䷠
Hexagram 33: Dun (遁) — Retreat
Hexagram 33, Dun (遁) — Retreat, is the thirty-third figure of the Book of Changes, composed of the Heaven trigram over the Mountain trigram; the ancients read it as deliberate withdrawal.
Meaning
Dun is the hexagram of stepping back. Heaven stands high above while the mountain rises beneath it, and the old readers saw the strong withdrawing upward as the small press in from below. The judgment is exact: success lies in what is small. A retreat, done well, is not a defeat but a well-timed withdrawal that preserves one's strength for later.
Considered against a career or a public role, the figure is about the art of leaving at the right moment. The lines describe every kind of retreat — the hesitant tail, the friendly departure, the cheerful exit — and rank them by how cleanly they are done. Staying too long out of pride or habit is what turns a wise exit into a costly rout. The ancients admired the person who could see the moment and go without bitterness.
For bonds between people, Dun was read as the value of distance. The second line speaks of holding someone fast with yellow oxhide, and the commentators saw both sides of it: there are ties worth protecting, and there are moments when the loving thing is to give ground rather than to cling. The counsel is to withdraw with affection, not with anger, so that what matters survives the parting.
Within a larger cycle, this figure marks a phase when the forces of decline are rising and the wise course is to conserve. It is not the moment for confrontation but for gathering oneself. The image of heaven above the mountain is the book's picture of the strong keeping their height while the world below grows crowded — a season for preservation over expansion.
The Judgment
“Retreat. Success. In what is small, perseverance furthers.”
The Six Lines of Retreat
Line 1At the tail in retreat. This is dangerous. One must not wish to undertake anything.
Line 2He holds him fast with yellow oxhide. No one can tear him loose.
Line 3A halted retreat is nerve-wracking and dangerous. To retain people as men- and maidservants brings good fortune.
Line 4Voluntary retreat brings good fortune to the superior man and downfall to the inferior man.
Line 5Friendly retreat. Perseverance brings good fortune.
Line 6Cheerful retreat. Everything serves to further.
Receive your own hexagram and its interpretation for your specific question.
Cast the I Ching Oracle →
Free · No sign-up · 3,000-year-old method
Frequently Asked Questions
How is Hexagram 33 arranged?
Dun (遁) places the Heaven trigram (Qian, 乾) above the Mountain trigram (Gen, 艮). Heaven standing high above a mountain that rises toward it was the ancients' image of the strong keeping their distance — the visual root of the meaning of retreat.
What does the judgment of Hexagram 33 mean?
It reads: 'Retreat. Success. In what is small, perseverance furthers.' The old commentaries explain that a retreat succeeds through small, steady actions rather than grand gestures — a quiet and consistent withdrawal preserves more than a dramatic break.
Why does Hexagram 33 speak of yellow oxhide?
The second line, 'He holds him fast with yellow oxhide. No one can tear him loose,' was read as the tension at the heart of the figure: even in retreat there are bonds that matter. The commentators saw it as praise for the loyalty that makes a withdrawal honourable rather than an abandonment.
Related
Source: Judgment and line texts follow the Wilhelm/Baynes rendering of the Yijing.
Energy Yi offers cultural education and self-reflection, not fortune-telling or professional advice.