Hexagram 10: Treading

Two robed figures stand at the edge of an abyss, one gesturing toward the darkness below. Gustave Doré etched this scene from Dante's Inferno, showing poet and guide navigating precipices where a single misstep means the fall. The rocky ledge crumbles at the margins. Below, nothing—or worse than nothing, the circles of hell descending into geological punishment. Dante leans forward, examining the route ahead, while Virgil points out the path. Every footfall here carries consequence. The stone offers no forgiveness.

This is Lǚ (履), the Chinese hexagram meaning "treading" or "conduct"—specifically, treading on the tail of the tiger. Ancient diviners saw this configuration when Heaven (Qián) sits above Lake (Duì): creative force above, joyous yielding below, like stepping on something dangerous that might turn and bite. Dante and Virgil embody this careful navigation—moving through territory that tolerates passage only if one observes proper conduct, maintains respectful distance, treads lightly. In Zhou Dynasty court practice, this hexagram appeared when envoys approached rulers, when petitioners entered dangerous negotiations, when anyone moved through space controlled by greater power.

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The Judgment text addresses this precarious movement directly: "Treading upon the tail of the tiger. It does not bite the man. Success." The tiger represents overwhelming force that could destroy you—the abyss, the ruling authority, the spiritual realm that judges souls. Yet proper conduct allows safe passage. Walk correctly and the tiger permits you to step on its very tail, the most sensitive point, without retaliation. Doré's Dante survives precisely because he observes the rules: Virgil guides, Dante follows, both maintain proper respect for the territories they traverse. Song Dynasty officials understood this hexagram as the art of approaching power without triggering its defensive response.

The Image Text elaborates on conduct: "Heaven above, the lake below: the image of treading. Thus the superior person discriminates between high and low, and thereby fortifies the thinking of the people." Know where you stand. The lake reflects heaven but doesn't presume to be heaven. Dante descends through hell but doesn't belong to hell—his living breath separates him from the shades, his guide protects him through correct positioning. In the I-Ching's sequence, Lǚ follows Small Accumulating: after gathering small restraints, one must tread carefully with what has accumulated. Careless steps here breed the next hexagram—Peace, where careful conduct finally establishes safe ground.