小畜

Hexagram 16: Enthusiasm → Hexagram 9: Small Taming

Enthusiasm
Thunder / Earth
小畜
Small Taming
Wind / Heaven
Changing LinesStable Lines

Changing Lines

This transformation involves 6 changing lines (lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6).

Line 1

初六 鳴豫。凶。

míngproclaiming
readiness
xiōngdisappointing

Six at the beginning means: Enthusiasm that expresses itself Brings misfortune.

Line 2

六二 介于石。不終日。貞吉。

jièresolved
in
shístone
there will be no
zhōngend
the day
zhēnpersistence
promising

Six in the second place means: Firm as a rock. Not a whole day. Perseverance brings good fortune.

Line 3

六三 盱豫悔。遲有悔。

wide-eyed
readiness
huǐregrettable
chíthe slow
yǒuwill have
huǐregrets

Six in the third place means: Enthusiasm that looks upward creates remorse. Hesitation brings remorse.

Line 4

九四 由豫。大有得。勿疑。朋盍簪。

yóuat the source
readiness
there is with much
yǒuto have
to gain
do not
hesitation
péngcompanions
gather
zānas

Nine in the fourth place means: The source of enthusiasm. He achieves great things. Doubt not. You gather friends around you As a hair clasp gathers the hair.

Line 5

六五 貞疾。恆不死。

zhēnpersistent
affliction
hénga long time
without
dying

Six in the fifth place means: Persistently ill, and still does not die.

Line 6

上六 冥豫。成有渝。无咎。

míngblind
readiness
chéngaccomplish
yǒuwhile
a change for worse
no
jiùblame

Six at the top means: Deluded enthusiasm. But if after completion one changes, There is no blame.

Trigram Changes

Upper TrigramThunder WindThe Arousing → The Gentle
Lower TrigramEarth HeavenThe Receptive → The Creative

Yilin Verse

蝙蝠夜藏,不敢晝行。酒為酸漿,魴臭鮑羹。

The bat hides by night, daring not to go abroad by day. Wine has turned to sour whey; bream stinks like salted-fish broth.

— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE

Commentary

Thunder erupts from the earth, but the bat hides by day and dares not venture into sunlight. Wine has soured to vinegar, and the bream stinks in its broth — everything has spoiled. The bat, a creature of twilight, embodies talent that cannot function under scrutiny or in the open. The curdled wine and rotten fish suggest resources gone to waste through neglect or poor timing. From Enthusiasm to Small Taming, the transformation reveals why: wind blows across heaven, gently restraining creative force. The small cannot fully contain the great, and what should be fresh ferments into something foul. Enthusiasm misdirected into hiding produces only decay, as potential curdles without the light needed to refine it.

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