Hexagram 10 of 64
Treading
履 (Lǚ)
Treading (lǚ) — walking the careful path with correct conduct
ConductAs shown in classical I Ching texts
Composition
Upper Trigram
Creative, initiating, strong — the power that begins things
Outer situation / environment
Lower Trigram
Joyful, open, expressive — the pleasure of exchange and communication
Inner situation / your state
Interaction
Heaven above Lake — sky meeting marsh. The outer energy of heaven shapes the inner disposition of lake.
Meaning
Walking carefully in dangerous territory. Correct conduct and cheerful sincerity make passage safe.
Classical Judgment
“Treading upon the tail of the tiger. It does not bite the man. Success.”
The classical judgment is the original oracle text — the answer the I Ching gives when this hexagram appears.
The Image
Heaven above, the lake below. The superior one discriminates between high and low.
The Image is a nature scene associated with this hexagram — a symbolic picture that distils its essence. In classic texts, meditating on the Image was considered the proper way to absorb the hexagram's teaching.
Nuclear Hexagram
Lines 2–5 of this hexagram form an inner hexagram called the nuclear hexagram. It reveals the hidden seed or underlying dynamic within the situation — what lies at the core beneath the surface.
#37 — Hidden within
The Family
家人 (Jiā Rén) · Community
In a Reading
When hexagram 10 appears in your reading, the I Ching is drawing your attention to the quality of conduct. Sit with the Image — “Heaven above, the lake below” — and consider how this pattern is playing out in your current situation. The Judgment offers the oracle’s direct guidance on how to move with this energy rather than against it.
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