噬嗑 → 泰
Hexagram 21: Biting Through → Hexagram 11: Peace
Changing Lines
This transformation involves 4 changing lines (lines 2, 3, 4, 6).
Line 2
六二 噬膚滅鼻。无咎。
Six in the second place means: Bites through tender meat, So that his nose disappears. No blame.
Line 3
六三 噬腊肉。遇毒。小吝。无咎。
Six in the third place means: Bites on old dried meat And strikes on something poisonous. Slight humiliation. No blame.
Line 4
九四 噬乾胏。得金矢。利艱貞。吉。
Nine in the fourth place means: Bites on dried gristly meat. Receives metal arrows. It furthers one to be mindful of difficulties And to be persevering. Good fortune.
Line 6
上九 何校滅耳。凶。
Nine at the top means: His neck is fastened in the wooden cangue, So that his ears disappear. Misfortune.
Trigram Changes
Yilin Verse
金精耀怒，帶劍過午。兩虎相距，弓弩滿野；雖憂無苦。
Metal's essence blazes in fury, bearing sword past noon; two tigers face each other, bows and crossbows fill the field. Though there is worry, there is no suffering.
— Jiao Yanshou, Yilin (Forest of Changes), 1st century BCE
Commentary
Fire and thunder blaze with judicial force, and metal energy flares in anger as swords are drawn past the noon hour. Two tigers confront each other while bows and crossbows fill the field — the scene crackles with impending violence. Yet the final line pivots: though there is worry, there is no suffering. The standoff resolves without bloodshed. Metal's furious glare and drawn weapons at midday suggest a crisis at its zenith, balanced forces too equal to break. From Biting Through to Peace, heaven and earth interpenetrate. The armed confrontation gives way to mutual exchange — two powers that seemed destined for destruction instead achieve equilibrium.
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