Breakthrough (Resoluteness)
Lake (兌 Duì) above, Heaven (乾 Qián) below
Published July 22, 2026 · By Oriens
I Ching Hexagram 43, 夬 (Guài), represents Breakthrough (Resoluteness).
SourceZhouyi (周易, The Book of Changes) — hexagram 43 (夬 Guài). Chinese source: Chinese Text Project, based on 《武英殿十三經注疏》本《周易正義》 (ctp:book-of-changes/guai). Judgment: received Zhouyi hexagram statement (卦辭). English: Translation by Oriens Editorial Translation. Image: Xiang / Image commentary layer (象傳), distinct from the Judgment and line texts. Image and line English: named translation by James Legge, The Yî King (1899), public-domain translation; online reproduction. The named translation is used for the Image and line statements only.
1. Judgment (卦辭 Guàcí)
夬：揚于王庭，孚號，有厲，告自邑，不利即戎，利有攸往。
Oriens Editorial Translation: Proclaim it in the royal court. Cry out in good faith: there is danger. Announce it from one’s own city. It is not favorable to resort to arms. It is favorable to have somewhere to go.
2. Image (象 Xiàng / Xiang commentary)
泽上于天,夬。君子以施禄及下,居德则忌。
James Legge: (The trigram representing) heaven and that for the waters of a marsh mounting above it form Kwai. The superior man, in accordance with this, bestows emolument on those below him, and dislikes allowing his gifts to accumulate (undispensed).
3. Line Statements (爻辭 Yáocí)
Line 1 of 6 (from the bottom):
初九：壯于前趾，往不勝為咎。
James Legge: The first NINE, undivided, shows its subject in (the pride of) strength advancing with his toes. He goes forward, but will not succeed. There will be ground for blame.
Line 2 of 6 (from the bottom):
九二：惕號，莫夜有戎，勿恤。
James Legge: The second NINE, undivided, shows its subject full of apprehension and appealing (for sympathy and help). Late at night hostile measures may be (taken against him), but he need not be anxious about them.
Line 3 of 6 (from the bottom):
九三：壯于頄，有凶。君子夬夬，獨行，遇雨，若濡，有慍，无咎。
James Legge: The third NINE, undivided, shows its subject (about to advance) with strong (and determined) looks. There will be evil. (But) the superior man, bent on cutting off (the criminal), will walk alone and encounter the rain, (till he be hated by his proper associates) as if he were contaminated (by the others). (In the end) there will be no blame against him.
Line 4 of 6 (from the bottom):
九四：臀无膚，其行次且。牽羊悔亡，聞言不信。
James Legge: The fourth NINE, undivided, shows one from whose buttocks the skin has been stripped, and who walks slowly and with difficulty. (If he could act) like. a sheep led (after its companions), occasion for repentance would disappear. But though he hear these words, he will not believe them.
Line 5 of 6 (from the bottom):
九五：莧陸夬夬，中行无咎。
James Legge: The fifth NINE, undivided, shows (the small men like) a bed of purslain, which ought to be uprooted with the utmost determination. (The subject of the line having such determination), his action, in harmony with his central position, will lead to no error or blame.
Line 6 of 6 (from the bottom):
上六：无號，終有凶。
James Legge: The sixth SIX, divided, shows its subject without any (helpers) on whom to call. His end will be evil.
For the general method for changing lines and relating hexagrams, see How to Read the I Ching.
4. Modern Interpretation (Oriens commentary)
This is an Oriens interpretation, not part of the Zhouyi text.
Breakthrough can prompt a careful question about resolve: what here cannot be negotiated with and must be named openly? The figure speaks of announcing the matter plainly — its own warning is that recklessness turns resolve into risk.
The Chinese source and translation provenance are identified above. The Judgment is an Oriens Editorial Translation; the Image and line statements are labeled with James Legge. This keeps the modern reflection separate from both the received text and the named translation.
This reflection predicts nothing about any real confrontation. Health, financial, legal, employment, and relationship decisions belong within their appropriate professional and personal contexts.
Continue with the Hexagram 43 card and the I Ching guide; these are reading paths, not additional predictions.