourable.
Finding a Person: Cast a wide net through casual contacts instead of chasing one lead, since relaxed enquiries often bring news without any drawback.
The Decision Point: Leave boldly at the height of the current and rise above it all; the farthest, most complete withdrawal, free of ties, leaves nothing unfavourable.

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