Hexagram 57
The Gentle (The Penetrating, Wind)
巽 (Xùn)
Wind over Wind
Hexagram 57 represents the power of gentle but persistent influence, like wind that penetrates everywhere through continuous subtle pressure. This hexagram embodies the principle that gentle persistence achieves what force cannot, teaching us that repeated small efforts create profound transformation. The doubled wind trigram emphasizes sustained gentle influence, showing how clarity of purpose combined with adaptable methods brings success. Like wind shaping landscapes over time, this hexagram reveals how patient, consistent action penetrates obstacles and creates lasting change through flexibility rather than confrontation.
Key Concepts
The Judgment (卦辞)
Translation: "The Gentle. Success through what is small. It furthers one to have somewhere to go. It furthers one to see the great man."
Hexagram 57 teaches the profound wisdom that gentle, persistent influence achieves what aggressive force cannot. The Gentle represents the penetrating power of wind, which enters through the smallest openings and gradually transforms everything it touches. This hexagram reveals that success comes not through dramatic gestures but through consistent small actions aligned with clear purpose. Like wind that shapes mountains over millennia, gentle persistence creates lasting transformation. The emphasis on "success through what is small" reminds us that humble, repeated efforts compound into significant achievements. Seeking guidance from the wise ensures your gentle influence moves in beneficial directions.
The doubled wind trigram intensifies the message of sustained gentle influence. Just as wind never stops moving, your efforts must be continuous and adaptable. This hexagram counsels flexibility in methods while maintaining clarity of intention. The wind penetrates everywhere not through force but through patient persistence, finding pathways around obstacles rather than confronting them directly. In human affairs, this translates to influence through example, persuasion through patience, and achievement through consistent dedication. The gentle approach succeeds where aggression fails, creating willing cooperation rather than resentful compliance.
The Image (大象传)
君子以申命行事。
Translation: "Winds following one upon the other: the image of the Gently Penetrating. Thus the superior person spreads his commands abroad and carries out his undertakings."
The image of wind following wind illustrates the power of repeated gentle influence. Just as successive breezes eventually clear the air and shape the landscape, repeated commands and consistent actions create lasting effects. The superior person understands that leadership effectiveness comes not from single dramatic pronouncements but from clear, repeated communication and consistent follow-through. Like wind that penetrates every corner, wise leaders ensure their vision and values permeate every aspect of their organization through patient, persistent reinforcement. This approach creates deep cultural transformation rather than superficial compliance.
The doubled wind also represents the importance of adaptability in execution. While the core message remains consistent, the superior person adjusts methods to suit different circumstances, just as wind flows around obstacles. This flexibility ensures that influence reaches everywhere without creating resistance. By spreading commands gently but persistently, and by demonstrating consistency between words and actions, the wise leader creates an environment where change happens naturally. The gentle approach builds genuine understanding and willing cooperation, creating sustainable transformation that endures.
The Six Lines (六爻)
Six at the Beginning (初六)
Bottom line - Yin
"In advancing and in retreating, the perseverance of a warrior furthers."
This line indicates indecision and wavering at the beginning of your endeavor. You find yourself alternating between advance and retreat, uncertain of the proper course. The counsel here is to adopt the disciplined determination of a warrior while maintaining the gentle approach of this hexagram. Commit to your direction with military precision and consistency, but execute with flexibility. Overcome hesitation through structured persistence rather than aggressive force, establishing clear routines and following them faithfully.
Nine in the Second Place (九二)
Second line - Yang
"Penetration under the bed. Priests and magicians are used in great number. Good fortune. No blame."
This line suggests the need to address hidden influences and unconscious patterns that affect your situation. Like examining what lies beneath the bed, you must investigate subtle factors operating below the surface. Seek help from those with specialized knowledge or intuitive understanding to uncover these hidden dynamics. The use of multiple advisors ensures comprehensive understanding. By bringing unconscious influences into awareness and addressing them thoroughly, you clear obstacles to progress and create conditions for success.
Nine in the Third Place (九三)
Third line - Yang
"Repeated penetration. Humiliation."
