# Pǐ Hexagram 95: When Misfortune Hits Rock Bottom, a Turnaround Is Just Around the Corner

不知道你有没有过这种感觉——

Have you ever had this feeling before?

这一年过得特别不顺。

This year has been unbelievably rough.

工作上磕磕绊绊，感情里分分合合，身体也老是出毛病，就连喝凉水都塞牙。

Work’s been full of setbacks, your love life’s been on-again off-again, your health keeps acting up, and even the smallest things go wrong for no reason.

你就纳了闷了——我这是得罪谁了？怎么什么倒霉事都让我碰上了？

You’re left wondering: Who did I wrong? Why does every single piece of bad luck land on me?

你甚至开始怀疑人生——是不是我这辈子就这样了？是不是我永远都翻不了身了？

You even start questioning everything: Is this just how my life’s gonna be? Am I never gonna catch a break?

如果你现在正处在这种状态，先别灰心。

If you’re in that headspace right now, don’t lose hope just yet.

《易经》否卦的第五爻，专门说这种时候。叫："休否，大人吉。其亡其亡，系于苞桑。"

The fifth line of the *Standstill* (Pi) Hexagram in the *I Ching (Book of Changes)* speaks directly to moments like this. It reads: “休否，大人吉。其亡其亡，系于苞桑。” (End of standstill: good fortune for the great person. “It will fail, it will fail” — thus one is tied to the root of a mulberry tree, firm and unshakable.)

这句话是什么意思？用大白话讲就是——否运到头了，该结束了。大人物这时候吉祥。但你千万别松懈，你得天天念叨"快要完了快要完了"，这样你才能像桑树一样，根扎得深、站得稳。

What does that mean, in plain terms? The streak of bad luck has hit its limit and is about to end. People of true character will see good fortune here. But you must never let your guard down — keep reminding yourself, “This could still fall apart, this could still fall apart” — that’s how you grow deep roots like a mulberry tree, stable and unshakable.

休否——否到头了，就该翻篇了

“休否” — When Bad Luck Hits Rock Bottom, It’s Time to Turn the Page

先说说"休否"是什么意思。

First, let’s break down what “xiū pǐ (end of standstill)” means.

休，就是停止、结束、罢休；

“Xiu” means to stop, to end, to come to a close;

否，就是闭塞、不顺、倒霉。

“Pi” means blockage, misfortune, bad luck.

合起来就是——否运结束了，该翻篇了。

Put together, it means: the run of bad luck is over, and it’s time to turn a new page.

为什么否卦到了九五才"休否"？因为九五是君位，是一卦之主。否卦走到九五，已经否到了极点，物极必反，否极泰来。

Why does “end of standstill” only come at the Nine in the Fifth Place of the *Standstill* Hexagram? Because the fifth line is the ruler’s position, the core of the entire hexagram. When the *Standstill* Hexagram reaches this line, the misfortune has hit its absolute peak — and when something reaches its extreme, it must reverse. The worst of times gives way to the best.

你想啊，一件事坏到不能再坏了，接下来是什么？当然是往好的方向走啊。

Think about it: when a situation can’t possibly get any worse, what comes next? It can only start getting better, of course.

这就像股票跌到底了，再跌也跌不动了，接下来就是反弹；

It’s like a stock hitting rock bottom — it can’t fall any further, so a rebound is next;

就像天黑到了半夜，再黑也黑不到哪去了，接下来就是天亮；

It’s like the dead of night — it can’t get any darker, so dawn is right around the corner;

就像人倒霉到了极点，再倒霉也倒霉不到哪去了，接下来就是转机。

It’s like when someone’s hit the lowest point of bad luck — things can’t get any worse, so a turn for the better is coming.

这就是"休否"——倒霉到头了，就该转运了。

That’s what “end of standstill” means: when bad luck hits bottom, your luck is about to turn.

闻老师常说："人这一辈子，不可能永远顺，也不可能永远背。顺的时候别飘，背的时候别怂。你扛过最黑的那段夜，天自然就亮了。"

Wen Laoshi often says: “No one’s life is all smooth sailing forever, and no one’s stuck with bad luck forever. Don’t get cocky when things are going well, and don’t cave when things are tough. If you make it through the darkest part of the night, dawn will come on its own.”

