見險而能止，反身修德
先看圖像，再讀文字。Read the image before the words.
山上有水，蹇
(The trigram representing) a mountain, and above it that for water, form Jian.
君子以反身修德。
The superior man, in accordance with this, turns round (and examines) himself, and cultivates his virtue.
山上有水（險阻），是蹇之象。君子由此體會：在阻塞之時要反求諸身、修養德性。
(The trigram representing) a mountain, and above it that for water, form Jian. The superior man, in accordance with this, turns round (and examines) himself, and cultivates his virtue.
先讀經文，再讀《彖傳》如何解釋卦辭。The received text, then the Tuan commentary on it.
蹇：利西南，不利東北。利見大人，貞吉。
蹇卦，利於往西南（順位），不利往東北（險位）。利於見大人物（賢者），守正則吉。處險之時須擇路。
In (the state indicated by) Jian advantage will be found in the south-west, and the contrary in the north-east. It will be advantageous (also) to meet with the great man. (In these circumstances), with firmness and correctness, there will be good fortune.
蹇，難也，險在前也。見險而能止，知矣哉！蹇利西南，往得中也；不利東北，其道窮也。利見大人，往有功也。當位貞吉，以正邦也。蹇之時用大矣哉！
蹇即難，險阻在前。見險而能停止，是真智慧！蹇利西南，是因為往那裡得中道；不利東北，是因為其道已窮。利見大人，因往則有功。當位守正則吉，是正其邦國。蹇之時的作用真大啊！
Jian denotes difficulty. There is peril in front. To see the peril, and know to stop in view of it — is not this wisdom?
六條線各有一句判斷。閱讀次序初→上；卦象由下而上，看左側的卦。One statement per line, read from the first line to the top. The figure is drawn bottom-up — watch the rail.
往蹇來譽。
前往則蹇阻，回來則得讚譽。剛起步即知險而退，是智。
From the first SIX we learn that advance (on the part of its subject) will lead to (greater) difficulties, while remaining stationary will afford ground for praise.
往蹇來譽，宜待也。
往則蹇來則譽，是宜於等待。
王臣蹇蹇，匪躬之故。
君王之臣不畏蹇難，為的是國事，不是自身。為公而蹇，不為私而退。
The second SIX shows the minister of the king struggling with difficulty on difficulty, and not with a view to his own advantage.
王臣蹇蹇，終無尤也。
王臣之蹇，最終無尤。
往蹇來反。
前往則蹇阻，回來反而得位。剛中有道，及時返回。
The third NINE shows its subject advancing, (but only to greater) difficulties. He remains stationary, and returns (to his former associates).
往蹇來反，內喜之也。
往蹇來反，內部喜悅之。
往蹇來連。
前往則蹇阻，回來與下方相連。柔得位、能聯絡同志。
The fourth SIX shows its subject advancing, (but only to greater) difficulties. He remains stationary, and unites (with the subject of the line above).
往蹇來連，當位實也。
往蹇來連，是位置適當有實。
大蹇朋來。
處於大蹇之中，朋友來了。剛中之主，群陰歸之。
The fifth NINE shows its subject struggling with the greatest difficulties, while friends are coming to help him.
大蹇朋來，以中節也。
大蹇有朋來，因中正有節。
往蹇來碩，吉。利見大人。
前往則蹇阻，回來則大有所獲，吉。利於見大人物。蹇之終須回。
The topmost SIX shows its subject advancing, (but only to greater) difficulties, while remaining stationary will lead to great (merit). There will be good fortune, and it will be advantageous to meet with the great man.
往蹇來碩，志在內也。利見大人，以從貴也。
往蹇來碩，志在內部。利見大人，是順從尊貴。
把象套到你的情境，取一個可行的下一步。Apply the image to your situation; take one practical step.
蹇·止·反身修德
Obstruction · halting · self-cultivation
蹇卦講的是「往蹇來吉」這個規律，也講「反身修德」。遇阻不通就該返回，前進是執著，返回是智慧。九五「大蹇朋來」最值得記：立得正，最難時朋友會自己來。
Jian comes down to the 'forward blocked, returning auspicious' pattern, and to turning inward to cultivate virtue. When blocked, return: forward is attachment, return is wisdom. Line 5's 'in great trouble, friends come' is worth remembering — hold the center and allies appear.
現代人蹇卦上最常見的失，是明明前路阻塞還硬要前進，不肯反身修德。「往蹇來」三字是這一卦的鐵律，逆之必凶。
A common modern failure under Jian: knowing the path is blocked but pushing on anyway, refusing to turn inward. The three-character formula 'forward, blocked, return' is this hexagram's iron rule.
王弼以為蹇卦的核心在「見險而能止」，智者不冒進於險。卦辭「利西南不利東北」是擇路之要，「反身修德」四字最見卦旨，阻塞之時返求諸己。
Wang Bi takes the core of Jian to be 'seeing peril and knowing to stop' — the wise do not press forward into danger. The Judgment's 'favorable to the southwest, unfavorable to the northeast' is the essential art of choosing one's path. What most deserves remembering in this hexagram are the four characters fan shen xiu de — in a time of blockage, turn back and seek within yourself.
