Shi He · Biting Through

Judgment and Plain-Language Notes

Shi He: Success. It is beneficial to administer justice.

Commentary on the Judgment: “Something between the jaws is called Biting Through. Biting through brings success. Firm and yielding are distinct; movement joins clarity, thunder and lightning unite in brilliance. The yielding gains the center and moves upward. Though its position is inappropriate, administering justice is beneficial.” Commentary on the Image: “Thunder and lightning: Biting Through. The ancient kings clarified penalties and enforced laws.” The Judgment uses an object in the mouth that must be bitten through to explain removing obstacles. The Image uses thunder and lightning's movement and clarity to call for open, explicit standards in judging right and wrong. (Zhouyi, Commentaries on the Judgment and the Image; public domain)

Shi He has Zhen below and Li above, thunder joining lightning, symbolizing an object in the mouth that must be bitten through to restore free movement. The name means removing an obstacle in the middle. “Beneficial to administer justice” points to judging right and wrong with clear rewards and penalties, rather than private rivalry. The lines progress from a light foot restraint through poisoned dried meat and metal arrows in tough meat to a heavy cangue injuring the ears. Costs increase when problems are not handled early. Success comes from action with clarity: establish the facts and judge reasonably to reopen the way.

The judgment's “success” and “beneficial to administer justice” indicate a way through. Yet the third line encounters poison, the fifth warns of danger in steadfastness, and the top explicitly brings misfortune. Friction and costs remain; effectiveness depends on factual discernment rather than emotional force, hence the rating: Balanced. This is the app's interpretation of the text, not a guarantee of outcomes.

Do: Identify the obstacle explicitly, address it through rules, and keep measures proportionate. Avoid: Letting problems drift vaguely or using excessive force to vent emotions.

Understand This Hexagram Through Its Structure

Li above, Zhen below: movement underneath, brightness above — biting through what sits between.

• Name the upper and lower trigram of Shi Ke.
• Say what the solid fourth line does in this structure.
• Say that swapping the halves turns Biting Through into Abundance.

The lower trigram of Shi Ke is Zhen: a solid first line with two broken above. The upper is Li: solid, broken, solid. The first, fourth and sixth lines are solid, with a run of broken lines in between.

There are solid lines at both ends with broken lines between them, so the image is of something stuck in the mouth. Zhen below is movement and Li above is clear sight, so the structure reads as seeing clearly and then dealing with the obstruction. It concerns how an obstacle is handled — look first, then act, rather than relying on force.

A teaching example, not a prediction: a team first pins down exactly which step keeps failing and then fixes it once, instead of routing around it every time. Shi Ke describes that structure.

The Six Lines: Original Text and Reflection

Nine at the beginning: Feet in stocks, the toes injured. No blame.

Commentary on the Image: “Feet in stocks, toes injured: not proceeding.” A small restraint and warning at the beginning stops further movement in a wrong direction, enabling no blame. (Zhouyi, Commentary on the Image; public domain)

Stocks on the feet injure the toes, a minor punishment. The Image emphasizes not proceeding: being stopped prevents further error, so a small injury leads to no blame.

Small warnings, penalties, or setbacks at the beginning can signal needed adjustment. Correct your approach while costs are low, rather than rushing to justify yourself or push through.

Which recent small warning have you not truly stopped to examine?

Six in the second place: Biting soft flesh, the nose injured. No blame.

Commentary on the Image: “Biting soft flesh, the nose injured: resting upon the firm.” A seemingly easy bite goes too deep because the yielding line sits above a firm one, making excessive force likely. Despite excess, intentions and direction remain sound, so there is no blame. (Zhouyi, Commentary on the Image; public domain)

Something that should be easy is handled too forcefully. The Image connects this to the position. The excess leaves a mark, but the corrective direction remains right, preventing blame.

Apparently easy problems can invite overreaction. Establish their actual weight before deciding how much force or how strong a tone to use.

Is the intensity of your reaction proportionate to the issue's actual seriousness?

Six in the third place: Biting dried meat, encountering poison. Small humiliation, no blame.

Commentary on the Image: “Encountering poison comes from an inappropriate position.” Biting tough dried meat and finding an unpleasant poison reflects an unfavorable position. Some embarrassment follows, but noticing it and stopping prevents fault. (Zhouyi, Commentary on the Image; public domain)

Handling tough, longstanding matters exposes an unpalatable part. The Image connects the minor embarrassment to an unsuitable position. Recognizing something wrong promptly prevents it becoming a larger fault.

When taking on a long-standing backlog, you may encounter troubles you did not create. Check whether you occupy the right position to handle it, and involve those responsible when necessary.

Is this really yours to bite through?

Nine in the fourth place: Biting dried meat with bones, obtaining metal arrows. Steadfastness in hardship is beneficial. Good fortune.

Commentary on the Image: “Steadfastness in hardship is beneficial and fortunate; brightness has not yet fully emerged.” Metal arrows found in tough meat symbolize solid evidence gained through difficult work. Clarity is still incomplete, so good fortune requires right conduct through hardship. (Zhouyi, Commentary on the Image; public domain)

Biting through the hardest part yields something as solid as metal arrows. Yet the Image says brightness has not fully emerged: the situation remains unclear, and good fortune rests on holding to right conduct through difficulty.

Thoroughly investigating difficult matters according to rules often yields key evidence or agreement. Keep records and use formal procedures; do not lower standards just because progress is good.

Does the hardest part before you contain evidence worth preserving?

Six in the fifth place: Biting dried meat, obtaining yellow gold. Steadfastness amid danger. No blame.

Commentary on the Image: “Steadfastness amid danger brings no blame because the handling is appropriate.” Finding gold in dried meat symbolizes gains through centered judgment. Right conduct together with vigilance makes the response appropriate and avoids blame. (Zhouyi, Commentary on the Image; public domain)

Centered judgment brings tangible gains, yet “steadfastness amid danger” keeps caution present. The Image emphasizes appropriate handling: remain vigilant despite gain to preserve no blame.

Results and pressure often coexist in a role requiring judgment. Stay careful and hear different accounts. One success does not justify simplifying every future procedure.

Does your current judgment have evidence that withstands questioning?

Nine at the top: Bearing the cangue, the ears injured. Misfortune.

Commentary on the Image: “Bearing the cangue with injured ears: hearing without understanding.” A heavy neck restraint injures the ears. The Image attributes this to refusing advice: accumulated problems reach an extreme and bring severe consequences, hence misfortune. (Zhouyi, Commentary on the Image; public domain)

At the extreme of accumulation, consequences become heavy rather than a small restraint. The Image locates the cause in not listening; covered ears lose the chance for early correction.

Long-ignored warnings often return at the highest cost. Stop arguing, acknowledge the situation, seek help, and make repairs rather than continuing to defend yourself.

Who warned you long ago, without being heard?

Try It Yourself

Swap the halves so Li moves down and Zhen moves up, and see what the name becomes.

This page has a hands-on exercise. It is built into the Traditional Chinese page: open the interactive exercise.

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