隨 → 小畜
Hexagram 17: Following → Hexagram 9: Small Taming
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 2, 3, 4, 6).
Line 2
六二 係小子。失丈夫。
Six in the second place means: If one clings to the little boy, One loses the strong man.
Line 3
六三 係丈夫。失小子。隨有求得。利居貞。
Six in the third place means: If one clings to the strong man, One loses the little boy. Through following one finds what one seeks. It furthers one to remain persevering.
Line 4
九四 隨有獲。貞凶。有孚在道以明。何咎。
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 6
上六 拘係之。乃從維之。王用亨于西山。
Six at the top means: He meets with firm allegiance And is still further bound. The king introduces him To the Western Mountain.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
奮翅鼓翼，將之嘉國；愆期失時，反得所欲。
Spreading wings and beating pinions, heading for a fine land; missing the appointed time -- yet in the end gaining what was desired.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Thunder rests within the lake as a bird spreads its wings and prepares for flight toward a blessed land. Yet the journey is delayed — the proper season passes. Paradoxically, this missed timing brings what was originally desired. The verse inverts the usual logic of opportunity: sometimes the very failure to depart on schedule delivers a better outcome than punctual arrival would have. Wind moves across heaven in Small Taming, gently restraining heaven's impetuous force. From Following to Small Taming, Sui's readiness to move is checked by Xiao Xu's gentle holding back — and that restraint, rather than thwarting ambition, refines it into something the bird could not have reached by rushing.
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