The name 名
The character 解 combines horn, knife and ox: a blade separating the horn from the beast. From that it comes to mean untying, dissolving, easing. The Sequence glosses it as 'slackening': a taut situation loosens. It can also be read xiè, as in 'slack' (懈), but the sense of 'resolving' is the better guide, since slackness is exactly where new trouble begins.
The image 象
Below is Kǎn, water and danger; above is Zhèn, thunder and movement. The Tuan: 'danger, and then movement; moving, one escapes the danger.' Compare Zhūn 屯, water over thunder: there the rain is still in the clouds and trouble is gathering. In Xie the storm has broken, the rain has fallen, and the pent-up tension lets go. The breath of heaven and earth meets, thunder and rain come down, and everything begins to stir again.
Layers of images 層
A gua can be read on several levels at once: the trigrams as members of a family (father, mother, eldest to youngest sons and daughters), the six lines as ranks in an organisation (from newcomer to ruler), and as forces of nature and animals. Each extra level adds meaning to the line texts.
Read as a family
Below is Kǎn, the middle son; above is Zhèn, the eldest son. The middle son is caught in danger, and the eldest son above rises into action; the Tuan says: in danger, move, and by moving escape the danger. It is like a younger brother stuck in trouble and the elder brother stepping in to pull him out; the storm breaks, and air that has been heavy for a long time finally clears. The key to Xiè is acting promptly, and once the matter is settled, returning quickly to normal rather than dragging things out.
Line 2, “in the field he catches three foxes and gains a yellow arrow; steadiness is auspicious”: Kǎn is the fox, and the lower Kǎn overlaps with the nuclear Kǎn of lines 3–5, involving the three yin lines 1, 3 and 5: three foxes. Line 2 sits in Kǎn, the bow, and in the nuclear Lí of lines 2–4, weapons; together they make an arrow, and yellow is the colour of the centre. Cunning people are cleared out by straight means.
Line 3, “carrying a load and riding in a carriage invites robbers”: carrying is for porters, riding for nobles. Line 3 is neither central nor correct, with Kǎn below and the nuclear Kǎn above, Kǎn being the robber, so thieves gather here. Someone unsuited to his position sits in the carriage still loaded with goods, as good as asking to be robbed.
Line 4, “untie your big toe; then friends come and there is trust”: Line 4 corresponds with Line 1, the lowest line, the big toe, and it sits right against the incorrect Line 3. For real friends to arrive with trust, it must first untie the small entanglements closest to it.
Top line, “the duke shoots a hawk on top of a high wall and gets it; nothing not beneficial”: the hawk is a fierce bird, an image for harm perched at a vital point. The top line stands at the highest place, as on a tall city wall; below, the nuclear Lí is weapons and Kǎn is the bow, together a bow and arrow. The last step is to bring down with one shot the threat lodged up high.
Turn Xiè over and you get Jiǎn, Obstruction. Jiǎn stops before danger, Xiè moves through it; the pause and alliances of Jiǎn come first, then the decisive act of Xiè. The judgment says: if there is nowhere to go, coming back is auspicious; if there is somewhere to go, go early. Once things are untangled, return to normal if nothing more needs doing; if something does, finish it quickly, before obstruction sets in again.
Lines 2–4 make Lí and lines 3–5 make Kǎn, forming Jì Jì, After Completion. Once untied, the inside is already a settled state where everything is in its place; but what After Completion fears most is complacency. As soon as a crisis is resolved, restore order, and remember it can come apart again at any time.
In sequence 序
物不可終難，故受之以解；解者緩也。
The Sequence says: things cannot remain in difficulty forever, so Jiǎn is followed by Xiè, and Xiè means easing. Obstruction does not last for good, and release comes after it. Jian and Xie are inverses: turn water-over-mountain upside down and you get thunder-over-water, so the two should be read together. Whoever is stuck for now will see things loosen, as long as they do not walk into a dead end.
The judgment 辭
解：利西南，无所往，其來復吉。有攸往，夙吉。
The judgment: the southwest is favorable. If there is nowhere you need to go, returning brings good fortune; if there is somewhere to go, going early brings good fortune. 'Favorable to the southwest' repeats Jian: stay pliant. When a great trouble has just eased, there are two paths. One is to stir nothing, rest and recover, and hold to what is right. The other, if some danger still lingers, is to deal with it promptly before the moment passes. The real mistake is to say you will act and then keep putting it off.
Commentary on the judgment 彖
彖曰：解，險以動，動而免乎險，解。解利西南，往得眾也。其來復吉，乃得中也。有攸往夙吉，往有功也。天地解，而雷雨作，雷雨作，而百果草木皆甲坼，解之時義大矣哉！
The Tuan: meeting danger, one moves, and by moving escapes it; that is Xie. Going southwest wins the many. 'Returning brings good fortune, for it gains the center': the second line has stepped back from the third place to the second and, by retreating, found the middle. Going early brings achievement. 'Heaven and earth release, and thunder and rain arise; thunder and rain arise, and the husks of every fruit, plant and tree split open,' as seeds burst their shells and put out shoots. Hence: 'great indeed is the timely meaning of Xie.'
