Obstruction & Deliverance Hexagrams: One Turns Inward to Reflect, the Other Lets Go Outward — Getting Unstuck vs. Breaking Free Takes Different Strengths

Jian (Obstruction) and Jie (Deliverance) are a pair of inverted hexagrams. One speaks of being stuck, the other of being released.

A reader once told me that last year, nothing he tried could move forward at all.

He wanted to switch jobs, but after three interviews, none led to anything. He tried to push a project forward, but six months of cross-department coordination still left it stuck. He wanted to improve his relationship with his father, but they’d argue again after just a few words.

He said, “Am I just having really bad luck?”

I said, “Luck is part of it. But the most important thing for you to do right now isn’t to wait for luck.”

There are two hexagrams in the I Ching that speak of “being stuck” and “being released”: one is called Jian, the other Jie.

Let’s start with Jian.

Jian is the 39th hexagram: Shui Shan Jian (Obstruction). The upper trigram is Kan / The Abysmal (Water), and the lower trigram is Gen / Keeping Still (Mountain).

The Xiang Commentary says: “There is water on the mountain; this is Jian.”

Mountains are already hard to traverse, and with water on them, the paths are slippery. That’s what Jian means: it’s not that there’s no road, but that the road is far too difficult to walk.

The original meaning of the character “jian” is lame — having difficulty walking.

The Tuan Commentary has a very interesting line: “Seeing danger and being able to stop is wisdom indeed.”

Seeing danger and being able to halt — that is true wisdom.

Note that the I Ching does not encourage you to overcome difficulties here. It says being able to stop is wisdom.

This runs counter to what we’re usually taught. We’re raised to “face difficulties head-on.”

But the Jian hexagram says you have to distinguish between “something that’s hard” and “something you shouldn’t pursue at all.”

Of the six lines of the Jian hexagram, four of them speak of “going forward meets obstruction; return.”

“Going forward meets obstruction” means moving ahead only leads to hardship. “Return” means turning back.

“Going forward meets obstruction; return brings praise” — moving ahead is hard, but turning back earns respect.

“Going forward meets obstruction; return to reflect” — moving ahead is hard, so turn back and examine yourself.

“Going forward meets obstruction; return to unite” — moving ahead is hard, so turn back and build alliances.

“Going forward meets obstruction; return brings great gain” — moving ahead is hard, but turning back yields great rewards.

Four lines, four times telling you: turn back.

This “turning back” is not retreat — it’s changing direction.

The second half of the Xiang Commentary says: “The Junzi (Superior Person) reflects on himself and cultivates his virtue.”

“Reflecting on himself” means turning around to look inward. “Cultivating his virtue” means working on your own part.

That’s the whole solution for Jian: when you’re stuck, don’t look outward for reasons — look inward.

Now let’s talk about Jie.

Jie is the 40th hexagram: Lei Shui Jie (Deliverance). The upper trigram is Zhen / The Arousing (Thunder), and the lower trigram is Kan / The Abysmal (Water).

The Xiang Commentary says: “Thunder and rain arise; this is Jie.”

Thunder and rain burst forth. The sky, which had been stifling for so long, finally lets rain fall.

This image is very important. Jie doesn’t mean “you solved the problem” — it means “the sky finally rains on its own.”

So the core of the Jie hexagram is: let go.

The Hexagram Judgment says: “It furthers to go to the southwest. If there is nowhere to go, returning brings good fortune. If there is somewhere to go, going early brings good fortune.”

Going to the southwest is favorable. If you have nowhere to go, come back — that’s auspicious. If you do need to go, go early — that’s auspicious.

This passage is a bit roundabout, but the meaning is clear: in the phase of Jie, you can go back or move forward, but don’t stay stuck in place wearing yourself out.

The second half of the Xiang Commentary says: “The Junzi (Superior Person) pardons faults and forgives transgressions.”

“Pardons faults” means letting go of mistakes. “Forgives transgressions” means showing mercy for wrongdoings.

This line, placed in the Jie hexagram, is deeply moving.

Because the most common thing that happens in the “Jie” phase is: settling old scores.

The crisis passes, people relax, and then they start looking back to tally up who caused what, who’s to blame, who owes them.

The I Ching says that in the time of Jie, you must pardon, you must forgive.

Pardoning is for others, and forgiving is for others too — but actually, it’s also for yourself.

Because settling old scores drains you more than anyone else.

Now, putting these two hexagrams together, the reader’s problem becomes clear.

He was stuck in Jian, but he kept acting as if he were in Jie.

What’s the approach for Jie? Moving outward, pushing forward, asking others for help, seeking opportunities.

But what Jian requires is turning inward to reflect.

When his three interviews led nowhere, his first reaction was “the job market is bad” or “HR is unprofessional.”

Did he ever stop to think that maybe his resume, his communication skills, or his career positioning was the problem?

When cross-department coordination dragged on for six months, his first reaction was “other departments aren’t cooperating.”

Did he ever consider that maybe his plan offered no benefits to the other parties?

When he argued with his father again, his first reaction was “that’s just how the older generation is.”

Did he ever think that maybe he was speaking with a judgmental tone right from the start?

The Jian hexagram says, reflect on yourself and cultivate your virtue. Turn around and look at your own part in things.

This isn’t about blaming yourself. It’s about finding the part you can actually change.

Because you can’t control what’s outside of you — but you can control what’s within you.

Now let’s talk about a common opposite mistake.

Some people stay in the Jian phase for so long that they get used to “always reflecting inward.” They make a habit of finding fault in themselves for everything.

Then when the Jie phase comes, they’re still turning inward. The situation has already passed, but they’re still criticizing themselves.

This is failing to pardon when you should.

The Jie hexagram says, pardon faults and forgive transgressions. Some things, once they’re over, are over.

These two hexagrams are actually a pair of rhythms in life.

Jian is contracting; Jie is expanding.

In the Jian phase, you draw inward, directing your energy toward yourself.

In the Jie phase, you expand outward, letting go of your burdens.

Don’t expand when you should contract; don’t contract when you should expand.

How do you tell which hexagram phase you’re in?

There’s a very practical standard: see whether your current efforts are making things lighter or heavier.

In the Jian phase, if you reflect on yourself and cultivate your virtue, things will feel lighter. Because you’ve found the part of yourself you can change.

In the Jie phase, if you’re still tallying old scores, things will feel heavier. Because old scores only pile up the more you count them.

Let’s also share one reminder from each hexagram.

The fifth line (nine in the fifth place) of Jian: “Great obstruction; friends come.”

When you’re in great difficulty, friends arrive.

This line is very warm. It means that true hardship filters out who your real friends are.

But it also reminds you: friends who show up only in your hardest times are true friends; the ones who are around when everything is lively and fun may not be.

The second line (nine in the second place) of Jie: “Hunting catches three foxes, and one obtains yellow arrows. Perseverance brings good fortune.”

You go hunting and catch three foxes, and you find yellow arrows.

Foxes are cunning creatures. “Three foxes” represent hidden troubles. “Yellow arrows” represent upright, honest methods.

This line means: in the phase of Jie, you must clear out hidden troubles — and you must clear them with upright means.

You can’t use underhanded tactics.

So Jie isn’t “just letting everything be done with” — it’s “cleaning things up thoroughly.”

Jian and Jie are a very down-to-earth pair in the I Ching.

One says: when you can’t move forward, look at your own feet.

The other says: once the path is clear, don’t look back.

Getting unstuck and moving free never require the same kind of effort.