易經 · I Ching · #23
䷖
Bo · Stripping · Splitting Apart
剝
Splitting Apart — one of the sixty-four archetypal situations in the Book of Changes.
The Judgment
Things are wearing away from the bottom. It is not a time to push forward.
The Image
The mountain rests on the earth, so those in authority secure their position by treating those below generously.
How to use it
Protect what is essential and do not push. Wait out the decline.
Structure
Six lines: 艮 Mountain (Gen) above and 坤 Earth (Kun) below. Lines are read from the bottom up.
Related hexagrams
- ䷪ 43. Deciding · Breakthrough — Opposite: every line reversed
- ䷗ 24. Returning · Return — Reversed: the same lines turned upside down
- ䷁ 2. Field · The Receptive — Inner (nuclear): the hidden structure formed by lines 2 to 5
Each BaZi pillar maps to a hexagram through its stem and branch. Coin casting uses a different method — both are valid paths into the Book of Changes. The I Ching is a traditional wisdom text. It describes the character of a moment, not a fixed outcome.