Retreat

遯 · Step back; leave a way out

Sometimes withdrawing is wisdom—not losing, but keeping your strength.

Try this Pull half a step from one draining place today: decline, mute, or postpone.

In daily life, this often points to a moment to step back—not surrender, but protecting your energy.

Life associations

• Career & work When you need to step back, exit in time to save strength—not surrender, but strategic blank space.
• Relationships When depleting, create distance to protect yourself; explain gently—better than vanishing as silent violence.
• Decisions & direction When timing is poor, pause and withdraw; keep capital and options until a window returns.
• Growth & wellbeing Learn to say no and rest; step away from noise so body and mind can realign.
• Money & resources When risk rises and retreat fits, skip new entries—trim to keep principal over proving grit.
• Negotiation & conflict If talks fail, leave the table and draw a ceasefire line; avoid a tangle that drags both sides down.

Master reading

Core judgment

The fault is still forcing yourself in a draining field, or breaking off with harsh words; the remedy is keeping distance from petty people, severe without malice—step half a pace back and leave an exit; retreat is keeping yourself, not surrender.

Pattern & remedy

Gen below and Qian above: heaven has a mountain under it; the firm is in place and answers; as yin soaks and grows, retreat fits, hence Dun (Retreat). The qi is retreating to keep yourself: when the time calls for hiding, hide; small lasting correctness helps. The Great Image says heaven has a mountain under it, Dun; you keep distance from petty people, severe without malice. When you step back, keep dignity—no need for harsh words. Favor success and knowing the moment through small lasting correctness; restrain clinging to the fight and harsh speech—stepping away is wisdom: keep stamina, leave an exit, be severe without malice—that fits this hexagram.

Historical mirror

Like Zhang Liang, who after success wished to wander with the Red Pine Master—the qi near Dun: when the time calls for retreat, retreat; keep distance from drain without harsh words; keep yourself and leave an exit—rather than force until strength is gone.

What to do in the situation

Today step half a pace out of one draining field: decline an invite, mute, or postpone. At work, retreat when you should—keep stamina, then lay out again; in relationships, keep boundaries severe while tone need not be harsh. When a decision favors small lasting correctness, shrink the commitment first; in growth, practice saying no without inner drain. Cut high-drain occasions and social pressure on money; in conflict, be severe without malice—leaving the room leaves more exit than a harsh break.

What the ancients said

亨，小利貞。

Dun opens; small uprightness helps. Retreat conserves strength; small things are fine—do not force the large.

遯亨，遯而亨也。剛當位而應，與時行也。小利貞，浸而長也。遯之時義大矣哉！

天下有山，遯；君子以遠小人，不惡而嚴。

Mountain under heaven: keep small people at a distance—without hatred, yet firm—when stepping back, stay dignified without harsh words.

Brief background

"天山遯" has 艮 below and 乾 above. Dun: mountain under heaven—retreat to keep yourself. Small uprightness—retreat is strategy, not cowardice; when time asks hiding, hide.

The six line texts

• 初六 遯尾，厲，勿用有攸往。
• 六二 執之用黃牛之革，莫之勝說。
• 九三 系遯，有疾厲，畜臣妾吉。
• 九四 好遯，君子吉，小人否。
• 九五 嘉遯，貞吉。
• 上九 肥遯，無不利。