Hexagram 57: The Gentle Wind
Outer trigram (upper)
Tốn
Wind · Wood
Inner trigram (lower)
Tốn
Wind · Wood
Judgment
巽：小亨，利有攸往，利見大人.
Translation
The Gentle (Wind): modest success. Favorable to have somewhere to go; favorable to meet a person of great stature.
Commentary
Xun (wind) sits both above and below. Wind follows wind in succession, penetrating into every space. Wind is gentle, yet it reaches everywhere. To advance by yielding and following brings success — but guidance from a capable leader is needed to keep that advance on the right course.
Line Readings
Line 1 (yin)
初六：進退，利武人之貞.
Translation
He hesitates between advancing and retreating — favorable for one of martial resolve who holds to what is right.
Commentary
This yin line sits at the very bottom, wavering between advance and retreat, its resolve too soft to commit. It fares well only if it can act with the firm decisiveness of a soldier, while holding to what is right.
Line 2 (yang)
九二：巽在床下，用史巫紛若，吉，无咎.
Translation
He submits humbly, as if crouched beneath the bed, and calls on many diviners and priests — good fortune, no fault.
Commentary
This yang line holds the central position. It humbles itself completely, as if beneath the bed, and turns to every available means — consulting diviners and priests — to seek blessing and ward off harm. With sincere intent, this brings good fortune and no fault.
Line 3 (yang)
九三：頻巽，吝.
Translation
He yields and submits over and over, to excess — a cause for shame.
Commentary
This yang line is neither central nor correctly placed. Submitting repeatedly and without principle, it loses its own sense of self-direction — a state worthy of shame.
Line 4 (yin)
六四：悔亡，田獲三品.
Translation
Regret vanishes; the hunt yields three kinds of game.
Commentary
This yin line is correctly placed, yielding at the right time and in the right way, so any regret dissolves. Acting properly, it achieves rich success, as reflected in a hunt that brings in three kinds of game.
Line 5 (yang)
九五：貞吉，悔亡，无不利，无初有終，先庚三日，後庚三日，吉.
Translation
Holding to what is right brings good fortune; regret vanishes, and nothing is unfavorable. There is no good beginning, but there is a good end. Three days before the turning point and three days after it — good fortune.
Commentary
This yang line is central and correct, occupying the position of honor. Though things may not go smoothly at the outset, they turn out well in the end. Any major change calls for preparation beforehand and follow-through afterward; holding fast to what is right, nothing is left unfavorable.
Line 6 (yang)
上九：巽在床下，喪其資斧，貞凶.
Translation
He submits so low as to crouch beneath the bed, and loses his funds and his axe — even holding to what is right, this brings misfortune.
Commentary
This yang line stands at the extreme, submitting so completely that it abandons all principle, and as a result loses its resources and its authority. Even holding to what is right cannot prevent misfortune here.