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Hexagram 40: Xie (解) — Deliverance
Hexagram 40, Xie (解) — Deliverance, is the fortieth of the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching, the Thunder trigram standing over the Water trigram; it is the classic symbol of release, of the storm that clears, and of the loosening of what was bound.
Meaning
Xie is the hexagram of relief. It follows Obstruction, and reads as its resolution: Thunder above, Water below, the image of a storm that breaks and releases rain. What was pent up now flows. The judgment's counsel is to move quickly while the release lasts — "if there is no longer anything where one has to go, return brings good fortune" — and not to drag the matter out once it is loose.
In career and enterprise, Xie marks the moment when a stuck situation comes free: the dispute settles, the block clears, the pressure breaks. The counsel is to act decisively and to tie off loose ends at once, because the window of relief is the time to finish things. Line 6's image — the prince shooting the hawk on the high wall — is the hexagram's closing counsel: once the obstacle is down, the whole field opens.
In relationships, Xie is reconciliation after strain, the clearing of the air after a conflict. Line 4's image is the key: deliver yourself from your own small faults first, and then the companion can be trusted. The hexagram teaches that release in a bond begins with self-correction, not with demanding change from the other person.
For timing, Xie is a clear "now is the moment to act" — the rare hexagram that urges speed. But it carries one precise caution, in line 3: do not carry a burden and ride in a carriage at the same time. That is, do not flaunt ease while still hauling old weight; the appearance of wealth invites trouble. Be genuinely done with what you release.
The Judgment
“Deliverance. The southwest furthers. If there is no longer anything where one has to go, return brings good fortune.”
The Six Lines of Deliverance
Line 1Without blame.
Line 2One kills three foxes in the field and receives a yellow arrow. Perseverance brings good fortune.
Line 3If a man carries a burden on his back and nonetheless rides in a carriage, he thereby encourages robbers to draw near. Perseverance leads to humiliation.
Line 4Deliver yourself from your great toe. Then the companion comes, and him you can trust.
Line 5If only the superior man can deliver himself, it brings good fortune.
Line 6The prince shoots at a hawk on a high wall. He kills it. Everything serves to further.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does Hexagram 40 (Xie, Deliverance) mean?
Hexagram 40, Xie (解) — Deliverance, is the hexagram of release: Thunder over Water, the storm that clears and lets the rain fall. Its judgment counsels acting quickly while the relief lasts and not dragging matters out once they are loose.
What is the trigram structure of Hexagram 40?
Xie is the Thunder trigram (震) above and the Water trigram (坎) below. Thunder breaking above released water is the book's image of pent-up pressure finally flowing — the natural resolution of the obstruction described by Hexagram 39.
What does "carry a burden and ride in a carriage" mean in Hexagram 40?
It is line 3's warning against half-finished release: hauling old weight while displaying ease invites trouble. The counsel is to be genuinely done with what you release — tie off the loose ends completely, rather than appear free while still carrying the load.
Related
Source: Judgment and line texts follow the Wilhelm/Baynes rendering of the Yijing used across energyyi.com (Wilhelm's original German, 1924, is in the public domain).
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