我有个朋友，前几年流年特别不顺。

I have a friend who had a terrible run of annual fortune a few years back.

先是公司裁员，他失业了；

First, his company laid people off and he lost his job;

接着家里老人住院，花了一大笔钱；

Then an elderly family member was hospitalized, costing a huge sum of money;

然后老婆又跟他闹离婚，差点散了。

Then his wife started talking divorce, and their marriage almost fell apart.

那段时间他整个人都蔫了，天天喝酒，说自己命不好、说这辈子就这样了。

During that time, he was totally defeated. He drank every day, saying he had bad luck and that his life was never gonna get better.

我劝他，他也听不进去。

I tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn’t listen.

结果呢？过了大半年，事情一件一件都有了转机。

And what happened? After more than half a year, things started turning around one by one.

他找到了新工作，工资比以前还高；

He found a new job with a higher salary than before;

老人的病慢慢稳住了；

The elderly family member’s condition gradually stabilized;

老婆也跟他和好了，俩人关系比以前还好。

He and his wife reconciled, and their relationship is even better than it used to be.

他后来跟我说："以前我不信什么否极泰来，现在我信了。人真的不能在最倒霉的时候放弃，因为你不知道——说不定转天，好事就来了。"

He told me later: “I used to not believe that the worst gives way to the best, but now I do. You really can’t give up when you’re at your lowest, because you never know — good things might be right around the corner the next day.”

你看，这就是"休否"的道理——你觉得扛不下去的时候，往往就是离转机最近的时候。再撑一下，天就亮了。

See, that’s the truth of “end of standstill”: the moment you feel like you can’t go on is usually the moment you’re closest to a turnaround. Hold on just a little longer, and dawn will break.

大人吉——能扛过去的，才是大人物

“大人吉” — Those Who Make It Through Are the True Great People

"休否"后面是三个字——大人吉。

Right after “end of standstill” come three words: “great person, good fortune.”

什么意思？就是——否运结束的时候，真正的大人物才能吉祥、才能站起来。

What does that mean? It means when the streak of bad luck ends, only people of true character will find good fortune and be able to get back on their feet.

为什么是"大人吉"，不是"众人吉"？

Why is it “good fortune for the great person,” not “good fortune for everyone”?

因为否运这东西，不是所有人都能扛过去的。

Because when it comes to bad luck, not everyone can make it through.

有些人扛着扛着就垮了、有些人扛着扛着就歪了、有些人扛着扛着就放弃了。

Some people crumble under the pressure, some lose their way, some just give up entirely.

只有那些真正有定力、有韧性、有格局的人，才能在否运里守住自己、守住底线、守住方向。等否运一过，这些人才能第一个站起来，才能接住接下来的好运。

Only people with true focus, resilience, and a big-picture mindset can hold onto themselves, their principles, and their direction through hard times. Once the bad luck passes, these are the people who get back up first, and who are ready to seize the good fortune that follows.

闻老师说过一句话："顺境出英雄，逆境出人物。顺的时候谁都能风光，逆的时候能扛过去的，才是真厉害。"

Wen Laoshi once said: “Good times make heroes, but hard times make people of substance. Anyone can look impressive when things are going well — the truly impressive ones are those who make it through when things are tough.”

我特别认同这句话。

I couldn’t agree more with that.

你看那些成大事的人，哪个没经历过几次大起大落？

Look at anyone who’s accomplished something big — haven’t they all been through their share of major ups and downs?

马云创业之前，做黄页、做翻译社，都失败过；

Before Jack Ma built his business empire, he failed at running a yellow pages service and a translation agency;

任正非创立华为之前，被骗过、离婚过、穷得叮当响；

Before Ren Zhengfei founded Huawei, he was scammed, went through a divorce, and was dead broke;

就连我们熟悉的那些明星、企业家，谁背后没有几段倒霉的日子？

Even the celebrities and entrepreneurs we all know — who hasn’t had their share of rough patches behind the scenes?

他们跟普通人的区别在哪？

What sets them apart from regular people?

不是他们比我们聪明多少，也不是他们比我们运气好多少。

It’s not that they’re way smarter than us, or that they’ve had way better luck.

是他们在否运里，比我们能扛。

It’s that when times are tough, they can endure more than we can.

