未濟 → 蹇

Commentary

Fire above water, and the flames that once illuminated are now extinguished by rain. Three fires blaze bright, but the downpour quenches their light. Those who rise to high positions fall headlong; arrogance and excess invite punishment. The three fires may refer to three sources of power or three figures whose brilliance attracted destruction. From Before Completion to Obstruction, fire-over-water transforms into water pooling atop the mountain — the image of impassable difficulty. The verse traces a classic arc of hubris: rise, brilliance, exposure, collapse. Obstruction's counsel is to turn inward and cultivate virtue when the way forward is blocked. Those who keep climbing when the mountain is flooded will only drown faster.