Hexagram 24
地雷复
Return
Upper Trigram
☷
坤 (土)
Lower Trigram
☳
震 (木)
Palace
坤 Palace
Shi / Ying Lines
Shi: Line 1 · Ying: Line 4
The 坤 trigram (土) sits above the 震 trigram (木), forming 地雷复. This hexagram belongs to the 坤 Palace.
Judgment (卦辞)
Return. Success. Going out and coming in without error. Friends come without blame.
Image (象辞)
Thunder within the earth: the image of the Turning Point.
Line Texts (爻辞)
Return from a short distance. Great good fortune. (不远复)
Quiet return. Good fortune. (休复)
Repeated return. Danger. No blame. (频复)
Walking in the midst of others, one returns alone. (中行独复)
Noblehearted return. No remorse. (敦复)
Missing the return. Misfortune. (迷复)
In-Depth Analysis
Hexagram 24, Fu (Return), is Thunder within Earth - the first rumble of spring beneath frozen ground. This is the hexagram of the turning point, of yang energy returning after yin's dominance. The judgment says return brings success; on the seventh day comes return. After six days of yin (the dark half of the cycle), yang returns. The lines describe different qualities of return: from a short distance (quick recovery), quiet return (peaceful restoration), repeated return (learning from patterns), noblehearted return. The hexagram teaches that every ending contains a beginning, and that the darkest moment is the turning point.
Historical Stories
📜 The winter solstice in Chinese tradition: the shortest day marks the return of light. Ancient kings closed the passes at solstice, resting in recognition that yang energy was still too fragile to act.
📜 Nelson Mandela's release from prison after 27 years: the return of one man became the turning point for an entire nation. His quiet return (line 2) set the tone for reconciliation rather than revenge.
Practical Applications
Career: After a setback or layoff, the return begins almost immediately. The question is whether you return from a short distance (quick recovery) or miss the return entirely.
Relationships: Reconciliation is possible only when both parties recognize the turning point. Forced return fails; natural return succeeds.
Personal Growth: Track your own cycles. When do you typically hit bottom? When does the return begin? Awareness of your patterns is the first step to mastering them.