觀 → 兌
Hexagram 20: Contemplation → Hexagram 58: The Joyous Lake
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 1, 2, 4, 6).
Line 1
初六 童觀。小人无咎。君子吝。
Six at the beginning means: Boy like contemplation. For an inferior man, no blame. For a superior man, humiliation.
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 4
六四 觀國之光。利用賓于王。
Six in the fourth place means: Contemplation of the light of the kingdom. It furthers one to exert influence as the guest of a king.
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
天門東虛，既盡為災；膉𦝢黯蒼，秦伯受殃。
The gate of heaven stands empty to the east, its mandate exhausted and turned to calamity; the offerings grow dark and ashen -- the lord of Qin receives his doom.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Wind over earth watches celestial portents turn ominous. The Gate of Heaven in the east stands empty; its energy exhausted, disaster follows. The body darkens and withers, and the Lord of Qin receives calamity. The 'Gate of Heaven' refers to a celestial region whose emptiness signals the withdrawal of heaven's favor. When the celestial gate stands vacant, the terrestrial ruler suffers. The Lord of Qin's downfall mirrors this cosmic depletion. Doubled lake forms the Joyous, which celebrates shared discourse and mutual delight. From Contemplation to the Joyous, the contrast is desolate: where there should be joy and exchange, there is emptiness and affliction. The celestial gate that should pour forth blessings stands vacant, and the earthly lord withers beneath it.
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