Repairing Decay 蠱

Repairing Decay shows a bowl where neglect has bred worms. What was spoiled can be set right; think before you act, then follow through with care.

What does Repairing Decay mean?

Worms have bred inside the bowl. This decay did not happen at once; things neglected and ignored for a long time have piled up. The wind is trapped beneath the mountain and the air has gone stale. Often this decay began before you. It may have come to you from your family, from an old order or from past decisions. But now setting it right is in your hands. You can see this not as a burden but as a chance. Clearing up what was left behind leaves a clean start both for you and for those who come after you. No one else is going to do it for you.

This situation asks for work, not for finding someone to blame. First understand well where the problem comes from. If you try to patch it in a hurry, the rot shows itself again. Once you have started, do not drop it right away; make sure the change you made holds. This takes effort, and sometimes it means facing old loyalties. Still, do not lose heart. Something that has decayed can, when handled rightly, become sounder than before. Be like the wind that clears stale air. Bring both yourself and those around you back to life.

The lines

If a line changed (red) in your reading, read only that line. Lines are counted from the bottom up.

1. First line

   Setting right what the father spoiled. If there is such a child, the father is freed of blame. There is danger, but the end is good. You are taking on a mistake from the past early; this effort is worth it.

2. Second line

   Setting right what the mother spoiled. One must not be too harsh. A mistake born of weakness is corrected with gentleness and tact, not by force.

3. Third line

   Setting right what the father spoiled. There will be a little regret, but no great mistake. Perhaps you act with too much zeal, yet you are doing the right work.

4. Fourth line

   Tolerating what the father spoiled. If you go on this way, you will meet with shame. Indulging the problem makes it grow.

5. Fifth line

   Setting right what the father spoiled. Praise is won. Repair done not alone but with the support of others is appreciated.

6. Top line

   He does not serve kings and lords; he sets his own aims higher. It may be time to withdraw from worldly affairs and protect your inner values. This is not an escape but another kind of service.

Trigrams

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