履 → 巽
Hexagram 10: Treading → Hexagram 57: The Gentle Wind
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 3 changing lines (lines 1, 3, 4).
Line 1
初九 素履往。无咎。
Nine at the beginning means: Simple conduct. Progress without blame.
Line 3
六三 眇能視。跛能履。履虎尾。咥人凶。武人為于大君。
Six in the third place means: A one-eyed man is able to see, A lame man is able to tread. He treads on the tail of the tiger. The tiger bites the man. Misfortune. Thus does a warrior act on behalf of his great prince.
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
蹇驢不材，駿驥失時；筋勞力盡，罷於沙丘。
The lame donkey is without talent; the swift steed has lost its time. Sinew spent and strength exhausted; collapsed upon the sandy hill.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Heaven above the lake, but the beasts of burden have failed. A lame donkey lacks talent; a fine steed is born at the wrong time. Sinews exhausted and strength spent, both collapse at Shaiqiu — the sandy mound. Shaiqiu carries dark resonance: it is where the Shang tyrant Zhou built his debauchery palace and where the First Emperor of Qin died during his final tour. The place-name signals endings — great power brought low in desolation. From Treading to the Gentle, doubled wind penetrates softly. After the collapse of brute force, only subtle, pervasive influence remains. The verse warns that neither talent nor timing alone guarantees survival when the foundation is exhausted.
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