謙 → 鼎
Hexagram 15: Modesty → Hexagram 50: The Cauldron
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 3 changing lines (lines 2, 4, 6).
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 6
上六 鳴謙。利用行師。征邑國。
Six at the top means: Modesty that comes to expression. It is favorable to set armies marching To chastise one's own city and one's country.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
狗無前足，陰謀叛背；為身害賊。
A dog without forelegs; secret plots and treacherous betrayal. It becomes the body's own enemy and harm.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Earth holds the mountain, but a dog without front legs — crippled and desperate — plots rebellion and betrayal, becoming a danger to itself. The image is visceral: a maimed creature turning vicious, its disability breeding treachery rather than resignation. From Modesty to The Cauldron, fire blazes above wind, the vessel of civilization that transforms raw ingredients into refined nourishment. Yet the verse shows the Cauldron's inversion: when the vessel is entrusted to one who is fundamentally incapable (the legless dog), what should cook and transform instead breeds conspiracy. The Cauldron demands the right person in the right position; a creature without legs cannot carry it, and its frustration curdles into sabotage. Modesty without capacity produces not humility but resentment.
The Six Lines app includes all 4,096 Yilin verses, each with original ink brush artwork and full commentary. Download on the App Store