Hexagram 2: The Receptive → Hexagram 58: The Joyous Lake

The Receptive
Earth / Earth
The Joyous Lake
Lake / Lake
Changing LinesStable Lines

Changing Lines

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

Line 1

初六 履霜堅冰至。

footsteps
shuāngfrost
jiānsolid
bīngice
zhìresults

Six at the beginning means: When there is hoarfrost underfoot, Solid ice is not far off.

Line 2

六二 直方大。不習无不利。

zhístraightforward
fāngsquare
complete
without
practice
without
doubt
worthwhile

Six in the second place means: Straight, square, great. Without purpose, Yet nothing remains unfurthered.

Line 4

六四 括囊。无咎无譽。

kuòtied up
nángbag
no
jiùblame
no
praise

Six in the fourth place means: A tied-up sack. No blame, no praise.

Line 5

六五 黃裳。元吉。

huánggolden
chángdress
yuánmost
promising

Six in the fifth place means: A yellow lower garment brings supreme good fortune.

Trigram Changes

Upper TrigramEarth LakeThe Receptive → The Joyous
Lower TrigramEarth LakeThe Receptive → The Joyous

Yilin Verse

車馳人趍,卷甲相仇。齊魯寇戰,敗於犬丘。

Chariots race, men rush; donning armor, taking up feuds. Qi and Lu raid and battle; defeated at Dog Hill.

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

Commentary

Earth upon earth transforms into doubled lake — the Joyous. Chariots race and men rush forward; armies roll up their armor for battle. Qi and Lu clash again, and defeat comes at Dog Hill. Doubled lake, the image of Dui, represents joyous exchange — friends gathering to study together. Yet the verse describes military catastrophe: the hollow enthusiasm of battle ends in rout. Dog Hill (Quanqiu) is a place name associated with frontier skirmishes. From the Receptive to the Joyous, the earth's yielding terrain becomes the battlefield where false joy — the thrill of martial excitement — leads to disaster. Dui's true joy is mutual discourse and shared learning; when its energy is perverted into military adventure, the doubled lake dries up in blood and dust.

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