乾 → 臨
Hexagram 1: The Creative → Hexagram 19: Approach
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 3, 4, 5, 6).
Line 3
九三 君子終日乾乾。夕惕若厲。无咎。
Nine in the third place means: All day long the superior man is creatively active. At nightfall his mind is still beset with cares. Danger. No blame.
Line 4
九四 或躍在淵。无咎。
Nine in the fourth place means: Wavering flight over the depths. No blame.
Line 5
九五 飛龍在天。利見大人。
Nine in the fifth place means: Flying dragon in the heavens. It furthers one to see the great man.
Line 6
上九 亢龍有悔。
Nine at the top means: Arrogant dragon will have cause to repent.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
南山昊天，刺政關身。疾悲無辜，背憎為仇。
The southern mountain, the vast sky; government censured, the body imperiled. Grief for the guiltless; those one trusted turn to enemies.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
The southern mountains and the vast sky above — this echoes the Shijing ode 'Jie Nan Shan,' which denounces corrupt ministers who bring suffering upon the innocent. Harsh governance wounds the people personally; the blameless grieve, and former friends turn into enemies. From Creative to Approach, earth spreads above the lake — authority descending to inspect what lies below. Lin's image is the ruler who approaches with benevolent teaching, yet this verse shows its shadow: when those in power approach with cruelty rather than compassion, the people below suffer the full weight of heaven's force untempered. Approach without kindness becomes oppression.
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