Hexagram 21 · Line 1
Biting Through — 初九
Shi He · Chu Jiu
初九 · Chu Jiu
The Line
His feet are fastened in the stocks, so that his toes disappear. No blame.
Interpretation
If someone, at their first attempt to do evil, at once falls under punishment, the punishment is only light. Only the toes are covered by the stocks. They are thereby hindered from sinning further, and so become free of blame. It is an admonition to stop in good time on the path of evil.