__  __
______
______
______
______
__  __ Hexagram Twenty-Eight: 
       Ta Kuo / Critical Mass

The Flood rises
above the tallest Tree:
Amidst a rising tide
of human folly,
the Superior Person
retires to higher ground,
renouncing his world
without looking back.

Any direction is better
than where you now stand.


Hexagram Twenty-Eight/Line One:
He cushions the objects
with mats of white palm
before setting them on the soft grass.
Such overcaution is no mistake.


Hexagram Twenty-Eight/Line Two:
The old willow sprouts new shoots.
An older man takes a young wife.
Good fortune abounds.


Hexagram Twenty-Eight/Line Three:
The supporting beam
is bending to its breaking point.
Disaster looms.


Hexagram Twenty-Eight/Line Four:
You come to the rescue
and reinforce the supporting structure.
Order and good fortune is restored.
But does your help carry a price?


Hexagram Twenty-Eight/Line Five:
The withered willow blossoms.
An older woman takes a young husband.
No blame, no praise.


Hexagram Twenty-Eight/Line Six:
Fording the flooded stream,
he disappears beneath the rushing waters
and never resurfaces.
Misfortune through no fault of his own.

Copyright 1995-1996 Roger Norton Consulting. All rights reserved.