Hexagram 18. Correction of Decay (蠱 Gǔ)

Trigrams

Above

☶ Gèn (Mountain) — 山 · Stillness

Below

☴ Xùn (Wind) — 風 · Penetrating

Symbolic Meaning

蠱 (Gǔ) describes a condition of accumulated disorder—something that has been left unattended and has deteriorated over time. It requires deliberate intervention to restore proper structure.

Judgment

Original Chinese:
蠱，元亨，利涉大川。先甲三日，後甲三日。
(Gǔ, yuán hēng, lì shè dà chuān. Xiān jiǎ sān rì, hòu jiǎ sān rì.)

"Correction of decay. Origin and smooth progress. It is favorable to undertake a major transition. Three days before, three days after."

This describes a situation requiring active correction of what has been allowed to degrade. Movement is possible, but only through deliberate effort.

The reference to time indicates preparation and follow-through. Repair is not instantaneous—it requires understanding what led to the condition and sustaining the correction beyond the initial change.

Image

Original Chinese:
風行山上，蠱。君子以振民育德。
(Fēng xíng shān shàng, gǔ. Jūn zǐ yǐ zhèn mín yù dé.)

"Wind moves along the mountain: correction of decay. The superior person stirs what is stagnant and cultivates what sustains."

The image shows penetration beneath stillness—movement entering what has become fixed. This reveals underlying disorder.

The response is to activate what has become dormant and rebuild what supports continuity. Correction requires both disruption and renewal.

Line 1

Original Chinese:
干父之蠱，有子，考无咎，厉终吉。
(Gàn fù zhī gǔ, yǒu zǐ, kǎo wú jiù, lì zhōng jí.)

"Correcting what was handed down. With continuation, there is no error. Risk present. Ending in a favorable outcome."

This line addresses inherited conditions. What has been passed down contains flaws that must be corrected.

The process is demanding, but taking responsibility for repair leads to a favorable outcome.

Line 2

Original Chinese:
干母之蠱，不可贞。
(Gàn mǔ zhī gǔ, bù kě zhēn.)

"Correcting what was shaped through nurture. It is not favorable to apply rigid persistence."

This line concerns conditions formed through support or care. Correction here requires sensitivity.

Rigid insistence disrupts rather than repairs. Flexibility is necessary to restore balance.

Line 3

Original Chinese:
干父之蠱，小有悔，无大咎。
(Gàn fù zhī gǔ, xiǎo yǒu huǐ, wú dà jiù.)

"Correcting what was handed down. Regret arises, but no major fault."

Efforts to repair inherited disorder may involve missteps. Not all adjustments are clean.

However, as long as the correction continues, the overall outcome remains sound.

Line 4

Original Chinese:
裕父之蠱，往见吝。
(Yù fù zhī gǔ, wǎng jiàn lìn.)

"Allowing the inherited disorder to remain. Moving forward brings a constrained outcome."

Failure to correct the condition allows it to persist and deepen.

Continuing without intervention leads to increasing constraint and regret.

Line 5

Original Chinese:
干父之蠱，用誉。
(Gàn fù zhī gǔ, yòng yù.)

"Correcting what was handed down. This brings recognition."

Here, the repair is carried out effectively and visibly.

Because the correction restores proper function, it is acknowledged and affirmed.

Line 6

Original Chinese:
不事王侯，高尚其事。
(Bù shì wáng hóu, gāo shàng qí shì.)

"Not serving the governing authority or the lords, one elevates the work itself."

This line moves beyond immediate structures of authority. The focus shifts to the integrity of the task itself.

By not aligning with external power for its own sake, the correction is carried out at a higher level of principle.