夬
“Displacement” — King Wen #43
Breakthrough. Resolute decision removes what must go — be honest about it, and do not gloat.
The Judgment 卦辞
揚于王庭，孚號有厲；告自邑，不利即戎，利有攸往。
Guai requires (in him who would fulfil its meaning) the exhibition (of the culprit's guilt) in the royal court, and a sincere and earnest appeal (for sympathy and support), with a consciousness of the peril (involved in cutting off the criminal). He should (also) make announcement in his own city, and show that it will not be well to have recourse at once to arms. (In this way) there will be advantage in whatever he shall go forward to.— The I Ching, trans. James Legge, 1899 (public domain)1
The Six Lines 爻辞
壯于前趾，往不勝為咎。
The first NINE, undivided, shows its subject in (the pride of) strength advancing with his toes. He goes forward, but will not succeed. There will be ground for blame.
惕號，莫夜有戎，勿恤。
The second NINE, undivided, shows its subject full of apprehension and appealing (for sympathy and help). Late at night hostile measures may be (taken against him), but he need not be anxious about them.
壯于頄，有凶。君子夬夬獨行，遇雨若濡，有慍無咎。
The third NINE, undivided, shows its subject (about to advance) with strong (and determined) looks. There will be evil. (But) the superior man, bent on cutting off (the criminal), will walk alone and encounter the rain, (till he be hated by his proper associates) as if he were contaminated (by the others). (In the end) there will be no blame against him.
臀無膚，其行次且；牽羊悔亡，聞言不信。
The fourth NINE, undivided, shows one from whose buttocks the skin has been stripped, and who walks slowly and with difficulty. (If he could act) like. a sheep led (after its companions), occasion for repentance would disappear. But though he hear these words, he will not believe them.
莧陸夬夬，中行無咎。
The fifth NINE, undivided, shows (the small men like) a bed of purslain, which ought to be uprooted with the utmost determination. (The subject of the line having such determination), his action, in harmony with his central position, will lead to no error or blame.
無號，終有凶。
The sixth SIX, divided, shows its subject without any (helpers) on whom to call. His end will be evil.
Reading the Picture
Hexagram 43 places heaven (乾) beneath lake (兑) —creative force pressing upward below, joy lifting what it touches above. This is why the tradition reads it as “Displacement”:breakthrough. Resolute decision removes what must go — be honest about it, and do not gloat Whenever you cast this figure, the classical reading points back to that turning of forces.
Questions About Hexagram 43
What does 夬 (guài) mean?
Hexagram 43 of the I Ching is named 夬 (guài), usually rendered "Displacement" in English editions. Its figure pairs heaven (乾) below with lake (兑) above.
Which trigrams form hexagram 43?
兑 (Lake) sits above and 乾 (Heaven) sits below — the classical picture is creative force pressing upward beneath joy lifting what it touches.
How is hexagram 43 related to the other hexagrams?
Changing every line of hexagram 43 gives hexagram 23 — 剝 (Stripping). Turned upside down it becomes hexagram 44 — 姤 (Coupling). Its nuclear hexagram — the inner pattern of lines 2 through 5 — is hexagram 1 — 乾 (Force).
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1 Legge, James. The Yi King, Sacred Books of the East vol. XVI (1899), public domain. Classical Chinese from the received Zhouyi text. · For reflection and entertainment — not financial, medical, or life advice.