普通人倒霉了，就抱怨、就放弃、就躺平；

When regular people hit bad luck, they complain, give up, and check out;

大人物倒霉了，他也难受，但他不放弃——他咬着牙扛、他想办法熬、他等着"休否"那一天。

When great people hit bad luck, they hurt too, but they don’t give up — they grit their teeth and push through, they find ways to hang on, they wait for the day the bad luck ends.

"休否"来了，普通人可能还没反应过来，还在抱怨命运不公；

When the “end of standstill” comes, regular people might not even notice it — they’re too busy complaining that life’s unfair;

大人物呢？他早就准备好了，否运一结束，他立刻抓住机会，一飞冲天。

Great people? They’re already prepared. The second the bad luck lifts, they seize the chance and skyrocket.

这就是"大人吉"——不是大人命好，是大人能扛。能扛到"休否"那一天的人，自然就吉了。

That’s what “great person, good fortune” means: it’s not that great people have better luck, it’s that they can endure more. Anyone who can hold on until the “end of standstill” will naturally find good fortune.

其亡其亡，系于苞桑——越顺，越要警惕

“其亡其亡，系于苞桑” — The Better Things Go, the More Alert You Need to Be

"休否，大人吉"后面，还有一句话，特别重要——"其亡其亡，系于苞桑。"

Right after “end of standstill, good fortune for the great person,” there’s another line that’s especially important: “It will fail, it will fail — thus one is tied to the root of a mulberry tree.”

其亡其亡，就是"快要灭亡了、快要完蛋了"，就是时刻提醒自己危险还在；

“It will fail, it will fail” means “this could all fall apart, this could all go under” — it’s about constantly reminding yourself that danger is still present;

系于苞桑，就是像桑树的根一样，深深扎在地里，牢固得很。

“Tied to the root of a mulberry tree” means being like a mulberry tree’s roots, sunk deep into the ground, firm and unshakable.

合起来就是——哪怕否运结束了、开始顺了，你也不能放松。你得天天提醒自己"快完了快完了"，保持警惕，你的根才能扎得深、才能站得稳。

Put together, it means: even when the bad luck is over and things are going well, you can’t let your guard down. You have to remind yourself every day, “this could still fall apart, this could still fall apart” — stay alert, so your roots can grow deep and you can stand firm.

为什么刚"休否"就要说"其亡其亡"？这不是扫兴吗？

Why would we talk about “it will fail” right when the bad luck is ending? Isn’t that a total buzzkill?

还真不是。

Actually, not at all.

因为否极泰来，但泰极也会否来啊。

Because the worst gives way to the best — but the best can also give way back to the worst.

你刚从否里走出来，就得意忘形、就飘了、就不知道自己姓什么了，那你很快又会否回去。

If you just climbed out of a rough patch and immediately get cocky, get full of yourself, and lose all sense of perspective, you’ll fall right back into hard times before you know it.

这样的例子太多了。

There are way too many examples of this.

有的人前几年赚了点钱，就觉得自己了不起了，大手大脚、盲目扩张、到处投资，结果呢？一个浪打过来，又掉回去了，甚至比之前还惨。

Some people make a little money for a few years, start thinking they’re hot stuff, spend recklessly, expand blindly, invest everywhere — and what happens? One bad wave hits, and they’re right back where they started, or even worse off than before.

所以九五爻在告诉你"休否"的同时，立刻就给你泼一盆冷水——"其亡其亡"。别高兴得太早，危险还没过去，你稍有不慎，就会掉回去。

That’s why the Nine in the Fifth Place tells you the bad luck is ending, and immediately douses you with cold water: “It will fail, it will fail.” Don’t celebrate too early — the danger isn’t over yet. One slip-up, and you’ll fall right back in.

闻老师有句话说得特别到位："倒霉的时候，要对自己有信心；走运的时候，要对自己有警惕。前者让人扛住，后者让人长久。"

Wen Laoshi put it perfectly: “When you’re down on your luck, have faith in yourself. When you’re riding high, stay wary of yourself. The first helps you hold on, the second helps you last.”

这就叫"系于苞桑"。

That’s what it means to be “tied to the root of a mulberry tree.”

桑树为什么那么牢固？因为它的根系发达、扎得深。

Why are mulberry trees so sturdy? Because their root systems are extensive, and they grow deep.

