履 → 坤
Hexagram 10: Treading → Hexagram 2: The Receptive
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 5 changing lines (lines 1, 2, 4, 5, 6).
Line 1
初九 素履往。无咎。
Nine at the beginning means: Simple conduct. Progress without blame.
Line 2
九二 履道坦坦。幽人貞吉。
Nine in the second place means: Treading a smooth, level course. The perseverance of a dark man Brings good fortune.
Line 4
九四 履虎尾。愬愬終吉。
Nine in the fourth place means: He treads on the tail of the tiger. Caution and circumspection Lead ultimately to good fortune.
Line 5
九五 夬履。貞厲。
Nine in the fifth place means: Resolute conduct. Perseverance with awareness of danger.
Line 6
上九 視履考祥。其旋元吉。
Nine at the top means: Look to your conduct and weigh the favorable signs. When everything is fulfilled, supreme good fortune comes.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
循河樀舟，旁淮東游；漁父舉網，先得大鰌。
Following the river, poling the boat; along the Huai, roaming east. The fisherman casts his net; first he catches a great catfish.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Heaven above the lake sets the scene for careful passage over uncertain waters. A traveler follows the riverbank, towing a boat, then coasts along the Huai River eastward. A fisherman casts his net and first hauls in a great catfish. The imagery is one of patient, methodical effort rewarded: treading steadily along the current, arriving at the right place, and drawing abundance from the deep. From Treading to the Receptive, the transformation suggests that disciplined conduct across dangerous terrain gives way to earth's generous yield. The lake beneath heaven finds its counterpart in earth upon earth — what was precarious becomes bountiful when one follows the natural course rather than forcing passage.
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