The judgment
履:虎尾,不咥人,亨。
Treading on the tiger's tail, and it does not bite. Success: you are in a dangerous position and you carry it off.
Received text; plain English after the Chinese. Source: 周易經傳 (public-domain). Passage: hex10.judgment.
The image
象曰:上天下澤,履。君子以辨上下,定民志。
Sky above, lake below: treading. A capable person makes the levels clear and settles what people expect of themselves.
Received text; plain English after the Chinese. Source: 周易經傳 (public-domain). Passage: hex10.image.
Manners are how you walk near power without being eaten.
The six lines
Each line is a stage, from the bottom of the hexagram to the top. Open any line to read it in plain English.
初九 素履,往無咎。 Walking plainly, with no display. Going forward brings no blame.
Walking plainly, with no display. Going forward brings no blame.
九二 履道坦坦,幽人貞吉。 The road is flat and open; the quiet person who keeps to it is lucky.
The road is flat and open; the quiet person who keeps to it is lucky.
六三 眇能視,跛能履,履虎尾,咥人,凶。 武人為於大君。 One-eyed trying to see, lame trying to walk, treading the tiger's tail: it bites, misfortune. This is the line of a fighter playing at being a ruler.
One-eyed trying to see, lame trying to walk, treading the tiger's tail: it bites, misfortune. This is the line of a fighter playing at being a ruler.
九四 履虎尾,愬愬終吉。 Treading the tiger's tail, frightened the whole way. The fear is what keeps you safe, and it ends well.
Treading the tiger's tail, frightened the whole way. The fear is what keeps you safe, and it ends well.
九五 夬履,貞厲。 Walking decisively, straight ahead. Staying true is dangerous: resolve without room to turn is a hard place.
Walking decisively, straight ahead. Staying true is dangerous: resolve without room to turn is a hard place.
上九 視履考祥,其旋元吉。 Look back over the road you walked and check the signs. If the whole circuit holds together, great good fortune.
Look back over the road you walked and check the signs. If the whole circuit holds together, great good fortune.