你的人生为什么能长久？因为你有危机感、你不松懈、你时刻准备着应对下一次"否"。

Why will your life stand the test of time? Because you have a sense of crisis, you don’t slack off, and you’re always ready for the next stretch of hard times.

有危机感的人，顺的时候他也在攒钱、也在学习、也在锻炼身体；

People with a sense of crisis save money, keep learning, and stay in shape even when things are going well;

没危机感的人，顺的时候他就飘、就作、就挥霍。

People without a sense of crisis get cocky, act recklessly, and blow their money when things are going well.

等下一个"否"来的时候，

When the next stretch of bad luck comes,

有危机感的人，根扎得深，风吹不动；

People with a sense of crisis have deep roots, and the wind can’t blow them down;

没危机感的人，根浅得很，一吹就倒。

People without a sense of crisis have shallow roots, and they topple over at the first gust.

写在最后

Final Thoughts

否卦九五的"休否，大人吉。其亡其亡，系于苞桑"，说的就是两件事——

The line from the Nine in the Fifth Place of the *Standstill* Hexagram — “End of standstill: good fortune for the great person. ‘It will fail, it will fail’ — thus one is tied to the root of a mulberry tree” — boils down to two things:

第一，倒霉的时候别放弃，否极总会泰来。

First: don’t give up when times are tough. The worst always gives way to the best.

你觉得撑不下去的时候，再撑撑；

When you feel like you can’t go on, hold on just a little longer;

你觉得看不到希望的时候，再等等；

When you feel like there’s no hope in sight, wait just a little more;

你觉得人生就这样了的时候，再想想——说不定转机就在下一个路口。

When you feel like this is just how your life will be, think again — the turnaround might be right around the next corner.

第二，顺的时候别飘，越顺越要警惕。

Second: don’t get cocky when things are going well. The smoother things go, the more alert you need to be.

刚过两天好日子，就忘了当初的苦；

You have a few good days, and you forget all the hard times you went through;

刚赚了两笔钱，就觉得自己天下第一；

You make a couple of good bucks, and you think you’re the best there is;

刚有点小成就，就不知道天高地厚。

You have a little bit of success, and you lose all sense of perspective.

这样的人，好运不会长久。

People like that don’t keep their good luck for long.

放到流年运势上，就是——

Applied to your annual fortune, that means:

如果你今年过得特别不顺，别灰心、别丧气、别放弃自己。否到头了，自然就"休否"了。你现在要做的，就是扛住、守住、熬过去。等运气转过来了，就是你的"大人吉"。

If this year has been extra rough for you, don’t lose heart, don’t get discouraged, don’t give up on yourself. When bad luck hits its limit, the “end of standstill” will come naturally. All you have to do right now is hold on, stay true to yourself, and make it through. When your luck turns around, that’s when you’ll find your “good fortune as a great person.”

如果你今年过得还不错、挺顺的，那更要小心了。你得天天跟自己念叨"其亡其亡"——快完了快完了、别飘别作、稳住稳住。这样你才能"系于苞桑"，根扎得深、路走得远。

If this year has been pretty good and smooth for you, then you need to be even more careful. You have to tell yourself every day, “it could still fall apart, it could still fall apart” — don’t get cocky, don’t act reckless, stay steady. That’s how you’ll be “tied to the root of a mulberry tree,” with deep roots and a long road ahead.

记住闻老师那句话：流年这东西，就像海浪——有高就有低，有起就有落。浪高的时候，别站在浪尖上得意；浪低的时候，别趴在海底里认输。你只要站得住，浪高浪低，都是风景。

Remember what Wen Laoshi said: annual fortune is like ocean waves — there are highs and lows, rises and falls. When the waves are high, don’t stand on the crest feeling smug. When the waves are low, don’t lie on the seabed admitting defeat. As long as you can stay standing, high tide or low tide, it’s all just scenery.

其亡其亡，系于苞桑。

“It will fail, it will fail — thus one is tied to the root of a mulberry tree.”

顺的时候，把根扎深一点。

When things are going well, sink your roots a little deeper.

深到什么程度？深到下一次否来的时候，你还站得住。

How deep? Deep enough that when the next stretch of hard times comes, you’ll still be standing.