大過
Hexagram 28 · 大過
Upper trigram: 兌 · Lower trigram: 巽
Da Guo (Great Exceeding): the hexagram of exceptional strain. Reduce the load, strengthen weak supports, and choose necessary changes.
The image
The lake rises above wood, the natural image of the wind trigram below. Water overwhelms the trees rather than nourishing them moderately. Da Guo means great exceeding, a condition beyond ordinary proportion. Four firm central lines press upon yielding ends, like a beam carrying too much weight.
Judgment
棟橈，利有攸往，亨。
The ridgepole bends. It is beneficial to have somewhere to go. Flourishing.
The commentary locates weakness at the root and tip while still finding central strength. An overloaded project may need a decisive change in scope or structure rather than more effort from the same few people.
Great Image
澤滅木，大過。君子以獨立不懼，遯世无悶。
The lake submerges the trees: Great Exceeding. The exemplary person accordingly stands alone without fear and withdraws from the world without distress.
Exceptional conditions sometimes require independence from ordinary approval. A professional may need to decline an unrealistic assignment even when others expect immediate agreement.
Line texts
Line 1 · 初六
藉用白茅，无咎。
Using white thatch as a cushion beneath. No blame.
Six in the first place is yin giving a soft foundation to a heavy situation. The Small Image emphasizes yieldingness below, like taking extra care with preliminary checks before a demanding move.
Line 2 · 九二
枯楊生稊，老夫得其女妻，无不利。
A withered poplar sends out root shoots. An older man takes a young wife. Nothing is unfavorable.
Nine in the second place is central yang finding renewal through an unusual association. The Small Image allows this exceptional joining, like an established organization learning new methods from an energetic newcomer.
Line 3 · 九三
棟橈，凶。
The ridgepole bends. Misfortune.
Nine in the third place is strong yang unable to make effective use of support. The Small Image stresses that lack, like an overburdened specialist refusing delegation while essential work accumulates.
Line 4 · 九四
棟隆，吉。有它吝。
The ridgepole rises firmly. Good fortune. An additional attachment brings humiliation.
Nine in the fourth place is yang able to support the structure without bending downward. The Small Image praises that steadiness, like reorganizing a project successfully but resisting the temptation to add fresh commitments immediately.
Line 5 · 九五
枯楊生華，老婦得其士夫，无咎无譽。
A withered poplar flowers. An older woman takes a young husband. No blame, no praise.
Nine in the fifth place is central yang showing an impressive but limited renewal. The Small Image questions its duration, like a business gaining brief publicity without repairing the system that must sustain its work.
Line 6 · 上六
過涉滅頂，凶，无咎。
Crossing too far, the water covers the head. Misfortune, but no blame.
Six at the top is yin facing a burden beyond ordinary capacity. The Small Image separates an adverse outcome from moral blame, like acknowledging the sincere effort of someone given an impossible workload.
When asking about
Career
Exceptional demands often require structural change. Reduce scope or add genuine support rather than praising endless endurance.
Love
A relationship under strain may need different arrangements. Speak plainly about what each person can reasonably carry.
Money
Heavy obligations tend to reward careful reassessment. Distinguish necessary commitments from loads added by habit or pride.
Home
An uneven burden can unsettle household cooperation. Redistribute work and strengthen practical support.
Study
An excessive workload may need prioritization. Protect foundational tasks instead of attempting every extension at once.
Health
Make rest part of the response to an overloaded schedule. See a doctor for any health concern.
Advice
Acknowledge exceptional strain without turning it into a test of personal worth. Change the structure, protect weak supports, and decline unnecessary weight.
Related hexagrams
Weighing a decision? Cast a hexagram for your own question.
Cast a hexagramReference content based on the I Ching classic, not a prediction.