The great image 象
象曰：雷雨作，解；君子以赦過宥罪。
'Thunder and rain arise: Release. The noble person pardons mistakes and deals leniently with crimes.' After the storm everything revives, and from this the noble person learns to forgive faults and temper punishment, so that those who have done wrong can start again. When a deadlock breaks, the knot most worth untying is often the one between people.
The six lines 爻
Ruling line Both yang lines matter. The Tuan's 'returning, it gains the center' points to the second, which stepped down from the third place; the fourth, in the thunder trigram, is where release actually goes into action.
The path of the six lines, bottom to top
Line 1, just as the knot loosens, stays quiet and yielding, without fault. Line 2 goes hunting, catches three foxes and gains a yellow arrow, clearing out the cunning by straight means. Line 3, at the top of the lower trigram, rides in a carriage while still carrying its load, unworthy of its position, and invites robbers. Line 4 enters the upper trigram and must untie small entanglements, like a big toe caught in something, before true friends arrive with trust. Line 5 is the noble person who can undo the knot, so that even petty people are convinced and withdraw; the top line, on the high wall, shoots down the fierce hawk with one arrow, the last root of trouble is removed, and nothing is not beneficial.
初六无咎。
In plain words
No blame.
Close reading
Two characters, among the shortest line texts in the whole classic. A yin line in a yang place, the first has little strength, but it sits right under the yang second line and corresponds with the yang fourth: hard and soft meet, and it has something to lean on. The Small Image says that at the meeting of firm and yielding there is, in the nature of things, no blame. The trouble has only just eased, and nothing needs doing.
If you drew this line
The crisis has just passed. There is nothing you need to do; keep to your place and let things settle.
九二田獲三狐，得黃矢，貞吉。
In plain words
In the hunt one takes three foxes and gains a yellow arrow. Steadfastness brings good fortune.
Close reading
The second is an earth position, and earth means fields, hence a hunt. Kan stands for the fox. The second line sits in the lower Kan and looks up into an inner Kan, and the three yin lines those two figures contain (first, third, fifth) are the 'three foxes': hidden mischief-makers. Kan as bow and Li as weapons combine into an arrow; yellow is the color of the center. Though a yang line in a yin place, the second is central and corresponds with the fifth: the Small Image says 'it has found the middle way.'
One level deeper
Line 2, “in the field he catches three foxes and gains a yellow arrow; steadiness is auspicious”: Kǎn is the fox, and the lower Kǎn overlaps with the nuclear Kǎn of lines 3–5, involving the three yin lines 1, 3 and 5: three foxes. Line 2 sits in Kǎn, the bow, and in the nuclear Lí of lines 2–4, weapons; together they make an arrow, and yellow is the colour of the centre. Cunning people are cleared out by straight means.
If you drew this line
Hold to the middle and to what is right. You can clear out hidden trouble and come away with something of value.
六三負且乘，致寇至，貞吝。
In plain words
Carrying a load on one's back while riding in a carriage invites robbers. Even with persistence there is regret.
Close reading
Neither central nor correct, sitting on top of the yang second line and with no correspondence above, the third collects every weakness in the hexagram. In the figure Xie comes from, this line was part of Gen, the back, the bearer of loads. Now it sits in Kan, the trouble-prone carriage, which also stands for thieves: 'carrying a load while riding invites robbers.' The Small Image calls it shameful, and adds: 'I brought the attack on myself; whom else is there to blame?'
One level deeper
Line 3, “carrying a load and riding in a carriage invites robbers”: carrying is for porters, riding for nobles. Line 3 is neither central nor correct, with Kǎn below and the nuclear Kǎn above, Kǎn being the robber, so thieves gather here. Someone unsuited to his position sits in the carriage still loaded with goods, as good as asking to be robbed.
If you drew this line
Display that does not fit your station, or wealth carelessly shown, invites trouble. Rein yourself in and keep to your measure; the source of the problem is you.
The Usurper's Carriage
Reading history at the turn from Ming to Qing, Wang Fuzhi cited this line against men who grasped at rank beyond their worth. The same logic reads onto changes of dynasty: seizing a throne by crooked means is like a porter climbing into a nobleman's carriage with his bundle still on his back: everyone can see he does not belong there, and rivals soon come for it. Cao Pi forced the last Han emperor to abdicate and founded Wei; a few decades later the Sima clan took the Cao family's realm by the very same method. 'It invites robbers' has been borne out again and again.
九四解而拇，朋至斯孚。
In plain words
Free your big toe; then friends will come and there will be trust.
Close reading
A yang line in a yin place, the fourth is not rightly placed; the Small Image says so outright. It sits in Zhen, the foot, the trigram of motion, and here Release finally gets moving. Its partner, the first line, lies at the very bottom like a big toe, stuck in the lower pit, and it holds the fourth back. To go forward, it must first get free of that tie. The 'friends' are the neighboring yin lines, third and fifth: once the tie is loosed, they arrive and trust takes hold.
