遯 → 睽

Commentary

Heaven above the mountain splits into fire over lake — Opposition, where divergent forces strain against each other. The southern mountain rises steep and rugged, its slopes too sheer to climb. The road stretches far beyond reckoning, and the traveler accomplishes nothing. Yet the verse resolves gently: worry does not become disaster, and evil too dissipates. From Retreat to Opposition, the mountain's withdrawal encounters the estrangement of fire and lake — elements that by nature move apart. The verse captures the exhaustion of pursuing goals across irreconcilable terrain: the mountain is too steep, the distance too great, the effort fruitless. But Opposition contains its own mercy — the very distance that prevents progress also prevents catastrophe. Sometimes the best outcome of a failed journey is simply arriving home unharmed.