33 遯 Retreat
Judgement
Withdrawing in time is also a way of advancing. The way is open in this retreat, and there is still, to a small degree, an advantage in staying firm and upright. It is not running away: it is seeing that what is coming is stronger and stepping out of its path without losing what is essential. There is no need to make a drama of it. Ask yourself which situation you would do well to leave calmly, and what you want to keep as you go.
Image
Heaven and, beneath it, a mountain: the mountain rises, but heaven always moves away. The wise person keeps the petty at a distance, not by showing hatred, but with calm dignity. It is a retreat without a slammed door: you mark the limit by how you carry yourself, without attacks, reproaches or explanations nobody asked for. Ask yourself how you can create distance without hostility.
Lines
Line 1
This is the tail of the retreat: you stay behind, the last one. It is a dangerous place: do not move in any direction. If you were late leaving, make no sudden moves now. Stillness is best. Ask yourself whether you stayed longer than suited you, and what you can do now without drawing more attention.
Line 2
You hold your decision as with a strap of yellow ox hide that cannot be broken. This is firm, rooted determination. When you have decided to step away, you need not explain or justify it. Keep what you decided with calm. Ask yourself which decision you keep chewing over, and whether it is time to stop arguing with yourself.
Line 3
You withdraw, but tied: something holds you. It is painful and risky. Treat those who hold you back as you would those you look after at home, with attention and firmness, and it tends to go well. Some ties are not broken, only managed. Ask yourself what bond holds you, and how you could care for it without being stopped.
Line 4
You withdraw in spite of what you like. Leaving what you want is hard, and it looks promising for someone who can do it; a small spirit cannot. Withdrawing from conviction, even when it hurts, shows character. Ask yourself what you like that you would do well to let go of right now, and whether you have the courage.
Line 5
You withdraw admirably. If you stay firm and upright, it looks promising. This is a retreat done well: without resentment, without show, in the style of someone who knows their place is no longer there. Ask yourself how you want to be remembered when you leave where you are, and what you could do today to make that image yours.
Line 6
You withdraw with nobility, and there is an advantage in everything. Nothing ties you down. This is the highest retreat, the one that comes from inner freedom, not from fear. When you leave like this, you lose nothing. Ask yourself whether there is something you are leaving out of fear that you could leave from freedom.
Reflection
- Which situation would you do well to leave calmly?
- What bond holds you, and how could you care for it without being tied?
- Are you leaving something out of fear or from freedom?