Breakthrough — 上九

The Line

Interpretation

The victory seems to be won. There is only a remainder left of the evil, whose resolute extirpation is now in season. Everything looks quite easy. But precisely in this lies the danger. If one is not on guard, the evil succeeds through concealment in escaping; and once it has escaped, new misfortune arises from the remaining seeds; for evil does not die easily. Even with the evil of one's own character one must do thorough work. If one carelessly wanted to leave something over, new evil would arise from it.