Great Excess

Great Excess. The ridgepole sags. It furthers one to have somewhere to go. Success.

The ridgepole sags. The structure is under too much pressure. The lake rises above the trees — water where it should not be, excess that threatens collapse. But the judgment says: it furthers one to have somewhere to go. When the old structure fails, you must move. The superior person, standing alone, is unconcerned. If they must renounce the world, they are undaunted.

Hexagram 28, Da Guo (Great Excess), presents a crisis: the ridgepole sags, the structure is failing. Lake over Wind — water rising above the trees, an unnatural excess. But the judgment is surprisingly hopeful: it furthers one to have somewhere to go. The crisis is also an opportunity to leave what no longer serves. The image of the superior person standing alone and unconcerned, undaunted even when renouncing the world, is one of the most powerful in the I Ching. The I Ching describes the present moment with such precision that the next natural movement becomes visible. Understanding the pattern you are in is the first step toward wise action.