履 → 觀
Hexagram 10: Treading → Hexagram 20: Contemplation
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 3 changing lines (lines 1, 2, 4).
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.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
請伯行賈。代山之野，夜歷險阻；不逢危殆，利如澆酒。
Asking Bo to go trade. In the wilds of Dai Mountain, crossing dangerous ground by night. Meeting no peril or disaster; profit flows like poured wine.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Heaven above the lake, a merchant ventures forth. An elder sets out trading, crossing the wilderness of Dai Mountain by night, navigating perilous terrain. Yet he encounters no mortal danger, and his profits flow like poured wine. The verse celebrates risk rewarded: a trader who traverses darkness and rough ground but comes through unscathed, his gains liquid and abundant. From Treading to Contemplation, wind moves over the earth — the sovereign inspects the realm. Careful conduct through danger yields not just survival but the panoramic wisdom of one who has seen the terrain firsthand. The merchant becomes the observer; profit becomes understanding.
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