Hexagram 29: The Abysmal (Water) (坎 Kǎn) — I Ching Guide

Q: What is I Ching Hexagram 29 (坎 The Abysmal (Water))?

I Ching Hexagram 29, 坎 (Kǎn), represents The Abysmal (Water). It is formed by Water (坎 Kǎn) above, Water (坎 Kǎn) below. The core teaching of this hexagram is captured in its Judgment: 'The Abysmal repeated. If you are sincere, you have success in your heart, and whatever you do succeeds....'

Q: What does the Image of Hexagram 29 mean?

The Image states: 'Water flows on uninterruptedly and reaches its goal: the image of the Abysmal repeated. Thus the superior man walks in lasting virtue and carries on the business of teaching.' This teaches that the superior person responds to the hexagram's situation by cultivating the corresponding inner quality.

Q: How do the six lines of Hexagram 29 develop its meaning?

The six lines trace a progression through the hexagram's situation. Starting from the bottom (Line 1) through Line 6, each position reveals a different aspect of how The Abysmal (Water) manifests — from initial stirrings to the final outcome. Key lines include the ruler of the hexagram and the culminating line.

Q: What is the relationship between Hexagram 29 and other hexagrams?

Hexagram 29 (The Abysmal (Water)) follows Hexagram 28 in the traditional King Wen sequence, forming a meaningful progression. Its nuclear hexagram and opposite/complementary hexagram provide additional dimensions of meaning.

Oriens

坎

Kǎn — Hexagram 29

The Abysmal (Water)

Water (坎 Kǎn) above, Water (坎 Kǎn) below

Published July 22, 2026 · By Oriens

Summary

I Ching Hexagram 29, 坎 (Kǎn), represents The Abysmal (Water). Formed by Water (坎 Kǎn) above, Water (坎 Kǎn) below, this hexagram teaches about the abysmal (water). The core message: The Abysmal repeated. If you are sincere, you have success in your heart, and whatever you do succeeds..

Key Takeaways

Hexagram 29 is formed by Water (坎 Kǎn) above, Water (坎 Kǎn) below, combining two of the eight trigrams into a unique archetypal situation
The Judgment reveals the hexagram's core teaching through a concise, oracular statement
The six lines trace a progression from initial conditions through to the culmination and outcome
The Image connects the natural symbolism of the trigrams to the conduct of the superior person
This hexagram's wisdom applies to modern situations involving

The Judgment

The Abysmal repeated. If you are sincere, you have success in your heart, and whatever you do succeeds.

— I Ching, The Abysmal (Water)

The Image

Water flows on uninterruptedly and reaches its goal: the image of the Abysmal repeated. Thus the superior man walks in lasting virtue and carries on the business of teaching.

— I Ching, Image

The Six Lines

Line 1: Line 1: Repetition of the Abysmal. In the abyss one falls into a pit. Misfortune.\nLine 2: The abyss is dangerous. One should strive to attain small things only.\nLine 3: Forward and backward, abyss on abyss. In danger like this, pause at first and wait, otherwise you will fall into a pit in the abyss. Do not act in this way.\nLine 4: A jug of wine, a bowl of rice; earthen vessels simply handed in through the window. There is certainly no blame in this.\nLine 5: The abyss is not filled to overflowing, it is filled only to the rim. No blame.\nLine 6: Bound with cords and ropes, shut in between thorn-hedged prison walls: for three years one does not find the way. Misfortune.

Modern Application

Hexagram 29 is one of the most challenging in the I Ching — doubled Water, the abyss within the abyss. Water represents danger, depth, and the unknown. Unlike other hexagrams that counsel action, Hexagram 29 teaches how to navigate unavoidable danger through sincerity and flow. Water does not fight the rocks — it goes around, through, over, always finding its way to the sea. The key insight: when surrounded by danger, the heart's sincerity becomes the compass. Small, sincere actions succeed where grand gestures fail. This hexagram applies to depression, crisis, addiction recovery, and times when external circumstances are genuinely dangerous and the only path is through.

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