履 → 復
Hexagram 10: Treading → Hexagram 24: Return
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 2, 4, 5, 6).
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
天之奧隅，堯舜所居；以存保身，為我國家。
The hidden corner of heaven; where Yao and Shun once dwelt. It preserves and protects the body; serving our state and home.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Heaven above the lake, and the gaze lifts to the hidden corner of the sky where Yao and Shun once dwelt. This celestial recess preserves and protects the body, securing the foundations of the state. The verse presents the sage-kings' realm as an ultimate sanctuary — a place beyond ordinary reach where one may find preservation. From Treading to Return, thunder stirs within the earth. The verse suggests that proper conduct leads not outward but back to origins: the solstice moment when heaven's light returns from its deepest retreat. One preserves the state by returning to the principles of the sage-kings, not by venturing further afield.
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