既濟 → 夬

Commentary

Water sits above fire, and three wild geese fly together, heading for the rice pond. But first they pass through a reed marsh, where they are struck by arrows — one is wounded in the breast. The verse follows the geese from hopeful flight to ambush: the destination was visible, the route seemed clear, but the intervening terrain concealed danger. From After Completion to Breakthrough, fire-and-water order yields to the lake rising above heaven — water breaching its boundary. Breakthrough is decisive severance, but this verse shows its dangerous side: the geese broke through the safe zone into exposed territory. The one who pushes past completion into new ground must expect that the space between the old order and the new destination is where arrows fly.