This line warns against excessive deliberation and constant second-guessing. When gentle influence becomes obsessive analysis or when flexibility turns into indecisiveness, effectiveness is lost. You may be overthinking situations, repeatedly reconsidering decisions, or excessively adapting to others' opinions. This creates confusion and diminishes your authority. The remedy is to find balance between thoughtful consideration and decisive action. Make your decisions carefully but then commit to them, avoiding the humiliation that comes from appearing weak-willed or constantly changing direction.
Six in the Fourth Place (六四)
Fourth line - Yin
"Remorse vanishes. During the hunt three kinds of game are caught."
This line brings excellent fortune through practical application of gentle persistence. Your previous doubts and regrets dissolve as your approach yields abundant results. Like a successful hunt that brings varied game, your efforts produce multiple benefits and diverse opportunities. The key is maintaining your gentle but consistent approach while remaining alert to opportunities. Success comes from balanced action that combines preparation, patience, and readiness to act when the moment arrives. Your flexible persistence creates conditions where multiple goals can be achieved simultaneously.
Nine in the Fifth Place (九五)
Fifth line - Yang
"Perseverance brings good fortune. Remorse vanishes. Nothing that does not further. No beginning, but an end. Before the change, three days. After the change, three days. Good fortune."
The ruler's line emphasizes the importance of careful preparation and follow-through when implementing change. Success requires thoughtful consideration before initiating transformation and diligent attention afterward to ensure proper integration. The reference to three days before and after represents the need for adequate preparation time and consolidation period. Though beginnings may be uncertain, persistent gentle influence creates successful conclusions. By maintaining consistency while remaining adaptable, and by giving proper attention to both planning and implementation phases, you achieve comprehensive success.
Nine at the Top (上九)
Top line - Yang
"Penetration under the bed. He loses his property and his ax. Perseverance brings misfortune."
This line warns that excessive gentleness and over-analysis lead to loss of effectiveness and resources. When penetrating influence becomes obsessive introspection or when flexibility turns into spineless accommodation, you lose the tools and resources needed for effective action. The ax represents your ability to make clear decisions and take decisive action. Continuing on this path of excessive submission or endless deliberation brings misfortune. The remedy is to recover your decisiveness and authority, balancing gentle influence with firm resolve and clear boundaries.
Love & Relationships (爱情)
In matters of the heart, hexagram 57 teaches that lasting love develops through gentle, consistent nurturing rather than dramatic gestures or forceful pursuit. Like wind that gradually shapes the landscape, your patient attention and subtle care create deep emotional bonds. This is an excellent time to influence your relationship through small daily kindnesses, attentive listening, and flexible accommodation of your partner's needs. Avoid aggressive demands or ultimatums; instead, let your love penetrate naturally through persistent gentle presence. For those seeking romance, this hexagram suggests that attraction develops gradually through repeated pleasant interactions and demonstrated reliability.
The doubled wind indicates the importance of communication that is both consistent and adaptable. Share your feelings regularly but adjust your approach based on your partner's receptivity. Like wind that finds every opening, your gentle persistence in expressing care and maintaining connection will eventually dissolve barriers and create intimacy. For established relationships facing challenges, this hexagram counsels patient influence rather than confrontation. Address issues through repeated gentle conversations, allowing time for understanding to develop. Your flexibility in methods combined with consistency in caring creates the conditions for relationship healing and growth.
In romantic partnerships, embody the wind's qualities of persistence without aggression and influence without force. Small gestures repeated consistently create deeper impact than occasional grand displays. Pay attention to subtle cues from your partner and adjust your approach accordingly, while maintaining steady devotion. This gentle persistence builds trust and deepens intimacy over time. For singles, cultivate relationships through patient friendship and gradual deepening of connection. The wind teaches that love, like all profound transformations, develops through gentle sustained influence rather than sudden dramatic change.
