---
title: 水雷屯 — Difficulty at Beginning (Hexagram 3)
lang: en
canonical: https://ekidan.ai/library/3
alternates:
  - ja: https://ekidan.ai/ja/library/3
  - zh-Hant: https://ekidan.ai/zh/library/3
  - zh-TW: https://ekidan.ai/zh/library/3
  - zh-HK: https://ekidan.ai/zh/library/3
source: 高島易断 (Takashima Ekidan), public-domain 1893 English and 1901 Chinese editions
provider: ekidan.ai — AI-assisted I Ching reading grounded in 88 source-verified historical Takashima cases
license: Classical source text is public domain. This structured edition and its modern commentary are © ICHING LLC, ekidan.ai. Attribution requested when quoted.
---

# 水雷屯 · Difficulty at Beginning — Hexagram 3

Hexagram 3 of the I Ching is 水雷屯 (Difficulty at Beginning). Sprouts pushing through hard soil — the difficulty of beginnings. Seek allies and the way opens. Do not insist on going alone; ask for guidance.

## Work / Relationships / Health

- **Work**: Founding chaos; focus on building the base.
- **Relationships**: An encounter forms, but fruition takes time.
- **Health**: Watch nerves and matters around childbirth.

## Structure

- Number: 3
- Name: 水雷屯
- English: Difficulty at Beginning
- Romaji: sui-rai-chun
- Pinyin: zhūn
- Upper: 水 (Water)
- Lower: 雷 (Thunder)
- Lines (top to bottom):

```text
▬▬▬   ▬▬▬
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
▬▬▬   ▬▬▬
▬▬▬   ▬▬▬
▬▬▬   ▬▬▬
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
```

## Recorded readings using this hexagram

### Divining His Own Fate in Prison (1861)

- Hexagram 3 → 60 · Chun (屯) changing to Setsu (節), line 2
- Imprisoned as a young man, Takashima found a volume of the Book of Changes left in his cell, studied it for three years, then made paper ropes in place of yarrow stalks and cast a hexagram on his own fate.
- [Read the case](https://ekidan.ai/heritage/cases/takashima-own-fate-in-prison)

### The Franco-Prussian War (1870)

- Hexagram 3 → 8 · Chun (屯) changing to Hi (比), line 1
- A friend who had wagered on a French victory asked Takashima to secure the win by divination. Takashima told him instead that France would be defeated — and was flatly disbelieved.
- [Read the case](https://ekidan.ai/heritage/cases/franco-prussian-war-1870)

## Questions about this hexagram

### What does hexagram 3 (水雷屯) mean?

Sprouts pushing through hard soil — the difficulty of beginnings. Seek allies and the way opens.

### What does 水雷屯 counsel?

Do not insist on going alone; ask for guidance.

### What does 水雷屯 say about work?

Founding chaos; focus on building the base.

### What does 水雷屯 say about relationships?

An encounter forms, but fruition takes time.

### What does 水雷屯 say about health?

Watch nerves and matters around childbirth.

### Which trigrams make up hexagram 3?

Upper trigram 水 (Water) over lower trigram 雷 (Thunder).


Source: [Takashima Ekidan AI — ekidan.ai](https://ekidan.ai/library/3)