觀 → 井
Hexagram 20: Contemplation → Hexagram 48: The Well
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 3 changing lines (lines 2, 3, 6).
Line 2
六二 闚觀。利女貞。
Six in the second place means: Contemplation through the crack of the door. Furthering for the perseverance of a woman.
Line 3
六三 觀我生進退。
Six in the third place means: Contemplation of my life Decides the choice Between advance and retreat.
Line 6
上九 觀其生。君子无咎。
Nine at the top means: Contemplation of his life. The superior man is without blame.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
驢作龍身，進所無前；三日五夜，得其所欽。
A donkey takes on a dragon body, surging forward where none have gone before; after three days and five nights, it attains the one it revered.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Wind over earth observes an impossible transformation. A donkey acquires a dragon's body and advances where none could go before. After three days and five nights, it reaches what it most desired. The metamorphosis from humble beast of burden to mythical dragon reverses every expectation: the lowest carrier becomes the highest flier. Water over wind forms the Well, which draws sustenance from inexhaustible depths through steady effort. From Contemplation to the Well, the transformation reveals the wellspring of hidden potential: even the most unpromising vessel, given time and the right conditions, may tap into depths no one suspected. The three days and five nights mark the patient duration that such transformation demands.
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