Hexagram 28
Great ExceedingDà Guò 大過
Also translated as Preponderance of the Great, Critical Mass, Great Excess.
Lake above Wind / Wood below
Four strong lines in the middle, weak at both ends: a beam too heavy for its supports, beginning to sag. Da Guo describes a situation under extraordinary strain, too much weight, too much pressure, an unsustainable load. It needs decisive but careful action, a way out or a transition, and the inner independence to act even when others don't understand.
Judgment
大過：棟橈，利有攸往，亨。
Great excess: the ridgepole bends. Favorable to have somewhere to go. Success.
Image
澤滅木，大過；君子以獨立不懼，遯世无悶。
The lake has drowned the trees: great excess. Taking this as a model, the noble one can stand alone without fear and leave the world behind without gloom.
- Extraordinary pressure
- Unsustainable situations
- Decisive transition
- Standing alone
- Courage in crisis
- pressure
- strain
- crisis
- courage
- transition
- independence
- When the load is too heavy, something must change.
- Extraordinary times call for extraordinary but careful measures.
- Stand by your judgment even when you stand alone.
The six lines
Lines are numbered from the bottom. In a reading, only the lines that are changing apply to your cast.
Line 1Six at the beginning 初六
Line text
藉用白茅，无咎。
A mat of white reeds laid underneath. No blame.
In a precarious time, extraordinary care at the start, like laying soft rushes under a heavy object, prevents damage. Caution is not excessive here.
- Extra care
- Careful groundwork
- Carelessness with something fragile
- Preventing harm through careful preparation
Line 2Nine in the second place 九二
Line text
枯楊生稊，老夫得其女妻，无不利。
A withered willow puts out new shoots; an old man takes a young wife. Nothing is unfavorable.
Renewal from an unexpected source. Joining with something new and fresh revives what had become dry. An unusual combination works.
- Renewal through new connection
- Unusual combinations
- Dismissing an unconventional solution
- Fresh life from an unexpected union
Line 3Nine in the third place 九三
Line text
棟橈，凶。
The ridgepole bends: misfortune.
Pushing ahead stubbornly in a crisis, refusing help or advice, makes the collapse worse. Overconfidence here is dangerous.
- Collapse under strain
- Refusing help
- Insisting on carrying it all alone
- Accepting support before it breaks
Line 4Nine in the fourth place 九四
Line text
棟隆，吉；有它吝。
The ridgepole is braced up: good fortune. If there are other motives: regret.
With the help of others, the situation is stabilized. Use the position for the common good; exploiting it for personal gain would be shameful.
- Stabilization
- Integrity in support
- Self-interest creeping in
- Bearing the load well, together
Line 5Nine in the fifth place 九五
Line text
枯楊生華，老婦得其士夫，无咎无譽。
A withered willow puts out flowers; an old woman takes a young husband. No blame, no praise.
Superficial renewal: flowers rather than roots. It looks like new life, but it does not lead to lasting growth. Look for deeper regeneration.
- Superficial renewal
- Flowering without roots
- Mistaking a burst of activity for real renewal
- Seeking change that goes to the root
Line 6Six at the top 上六
Line text
過涉滅頂，凶，无咎。
Wading across, the water closes over one's head. Misfortune, but no blame.
You go beyond safe limits for a cause that matters. The outcome may be painful, but there is no moral fault. Sometimes integrity costs a great deal.
- Sacrifice for a cause
- Going beyond limits
- Unnecessary self-sacrifice
- Acting rightly whatever the cost
Related hexagrams
Have a question on your mind?
Cast a readingChinese text: Zhouyi 周易 (received classical text). English rendering and notes: Site rendering. About our sources
Commentary
The image of the sagging ridgepole is clear: the structure is overloaded in the middle and weak at its ends. It cannot carry on as it is. Da Guo is a hexagram of critical moments when the ordinary rules no longer work. The reading may suggest a situation that has become too much: an overloaded schedule, a relationship under strain, a system near breaking point.
Remarkably, the judgment is positive: it is favorable to go somewhere, to act, to find a way through. The image adds the inner stance needed: independence without fear, and the ability to withdraw without bitterness. In relation to a question, Da Guo may emphasize recognizing an unsustainable load and making a deliberate change before something breaks.