Hexagram 17: Following → Hexagram 2: The Receptive

Following
Lake / Thunder
The Receptive
Earth / Earth
Changing LinesStable Lines

Changing Lines

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

Line 1

初九 官有渝。貞吉。出門交有功。

guānthe standards
yǒuwill
change
zhēnpersistence
promising
chūleaving
ména outer gate
jiāoto communicate
yǒuhas
gōngmerit

Nine at the beginning means: The standard is changing. Perseverance brings good fortune. To go out of the door in company Produces deeds.

Line 4

九四 隨有獲。貞凶。有孚在道以明。何咎。

suífollow
yǒuhas
huòsuccess
zhēnpersistence
xiōngunfortunate
yǒube
true
zàion
dàoa way
in order to be
míngclear
where is
jiùthe blame

Nine in the fourth place means: Following creates success. Perseverance brings misfortune. To go one's way with sincerity brings clarity. How could there be blame in this?

Line 5

九五 孚于嘉。吉。

trust
in
jiāexcellence
promising

Nine in the fifth place means: Sincere in the good. Good fortune.

Trigram Changes

Upper TrigramLake EarthThe Joyous → The Receptive
Lower TrigramThunder EarthThe Arousing → The Receptive

Yilin Verse

唐虞相輔,鳥獸喜舞;安樂無事,國家富有。

Tang and Yu assisted each other; birds and beasts danced with joy. Peaceful and without incident, the state grew rich.

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

Commentary

Thunder rests within the lake as all beings follow in harmony. Yao and Shun govern together, and under their shared rule even birds and beasts dance with joy. The realm knows neither anxiety nor strife; the state overflows with abundance. This verse invokes the golden age of the sage-kings Tang (Yao) and Yu (Shun), whose benevolent co-regency is the Chinese archetype of perfect governance. When ruler and minister are aligned in virtue, prosperity arises without effort. From Following to the Receptive, the dynamic of willing obedience transforms into earth's boundless capacity to receive and sustain — the ideal polity where the people follow naturally and the land bears fruit of its own accord.

The Six Lines app includes all 4,096 Yilin verses, each with original ink brush artwork and full commentary. Download on the App Store

Related Pages