蹇 → 遯

Commentary

Water on the mountain trips the traveler, but he rises again. Though he stumbles, he does not break his teeth — the damage is superficial, not structural. He recovers steadily, worry fades, and illness does not take hold. The verse celebrates the resilience of one who falls on a difficult road and gets up without lasting injury. The teeth, in Chinese medical and divinatory symbolism, represent fundamental vitality; keeping them intact means the core self survives. From Obstruction to Retreat, heaven withdraws above the mountain as the sage distances himself from petty forces. The stumble-and-recovery pattern enacts Retreat's wisdom: the man does not conquer the obstacle but outlasts it. By retreating from confrontation with the mountain path — accepting the fall rather than fighting it — he preserves what matters most.