同人 → 小過
Hexagram 13: Fellowship → Hexagram 62: Small Exceeding
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 3 changing lines (lines 1, 5, 6).
Line 1
初九 同人于門。无咎。
Nine at the beginning means: Fellowship with men at the gate. No blame.
Line 5
九五 同人先號咷而後笑。大師克相遇。
Nine in the fifth place means: Men bound in fellowship first weep and lament, But afterward they laugh. After great struggles they succeed in meeting.
Line 6
上九 同人于郊。无悔。
Nine at the top means: Fellowship with men in the meadow. No remorse.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
王孫季子，相與為友；明允篤誠，升擢慶舉。
Noble scion and youngest son make friends with one another. Bright, sincere, earnest, and true; they are promoted and raised in celebration.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Heaven and fire form Fellowship as noble companions form a bond of mutual advancement. A prince and a gentleman become friends; their sincerity is bright and their integrity unwavering. Together they are promoted and celebrated. The verse is a compact ode to meritorious friendship — not patronage but genuine fellowship between equals whose combined virtue earns recognition. From Fellowship to Small Exceeding, the transformation tempers this success with caution. Thunder above the mountain in Small Exceeding; the noble man exceeds in reverence, in mourning, and in frugality. Even celebrated friendship must guard against overreach. The pair's elevation is real, but Small Exceeding warns: let conduct be a little too humble rather than a little too proud.
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