Career & Business (事业)
Professionally, hexagram 57 indicates that career advancement comes through consistent excellent performance and gentle persistent influence rather than aggressive self-promotion or dramatic initiatives. Like wind that gradually clears the air, your steady reliability and subtle leadership create opportunities for advancement. This is an ideal time to influence workplace culture through example, to build support for your ideas through patient persuasion, and to establish your reputation through consistent quality work. Avoid confrontational approaches to workplace challenges; instead, use repeated gentle communication and demonstrated competence to penetrate resistance and create change. Your flexibility in methods combined with clarity of professional purpose brings recognition and success.
For business leaders and entrepreneurs, this hexagram teaches that organizational transformation happens through persistent gentle influence on company culture. Like successive winds that eventually clear the atmosphere, your repeated communication of vision and values, combined with consistent demonstration through action, creates deep cultural change. Implement new initiatives gradually, allowing time for understanding and adaptation. Use multiple channels and repeated messages to ensure your vision penetrates every level of the organization. The gentle approach builds genuine buy-in rather than resentful compliance, creating sustainable transformation. For new ventures, build your market presence through consistent quality and patient relationship development rather than aggressive marketing.
In professional relationships, cultivate influence through reliability and subtle persuasion. Like wind that shapes landscapes through persistent gentle pressure, your consistent professionalism and patient relationship-building create strong networks and opportunities. Address workplace conflicts through repeated calm discussions rather than confrontation. Advance your ideas by planting seeds in multiple conversations and allowing them to take root naturally. This approach creates willing cooperation and lasting professional relationships. For career transitions, make changes gradually while maintaining consistent effort toward your goals, allowing your new direction to develop naturally through patient persistent action.
Health & Wellness (健康)
For health and wellness, hexagram 57 emphasizes the power of gentle consistent practices over dramatic interventions. Like wind that gradually purifies the air, regular moderate exercise, consistent healthy eating, and daily stress-reduction practices create profound health transformation over time. This is an excellent period to establish sustainable wellness routines that you can maintain indefinitely. Avoid extreme diets or punishing exercise regimens; instead, adopt gentle practices you can sustain consistently. Your health improves through patient persistent attention to small daily choices. The gentle approach prevents burnout and creates lasting lifestyle changes that support long-term vitality and wellbeing.
The doubled wind suggests the importance of addressing both physical and mental health through gentle persistent practices. Like wind that penetrates everywhere, let your wellness efforts touch every aspect of your life. Establish consistent sleep schedules, regular movement practices, mindful eating habits, and daily stress management. Each small practice compounds with others to create comprehensive health improvement. For those recovering from illness or injury, this hexagram counsels patient gradual rehabilitation. Allow your body to heal naturally through gentle consistent support rather than forcing rapid recovery. Trust in the cumulative effect of daily healthy choices to restore and maintain your vitality.
In mental and emotional wellness, practice gentle persistent self-care and stress management. Like wind that gradually clears the atmosphere, regular meditation, journaling, or therapy sessions slowly dissolve emotional blockages and create mental clarity. Address psychological patterns through patient self-observation and gradual behavior change rather than forcing dramatic transformation. The gentle persistent approach to mental health creates sustainable improvement without overwhelming your system. Establish daily practices that support emotional balance and maintain them consistently, allowing their cumulative effect to create profound positive change in your mental and emotional wellbeing over time.
Financial Matters (财运)
Financially, hexagram 57 indicates that wealth accumulation happens through consistent small savings and gentle persistent attention to financial health rather than dramatic investments or risky ventures. Like wind that gradually shapes the landscape, your regular contributions to savings, consistent budget management, and patient investment strategy create substantial wealth over time. This is an excellent period to establish automatic savings plans, to gradually reduce expenses through small consistent changes, and to build financial knowledge through regular study. Avoid get-rich-quick schemes or aggressive speculation; instead, trust in the power of compound growth through patient persistent saving and conservative investing.
The doubled wind suggests multiple streams of gentle persistent income rather than dependence on single large sources. Like wind that flows through many channels, diversify your income and investments across multiple areas. Build wealth through consistent effort in your primary work while developing additional income streams gradually. Each small source compounds with others to create financial security. For business finances, focus on steady sustainable growth rather than rapid expansion. Build customer loyalty through consistent quality and service, allowing your reputation to spread naturally like wind. This gentle persistent approach to business development creates stable long-term profitability.
