謙 → 夬
Hexagram 15: Modesty → Hexagram 43: Breakthrough
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 1, 2, 4, 5).
Line 1
初六 謙謙君子。用涉大川。吉。
Six at the beginning means: A superior man modest about his modesty May cross the great water. Good fortune.
Line 2
六二 鳴謙。貞吉。
Six in the second place means: Modesty that comes to expression. Perseverance brings good fortune.
Line 4
六四 无不利撝謙。
Six in the fourth place means: Nothing that would not further modesty In movement.
Line 5
六五 不富以其鄰。利用侵伐。无不利。
Six in the fifth place means: No boasting of wealth before one's neighbor. It is favorable to attack with force. Nothing that would not further.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
春桃生花，季女宜家；受福多年，男為封君。
Spring peach blossoms bloom; the youngest daughter graces her new home. Receiving blessing for many years; her son becomes an enfeoffed lord.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Earth holds the mountain, and spring peach trees burst into bloom. The youngest daughter settles well in marriage, receiving blessings for many years, her son becoming an enfeoffed lord. The imagery echoes the Shijing's 'Tao Yao' ode: the peach tree in full flower, the bride entering her household. From Modesty to Breakthrough, the lake rises above heaven — accumulated waters breaking through the barrier to cascade downward in generous distribution. The verse embodies Breakthrough's 'bestowing bounty upon those below': the well-married daughter's blessings overflow through generations, her son elevated to nobility. Modesty's hidden worth, when it finds its proper match, breaks through into visible, lasting prosperity that descends through the family line.
The Six Lines app includes all 4,096 Yilin verses, each with original ink brush artwork and full commentary. Download on the App Store