Hexagram 23: Stripping Away
剝Bō
Shoring up the ground floor.
The passages below are historical language. Their references to fortune, danger, and the exemplary person belong to the text’s world. Our modern explanation is an invitation to reflect on your situation.
The Judgment
Classical Chinese
剝。 不利有攸往。
Our English rendering
Stripping Away. It is unfavorable to have somewhere to go.
The Image
Classical Chinese
象曰：山附於地，剝。上以厚下安宅。
Our English rendering
The mountain rests upon the earth: Stripping Away. Those above strengthen what is below so that their dwelling remains secure.
A modern reading
A mountain's height depends on the ground beneath it. Stripping Away directs attention to that support when something begins to wear down, fall apart, or lose its usefulness. The Judgment discourages setting out during this condition. Read as an image for reflection, it invites a close look at the foundations of a plan before adding another ambition to it. A small weakness near the base can matter more than an impressive shape above.
The Image places responsibility on those who occupy the upper position: strengthen what carries you. In a household, team, or project, that may mean protecting the people doing the daily work, repairing neglected equipment, or making an obligation manageable. The passage gives loss a concrete response. Identify what still supports the whole, and give it enough attention to remain sound as less dependable parts are stripped away.
A question to sit with
Which part of your situation supports everything else, and what repair does it need before you take on more?
Source and method
The Judgment and Image are classical passages from the Book of Changes. The English rendering and modern explanation are Meow Ching’s editorial work. This page covers these two passages; it does not translate the six individual line texts.
Read the classical text on Wikisource · Our sources and method