In financial planning and money management, adopt gentle persistent practices that you can maintain indefinitely. Like wind that never stops moving, let your financial discipline be constant but not harsh. Review your finances regularly, make small adjustments consistently, and allow the cumulative effect of wise choices to build wealth over time. Address financial challenges through patient persistent effort rather than dramatic measures. Reduce debt gradually through consistent payments, build emergency funds through regular small contributions, and develop investment portfolios through patient dollar-cost averaging. The gentle persistent approach to finances creates lasting security and sustainable wealth growth.
Personal Growth (个人成长)
Hexagram 57 reveals that profound personal transformation happens through gentle persistent self-cultivation rather than dramatic self-improvement efforts. Like wind that gradually shapes mountains, your consistent daily practices of self-reflection, learning, and character development create deep lasting change. This is an ideal time to establish sustainable personal development routines that you can maintain indefinitely. Read regularly, practice mindfulness daily, journal consistently, and engage in ongoing learning. Each small practice compounds with others to create comprehensive personal growth. Avoid overwhelming yourself with ambitious transformation programs; instead, adopt gentle practices that penetrate deeply through patient persistent application.
The doubled wind emphasizes the importance of addressing personal growth from multiple angles simultaneously. Like wind that penetrates everywhere, let your self-development efforts touch every aspect of your being. Cultivate physical health, emotional intelligence, intellectual growth, and spiritual development through consistent gentle practices in each area. Your transformation deepens as these various practices reinforce each other. For addressing personal weaknesses or unwanted habits, use gentle persistent awareness and gradual behavior modification rather than harsh self-criticism or forced change. Like wind that gradually clears the air, patient self-observation and consistent small adjustments create lasting character development.
In spiritual development and self-understanding, practice gentle persistent inquiry into your true nature and life purpose. Like wind that gradually reveals what was hidden, regular meditation, contemplation, and self-reflection slowly dissolve illusions and reveal deeper truth. Engage with wisdom teachings consistently, allowing their insights to penetrate gradually into your understanding and behavior. The gentle persistent approach to spiritual growth creates authentic transformation rather than superficial change. Trust in the cumulative effect of daily practice to deepen your self-awareness, clarify your values, and align your life with your highest purpose over time.
Timing & Advice (时机与建议)
The timing favors gentle persistent influence and gradual transformation rather than dramatic action or aggressive pursuit of goals. Like wind that shapes landscapes over time, your patient consistent efforts create profound change. This is not a period for confrontation or force, but for subtle influence and flexible persistence. The universe supports your gentle approach, allowing your influence to penetrate naturally into situations and relationships. Trust in the power of small repeated actions to create significant results. Maintain clarity about your ultimate goals while remaining flexible in your methods, adapting your approach to circumstances while never abandoning your consistent effort toward your objectives.
The doubled wind indicates that this is an extended period requiring sustained gentle effort rather than a brief intense push. Like successive breezes that eventually clear the air completely, your repeated gentle actions will eventually transform your circumstances thoroughly. Establish sustainable practices and routines that you can maintain over the long term. Avoid burnout by keeping your efforts moderate but consistent. The key to success during this time is persistence without aggression, influence without force, and progress through patient accumulation of small gains. Seek guidance from wise mentors to ensure your gentle influence moves in beneficial directions and to maintain your motivation during this extended period.
Embrace the wind's teaching that penetrating influence succeeds where force fails. In all areas of life, adopt approaches that are gentle but persistent, flexible but consistent, subtle but sustained. Like wind that finds every opening and gradually transforms everything it touches, your patient persistent efforts will eventually penetrate all obstacles and create the changes you seek. Trust in the cumulative power of small daily actions aligned with clear purpose. Maintain your gentle persistent approach even when immediate results are not visible, knowing that profound transformation is occurring beneath the surface. The wind teaches that the gentlest forces, applied persistently over time, create the most lasting and profound changes.