Hsu / Waiting (Nourishment)
above: K'an The Abysmal, Water
below: Ch'ien The Creative, Heaven
Nine in the third place means:
Waiting in the mud
Brings about the arrival of the enemy.
Mud is no place for waiting, since it is already being washed by the
water of the stream. Instead of having gathered strength to cross the
stream at one try, one has made a premature start that has got him no
farther than the muddy bank. Such an unfavorable position invites
enemies from without, who naturally take advantage of it. Caution and a
sense of the seriousness of the situation are all that can keep one
from injury.