程子強調六二「王臣蹇蹇，匪躬之故」，為公而蹇之臣，雖難無尤。他以為處蹇之時最要緊的，是為大義而不為自身。
Cheng Yi stresses line 2: 'the king's minister struggles through difficulty upon difficulty — not for his own sake.' A minister who braves obstruction for the public cause incurs no blame, however hard the road. For Cheng Yi, the highest attainment in a time of Jian is to act for the great cause and not for oneself.
朱子直言：蹇者，難也。卦象險在前（坎）止在下（艮），是「見險而止」之象。學者觀此知：阻塞之時須擇路、待時、返修。
Zhu Xi puts it plainly: Jian means difficulty. The hexagram's image is peril in front (Kan) and stillness below (Gen) — the image of 'seeing peril and stopping.' The student learns from this: in a time of blockage, choose your path, wait for the time, and turn back to cultivate yourself.
蹇是險在前、止在下，見了險知道停。六爻共用一個句式，往蹇、來如何：往是硬闖，來是回頭。初六「往蹇來譽」，上六「往蹇來碩」，闖則受阻，回頭反而有得，這是全卦的鐵律。回頭之後做什麼，大象說了：「君子以反身修德」。路堵住的時候別跟路較勁，也別怪天怪人，趁走不動修自己，等路通了纔有力氣走遠。九五「大蹇朋來」另有一層意思：關口最難處，人立得正，幫手會自己來，用不著去求。
Jian is peril in front and stillness below — you see the danger and you know to stop. All six lines share one sentence pattern: going means obstruction; what coming back brings varies. Going is forcing through; coming back is turning around. Line 1 says 'going, obstruction; returning, praise'; line 6 says 'going, obstruction; returning, great gain.' Push and you hit the wall; turn back and you actually get something — that is the iron rule of the whole hexagram. What to do once you have turned back, the Great Image says: 'the superior man turns inward and cultivates virtue' (fan shen xiu de). When the road is blocked, don't fight the road, and don't blame heaven or other people — use the standstill to work on yourself, so that when the road opens you have the strength to go far. Line 5, 'in great obstruction, friends come,' adds one more layer: at the hardest pass, if you stand upright, help arrives on its own — no need to go begging for it.
本義是腳跛、行走困難，引申為險阻、行不通。此卦講遇阻時該怎麼辦。
Difficulty, blockage. Originally a lame or limping gait — movement impeded, not impossible.
後天八卦坤位所在，地勢平坦，象徵順而易行之地。
The southwest — Kun's position in the post-heaven trigram map: yielding, open ground.
後天八卦艮位所在，地勢陡峭，象徵險而難行之地。
The northeast — Gen's position in the post-heaven trigram map: steep, obstructed ground.
不為自身之意。「匪躬之故」指臣子冒險犯難是為公事，不為私利。
'Not for his own person' — acting for the public cause, not private advantage.
折返、回頭。此卦中的「反」是知險而退的智舉，不是失敗。
To turn back, return. In this hexagram the wise move, not a defeat.
聯結、聯絡。「來連」指退回之後與下方之人聯手。
To connect, join up with — turning back in order to link with allies.
碩大、豐厚。「來碩」指退回反而得到豐厚的收穫。
Great, abundant — the large gain that comes from returning rather than pushing on.
第 39 蹇（阻）與第 40 解（紓）為一對綜卦。卦序揭示：阻塞之後必有紓解，這是中國循環觀看待困境的態度。
Hexagram 39 Jian (blockage) and Hexagram 40 Jie (release) are a pair of inverses (zong gua). The sequence makes a point: after blockage there must come release — the Chinese cyclical view's answer to being stuck.
西南為坤位（順）、東北為艮位（險），卦辭以後天八卦方位指出處蹇之策：往柔順之地有路，往險阻之地無門。
The southwest is Kun's position (yielding); the northeast is Gen's (obstructed). Using the post-heaven trigram map, the Judgment gives the strategy for a time of Jian: toward yielding ground there is a road; toward obstructed ground there is no gate.
大象「君子以反身修德」一句，說的是遇上逆境時不抱怨外界，反求諸己。後世孟子講「行有不得，反求諸己」，說的是同一個道理。
The Great Image's 'the superior man turns inward and cultivates virtue' speaks to facing adversity without blaming the world, and looking within instead. The later Mencian maxim 'when your action fails, seek the cause in yourself' (xing you bu de, fan qiu zhu ji) makes the same point.
彖傳此句道出了「智」的一種樣子：能在險阻面前止步，就是智。後世「明哲保身」「知止為智」的說法，都與此相通。
This Tuan Zhuan line points to one shape of wisdom (zhi): being able to halt before peril. Later sayings such as 'preserve yourself by clear-sighted prudence' (ming zhe bao shen) and 'knowing where to stop is wisdom' echo the same idea.
「反身修德」四字之意？為何是處蹇之根本？
What does 反身修德 (fan shen xiu de) mean? Why is it the root response to obstruction?
為何六爻幾乎都是「往蹇來吉」？這個重複公式的深意？
Why is 'forward-blocked, returning-auspicious' repeated through the lines?
用九五「大蹇朋來」評論一個你最難時真朋友自來的時刻。
Use line 5 to comment on a time of great trouble when true friends came of themselves.