One level deeper
Line 4, “untie your big toe; then friends come and there is trust”: Line 4 corresponds with Line 1, the lowest line, the big toe, and it sits right against the incorrect Line 3. For real friends to arrive with trust, it must first untie the small entanglements closest to it.
If you drew this line
First cut loose from whatever is holding you back, whether a habit or a connection. Then real help can arrive. Meet it with good faith.
Friends of Friends
A friend's ten-year-old son had gone missing, and in his alarm someone cast and drew this line. The reader fastened on 'friends will come' and advised sending the boy's photo and details to everyone they knew. The message spread from friend to friend, until a friend of a friend who ran a guesthouse recognized the child and called the parents to come and fetch him. The reader had foretold no dates. He said only that the problem could be solved and that the key was many people's help. Had the question been different, the same line would have needed a different reading: a line must always be read against what was asked.
六五君子維有解，吉；有孚于小人。
Variant Shown as 「君子維有解」; some editions read 「惟」.
In plain words
The noble person brings release. Good fortune. Even petty people come to trust him.
Close reading
A yielding line in the place of honor and central, the fifth corresponds with the second below and rides on the fourth: both yang lines bear on it. In the Changes yang stands for the noble person and yin for the petty. Because both yang lines deal with it in good faith, the fifth can open up and stop obstructing the release, hence 'the petty withdraw.' When a line names both the noble and the petty, the question for whoever draws it is: in this matter, which one am I acting like?
If you drew this line
Handle it in the upright way and the resistance will fall back. At the same time, ask honestly whether your own conduct here is that of the noble person.
上六公用射隼，于高墉之上，獲之，无不利。
In plain words
The duke shoots a falcon on top of a high wall and takes it. Nothing is unfavorable.
Close reading
A yin line in a yin place, rightly placed, the top has no correspondence with the third. Whatever is still making trouble at the end of Release must be a fierce petty power perched high up, hence the falcon, a bird of prey. The top line is honored but is not the ruler, hence 'the duke.' The target is the third line, the one that invited the robbers; the Small Image says it is done 'to undo rebellion,' removing the root of disorder. The inner Li and Kan supply bow and arrow, and a single shot settles the matter.
One level deeper
Top line, “the duke shoots a hawk on top of a high wall and gets it; nothing not beneficial”: the hawk is a fierce bird, an image for harm perched at a vital point. The top line stands at the highest place, as on a tall city wall; below, the nuclear Lí is weapons and Kǎn is the bow, together a bow and arrow. The last step is to bring down with one shot the threat lodged up high.
If you drew this line
The moment has come to act decisively and remove the last obstacle, provided you have already honed your skills.
Stories 典
Did the Makers of the Changes Understand Thieves?
The Great Commentary records Confucius reading the third line and exclaiming: 'Did the makers of the Changes understand thieves?' Carrying loads is a servant's work; a carriage is a gentleman's equipment. When a servant rides in a gentleman's carriage, a robber can tell at a glance that the goods were not honestly come by, and he thinks of taking them. Confucius goes further: 'when those above are arrogant and those below are violent, robbers think of attacking.' A state in disorder within invites attack from without. And: 'careless storage teaches theft.' Leave valuables lying about and you have as good as invited someone to steal them. The modern advice not to flash your money says the same. The theft is still the thief's fault, but your carelessness gave him the opening.
Carry Your Tools Within, Wait for the Moment
The Great Commentary quotes the top line, and Confucius explains: 'The falcon is the quarry; bow and arrow are the tools; the one who shoots is the person. The noble person keeps the tools within himself and waits for the time to move. How could anything be unfavorable?' The bird is the target and the bow is the instrument, but success turns on the archer. 'Keeping the tools within' does not mean going about armed. It means developing your abilities in ordinary times, because no one knows when a challenge will come. 'Moving without hindrance': when the moment arrives your skill is free and unencumbered, so the first shot finds its mark. A throwing knife that never hits is no better than none. Yet whoever waits to be perfectly ready before acting will find the chance has already gone to someone else.
The Early Han Lets the Land Rest
After the collapse of Qin and the war between Chu and Han, the empire lay in ruins and its population had fallen sharply. The early Han court took the judgment's first path: 'if there is nowhere to go, returning brings good fortune.' It lightened labor service and taxes, let the people rest, and avoided raising armies on a whim. When Cao Can succeeded Xiao He as chancellor, he kept every one of his predecessor's arrangements and changed little, a policy remembered as 'Xiao set the rules and Cao followed them.' By the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing the granaries were full and livelihoods had recovered. After a great upheaval, refraining from fresh disruption is itself a kind of action.
Insight 悟
The moment a difficulty eases is the moment most prone to slackness, and the one that most needs judgment. Rest when it is time to rest; act early when action is needed; the worst course is to hesitate until the chance is gone. Release others from their faults and release yourself from what binds you: put down what drags at your feet, and friends will come. The third line warns that misfortune is often self-invited, so keeping to your measure matters more than anything. The top line says that everything in a life is preparation. When the knot comes loose, it is the prepared who step forward.