I Ching · King Wen 10 of 64
Hexagram 10 — Treading (Lǚ)
- conduct
- courage
- tact
Heaven (creative strength) over Lake (joy and openness)
Meaning
You tread on the tiger's tail—dangerous ground handled safely through courtesy, care, and correct conduct.
The tiger here is anything more powerful than you that you must nonetheless walk past — a boss, an institution, a volatile person. Conduct is the entire technology: the same step lands safely or fatally depending on how it is placed.
Love & Relationships
Tact and respect let the relationship cross delicate territory unharmed. Delicate subjects can be crossed safely if you lead with respect rather than accusation. Say the hard thing with soft edges.
Career & Work
Deal with powerful people carefully; good manners plus courage succeed. Approaching senior people works when you are neither servile nor presumptuous — prepared, brief, and unafraid. The tiger respects composure and punishes both grovelling and swagger.
Advice
Proceed politely but without timidity; conduct is your protection. Hold this counsel lightly but seriously: the I Ching describes the shape of the moment, and Treading rewards those who move with that shape rather than against it.
Changing Lines
Changing lines in Treading grade each step past the tiger — the simple walker who goes his own way, the reckless one-eyed confidence that gets bitten, the final line that invites you to review the whole path walked. A moving line shows which footfall in your situation carries the danger.
Cast your own reading
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Frequently asked questions
- What does Hexagram 10 mean?
- Hexagram 10, Treading (Lǚ), is the hexagram of conduct, courage, tact: You tread on the tiger's tail—dangerous ground handled safely through courtesy, care, and correct conduct.
- What does Hexagram 10 mean for love?
- In love readings, Treading counsels: Tact and respect let the relationship cross delicate territory unharmed. Delicate subjects can be crossed safely if you lead with respect rather than accusation. Say the hard thing with soft edges.
- Is Hexagram 10 a good hexagram?
- In the I Ching no hexagram is simply good or bad — each describes a moment in time and how to meet it well. Treading centers on conduct and courage, and its outcome depends on following its counsel: Proceed politely but without timidity; conduct is your protection. Read as guidance rather than a verdict, it points the way to the best available outcome.